How to know if starting a podcast is right for my business

If you’re struggling to decide whether or not to start a podcast, you’re not alone. You might be asking whether it makes sense to do it? What’s the benefit going through the hassle of producing it? Will it help my business?

 These are all marketing questions. A podcast is a communication channel, which is audio and would fall in the same place as radio. The format is the same. The only difference is that you control the messaging.  When deciding to start a podcast there’s one question you need to answer. Are my customers podcast listeners?

Do my customers listen to podcasts?

This is the most important question you need to answer. Is this an effective medium to reach my customers? Do any of them subscribe to other podcasts? If they do its a no brainer to start one and start communicating with them.

It’s a principle that Dan Kennedy talks about in his book NOBS guide to direct marketing for non-direct marketing business. “Go where the fish are.” In your marketing plan, this would be part of your overall distribution strategy to reach your customers. 

To find out if they listen to a podcast is to ask them. Use survey tools like survey monkey to find out what they listen, if they listen to podcasts. You can ask them face to face when you can, or use a card in your office and have them fill it out. 

Based on the results of the survey, you can decide whether it’s an effective medium to add to your marketing mix. 

 if a large portion of your customers and potential customers listen to podcast it makes sense to use the medium. 

What do I say on the podcast

This question might come up if you’re looking to give podcasting a go. 

To start you can answer basic questions that come up from time to time. This will give you a few episodes. You can also address issues that you see happening and talk about it.

I wrote about this in a previous blog post which outlines a framework that can help you generate lots of ideas for your show, and how to turn those in podcast episodes. 

A podcast is an intimate medium and you have to feel comfortable speaking into a microphone and hearing the sound of your own voice. Not everyone will want to do this and that’s ok. You might be better suited for writing a blog or you can try video if that’s what you’re most comfortable with. 

If you think podcasting is best for you, then jump in and get started. You’ll enjoy it and build your business at the same time.