Radio is no longer what it used to be. However, one could suggest that the medium went through a revival or even rebirth as it took on its modern form – that of the podcast.
Today, when someone mentions the word “podcast” they are usually prefixed with the name “Joe Rogan”. The American comedian, UFC commentator and podcast host started the “Joe Rogan Experience” in 2009. A little over a decade later, the podcast is getting nearly 200 million views per month. It made Rogan such a well-known person that newspapers wrote long readings to research the formula behind his overwhelming popularity.
Although Rogan is a pioneer in the podcasting universe, the medium is incredibly large. Podcasts cover topics ranging from cooking classes that teach you how to make an omelette, to history lessons that describe the events that lead to a nuclear explosion, and everything in between.
The rise of podcasting
For a few years, people tended to consume short amounts of information through platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram rather than long, detailed and meaningful content.
Today, however, the tide is turning rapidly. As noted by Jay Baer, host of the award-winning Social Pros podcast, more than 100 million Americans listened to at least one podcast every month in 2020. Because of this, there is something for everyone to listen to. Podcasts have seen such a massive growth in popularity.
Individuals are now ready to devote their undivided attention to extended periods of time as long as the content helps them in their lives, be it personally or professionally. Recent studies have shown that 74% of listeners look for new knowledge while listening to a podcast.
B2B marketing and affiliate marketing are no exception. There are many reasons affiliate marketers are interested in listening to podcasts regularly.
Many popular digital and affiliate marketing podcasts have had great success, with more companies launching podcasts every day. Affiliate marketers find such podcasts useful because they allow them to stay up to date on 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 gives you the creative freedom to dig deeper into specific 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 deeper level.
Podcasts are one of the most convenient and efficient ways to absorb new information. Podcasts allow your audience to consume your content while doing their daily routine tasks such as driving, walking, exercising, and working. Other types of content such as blogs, magazines, articles, and videos have additional restrictions. Of course, you have a higher chance of engaging your audience and creating new business contacts by using your content as easily as possible.
Additionally, if you do decide to focus your podcast on your niche, you could be on your way to becoming a source of inspiration for your audience. To do this, you need to showcase your expertise on the topics you want to discuss with your audience. You need to develop a relationship with your audience where they will see you as an expert who can help them overcome their professional and personal challenges.
But how do we get there? What makes a successful podcast?
First, the host. Your audience needs to see that you know what you are talking about. It will definitely help if you are personable and entertaining too as it will make your listeners feel like they can relate to you on a more personal level.
There will be instances when you may not be as well informed about a topic as you would like. That brings us to the second characteristic of a successful podcast – your guests.
Your main goal should be to regularly attract guests, whether they’re from your company or the industry in general. This way, you increase your discussions by bringing in different insights, perspectives, and ways of thinking.
You can even style your podcast on your schedule. If you are very busy, focus on creating short episodes for your audience. For example, this could mean posting an episode per day explaining a new handy tip that your audience can easily apply to their business strategy.
In affiliate marketing, this can include anything from little-known SEO tricks to an effective method of following links. While this may not meet the usual long-form standards for podcasts, it may be even better suited for partners who are typically very time-limited.
Podcasting is indeed one of our goals here at PlayAttack Affiliates. We are considering starting a podcast to examine current topics in affiliate marketing and marketing in general. We plan to do this by focusing on educational content that might prove useful to our partners, interviewing individuals from across the industry, and experts within our organization.
Final thoughts
If you carefully put together a calendar with a range of topics and guests, there is a great chance that your podcast will become special. The podcasting market remains highly unsaturated and has a surprisingly low barrier to entry.
In fact, all you need is a laptop and a standard microphone to get started. Podcasting could be just the thing for generating new leads and enhancing your brand’s image. So if you think your audience would love to hear your podcast, get it started ASAP.