How to build a profitable podcast.
This post detail gives 10 signs why you should rewrite your podcast marketing strategy.
Let us welcome our guest writer Amanda Dudley!
In this post, Amanda outlines 10 signs you should rewrite your podcast marketing strategy... to consistently grow your business and listeners!
Let's do this!
As a modern business owner or marketer, you may not reach your desired audience if you don't utilize content marketing. Using traditional means of adverts is not a bad idea, but most of your customers are likely to be on social media. And in a world where most people rely on the internet for information, your business stands a high chance of getting significant revenues as long as it leverages social media.
If your business needs podcasts as part of its content marketing strategy, then you are in the right place. Even if you know how to grow your podcast audience steadily, there is still no guarantee that those people will convert to customers. Why? There are plenty of reasons, including that the topic of your podcast has nothing to do with your products and services or you are not addressing your audience's pain points.
But how do you know that your podcast isn't getting you leads and needs a new strategy? Let's find that out in the detailed guide.
A successful podcast is beyond creating content consistently and gathering followers and listeners. But you may not be closing sales and be unaware of it. So, here are some indicators pointing that your podcast marketing strategy isn't working, and you have to change it:
Although unlikely, you may not have evaluated the success of your podcast properly, which is why you might not know whether it's working. To calculate your podcast's success, you must consider some factors. Firstly, ask yourself these questions: what's the purpose of my podcast? Is it meant to create awareness or change the way people view the company or position my brand as an authority in its niche?
Secondly, ensure that the podcast is achieving its purpose. Finally, determine what your fans think about your work. The thing is that if you do not consistently measure the success of your podcast marketing strategy, then you may not know when things have gone awry. It is advisable to always ask for feedback to see the process from your audience's perspective. So, start measuring the success of your podcast to make adjustments where necessary.
Take a look at your podcast script template and compare it to fishing. If you aim to catch minnows, but you keep getting salmon, it means that you are throwing in the wrong bait. The same thing can happen to your podcast marketing strategy if your script has absolutely nothing to do with your field.
When you want to communicate effectively with your audience — the people that need your products or services — you have to address their pain points. If you sell cars, but you always talk about how to live healthy on your podcast, people that will listen are those interested in healthy living. So if you notice that your podcasts never bring customers, then change the strategy. Go through your scripts and ensure that they align with your niche.
You can follow all the podcast best practices on the planet and still not pass the right message to your audience. Firstly, you should know that talking doesn't mean you are communicating. The fact that your audience can hear you doesn't equate to them understanding your message.
So, the fact that you are making a podcast doesn't mean that you can say things the way they come to your mind. If you have a script, follow through with it. Don't improvise or say something off-script. If not, you may derail and bring up points unrelated to your business. So even if you employ the best college essay writing service out there to write your script, ensure you screen it to see if it aligns with your brand's image.
If you notice that your ratings dropped at the end of each podcast episode or you got no review, it's a sign that your strategy isn't working anymore. Ratings and reviews tell people whether or not your podcast is worth listening to. If these metrics keep reducing, you need to change your old ways of doing podcasts and adopt new methods. The success of your podcast is a prerequisite to generate more leads and sales. So if your ratings are low or reviews are negative, you should refresh your podcast methods.
If you constantly post episodes of your podcasts without getting listeners or new followers, people are not engaging with your content. When it gets to this point, you must change the strategy you are using to create and promote your podcasts. A significant reason brands lose engagement is because they make content that is not tailored specifically to their audience.
You should never forget that your clients and prospects come first, so every script you write for your podcast must be relevant to them. Finally, ensure that your content is interesting. Even if you are using your podcast to create awareness for your brand, you have to make it fun for your audience.
Your podcast content aims to drive sales, but the podcast won’t be fulfilling its mission if you don't get traffic for your business. One reason for that can be that you don’t connect with your target audience. Another way to tell that your podcast isn’t performing well is if you notice that it doesn’t rank highly among others.
Even if you are talking to the right people, you may not be sending the right message. So, once you notice that people don't follow you regularly, you should consider changing a strategy. You can improve the situation by asking your clients how they want you to address them better — literally.
One of the major purposes of every business is to make a profit and get a return on investment. In this instance, your investment is the podcast you do to promote your brand. But if it doesn't bring customers, you may be doing some things wrong.
Therefore, to start getting your ROI, change the story you tell. If you use a podcast promotion service to get listeners, the topic or discussion shouldn't be about the product or service; it should be about the "why" behind your brand. Discuss what motivated you to start the brand and everything around it. Everything you do should stir emotions and connect with your clients on a deep and personal level.
If you have a large fanbase, but your sales are nothing compared to it, then that's a red flag. You must put yourself in your clients' shoes occasionally so that you can understand them. Once you do that, your message will change, and your marketing efforts will yield results because you now see things from their perspective.
When you start a podcast, you likely have a goal in mind. However, if you notice that you don't meet any of those goals, you need to tweak the approach. Firstly, you can start by reviewing your audience and ensuring you're talking to the right people.
After determining your target audience, research them to find out the kind of content that will interest them. Then, work on creating this content and possibly bring notable people to speak about topics on your podcast. If you can, also throw opportunities for your audience to share their views live on your podcast — this strategy will make them feel appreciated and build a community of loyalists.
If you work with staff, you know that your marketing team cannot make sole decisions on specific issues. Therefore, if the board of directors or management doesn't accept the podcast idea, you must change your strategy. Sometimes, making such adjustments when you are convinced about your vision can cause you to lose interest in the podcast entirely. But remember that the company’s decision-makers are also stakeholders in your podcast plans, and you should consider them as much as your audience. If you find yourself in this situation, you mustn't necessarily end the podcast — just make your plans convincing enough for them to approve.
There are many content forms, and podcasting is one of the most common that individuals and businesses use to grow and keep an audience interested in their offers. As we mentioned earlier, starting a podcast goes beyond opening an account and creating daily content. It involves research – discovering your audience, utilizing social media to promote your podcasts, and ultimately meeting all your goals.
When things don't work, switching strategies may be challenging, but your podcast will shut down in no time if you are not open to change. So, follow our tips and watch your podcast's marketing efforts yield better results.
