Podcasting has been a popular marketing tactic for several years now. According to Edison Research, 30 percent of Americans listen to podcasts. Its low cost and simplicity can help any digital advertising campaign. But before you take the plunge, it’s important plan your podcasting strategy.

When to start a podcast

The best time to implement a podcast in your marketing strategy is right now. You’ll need some interesting content to start – content that your target market will be interested in.

Developing a successful podcast

Take a look at your competitors’ podcasts and what is being broadcast about your subject expertise. Start by searching  iTunes for your topic. If you get a lot of results, you’ll know that your topic may be popular. To better your odds for being heard, try getting as specific as you can and focus on a niche topic such as “the need for calcium in a dog’s menu.”  If your search gets you fewer results, you can be more general with your topic such as “important dog food ingredients.”

The length of your podcast can vary widely depending on the format and content you choose. An interview podcast, for example, may run 20-30 minutes but a information podcast may run 8-14 minutes. Try to stay consistent with the length and timing of when you release your episodes.

Remember not to try to directly sell anything to your listeners – a podcast is used for your brand strategy and a hard direct sell will turn most listeners off very quickly.  Instead, focus on educating and entertaining your listeners and soon they will recognize you as an expert and turn to your website for additional information.

Promoting your podcast

The most popular place to release a podcast is on iTunes. There is also an app for Android called Podcast Addict that is frequently used. You should also choose to offer the podcast on your company’s website or create an entirely new website for the podcast. You can release your podcast on more than one platform, so it’s recommended to choose a variety of options to reach the widest audience. Remember that LinkedIn is a business/career networking platform – so your podcast may get good attention there.

Getting people to listen to your podcasts is a marketing challenge. A digital marketing campaign can be of great help – posts and boosts on social media, emails to business colleagues and customers, and purchasing advertising will increase the chances. Also, search engine optimization (SEO) can help by including keywords in your podcast description.

Developing a podcast can place your content in front of a wider audience. For more information on developing and promoting your podcast give this Long Island award winning advertising agency a call.