Why Podcasting is Important and Powerful

Before you get worried, we’re not going to suggest you start your own podcast. Actually, we will, but only if you’re ready to embark on the journey. If you’re not we have several other great tips to capitalize on the podcast revolution.

At Kapok Marketing, we have our own podcast entitled Kickin’ it with Kapok. Many of our employees are also avid podcast listeners. So we’ve learned a lot from hosting our own podcast as well as from listening to other podcasts.

Now, we’ll share the secrets we’ve learned. Many of them will help any local business owner or marketer become an expert in their industry. And being an expert is a great way to drive more business.

My Story with Podcasting

Let’s start with my story. Podcasting has changed my life personally as Jake Braun and as one of the founders here at Kapok Marketing. First off, now, every time I type or say, “Hello, everyone.” something crazy happens.

What happens exactly? I hear podcast intro music in my mind and instinctively want to continue aloud, “And welcome to Kickin’ it with Kapok, a podcast about business owners’ marketing struggles and solutions and other business-related topics.”

That is just one of the unexpected ways that podcasting is powerful. Funny enough, I didn’t realize how important podcasting was until our other cofounder Mirela Setkic and I launched Kickin’ it with Kapok. Before that, I’d really only listened to one podcast, and that was season one of Serial back in 2014.

I really enjoyed Serial, but nothing about it really made me think I should listen to other podcasts. It wasn’t until last year in 2017 when researching and brainstorming innovative ways to teach business owners about marketing, that I rediscovered the medium of podcasting.

I started listening to some other podcasts in the business/marketing genre and decided that we here at Kapok Marketing should start a podcast. I saw it as another vehicle to give away free information to local businesses in the Tampa Bay community and beyond.

It took about a year to convince Mirela that we really needed to give it a try. Now that we have a dozen or so episodes under our belt, it’s second nature. It’s been a success in terms of our goals. We plan to continue the podcast and even make some exciting changes to it in the near future.

One thing I’ve learned is that having your own podcast can open a lot of doors in business. Another thing I’ve learned is that running your own podcast is not easy. It’s a lot of hard work. For that reason, I wouldn’t suggest every business owner start their own podcast.

How to Use Podcasting as a Local Business

Even if you aren’t ready to start your own podcast, the medium is still very powerful and important. Luckily, there are ways that business owners can capitalize on podcasting without doing all the hard work we’re doing on a weekly basis.

Be a Guest on Another Podcast

Take advantage of other people’s hard work, and not in the sense of exploiting them. Podcasts, like Kickin’ it with Kapok, are always looking for great guests to join them. So it’s a win-win opportunity that you should take advantage of if you can find a good match.

Take us for example, we have a “Be a Guest” section on our podcast site where you can indicate your interest in appearing on our podcast. If you’re a business owner in the Tampa Bay area, we’d love to have you join us.

Look for other podcasts in your industry or geographic area too. You’d be surprised how many podcasts are out there. If you don’t see a section to suggest yourself as a guest, don’t give up. Look for the host’s email or social media accounts, and send them a direct message.

Don’t be overly aggressive when you pitch yourself as a guest. Briefly, mention why you’d be a good guest and what you can add to the podcast. Think about it from their perspective, suggest why their audience would learn from you. It’s a lot like pitching a press release to a journalist.

Listen to Other Podcasts in Your Niche

There is something to be learned from most podcasts out there, and lots of people are doing it. In July of 2018, The Nielsen Company said there were over 16 million “avid fans” of podcasts in the previous year. We encourage everyone here at Kapok Marketing to learn in all formats and that includes podcasts.

You can learn a lot from podcasts in your niche or even other topics that interest you. Staying informed about trends and new ideas will make you a better business owner. This is true even if you’re an expert, and you think you already know everything a podcast might tell you.

You may hear a more in-depth analysis from an angle you hadn’t thought of previously, and that is good information. Or you may learn some counterpoints to a belief you had about your industry that maybe is changing.

Most podcasts are free! So the risk is low in trying any given podcast. You can usually tell in the first few episodes, or even minutes of a single episode, how the entire series will be. If it’s not good, move onto the next one.

Share What You Learn from Podcasts

Don’t be afraid of sharing information that you learn from podcasts. It will only help you when you share what you learn with others. This can be your customers, your employees, or even peers in your industry. Whoever you think this information may help, share it with them.

Sharing useful information can only improve your reputation. You will be known as the expert in your niche that others learn from. You will be perceived as the leader. People and businesses in this position can command a premium for their products or services.

Start Your Own Podcast (Maybe)

As we mentioned earlier, starting your own podcast is not for everyone. But if you are ready to make the leap, creating your own podcast will take things to that next level. Very few if any of your competitors are probably doing it, so it will really make you shine as the leader.

How do you know if it’s time to start your own podcast or blog? You need to be ready and committed to the idea. If you had fun being a guest on someone else’s podcast, that is a good start. It’s also a great sign if you enjoy listening to other podcasts and find yourself constantly sharing the things you’ve learned.

Having your own podcast is basically sharing ideas to people but on steroids. You’ll be sharing your information to as wide an audience as you can generate. On the flip side, that means you need to be doing regular research to generate regular episodes that feature educational and entertaining content. Strongly consider it if that’s an endeavor that you’re ready for.

Podcasting is Important and Powerful

Podcasts are a growing medium that is only becoming more and more powerful. That power is making podcasts more and more influential in society as a whole and in business and marketing. The medium is also one of the most underrated in content marketing, so it’s ripe for you to leap at the opportunity.

The influence and growth make podcasts important for any business. This is true if you are looking to expand your knowledge in a given industry. It’s also true if your business is looking to find more creative ways to market their products or services.

Have a question or comment about our podcast, Kickin’ it with Kapok, or podcasting in general? Let us know in the comments and we’ll be glad to respond. And as we’d say on the podcast, “We’ll have something just as great for you next time.”