The Power of Podcasting

In this article we are re-blogging a post by marketer John Waghorn from Koozie about podcasting and the benefits it can bring for you and your company.

When you think of “good content” it’s likely that you think of something that’s text or visual based, such as blog posts, Infographics and interactive pieces.

However, alongside these excellent forms of content we often neglect audio, and in particular podcasts, as a valuable tool for enhancing your brand and getting your message out to your audience.

According to the BBC there have been 1.1 billion UK downloads of their own podcasts since they started offering them back in 2004. Content from the BBC via this medium is also being downloaded in record numbers and it’s believed this trend will continue to grow in the coming years.

So if this is the potential reach of this form of content, why don’t you create and use podcasts as part of your own marketing campaigns?

Take a look at the benefits of podcasts and how you can use this medium in your own content strategy

What Is A Podcast?

First of all, if you’re not familiar with the term podcast, this form of content relates to a radio style audio file that users can download via the Internet and listen back to as an MP3.

Podcasts are usually released episodically and can be listened to on a computer, mobile, tablet, or portable media device.

The podcast itself usually involves one person or a group of people and guests discussing current events and affairs or a repeat of an online radio show that users can download and listen to again after it’s been on air.

The Power of Podcasts

The Internet plays host to a large volume of content and as a business you need to find unique ways to stand out from the competition in your industry.

Audio based content and podcasts in particular are one way to achieve this and using this medium has plenty of advantages, including:

Offering engaging content in a different format
Giving your business a sense of personality
Building customer loyalty
Creating a sense of trust
Offering a portable and easy to digest form of media
Creating content that stands out in your sector
Enhancing brand identity and awareness
The opportunity to talk about breaking news/relevant industry topics
Getting your voice, brand and messages heard

With all of these areas combined it’s easy to see why some businesses are already devoting their time to creating podcasts for their target audience.

This content can end up being a worthy investment for enhancing your own marketing campaigns and improving the results of your organic search results too.

If you’re not using podcasts now, then think about using them in your next marketing strategy.

Do Podcasts Rank in the Search Engines?

Over time, if you build on the amount of podcasts you release, it’s possible to rank for them in the search engines.

Although the audio content won’t be readable by the search engines, you can always use other tactics to help them appear in the results pages.

This includes using a targeted and optimised title and page URL for each episode and creating a short 200 plus text introduction before giving users the chance to play or download the content. This introduction can include keywords and key themes related to the subject you’re discussing too.

Once you’re a regular podcaster, it’s also likely that other sites will link out to you as a credible resource – again resulting in a positive shift in your rankings if the sites are targeted and of a decent quality. You may wish to host a separate page on your site too which displays all of the podcasts historically to date.

In addition, if you host your content on podcast directories, such as iTunes, this will help it to appear when someone conducts a search via the specific directory or platform they’re using.

Ultimately, podcasts and the pages they’re hosted on can end up achieving their own search rankings, which will have a positive impact on your site.

What Can You Talk About?

To inspire you and help you get started, take a look at some of these examples:

Latest stories and developments in your industry
Breaking news and current topics
Important issues to you, your business or brand
Repurposing previous content (for example old blog posts and Infographics)
Interviews with special guests
Your expertise, knowledge and passion on a relevant subject

Don’t be afraid when it comes to recording, you don’t need to get everything right in one take as sections can be edited together later on.

Hosting Your Content

Once your podcast is recorded, edited and mixed there are a number of options when it comes to hosting your content.

Placing all recorded podcasts on your own site would be a good start, but you can also place them on the following external platforms:

If you’re going to use external sites then it’s best to build your own branded profile and once podcasts are live you can promote them on your blog and social channels for additional exposure.

How we can help you

Here at Brown Bear Audio we can take care of all aspects of your Podcast. Starting with the pre-production and planning we work with you to narrow down your podcast topic, identify your audience and ensure you have a clear idea of the structure and style of programme you want to create. There are a number of options for recording, for the best results we would advise recording in our isolated sound proofed voice booth. Alternatively we can record onsite at a chosen location, the final option is to record the podcast yourself with guidance and advise from us.

Once recording has been completed we will edit the audio to remove unwanted ums,” stammering, long or awkward silence, heavy breaths, smacking, background noise, “you know,” and other crutch phrases. Our goal is to create a polished, smooth flowing conversation and listeners will not be able to tell that any edits have been made.

Following editing we mix and enhance the audio adding any intros. outros, commercials and music bumpers before mixing down to the standard -16LUFS. When you are happy with the finished product we will convert the file to MP3 adding ID3 meta tags, titles, chapters, album art and SEO tags so it’s ready to upload to your host or website.

If you’d like to discuss any ideas you have for podcasting get in touch on 01273 201122 or email info@brownbearaudio.co.uk.