We are in an era where content marketing trends generate traffic and increase ROI for most businesses. Audio content is the fastest-growing medium for enterprises to market their product or give information to their buyer persona.
Some persons who engage in multitasking, might not have the luxury of time to do a lot of reading about a skill or information on businesses. Audio marketing is the best content strategy to implement for your business.
Rather than staying glued to a chair watching video content or reading blog post, listening to an audio podcast while driving, cooking, or handling chores is the simplest yet most effective way of grasping information in content marketing.
Podcast marketing, although new to the media, is thriving tremendously and has successfully crossed the annual revenue margin of 1 billion U.S. dollars. This article elaborates on the various strategies for incorporating audio and podcasts into your business. So let’s dive in!
What is Audio Content Strategy?
Audio is any content that is consumed only by listening. It is an engaging method of interaction by sound recording and doesn’t involve any form of audiovisual or pictures.
Businesses, publishers, content creators, and advertisers are beginning to conquer audio content through marketing and advertising options.
Types of Audio Content
For startups in the e-commerce industry with content driven design, implementing audio content as a marketing strategy will help you gain traffic through engagement. Below is a list of audio marketing platforms to explore.
Audiobooks
The common trend of reading existing ebooks is just listening to an audiobook. It is similar to reading a published book of fiction or nonfiction. Audiobooks are spoken words from a written work published by an author or audio blogging. Audio snippets are like a description that tells more about an audio player.
Podcast
Podcast marketing is the ideal trend for gaining insight into an online skill, brand information, etc. The podcast style audio content can comes in an episodic format which allows podcast listeners to download or refer back to a missed episode at their leisure. For most people, it’s enjoyable as it is an interactive medium for smart speakers and podcast listeners to share their thoughts.
This type of audio content is the most available feature prioritized by search engines. An example is Google Voice Search, Google Assistant like Siri, and Alexa, which are keyword identifying tools.
Voice search optimization is important to allow potential clients to find answers to their pressing needs. Google Home smart speakers are identified by voice SEO efforts, investing in this type of audio content has an impact on your business and create voice driven traffic.
Audio Ads
These are not the regular random audio ads you see in commercials on Facebook videos or YouTube video. They are specific demographics, audiences, or groups interested in your brands. This is a more precise form of audio marketing to target your prospects.
What is the Difference Between Audio and Podcasts?
Audio is a general term for listening to content, it is restricted to just a piece of file. Whereas Podcast content is a type of audio that uses an RSS feed to enable marketers to upload audio content format, and for users to subscribe.
What is a Podcast in Digital Marketing Strategy?
This is content marketing that involves podcast promotion and selling of short audio clips through aggregators, YouTube videos, or leverage influencer marketing through social media platforms.
11 Ways to Incorporate Audio and Podcast Marketing Strategies
There are many content marketing strategies to consider before investing in podcast marketing strategies but, do not get confused. This article highlights the best possible strategic approach in audio marketing so you can increase brand visibility.
Focus on the Right Audience
Before starting podcast episodes, it is necessary to understand why and the needs you are trying to fill for your audience in content marketing. Your target audience should be prioritized. That way, you can solve their needs.
Embarking on podcast marketing isn’t just about gaining lots of followers, the goal should be to attract listeners who are long-term subscribers. Implement market research that way you can figure out your listener persona.
This category of demographics could be based on age, location, occupation, and interests. This measure focuses on who gets more value on your show, that way you can incorporate it into your audio marketing.
Use Social Media for Promotion
The number of social media users in the world is about 4.75 billion. Social media is a necessary strategy for any business that wants to gain public attention or market products. Podcasters dive into this as a means to promote audios that are proven to be effective.
A witty tweet, blog posts on Instagram, and Facebook with links attached, soundbites, and images can go a long way to capture the attention of your audience.
Social media are effective digital marketing channels where you connect with people; invite smart speakers to increase your network space by interacting with people
Run Paid Ads
Audio ad revenue in the United States changed by 94% from 2019 to 2021. Advertising your podcast is a great way to reach a large potential audience. Social media such as Facebook, Google ads, and Instagram run ad campaigns that are cheap and reach a large community in your space.
This way you don’t waste time in reaching people with no interest. This is the fastest podcast marketing tip for generating traffic on your page and reaching potential listeners.
Take Advantages of Giveaways
Spice up your brand’s activities with marketing giveaways. This spikes your followers to engage more with your podcast and the user’s attention is drawn toward free stuff which is common in human psychology.
Remember the intent of this giveaway is for podcast marketing so you need to engage your audience with an activity such as leaving an iTunes review by entering a weekly draw
Announcing when you intend to start your giveaways on various social channels will keep your followers on their toes. These giveaways can range from brand merch, a shoutout in an episode, product discounts, and a guest spot on a weekly podcast.
Optimize your Podcast websites
Content driven designs are optimized for search engines so that people can reach your Google podcasts just by searching for a specific keyword.
A podcast website is important because when a post is created on your own site, Google crawls the page and reaches out to your targeted audience using some podcast aggregator.
Most businesses focus on link building agencies for SEO. To achieve an effective optimization you must:
- Create original podcast SEO
- Use H1, H2, H3 to structure your content
- Include small images to make it look interesting
- Clean up your URL
- Use meta description for sniper purposes
Network Through Hosting and Guesting
For newbies in the first episode podcast, it is necessary to invite guests to your podcast to spark your listeners. This is a podcast marketing strategy that can grow your network when other podcasts experts like you feature on your show.
This creates some sort of social proof for your prospective customers as your podcast grow over time.
Submit to Podcast Directories
This is another important podcast promotion that makes it easy to reach out to your prospects with listening platforms.
Adding your audio to directories or podcast apps such as Google Play, Apple Podcasts, Podbay, and Spotify and submitting your RSS feed allows you to reach a large audience.
These podcast aggregators are solely podcast listening apps by default with an IOS. This is one of the most effective podcast marketing strategies.
Cross-Promote Relevant Podcast Episodes
This is simply done by mentioning similar podcasts of creators, as well as being mentioned by other podcasters with similar audiences. This is the best way to network in your new podcast episodes, for great outreach. Also, utilizing a brand’s connection with your audio can help you partner with them for content creation and gain new listeners.
Start an Email Newsletter
Email marketing campaign have continued to advance over the years as an effective medium of communication. Creating an email list will help you reach out to prospects for your podcast. Email newsletters are efficient ways to inform your audience on the latest podcast topics, and engage them with stories that they can relate to in other to connect with your values.
Launch New Episodes
If you are just starting up your podcast, it is necessary to send out a few episodes soon as you launch your brand so people listen. Starting between three to five will give your brand credibility and captures your audience’s interest.
This enables you to get more subscribers and podcast audiences to download audio content. With this, you can carry out other marketing strategies to grow your community.
Use a Call-to-Action to End Your Audio Podcast
What good is it to generate traffic yet no conversion made like downloaded audio or subscribers? Use a compelling call-to-action to direct your audience to enjoy more of your audio content.
You can place a subtle call-to-action at the end of each podcast episode, or attach a link on social media posts for listeners to subscribe to your podcast for more of your engaging content.
Conclusion
Implementing these content strategies to your audio player might be a way to analyze what methods perfectly suits your brand.
However, consistently engaging your audience with the right relevant content adds value to your brand, also know how to promote a podcast.
