For the past few years, experts have described content as being “King” when it comes to marketing for brands and small businesses. And now it’s more important than ever to create more content to rise above the social media noise. For years we’ve recommended fresh blog posts on your website two to four times per month.
But what if you’re like me and you struggle to complete a written blog post of any decent length? Maybe you find it easier to share your thoughts verbally. Maybe you would prefer to literally speak to your customers. Consider doing a regular audio podcast.
It’s no secret that podcasts are on fire right now. Podcast listenership is up 108% this year according to Spotify. The next trend I see for 2021 is more local podcasts, specifically for consumers of your services in your local community.
Do you own a landscaping franchise? Do a weekly podcast with lawn maintenance tips specific to your region. Do you own a fitness franchise? Do a podcast outlining a weekly workout plan. What are you and your crew great at? And, your crew could be the key… if you don’t have the time to plan out podcasts, perhaps a junior member of your team would love to get involved.
Some business owners ask: “Wait, isn’t that giving away all our secrets? Why would anyone hire us?” That’s the power of great content marketing: Give away all of your best secrets. For every customer who takes your free advice and tries to do what you do for themselves, ten more will see you as the thought leader and just hire you to solve their problems.
For a locally focused podcast, you don’t need one million listeners, or one thousand. What if you could reach a few dozen people in your town each week or twice per month? The best way to start is small. You don’t have to be Joe Rogan on day one and produce a two-hour show. Shoot for ten or fifteen minutes to start and increase it when you more have information and stories to share.
– Jack Monson
Jack Monson is the host of the Social Geek Radio Network, home of the number one podcasts in Franchising including The Franchise News Podcast and The Facebook Franchise Podcast. Monson is also the Chief Revenue Officer at Social Joey and has been working with franchisees and small businesses in social media marketing for 13 years. For more information, visit socialgeekradio.com, or email jack@socialgeekradio.com.