How A Podcast Will Make Your Small Business Stand Out

Whether you’re a lawyer, an accountant, or someone that’s simply selling widgets via an e-commerce site, it’s imperative to be relevant, both online and within the industry you work within. Building relevancy, as an authoritative subject matter expert is contingent upon how you market yourself.

And remember, perception is reality!

A Consistent Podcast Adds Immediate Relevancy

Small business owners compete against those that are utilizing powerful integrated marketing strategies to drive people to discover them. But once the ‘prospective consumer’ discovers you, they ultimately will conduct additional research, especially for those that have a ‘service based’ business.

Educated consumers will review your blog, check your Linked-In, look for publicly posted reviews and feedback, and even possibly call your clients, asking for a referral.

But there’s another way that you can stand out from the crowd, once someone discovers you…it’s producing your own Podcast.

A Podcast Adds Another Touch Point to the Consumer

A Podcast, curated specifically for your business, will not only amplify your message across another touch-point, it adds credibility to your overall market position.

If produced effectively, here are the advantages of having your own business podcast:

  1. It Personalizes You To the Prospective Client: When someone listens to your podcast, the topics you are discussing are of interest to the listener. An engaged listener ‘opts-in’ to a podcast. It’s important, early in the podcast (possibly in the opening slate) to express the benefits of listening and what your company provides. Grab their attention by highlighting other businesses you’ve helped…and then, move on to the specific topic for that episode.
  2. An Introspective They Can’t Discover in a Blog or a Banner: Provide detailed insight about your brand or product to the listener. Consider interviewing a client as it adds depth that no other advertorial can provide. By adding a level of intimacy, this will drive listeners to activate or seriously consider buying
  3. Expand Your Network of Connections: A podcast affords you the currency to invite someone to participate in your show, providing an access point and connection that you may not have had prior to producing a viable podcast. An interview expands the intimacy with your audience while expanding your network. It is an indirect  yet masterful way to solicit future business.
  4. Public Perception as a Subject Matter Expert: Perception is reality, right? By having a podcast, and doing it consistently, no matter how many people listen to it automatically elevates your credibility (as long as your podcast sounds clear, concise, topical and professional). Expanding your message beyond blogs, newsletters, and web content will go far in how you are perceived in the marketplace, especially by your competitors.
  5. A Podcast Is Free – Your Product Is Not: By having a podcast, you are providing ‘free information’ for consumption of those interested. It’s a way for you to demonstrate you are here to help those that listen, based on your professional trade. If they ‘want more’, you have the ability to offer your services. Just as important, you can add revenue streams inside your podcast, adding incentives and discounts to those listening.

Conclusion: A Podcast Can Validate You As a Subject Matter Expert

Yes, a consistent podcast can be a valuable tool to the small business owner. It validates your position as a subject matter expert, and most importantly, allows you to create an authentic connection with a prospective consumer…who may one day need your services.

Bottom line, it expands your reach to another touch-point…providing you enhanced relevancy!

If you need help starting a podcast for your business, give us a call…we can help guide you in the right direction!

Turning Your Business Blog Into A Podcast…It’s Transferable!

While podcasting is not the newest marketing platform on the block, its growth trajectory is explosive — and interest in the platform continues to grow. It is catching the eyes of business & brands. Inviting colleagues, leaders, and influencers to speak on a business podcasts is common practice. You’ll find everything from parenting and religion to engineering and comedy to politics and conspiracy theories covered in the hundreds of thousands of podcasts broadcasted each day.

Podcasts intimately entertain us, educate us, and, if done correctly, always engage us. Bottom line, podcasts are an authentic way for brands and businesses to create a connection with a loyal audience. As a result, many businesses and marketing leaders are finding that podcasts are an ideal way to expand their audience reach, having their brand speak for themselves. And now, Companies watching from afar are beginning to want in. But does it really make sense to invest in the resources to create a podcast for your brand? Yes…especially if your business has had a successful blog…the transition can be seamless. 

Your Blog Holds the Keys To A Seamless Podcast

I know what you are thinking, especially as a business owner. How complicated is it to create a podcast, let alone advertise on one? In addition to elevating brand recognition, a comprehensive podcast advertising campaign will complement any integrated digital marketing strategy. You just need an expert to guide you on making the right show selections based on your target market (that’s where we come in). But what about creating your own podcast? What advantages could this have?

Creating your own business podcast, promoting your products or services, provides another touch point of content distribution. Not only are you pushing your product out to a targeted audience, but a business podcast delivers additional relevancy, especially when executed with a clear, targeted message.

