You might have noticed that more and more small business owners are starting their own podcasts. It’s been a growth area for some time but with the boom in smart phone usage, better apps and more cars with connectivity, there are more and more listeners, prompting savvy business owners to tap into this growing market.
So what does this mean for you and your business?
It means there’s loads of useful content out there that you can listen to during a long journey or perhaps while you’re exercising. Imagine if every time you hopped in your car you were listening to a business growth podcast, or an interview with a marketing guru, or even a self-development podcast. It’s a great way to come up with new ideas and it helps you to focus on where you want to take your business.
If you add a podcasting app to your phone and then subscribe to podcasts that interest you, they’ll automatically download and be ready for you to listen to at any time. Try iTunes or Stitcher and look at the most popular business podcasts to get an idea of what’s out there.
Podcasting yourself is a great opportunity for you to establish your credibility, make yourself more visible and engage with your clients. If you want to start your own podcast make sure you’re taking about something you care about.
To produce a successful podcast you need to:
• Talk with passion
• Play to your strengths
• Be yourself
• Share your knowledge and experience
From a technical point of view, there’s plenty of advice available online if you want to research the best microphone to get and the best way to get your intro and outro done on a budget. It’s probably best to get a fairly low-cost microphone when you’re starting out and then once you’ve recorded a few podcasts and you’re sure you want to continue, you can invest in a better quality mike.
What if You Don’t Have Time?
If you’re pressed for time, you could record a podcast with someone else. Either offer your services as an interviewee for an existing podcaster, or collaborate on a podcast with a fellow professional. For example, if you’re a personal trainer you could collaborate with a nutritionist and a physiotherapist to produce a joint podcast, meaning you’d only need to record a third of the podcasts yourself.
Why Podcast?
A podcast is a great way to establish your professional credibility with a wider audience and show that you know what you’re talking about. It also shows that you’re open to new things, implies you’re technologically savvy and could lead to other professional opportunities, such as speaking gigs and collaboration with other business professionals.
I’m not the only one who always has something waiting on my iPhone for the next long drive. As more and more people catch on or upgrade their cars and their technology, the medium can only get bigger. Do you want to be part of it?