A History of Casting
From broad to pod, casting has always been about getting information out into the world. Starting by radio and then television, now digital content is available for the same purposes: to entertain, to inform, and to persuade. It’s not just Joe Rogan with a podcast anymore; it’s everybody from your next-door neighbor to Conan O’Brien making them. Grandmas now ask questions like: how do podcasters get paid? The stats and growing market for podcasts are fascinating.
Podcasting for marketing can do so much to help you build your brand. It’s another way to give you social proof. Just as we discussed in our video marketing blog post, podcasting has a lot of the same benefits. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why YOU might want to be jumping on the podcast bandwagon.
It’s an efficient use of your time
Huh? But, you’re thinking to yourself, I have to take time out of my day to make a podcast. Yep, you do. But, once you have, how many more clients are going to gravitate towards you from that hour or two versus old-school methods of prospecting like cold calling? (Bonus feature: if they stop listening to your podcast rather than rushing you off the phone, you’re not even going to know!)
It gives you a chance to demonstrate your knowledge
Whether you’re making the episode on your own through a phone app like Anchor or using an actual studio like CAM (Community Access Media) on 12th St. right here in Erie, you can share your expertise while allowing many people at once to hear what you have to say. Being in any industry long enough, one can see the benefit of saying something once and being heard by many, rather than constantly repeating oneself in multiple conversations with individual people.
You can cast a larger net
With the growing popularity of podcasting, you may reach listeners you never anticipated. There might be a population out there that didn’t even know they were interested in you or what you had to say – your content or your personality – because they weren’t aware of your existence. By tapping into the group of people who like podcasts, you may be giving yourself new clients, and you’re definitely creating more awareness.
Preparing Your Podcast
Getting started in podcasting is as simple as having something to say and then pressing record while you say it. Pressing record is easy enough; the part where you may have some difficulty is in what to say. If you’re planning to start a podcast of your own, here are a few helpful hints to be successful even before you start:
Have a target audience
It’s important with any podcast to know who you’re producing content for. Is it for young people, old people, men, women, everyone on the planet? By narrowing down your audience, you’ll be more focused in your content and more likely to attract that demographic.
Plan your content
Depending upon where you lie on the spectrum of spontaneity, you may prefer to talk completely off the cuff, or you may like to have a brief outline of topics and questions prepared. Some people may go so far as to have an entire script written out; however, part of the appeal of podcasts is how real they feel, so sounding too rigid may not create the product you’re striving for.
Involve guests for variety
As is commonly said, variety is the spice of life, and including others with knowledge in your field, helps to expand upon your own ideas in addition to drawing in new listeners, as your guests are sure to want their friends and family to take a listen. Help your guests feel comfortable and confident by giving them some idea of the direction of the conversation beforehand and making sure they understand how being a guest is a mutually beneficial situation.
During Your Podcast
Throughout the recording process, do your best to remain energetic, informative, and upbeat. This is where your preparation comes into play. If you’re recording live, you don’t want lulls (only lols). You don’t want your guests to have to think too long to answer any particular question you might have for them. And you want to come off natural and relaxed. In the course of the discussion, remember humanity happens.
When you’re recording anything live, there are bound to be human moments when something happens to interrupt the flow of dialogue: the dog walks in the room, somebody sneezes, there’s a mishap in the demonstration you’re giving. You know what? Rather than detract from what you’re producing, these little diversions can sometimes enhance your content in a way you weren’t expecting. It can help the audience bond with and relate to you on a more basic level.
The same can be said about the train of conversation. Sometimes the intended purpose gets altered because the discussion went in a new direction. Often, it’s best to just go with the new track. You can decide if you want to return to your original plan later. A lot of great things happen unexpectedly. As a host, you make the call, but you may be pleasantly surprised by what gets unearthed when you let dialogue flow organically.
Making the Most of Your Podcast
After you’ve completed your recording, you’re going to want to publish it…somewhere. Whether that is on Spotify, Anchor, or any other number of hosting options, you can make the most out of your podcast by monetizing it, including advertisements, and sharing it on social media after the fact.
Take your podcast to the next level by going Facebook Live or recording and uploading the video to YouTube, thereby hitting many media platforms with one stone. Pace your creation and publishing to help create consistency and allow your audience to anticipate your next podcast. Podcasting is an opportunity to let people into your world: listeners hear your tone of voice, the timbre of it, and sometimes even your laugh. Besides showcasing your knowledge, you’re letting them know you as a person…a person they want to work with.
To learn more about how to get your podcast off the ground, schedule a FREE strategy call or appointment with Erie Multimedia to chat about how the use of our services can support you in getting more business, more personal time, and, potentially, more money! (814) 746-9986 Check out one of our own podcasts, Erie Real Estate Marketing, to hear how we do things or check out the latest episode:
Schedule a FREE strategy call or appointment with ErieMultimedia to chat about your goals. Contact us by phone at Call us: 814-746-9986, via email info@eriemultimedia.com, or choose to book a time using Calendly.
