3 TOP Benefits to Podcasting for Your Business:: How to Generate More Free Traffic, Leads, and Sales

In the past few months there has been a tremendous surge of activity in the iTunes marketplace with regard to podcasting. It’s become the hottest new trend for entrepreneurs and business owners to use as a marketing channel to reach an affluent marketplace, build a thriving tribe, create a solid sales funnel and establish tremendous relationships with their current customers and new prospects.

The reason why podcasting has literally appeared to rise from the ashes, is because consumer buying behavior has shifted so significantly in recent years to mobile based consumption. And Business owners need a way to truly separate themselves from the competition.

Mobile Consumption is Key to Success

Today, our prospects, customers and clients are on their phones more than ever. Our customers are looking for more and more ways to engage with ON-DEMAND content. They don’t want to have to be told when to consume or pay attention to your messages or marketing. They want to engage on a much more personal level with your brand at the time that best accommodates their schedule and on their terms.

In a recent article and study conducted by Rochester Institute of Technology, shows that consumers use 10 sources of information with your brand before they choose to make a purchase.1 This has significantly gone up in recent years.

Consumers are hungry for more entertainment + knowledge and less about contests and gimmicks to grab their attention. Another annual customer loyalty report conducted by Brand Keys, stated that “brand loyalty and emotional engagement is still the Holy Grail of marketing.”2

Consumers are looking for entertaining, educational, and on-the-go media for their busy active lifestyles. This is where a podcast can set you apart for the competition and have you stand out in the minds of your consumers - day in and day out.

Your customers and prospects can take you with them on the GO!

So you still may be wondering why podcasting? Let me share with you the Top 3 Benefits that any business, brand or entrepreneur can benefit from the power of podcasting for your business.

#1:: Epic Transparency:: Ideal for Connection + Brand Building

Podcasting Creates Epic Transparency and Trust for Your Brand

People only buy from business and brands that they know, like and trust.

The big debate in recent years for businesses is that they need to be producing content - blogging, articles, magazines, ads, videos, etc.

Content is definitely King when it comes to your customers finding you online. However, the more important piece comes from the connection and emotional engagement they have with that content and ultimately your brand.

It’s after they find your content that is what wins your customer over and only if it has a high level of connection and engagement.

Reading articles, magazines, and blogs provides only one level of engagement for your consumers. However, when they are able to listen to you on the go and educate and entertain themselves with your content while they’re in the car, walking the dog, running errands, doing the dishes, it’s like you’re right there with them in their world.

By default, You become a well trusted friend.

This is the key behind podcasting. The transparency for your listeners becomes so real in their minds that they know you on a much more engaging level.

Your ideas go from black and white text to experiences in full color that engage your listener on a whole new level.

It literally puts the color + swing back into your marketing!

Connection + Engagement is Truly Queen in today’s marketplace for having your brand stand out amongst your competitors.

#2:: FREE Traffic Source:: Podcasting + iTunes = Leverage

iTunes has close to 40,000,000 people listening to podcasts on a monthly basis and massively growing.3

When you publish a podcast in the iTunes marketplace you are automatically partnering with one of the most trusted and well respected brands on the planet. Not to mention a brand that has an immense loyal following of customers.

When people find your show and listen or subscribe, this is similar to a back link for your website, which allows you to rank on page one of the search engines and easily be found online for your key word searches.

This makes it easier on yourself to share your message and content and partner with a large distribution channel that wants to share you with its customers and browsers.

 #3:: Solid Sales Funnel:: Connection + Trust = Buyers!

A podcast brings to life your business in a way that allows consumers to see how much you really care. The time old saying that “Facts Tell, Stories Sell” truly is why podcasting is making a massive comeback. We love to hear insightful stories, listen in on conversations of top experts, and learn about new ideas, information, techniques and trainings to help us become better, stronger, faster, smarter, sexier, leaner . . . you get my point.

People are hungry for knowledge and the best type of client is a returning customer that is well educated. They also become your BEST advocates and marketers for your products and services.

When you create a unique and well produced podcast people just want to do business with you because they like you, trust, and genuinely feel they know you on a whole new level.

The trust established on your podcast can benefit your company for years to come and truly give you the edge to stand out in your marketplace.

References:
1The Influence of Print, Digital, and Social on Today’s Purchase Decision http://printinthemix.com/fastfacts/show/458
2 Brand Keys 2013 Customer Loyalty Index finds Seismic shift in How Consumers Emotionally Engage with Products, Services, Brand Keys; http://brandkeys.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/2013-CLEI-Press-Release-...
3 Edison Research, The Current State of Podcasting 2010