We all know how important editorial content is, via blogs, especially when it comes to being discovered organically by Google. Many businesses use blogs to push out news & information to their target audience.  But image turning your blogs into audio platforms, via podcasts, creating another point of consumption and relevancy? You’re basically taking editorial content, and converting it into audio story-telling.

Maybe you regularly publish case studies, white papers, weekly newsletters, or even books, all of which give readers a detailed, in-depth look at a certain subjects, services, or products. But imagine pushing this content out with a consistent podcast, in the same manner you push out your editorial content?

Whether your blogs share industry trends, product information, a behind-the-scenes look at your business, or instruction on a lesser-known facet of the company, your readers appreciate the value that you provide them. It builds an authentic trust with your buyers. By pushing out content on a new platform, such as a business podcast, it drives a new narrative of credibility while also creating a powerful connection to those that opt-in.

Business podcasts are focused, like a blog, and create another touch point for your audience. As long as you provide something of value, your business podcast could become a powerful marketing asset. It also could be used as an internal resource for your employees, driving the narrative of your corporate culture.

The goal, with any business podcast, is not necessarily to grow a huge following, but rather focus on providing a feature or benefit appealing to the listener, or better yet, drive sales and activations. Those that read your blog, following you on social platforms, or receive your newsletter are more likely to listen to your podcast. It’s simply another form of content distribution, allowing you to harness the power of a multiple-touch point strategy.

Authenticity is the key and listeners appreciate that the business podcast publishers are focused on providing information and services that directly impact things that interest them.

Taking Your Already Existing Content & Making It Transferable in a Story

A Business Podcasts can take your valued content and make it easily transferable, creating a story line. The same subjects that you discuss in your blog can be moved to your podcast — and added to your marketing plan. But first, make sure you answer these questions?

  • Can you provide a consistent commitment to push out a valuable message to your customers?
  • Set a clear objective of what your goals are?
  • Will you provide an inside look at your company and brand?
  • Where can you distribute your podcasts? (Social Platforms, Newsletters, Emails, Employees)
  • Will a podcast make you stand out from your competition?

How Can A Business Effectively Dive Into Podcasting?

  • Use your already existing blog content to create podcasts
  • Provide authoritative content that your audience demands
  • Integrate & Highlight Success Stories
  • Provide unique offerings only available on your podcast (Customer Codes, etc)
  • Highlight corporate partners or employees that are making a difference with your business

The Final Verdict: Podcasting is a Good Investment

Podcasting is a fantastic way to amplify your companies message. If effectively produced and managed, it will be worth the investment. But your podcast isn’t going to be an overnight solution to a wider reach. It requires patience, planning, and consistency. It also requires you to work with an integrated marketing expert, like TopPodcast.com, who can help guide you on executing a strategy.  Our Podcast Business Center is open for business!

 

TopPodcast.com Profiled in the Business Section of The Philadelphia Inquirer

We couldn’t be more thrilled with the press we’ve received since launching on March 28th!  It’s been just over a month since launching and could not be happier with how we’ve embraced.

Again, we want to be the home for the ‘first-timer’ who is discovering the podcast medium for the first-time. And for those seasoned listeners that want to quickly see what’s hot, what’s not, and what are our ‘Podfluencers’ listening to! Thanks for your continued support.

Click the pic to read the article, as featured in the Sunday Edition, Business Section, of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

 

Read the article by clicking here!

Bloodbath at ESPN Will Lead To a Long Train of New Sports Podcasts

What was a sad day for ESPN & and dozens of on-air talent will lead to a plethora of new podcasts. As we learn of the big-time names that were let go Wednesday, the podcast world anxiously awaits and welcomes them.

Big Names With Huge Social Followers

Notable names let go by ESPN were: Ed Werder, Trent Dilfer, Jasyson Stark, Jay Crawford, and the list goes on.

And the podcast train is already leaving the station, as NFL guru Ed Werder already has launched his podcast:

Listen Here  (Click on Pic) To New Sports Podcast by Ed Werder & Matt Mosely

Listen to the Show: Click Here!

Why These Layoffs Matter? 

As mentioned in our Bill O’Reilly story earlier this week, the monkey-see-monkey-do attitude will take hold, creating a domino effect of media personalities diving into the platform.

It matters because these public personalities bring new awareness to the medium and massive social followers which create immediate discovery.

  • Ed Werder has 207,000 Twitter followers…and many of his followers will get a taste of the podcast medium for the first time.
  • Jayson Stark has over 500,000 Twitter followers…how quickly will it be until he launches his own podcast?

