Podcasts are everywhere.
It seems like you can’t step into a coffee shop, or a restaurant, or the front door of any office without hearing all about people’s favorite podcasts. They talk about them like they’re the newest hit Netflix series.
People binge listen to podcasts. They go see people tape podcasts live. They buy merchandise from podcasts.
Clearly podcasts are here to stay. So why isn’t your business doing a podcast?
Recently on the B2B Revenue Acceleration podcast, we sat down with Ojas Reje, Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer at MobileIron, for a conversation about why a mobile security company like MobileIron decided to start a podcast, why you should start one, and the 2 pieces of content that you absolutely must have to have a successful podcast.
Why a Podcast?
Podcasts are free for the listener, but they’re most certainly not free for the people producing the show. A podcast takes a substantial amount of time, effort, energy, and money to produce.
So why should your business invest in a podcast?
Marketing has changed fundamentally with the advent of digital media.
Ojas Rege
The advent of digital media has created a lot of content, but with it also a massive amount of noise.
The average IT executive, which is the type of professional that MobileIron’s podcast Rethink IT is aimed at, doesn’t have time to spend hours on the internet searching for what they need. They consume media in a very different way than in previous generations.
A Perfect Commute Companion
The modern employee does an awful lot of commuting. Think of your daily commute. How long do you spend in the car? Or on the train? 10 minutes? 30 minutes? An hour?
If people are already captive in their car of the train, why wouldn’t you want to offer them content to consume on that commute?
Is Podcasting the New Blogging?
Everything is the new something.
While podcasting may not be the new blogging, it’s certainly a new development and a natural extension of the blog.
People have multiple senses. They have various ways of consuming media. Sometimes a blog may work. Other times a video is best. And sometimes, a short podcast might be exactly what someone needs.
When you think about it, a podcast isn’t all that different from a blog.
Blogging is an individual with a point of view, expressed through word or occasionally video. Podcasting is just a way to do that that is more consumable.
Podcasting is another way to get a message out in a way that individuals can consume it.
Ojas Rege
It’s a way to engage with clients, prospects, and also keep in touch folks that you’re already engaged with.
How Do I Start?
Let’s say that you’ve convinced yourself that you need a podcast. Or that your business needs a podcast.
A lot of people get daunted by the technology that comes with a podcast. Don’t worry about the technology. It’s shockingly easy.
What you have to start with is a mindset and a host.
Ojas Rege
Think of the difference between radio and television. When you’re on TV, you’ve got 2 of the senses at play. Sight and sound.
When you’re on the radio, which is what a podcast is, just internet radio, you only have your voice to get a listener’s attention.
Step 1 to hosting a podcast is deciding who is going to facilitate your podcast? Who’s doing the talking? Will it just be the host talking? Will it be an interview show?
A podcast will live or die based on how interesting your host is.
Step 2 is simply having the right mindset. The podcast isn’t a way to advertise your company. A listener should know who you are, but should never come away from your podcast feeling like they’ve been pitched by your company.
Every podcast should teach something of relevance.
Who Do I Have on the Show?
Experts. Experts. Experts.
Bring on people who are spending time thinking about not what has happened in the past, but what is happening now and what’s going to happen in the future.
They have to have subject matter expertise, they have to be knowledgeable, and they have to be able to articulate your 1 or 2 key “Aha!” moments.
A podcast is a fantastic investment, and if done right, can be a huge boost for your company. One that allows you to reach a whole new customer that you never imagined possible.
And they’re a lot of fun too.
This post is based on an interview with Ojas Rege from MobileIron.
To hear this episode, and many more like it, you can subscribe to The B2B Revenue Acceleration Podcast.
If you don’t use iTunes, you can listen to every episode here.
