13 Ways A Podcast Can help you Boost Your Sales

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A podcast is a digital audio file made available for listening on-demand. Podcasts can be subscribed to through a user interface called a podcatcher that automatically downloads new episodes when they are released.

Podcasts generally offer a mix of:

interviews with personalities or experts in their fields; or on-the-fly reports about events and activities, such as sporting competitions or musical performances, which may also contain some commentary from the reporter. A podcast can consist of one type only, or it can vary over time. For example, an individual may initially produce a daily news podcast and later create an interview series at regular intervals (weekly, monthly) but return to producing daily news podcasts after some time has passed.

The word "Podcast" comes from the words "broadcast" and "software". The term was coined by Ben Hammersley of the BBC in 2005, who developed NYCast.net , an experimental service for sharing audio files. Podcasts became more widely used as MP3 players that enabled listeners to download digital files, and began appearing on mobile phones beginning with Apple's release of its iPhone smartphone in 2007.

The first commercial podcast produced by a local publisher appeared in December 2005 at 66°7 , a Toronto radio program hosted by broadcaster Steve Marantz . Since 2006, hundreds have started downloading content to their MP3 players or computers. Dozens have created their own podcasts—some professionally produced, others done casually or as a hobby . Several organizations offer information on how to produce a podcast:

Shows can be distributed through the Internet by downloading or streaming and sometimes via podcasts. Some companies that distribute podcasts may also collect subscriber data, as well as allowing users to pay for downloads with online payments such as credit card . Podcasting is very much a horizontal media form – producers are consumers as well, although professional content has been accused of "leaching off" the medium's accessibility and open culture.

Since April 2017, Spotify now hosts podcasts. Although iTunes began offering podcasts in 2005 , many people had difficulty finding shows they were interested in because their selection was curated by only one person, rather than following specific genres . In response, several websites launched directories where anyone could submit a show for review and listing, including Podcast Pickle , Podzinger , Podcast Alley , podOmatic, and Yahoo! Launch .

Both the US and UK have had a major impact on the development of podcasting worldwide. Podcasts are most popular in these two countries. However, usage has gone up in Spain while it has declined in the USA since 2008. A briefing by Ofcom published on 22 December 2015 reported that between Q2 2014 and Q3 2015 monthly podcast listening grew year-on-year by 85% in the United Kingdom and 58% across all of Europe. It was also found that 47% of UK consumers claimed to have listened to a podcast at least once, with this figure rising to 55% for those aged over 55.

13 Ways A Podcast Can Boost Your Business

1. Regular podcast content gets subscribers more engaged. Podcasts are a great way to engage your customers on a regular basis. You can offer updates, tips, news and other content that will keep them coming back for more. Remember though that if you are going to be doing this on a regular basis that the content has to be good or they won't come back for more!

2. Podcasts are cost-effective. Creating a podcast is relatively inexpensive and has the potential to produce significant returns on investment. Compared to other types of digital marketing, such as search or social media advertising, it's very cost effective. Once you invest in the equipment, your only other costs will be hosting and distribution (through host-read adverts). This level of affordability makes it highly scalable – something that may make podcasting an attractive option for growing brands trying to acquire new customers.

3. Customers like content that's useful to them. Customers like relevant information about products and services they can use in their daily lives – not just product features and specifications – which means audio content based around 'how-to' guides can be especially appealing. So, consider creating content that has practical applications for your customers – tips, tutorials or reviews are all great options.

4. Podcasts can be a good way to build relationships with customers. We've already established that podcasting is a cost-effective form of marketing with high potential returns on investment. But perhaps the most valuable aspect is its capacity to create one-on-one relationships with your audience members. Because listeners can choose which episodes to download and how often they access them, it's possible to personalise the customer experience through regularly updated mediums like podcasts . It also enables brands to build more authentic relationships based around specific topics of interest to each individual listener, rather than sending out blanket messages across multiple platforms that may or may not reach a relevant audience.

5. Podcasts are an opportunity to be seen as an industry authority. It can be difficult for your brand to stand out in the sea of competitors you face every day. One way to get ahead is by becoming an industry authority within your specific market space, and podcasts are a great way to do this. By regularly communicating quality information through podcasting, you can position yourself as a thought-leader and gain valuable customer trust and loyalty in the process .

6. Build goodwill by being helpful podcasts are known as an audio format so people tend to listen when they are commuting or perhaps walking their dog etc... When listening in these circumstances consumers want entertainment but also information which might help them out in some way. You should try and give them both of these things within your podcast shows, but especially the latter in order to build up good will.

7. Reach a larger audience when you have a podcast you can reach a much larger audience than just your normal customers and fans of your brand. Podcasts are very popular so when you create one, send out links to it where appropriate and grow your fan base you might find that they share the link with their friends and family too!

8. Increase Sales You can use podcasts as a promotional tool, offering free downloads or discounts to listeners who sign up for something special such as an email list or perhaps even resell rights etc.. This could be anything that appeals to them and makes them more likely to purchase from you in future....

9. More people know about your brand. If people out there are listening to your podcast and enjoying it then they will tell their friends and family about you. If lots of people do this then the chances are that you will get more sales and regular customers who keep returning for more so it could be a very effective marketing tool indeed!

10. Put yourself out there If your the owner of a small business, this is where you can really benefit from podcasting because it means people will get to know who you are and what you do without actually meeting you face to face so if anything goes wrong or they don't like something about what you offer then they won't associate these issues with the real person behind the brand but instead just write it off as bad customer service by an unknown entity which doesn't affect them personally!

11. Get feedback this way people out there who might be thinking about buying something from you can hear first hand how others feel about your products/services before parting with their hard earned money so it's always worth asking for some feedback on your show...you never know just what you might hear about your business, some negative comments are always bound to come out so if they do listen carefully and try to emulate the things people like best about your brand in future shows.

12. If you have a small budget for marketing/advertising etc...then podcasting could be the way forward because it's very cheap compared to most other forms of promotion. There is no need for expensive equipment, software or training courses etc...which can really add up quickly when you're on a limited budget! All you need in order to get started is an MP3 recorder (which can cost as little as $20), access to somewhere that has good lighting and acoustics (this shouldn't cost more than $50-$100 either) and then you need to invest in some basic editing software (you can buy something like Audacity for as little as $50). Overall these costs are often less than setting up a simple website, yet if done correctly will deliver much better results.

13. Save time podcasting is a fantastic way of providing information and entertainment to others who might be interested in your business and its products/services but it does mean that you won't need to spend so much time talking about yourself on social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter because you will already have an ever expanding live audience who tune into your show each week. This means that people out there know all about the latest news with regards to your brand and they'll tell their friends and family members about it also.

Conclusion

Podcasting might seem like a lot of hard work when you first decide to start one but it doesn't need to be, there are several things you can do to make it easier on yourself. For example, you might want to produce your show every week but if it takes longer than an hour or so to record and edit the show then it's probably better to make your podcast a monthly or even fortnightly feature instead. You can always do some "Best Of" shows in between to keep people interested and eager for more content. Podcasting is incredibly inexpensive compared to most methods of marketing or advertising so you might want to try it out before spending lots of money on other forms of promotion .

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