Here’s what Jayson Stark Tweeted out:

 No One Wants to Be The Caboose

Bottom line, you don’t want to be late to the game…let alone last to the podcast party. Despite the fact that it was a terrible day for many employees at ESPN, it will be entertaining to watch the impact this has on the podcast industry, let alone to the enhanced quality of diverse sports podcasts made available.

Most notably, to us at #TopPodcast, newpods will have the chance to discover the on-demand audio platform for the first time…thanks to what was a terrible ‘doomsday’ at ESPN.

Onward and Upward!

EDITORIAL NOTE & CLARIFICATION – VIA ED WERDER TWITTER FEED

 

TopPodcast.com to be the First Online Epicenter for the Industry, Driving Discovery & Ad Revenues to $1 Billion

TopPodcast.com organizes the fragmented world of on-demand listening by
driving discovery and listenership with just one click

PHILADELPHIA, PA –(Marketwired – March 28, 2017) – A former Director of Digital for CBS
New York is uniting a fragmented podcasting industry by aggregating the top podcasts, top
publishers and top audio apps onto one website for effortless discovery. Utilizing data from
publicly ranked podcasts, TopPodcast.com will make the platform more discoverable and
accessible for those who have yet to experience the medium. The site will also liberate first time
users from having to rely on iTunes or multiple apps for listening.

Kurt Laufer, the founder of #TopPodcast Digital Enterprises, left a senior digital management
position after five years at CBS New York, to embark on a one-year journey in creating
TopPodcast.com. Laufer’s vision is not just to drive discovery for those that have never
listened to a podcast, but he also wants to make it simple for a business to place a
podcasting ad buy across multiple networks. He seeks to drive the industry to $1 billion in
annual ad revenues by 2021, double current projections.

Interest in podcasts has exploded since the hit podcast series Serial dropped on the scene
in late 2014. Despite the medium’s upward trajectory, 40% of Americans are still unfamiliar
with the term podcasting (2017 Infinite Dial Report). Laufer wants to increase familiarity by
providing a single-source online destination where the audience can discover and listen to a
podcast with one click.

He stated, “The industry is fragmented with so many paralyzing choices. People don’t want
to spend time trying to figure it out by downloading apps or searching on various networks.
TopPodcast.com was designed to provide clarity and simplicity to the
industry…No iTunes? No app? No problem. I made it effortless for the first time
listener to ‘test drive’ a podcast,” added the executive.

Laufer believes the industry is long overdue for a single-source destination for open
discovery. He also made it clear he is not targeting industry insiders or competing with other
podcast networks. He added, “I will be the industry’s biggest advocate. After a new visitor
discovers a show on our site, they can fly away and listen on any podcast network or audio
app for the long-term. But TopPodcast.com will be their first stop as they nurture a love for
on-demand listening.”

Additional amenities within the website include:

* The 90 for 90 #TopPodcast Picks, curating ten shows from nine categories for enhanced
discovery beyond the iTunes Top 200 ranking
* A weekly ‘Podfluencer Report’, highlighting relevant podcasters, uncovering their
favorite episodes and learning what they are listening to
* For the business community, a Podcast Business Center, where they can place turnkey
podcast advertising solutions across multiple publishers
* For the Independent Podcaster, a platform to amplify and promote their ‘niche’
podcasts, ranging from aviation and travel and tourism to business, to sports, to politics,
etc.
* Industry News & Trends and Research, primarily from a digital marketer’s point of view

Laufer also stressed the importance of integrating podcast campaigns into a digital
marketer’s mindset, “The podcast industry can’t be a one-trick pony anymore. A ‘live-read’
endorsement by a show’s host is one of the purest, most powerful forms of native
advertising, which direct response advertisers are thriving from. We must do a better job of
conveying this narrative within the digital buying community in order to compete in a
complex digital landscape.”

About #TopPodcast Digital Enterprises

#TopPodcast Digital Enterprises is the premier source for podcast discovery, trends and
advertising. The company’s mission is to propel a new audience of first-time listeners and
businesses to discover a love for on-demand listening. Organizing the industry through
advocacy, education and unparalleled social strategies, TopPodcast.com will help drive the
industry to $1 billion in ad revenue by 2021.

The Depreciation of Traditional Media Accelerates Podcasting Growth

The term depreciation may cause some in print and radio to be annoyed, especially now that our divisive political environment has been a boon for some ‘traditional formats’. And 2016 wasn’t a bad year for either platform, elevated by a crazy-ass political season.

And it’s been exciting to see Radio & Print pivoting to become more aggressive over the last 12 months, in regards to their digital strategies.

