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Marketing Tactics: Should You Use Podcasts to Promote Your Brand?

Thu, 09/04/2008 - 00:23 — anne

Here’s some tips from a podcast pro!

Although the percentage of internet users who have ever downloaded a podcast is small (and the percentage who download a podcast on a typical day even smaller) podcasting could make sense for your brand.

Before you get started, take a look at the demographics and industries that spur the most podcast downloads. If your target audience owns an iPod or MP3 player, is under 50 years of age, and is interested in technology, then offering a regular podcast could make sense. Other important qualifying factors include broadband usage and income.

Okay, so you’ve decided that podcasting is a good way to promote your brand. Here’s some valuable advice from Mike Blake of Adams Capital, a boutique valuation services firm in Atlanta. He, along with Scott Burkett, an Atlanta entrepreneur and Chief Operating Officer of StarPound Technologies, an Atlanta BPM software and services company, founded StartupLounge, a popular podcast series for entrepreneurs. Mike says their initial goal was simply to provide helpful information to entrepreneurs. An unexpected benefit, Mike says, is that listeners get to know him through the podcasts. As a result, “when there’s an opportunity to do business they feel comfortable contacting me.”

Mike advises companies who are exploring podcasting as a marketing tool to remember that the podcast represents your brand. He urges companies who are interested in podcasting to find a company, or invest in professional equipment, to ensure the final podcast is appealing and professional.

Podcasting isn’t a marketing tool that works for everyone. Making sure the content is beneficial to consumers, and not an infomercial, is important, says Mike. And don’t expect to be an overnight success---it takes time to develop the right format and to build an audience. “You have to commit for the long haul,” he says.

If you’re interested in creating a podcast, listen to a variety of podcasts to get a sense of the format and style that will work best for your brand. But instill your own personality.  Although offbeat humor is a staple of StartupLounge podcasts, your podcast has to be humorous, says Mike. Focus on offering valuable content and an energetic delivery that keeps people ‘tuned in’ and keeps them coming back for more.

See also:  Trends: Podcast Audience Is Small, But Slowly Increasing Subscribe to Brandeo’s free weekly newsletter or RSS feed

 

 

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