Market Your Business With Podcasting
By Kim (Bither) Dawson ’99
Small business owners are always looking to keep their business relevant, as well as continue to keep the attention of their target audience. While there are many ways to accomplish this, one of the most important is to implement effective marketing strategies. Over the past 8-10 years we have seen a shift in marketing methodology, moving away from traditional outbound marketing (direct mail, telemarketing, and email marketing) to inbound marketing (blogs, podcasts, whitepapers, and webinars). One of the latest and increasingly popular trends in inbound marketing strategy is podcasting.
From solopreneurs to Fortune 500 companies, just about anyone can launch a podcast these days. Having your own podcast can be a great way to connect with your audience, gain media exposure, build credibility, and sell your products and/or services.
Kim (Bither) Dawson ’99 (Accounting), is an entrepreneur and business strategist who helps business owners grow successful and profitable businesses of their own. Kim is the host and producer of The Sassy Strategist Podcast, and author of Passion to Profits: Your Guide to Building A Successful Business You Love. To connect with Kim, visit her at kdawsonco.com or follow her on social media, @sassystrategist.
Podcasting allows you to share expertise and advice with your audience. You can choose topics that align with your business mission and purpose, as well as meet the interests and needs of your audience. Giving them a chance to “listen in” on a regular basis helps them get to know you and your business. The next time they need your services, they might be more likely to reach out, because they already understand what you do and the value you provide to your clients.
Podcasts can consist of host-only shows, they can have an interview platform, or they can be a combination of both. The latter is ideal because it allows you to share your own thoughts, experiences, and expertise with your audience, but also gives you the opportunity to bring guests on the show that can expand upon your own level of knowledge. Having guests on your show serves two benefits: you provide more useful content to your audience that you can’t provide on your own, and it gives you additional media exposure. Every time you have a guest on your show, you now get introduced to their network.
Hosting and producing your own podcast helps build your professional credibility. Your listeners, guests, and network see you as an expert in your field. In order for this to happen, however, you need to be strategic about your podcast. Make sure you follow a consistent production schedule (whether you choose to release episodes weekly, bi-weekly or monthly), have quality guests on your show, and choose topics that align with your brand and mission. In other words, if you have a business podcast don’t talk about triathlon training one week, and sous vide cooking the next.
Having a podcast can help you sell your products and/or services, though it’s best not to “sell from the stage,” so to speak. Your podcast shouldn’t be about selling, it should be about education, entertainment, or inspiration. However, it is acceptable to mention what you sell, or even your other inbound marketing content such as your blog, webinars, or whitepapers, when it is relevant to the conversation. It’s also a good idea to remind your listeners how they can connect with you, online or offline, during your show’s introduction and/or closing.
With a little bit of research, you can find plenty of resources online regarding the equipment and software you will need, the cost, and other information on how to get started. While it can be time-consuming to have your own podcast, it is time well spent as it can help you connect with your audience, market yourself as an expert, build credibility, gain media exposure, expand your network, and grow your business.
