Everyone and their brother has a podcast these days, and that’s great! Podcasts have become one of the primary links between a brand and its audience. They allow so much wiggle room and dialogue. The most significant accomplishment in marketing is to get people talking, and that’s what podcasts do; they get everyone talking.

Do I Need a Podcast to Be Taken Seriously in 2021?

You don’t need a podcast to sit at the business table. You won’t ever need a podcast to just sit at the table. But you may need a podcast to play with the big dogs. A podcast is one of the most valuable (and time-saving) parts of a brand. Having a podcast is one of the smartest moves you can make these days.

“The concept of a podcast is a multi-pronged approach to marketing,” says Sharla Crawford, CEO of Gravity Junction, Atlanta’s top marketing company.

Think about it this way. As a brand marketer, you’re creating content for all of your platforms. You need a little bit of this, a little bit of that. You create, create, create. Your content needs to be unique, informative, and engaging. You’re attempting to tie all your content up with the “useful content” bow. It becomes a lot, but it is necessary to have content that is relevant and fun to interact with.

With a podcast, you cut the time you spend creating in half. You can video record that podcast, strip down the audio, and get it transcribed. Now you have a video, audio, and a blog post. Your audience now gets to choose how they consume your content.

A podcast itself isn’t what gives you legitimacy, but producing that much content in your space with authority does. You go from catering to one or two audiences to catering to every audience at once.

Simply put: No, you don’t need a podcast to play in the game, but it’s an absolute genius idea.

Am I Wasting My Time By Starting a Podcast Now, After Seemingly Everyone Else?

It’s a good question. A valid question. We know that chasing trends often end in outdated content. You get in with the movement before it’s a big deal, or you don’t get in at all. But the answer is a resounding no.

The thing with podcasts is that they’re a revamped method of communication. Think about audiobooks and radio shows. Those things have been around. Their formats may change now and then, but audio consumption is still, and always will be pretty damn relevant.

Podcasts are here to stay. Therefore, podcast ad spending is also here to stay. Meaning, yes, there is growth to be had, either monetarily or of an audience, in creating a podcast.

If you aren’t entirely sold on the idea that podcasts are nothing more than an inevitable dying fad, take a moment to consider how adults consume information in today’s age of technology. Take another moment to think about how children consume information today.

Consumption is the future of our society, thus the future of marketing.

Books are being swapped out for audiobooks. The written word is being swapped out for videos. We’re adapting to receiving information in the fastest ways possible.

“The hungrier people are for information, the more they’ll seek the content out,” says Sharla.

Today’s people are multitaskers. Today’s people are always ready to learn. Today’s people ask, “Why should I do anything traditionally when I can get the same result faster?”

Despite how things change, there’s one thing that people will always crave despite how they consume: human connection.

Podcasts set people up to consume information in the most human way possible, which is one of the main reasons podcasts will stick around. Our favorite podcasters start to feel like friends, a near-human interaction with people we like, talking about what we lik

The first step to starting a podcast is to decide what you want to talk about. What do you know a lot about? What industry are you working in? What kind of conversations are you the most comfortable having?

That’s what a good podcast is all about. Authentic communication and good conversation. Know where you can engage. Consider who your audience would be and what they would like to know. Your podcast listeners will accidentally become your best friends.

So, How Do You Market a Podcast?

When creating content for a podcast, the first thing a brand marketer should focus on is knowledge. Think of every topic that comes to mind as a good conversation. What will people want to talk about? What will people keep talking about once the podcast is over?

Consider every open-ended question out there. Answer it the best way you can. Someone will have a different answer, and that’s kind of the point. Podcasts are meant to encourage the conversation as well as educate the audience. The conversation beyond the podcast is part of the education process. A key sign of success within any facet of marketing is when consumers continue to talk about what they saw or heard long before their first time coming into contact with it.

A good story drives good conversation. Just like a good brand story, your podcast should be part of a larger picture. Consider the topics that fall under the umbrella of your brand. What does what you have to say contribute to your brand’s image?

How Can I Tell if My Podcast is Performing Well?

Marketers can measure performance in podcasting by paying extra attention to engagement. By creating a community surrounding the podcast, marketers can further encourage the conversation. This allows them to gauge how the podcast is performing.

rConsider Reddit, Facebook groups, and Twitter hashtags as a way to see how people are engaging with the podcast and the thoughts they have about what is said.

Podcasting is so focused on dialogue that it only makes sense to keep it going. Once potential customers view you as an authority in your field, those listens can turn into sales.

“If you have that much valid content and authority in your space, there’s not an easier free way of gaining traction in that space,” states Sharla.

Marketers will know a podcast is working when they see consistency in their numbers. This doesn’t mean one episode doing well, but rather the indicator that people are regularly returning to the podcast for valid information as a whole. Podcasts thrive off of consistency.

People love the rhythm in podcasts. Consider talk shows as the model for a podcast. The set is consistent. The environment is always the same. The host is a steady presence. The only changing factors are the guests and the information being exchanged. Those small, ongoing factors keep a podcast anchored and allow the podcast to excel.

Are You Ready to Start a Podcast?

Podcasts aren’t going anywhere, so get to creating.

There is no better way to engage an audience than sitting right beside them and having a real conversation. You’re human (we hope), and you’re capable of having a human conversation with people. You’re capable of sharing information with others in a way that makes them want to talk back. Say hello to increasing your engagement.

A podcast proves you know what you’re talking about and is one of the fastest ways to create new, widespread content. Podcasts have the unique power to humanize your brand and back all of your information with a relatable, approachable, and applicable story worth listening to (and even responding to).

Gravity Junction & Podcasting

At Gravity Junction, we are firm believers in the power of podcasts. They’re fun, they’re powerful, and they are undeniably relevant. They offer knowledge and content convenience. There is so much potential born out of podcasting.

We are podcast listeners. Podcast marketers. And podcasters?

Yep, we have a podcast!

2020 has been some sort of year. We’ve all been along for the ride. This oddity of a year is part of what inspired the start of our podcast channel, Pivot Point TV, and premiere series, Instant Impact.

“Some of the greatest inventions and businesses were created during the worst times in history. We know some incredible people have created amazing products and businesses during this insane year. Their stories deserve to be shared. The world needs inspiration and hope,” shares Sharla.

Telling the stories that mean something (and there are a lot) is what we aim to do with our podcast series.

As marketers, we strive for connection. It’s the one thing that transcends digital barriers with ease. The power of connection is a marketer’s superpower. Podcasts only enhance that superpower.

Contact us and start your podcast journey today.