Radio is no longer what it once was. Yet, one might suggest that the medium went through a revival, or even rebirth, when it took its modern form — that of podcasting.
Today, whenever someone mentions the word ‘podcast,’ it is usually preceded by the name ‘Joe Rogan.’ The American comedian, UFC commentator, and podcast host launched the ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ back in 2009. Just over a decade later, the podcast receives nearly 200 million views per month. It has turned Rogan into such a well-known persona that newspapers have been writing long-reads aiming to explore the formula behind his mind-blowing popularity.
Although Rogan is a pioneer within the podcasting universe, the medium is incredibly vast. Podcasts cover topics ranging from cooking courses teaching you how to make an omelette, all the way to history lessons outlining the events leading to a nuclear explosion, and everything in between.
The Rise of Podcasting
For a good few years, people leaned towards consuming short-bursts of information through platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, rather than long-form, in-depth and meaningful content.
Today, however, the tide is turning at a breakneck pace. In fact, as Jay Baer, host of the award-winning Social Pros podcast, has noted, that more than 100 million Americans listened to at least one podcast each month in 2020. There is something for every person to listen to, which is why podcasts have seen such a massive popularity growth.
Individuals are now willing to give their undivided attention for more extended periods as long as the content helps them in their lives, be it personally or professionally. Recent studies have shown that 74% of listeners are looking to learn new things when listening to a podcast.
B2B marketing and affiliate marketing are no exception. There are many reasons why affiliate marketers find interest in listening to podcasts on a regular basis.
Many well-known podcasts related to digital and affiliate marketing have seen plenty of success and more businesses are launching podcasts every day. Affiliate marketers find such podcasts useful because they allow them to keep up to date with industry news and trends, and teach them new tricks that can help them grow their business.
Why Should B2B Companies Start Podcasting?
Starting a B2B podcast can provide you with the creative freedom to delve deeper into certain topics.
Think about all the content you produce across all of your channels. Now think about adding podcasts to your already existing content strategy — this would certainly serve your goal of connecting with your audience on a more in-depth level.
Podcasts are amongst the most convenient and efficient ways of absorbing new information. With podcasts, your audience will be able to consume your content while performing their daily routine tasks such as driving, walking, exercising, and working. Other forms of content, such as blogs, magazines, articles, and videos come with more limitations. Naturally, you will have a higher chance of engaging your audience and creating new business leads by making your content as easy to consume as possible.
Furthermore, if you decide to focus your podcast around your niche, you could be on your way to becoming a source of inspiration for your audience. To achieve this, you will need to showcase your expertise on the subjects you intend to discuss with your audience. You need to cultivate a relationship with your audience to the level where they think of you as an expert who can help them overcome their professional and personal challenges.
But how do we get there? What are the features of a successful podcast?
Firstly, the host. Your audience needs to see that you know what you are talking about. It will definitely help if you also happen to be likeable and entertaining as this will make your listeners feel like they can relate to you on a more personal level.
There will be instances where you might not be as well informed on a subject as you would like to. This brings us to the second feature of a successful podcast — your guests.
It should be your main goal to attract guests on a regular basis, whether these are from within your company, or the industry in general. By doing so, you will elevate your discussions by bringing in different insights, perspectives and ways of thinking.
You could even design your podcast to suit your schedule. If you are very busy, focus on creating short episodes for your audience. For example, this might mean releasing one episode per day where you explain a new practical tip that your audience can easily apply to their business strategy.
In affiliate marketing, this could involve anything from little-known SEO tricks, or an effective way of tracking links. Although this might not adhere to the usual long-form standards associated with podcasts, it is potentially even more suitable for those affiliates who tend to be very time-constrained.
Podcasting is, in fact, one of our ambitions here at PlayAttack Affiliates. We are thinking about starting a podcast to delve into contemporary issues in affiliate marketing and marketing in general. We plan to do so by focusing on educational content that might prove useful to our affiliates, interviewing individuals throughout the industry, and experts within our organisation.
Final Thoughts
If you are carefully curating a calendar consisting of a range of topics and guests, there is a great chance that your podcast could grow into something special. The podcasting market is still highly unsaturated and possesses a surprisingly low entry barrier.
In fact, you only need a laptop and a standard microphone to get started. Podcasting could be just the thing to generate new leads and elevate your brand’s image, so start it as soon as possible if you think that your audience would be keen on listening to your podcast.