DIGITAL AD REVENUE SHOT UP 14% FOR RADIO IN 2017

On March 29th, Inside Radio ran some positive stats about Radio and Digital, from BIA Kelsey:

Every indication in the ad game points to the perennially growing significance of digital. And radio is feeling the love as well; the industry’s digital ad revenue shot up 14% in 2016, continuing a multi-year, double-digit trend, according to a new report from BIA/Kelsey. Ad billings from radio’s online assets hit $811 million last year.Those assets include station apps, websites and social platforms.

In an upcoming report, I dive into ‘just how real’ this digital growth is when you take in account ‘peeled dollars from over-the-air buys’ and ‘revenue derived from third-parties’. I don’t think you can take 14% and do back-flips on the innovation occurring within the medium.  But at least that number looks great on paper, despite it being less than 1% of the overall digtial ad spend in the country ($60 Billion plus).

CHANGING A CULTURE & MINDSET HAS BEEN HARDER THAN IMAGINED

It has been painful watching many traditional suits (editors & program directors) still trying to accept evolving consumption habits, specifically with millennials. Many PD’s in radio focus more on reaching PPM’s (Portable People Meters) rather than creating compelling content to extend to social platforms. In print, Editors forget that many of us want our news in ‘quicker blips’, under 400 words, the way Axios has rolled out their political network.

The New York Times & i-Heart Invests in Advertising their Platform

Watching the New York Times take out advertising, during the Oscars, is a perfect example of how aggressive traditional companies are getting in promoting their digital properties. As an entrepreneur that’s been fighting an old-school culture slow to pivot, this is the kind of shit I love to see.

In addition, just after i-Heart rolled out their premium on-demand app, they were the leading all advertiser on their stations…meaning, they were promoting the hell out of it. Now that’s a great thing to see!

Podcasting is Headed in the Right Direction – especially NPR

Over the last couple years, as print and radio mediums have seen experienced depreciating revenues and profits, podcasting is going in the opposite direction. Just ask NPR. That’s right, NPR.   More on them in a minute.

In the early days of podcasting, the practice of creating a podcast was relegated to only the nerdiest of us. However, in 2014, everything began to change for podcasting, as the industry slowly crept in on radio & print media’s territory. Call it the ‘mainstreaming of podcasting’ if you will.

One to One vs. One to Many – There is a Differnce

It makes sense, really, whereas radio typically appeals to advertisers that want to reach as wide an audience as possible….throw a net into the ocean, hopefully you capture a fish or two. This one-to-many advertising strategy is much different than the one-to-one intimate experience of podcasting. Again, no bashing radio…just highlighting the difference.

And, within the podcast medium, anyone can create a podcast and build a following, no matter how niche the topic. On-air personalites can extend shows into ‘after-the-show’ podcast features, building their own loyal audience that can eventually go well beyond corporate suits that pay their salary.  More importantly, social tools can be incorporated to drive downloads, thus driving revenue not just for the personalities…but for the stations too.

Bottom line, social media and the smartphone explosion has helped deliver content that’s just a click away. But Radio and print need to get aggressive (as iHeart has over the last six months on the radio side of the table…and the Wall Street Journal and New York Times have on the print side of the table)

NPR – A News Gathering Organization That Gets It

Just look at how successful NPR has become within the industry. Why? Ultimately, they are a culture of news-gatherers who quickly recognized the power of the podcast medium. Call them visionaries if you’d like. But they had the courage to dive in headfirst, utilizing their greatest assets…the people gathering news…and extending it to an audience that embraced it on-demand.  As mentioned in our earlier article: NPR-The Authentic Voice That Has Always Connected, shows like Hidden Brain, Planet Money, How I Built This, and Pop Culture Happy Hour demonstrate their unbridled focus on the medium.

Now, with 81% of Americans owning smartphones, podcasting is a commuters dream. On-the-go, on-demand audio is becoming mainstream.

It’s been said publicly that as much as 30% of NPR’s revenue now comes from podcasting….WOW! Hopefully the industry is listening. Editorial note: Don’t quote me on that, but that’s been floated around in different trades and articles.

Podcastings Rise Could Be Blessing To Traditional Media

In fact, the rise of podcasting is something of an ominous herald, depending on who you talk to in Radio & Print Media. Both mediums have aggressively jumped into podcasting. Some, like CBS Radio, with 300+ podcasts (many that re-purpose their own on-air content), seem to use a ‘throw as much against the wall strategy’ and see what sticks. There’s nothing wrong with this, but the potential is so much greater for them simply because they too are a news gathering organization, like NPR, with iconic spoken-word news stations in most major markets.

iHeart, Wall Street Journal and New York Times Make Bold Moves

Others are taking a more strategic, methodical approach to podcast investment and resource allocation like the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and more recently i-Heart Media, who late last year sent a powerful message  to the Radio industry when they hired VP level positions to accelerate their podcast growth strategy.

