There are so many ways you can revolutionize your business – some of them may be completely unexpected. Consider podcasts, for example. A podcast is a radio show based online, rather than in the airwaves. It has quickly become a thriving marketing vehicle for many companies.
Many established businesses have started simple podcasts with the intent of teaching people about what they do and/or what they offer. Before they know it, their listeners jumped from a few hundred listeners per week to tens of thousands per week. Using a podcast can help a business grow both financially and in membership.
According to Inc., “If you’re willing to put in the sweat, yours might not just cultivate a following, but also attract future customers, or even an investor, to your business.”
- Reach New Audiences
This first benefit is obvious: podcasting helps your business reach new audiences that it may or may not have come into contact with otherwise. According to Real Estate Investor and VP of Growth at BiggerPockets.com, Brandon Turner, when they asked where the listeners heard about their company, seven times out of ten, the answer was: the podcast. “Podcasts deliver traffic better than almost anything else I’ve encountered.”
- Build Real Relationships
Even though the two parties participating in the podcast are not interacting face to face, they still have a wonderful way of building relationships. It is true that podcasts can feel a little one-sided, but the individuals listening to the person talk for hours begin to feel like they know them; the relationship begins to feel like a friendship. For the company behind the podcast, it is an opportunity to feel closer to customers, better understand what they need and develop a product/service that matters to them.
- Encourage the Conversation
The beautiful thing about podcasts is the trust that is built between the company and its audience. When people feel like they know you, they don’t feel like they are being “sold” something. They feel like they are being “encouraged”. As Turner explains, this makes a lot of sense. “…would you rather buy something from a friend or a stranger?”
- Obtain Knowledge from Influencers
Becoming a podcaster instantly makes you a part of the media; this allows you to ask and receive access to the experiences and knowledge of influencers. In return, the influencer is given access to what they so desperately need – an audience. Podcasts create these opportunities to learn from people that have “been there, done that”, while also forging relationships that would otherwise never take place.
Podcasts are not the only way you can revolutionize your business. You can also help your business grow by securing business funding that allows you to be flexible and seize opportunities. Consider 1st Merchant Funding’s popular business funding programs. In the end, never stop searching for ways that you can fuel your business and help it to thrive and grow. The possibilities really are endless.