Is It Too Late To Jump Into The Podcasting Game?

There's an ongoing joke within the podcasting community:

51% of Americans are now listening to a podcast. And that's because 51% of Americans have their own podcast.

Yes, podcasting has a low barrier of entry, which means anyone with a phone can start recording their own podcast. When you add hosting companies like Anchor coming into the mix, the barrier is constantly lowered.

However, just because everyone seems to be doing a podcast that doesn't mean everyone is doing it well. So although it may feel like you're jumping into a game that everyone is already in, there is still a lot of opportunity for you to stand out.

The question then isn't about if you should start a podcast or not, but how exactly can your podcast stand above your competition?

Here are three tips to do that:

1. Be clear about the strategy - Don't hit record, simply because you can hit record. Instead, be strategic about how this podcast fits within your content marketing strategy. You must be able to answer questions like:

Who is this podcast for?

What benefit do they gain from listening?

What's going to make them keep coming back for new downloads?

The strategy should include your cadence. How often will you post and how long do you expect your episodes to be? 

Podcasting isn't something you should take lightly and do when you simply feel like it, but it should all be part of a very organized strategy. So before you hit record, make sure you understand why you're doing it.

2. Your podcast is not a webinar or a sales pitch - Many business owners get this mixed up. They see an opportunity to talk, which automatically transitions to an opportunity to sell. Let's back up, though, because even the greatest webinars of the world are not an hour-long sales pitch. When done well, they should be 45 minutes of teaching and education. The goal is that you teach so well that they want to buy whatever you're selling, and the last 15 minutes are simply closing the deal.

The goal of your podcast should be to position yourself as an expert so that your company is the top of mind for your particular industry. Podcasting is one of the easiest ways you can do that.

3. Don't overlook the importance of education - When we think of content being shared, we always think of viral. Viral usually aligns with something that's funny or something that exudes some sort of emotion. 

However, one of the most shared types of content is content that makes people either feel smarter or helps them to be perceived as smarter. Think of it this way, if I'm trying to impress my customers, co-workers, or just family and friends, I don't even have to regurgitate information, but I can look just as smart, by sharing information that helps to create that value.

So instead of focusing on trying to create content that will be viral, which is like standing outside in a storm, hoping you'll be struck by lightning, focus on creating really good content, that your potential customers will actually enjoy listening to. 

It's honestly that simple. 

Podcasting is a great way to build your business, but just like anything else, you need to make sure you're doing it right.

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