Podcasternews.com reported in late November:

Chris Peterson has been hired as Senior Vice President of Podcasting. He will oversee iHeartRadio’s overall podcast strategy and grow its profile in the community. Chris Peterson was previously at TuneIn, which is a competitor to iHeartRadio in the radio aggregation business. He was Content Partnership Manager at TuneIn. Chris Peterson was also the Director of Operations for Glenn Beck’s The Blaze network.

When I saw this, I knew a transformation in the industry was on its way. A great move by them!

Love That Spotify Is Jumping Into Custom Content Creation

And watching Spotify jump into the ‘custom-content’ podcast business could be a game-changer. Let’s see if the radio industry, as a whole, will find ways to aggressively hold on to their large edge in overall audience, despite its lack of aggressiveness in mirroring the NPR podcast strategy.  Bottom line, Spotify has the opportunity to make a powerful play in the industry…if they want. We will be patiently waiting….hey, call us, we can accelerate that strategy.

Have microphone, will podcast: On-air personalities want in

A perfect example of the incremental steps traditional media is taking, expanding into podcasting, is News On The Rocks, a creative niche podcast extension of a couple of talented CBS Radio on-air personalities in New York City.

The ambitious show is virtually ‘a cocktail party conversation about news’…hosted by WCBS-AM Morning Anchor Wayne Cabot and CBS-FM morning personality Patty Steele.  Featured on the CBS Radio podcasting platform, play.it,  this is a microcosm of what’s happening inside newsrooms all across the country, both print & radio.

Additionally, since people can easily access archived content, you don’t have to be a devout follower of the show to get on board with an established podcast. Test drive this creative show by clicking on the thumb below, or simply join the play.it network or download the Radio.com app.

Unlike radio, you can find, discover, and re-listen to your favorite shows. That is if you know where to discover podcasts in the first place (Hence, our website).

News Orgs Aggressively Pivoting to Podcasting as Revenue Drivers

Consumption habits continue to change.  It’s exciting to see traditional media brands aggressively working to implement digital strategies to keep up with a changing marketplace. Online content and the investments traditional media is making will only become bigger.

Finally, the ‘innovate or die’ mantra is taking hold…a mantra that should have been in action 5 years ago…Where were you then?

Major statements that traditional media is making in the on-demand audio platform:

  • The New York Times has had an audio section that is devoted to podcasts for some time now. They’re actually moving faster than most in this space, including many in the  Radio space. Their podcast, ‘The Daily’, has been at the top of the charts on iTunes. We love what The Times is doing, both with podcasting & their digital subscription platform.
  • The Wall Street Journal has been ‘super aggressive’ on the podcasting side of the table…it’s obvious they see the future and have embraced it with real resources. In fact, several of their podcasts are cracking the top of the charts on iTunes.
  • Vanity Fair recently launched Limelight, a new pop-culture podcast, which can be found here on Stitchers Network
  • Media companies and news outlets are eyeing podcasting revenue, big-time. For example, EW Scripps owns Midroll Media, which specializes in online content like the Earwolf Podcast Network

Bottom line, news and traditional media organizations are turning to podcasts not just to drive content, but more importantly, to tap into the revenue stream podcast advertising offers.

Current Political Divisiveness Creates Massive Opportunity

Finally, the current political divisiveness in our country is giving the podcast platform an even bigger voice for those that choose to capitalize on what is becoming the golden age of cable news.  Just look at Pod Save America, a podcast created by President Obama’s former speechwriter and former aides, which is near the top of the iTunes chart. Test drive the show by clicking below, or you can also listen on STITCHER (they have a fabulous app too)

Podcasting’s growth trajectory will accelerate, as spill-over will continue within news gathering organizations, especially those publishers that define clear podcast strategies and invest in adequate headcount & resources to drive the medium forward within their organization.

All In or Vanish (Friendster was MySpace was Facebook)

As more people tune in online, as consumption habits continue to change, more high-quality podcasts will be created. Our future will be filled with innovative content being generated by a more diverse group of content creators.

Although changing consumption habits are terrible news for print & radio organizations that aren’t ahead of the digital curve, it means GREAT THINGS for those of us that dive into the podcast industry! For those of of old enough to remember, Friendster was the first MySpace. Look at them now…Then again, Zuck buys everything that’s a threat…the force is strong with him.

Here’s to the continued acceleration of the medium. Here’s to traditional mediums going all-in!

#Boom

Editorial Note: This article was update on March 29, 2017, with stats from Inside Radio/BIA Kelsey.