The 5 Critical Elements That Lead to Engagement & Conversion.
Podcasting can be a powerful part of a content marketing strategy. It can be a great way to connect with and convert customers. However, all too often marketers get caught up in the thrill of podcasting and forget their goals. Flash forward a few months and suddenly they're looking at return on their investment of time and money and coming up empty-handed.
If this is you (or if you want to avoid this being you), here are the 5 things you should make sure you do in each and every episode of your podcast
1. Talk to Your Ideal Client
This is the BIGGEST mistake podcasters make - they forget that their podcast is for their listener, not themselves (psst, it's time to check your ego!) When creating a podcast to help promote a business, brand or service, you need to know who you’re targeting. If you don’t, you better figure it out! Who is that ideal client (some call them your avatar)? You need to be crafting your content around their needs. And, always speak to them directly so they know this show is for THEM.
2. Manage Guests Carefully
This relates to the first point (you can pretty much expect all of my points to be about being listener-centric). Most importantly, your guests should be chosen based on the value they bring to your potential customers (not just because they asked or were recommended through a publicity service). Know this - they have an ulterior motive for being on your show (shock...I know). They’re either the most selfless human on the face of the earth or they have something to promote. So, make sure you keep them on track. Agree ahead of time what will be discussed and then keep the conversation flowing in that direction. If you're recording your sessions on Zencastr, you can always go back later and edit out any part where they got away from you (thanks to separate track recording). Remember it’s your show (which is for your audience) and your 'guest' should act like one.
3. Give Mad Value
You've heard this before. It’s not a suggestion. You should be asking yourself each episode: Did I give my audience huge value? You need to really check in on this. Make sure your podcast isn't just you talking, it's you delivering the goods. Every time. You never want to take your listener (AKA potential customer) for granted, and wasting their time is taking them for granted! Deliver the goods they came for. The best self-filter is to keep asking yourself, “Will my listener care about this?” If the answer is yes, you’re golden.
4. Deliver a Takeaway
You might be thinking, 'Hey, didn't we just cover this? Isn't giving mad value the same as delivering a takeaway?'. Good thinking...but it's more than that. You want to make sure your listener remembers all of that good value, right? So, pack it up all nice-like, put a bow on it and send them off with it at the end of your show. By recapping the most essential parts of the podcast into an easy-to-digest 'takeaway', you're taking care of your listener AND helping them to get the most out of the value you just dropped on them. Think of it as a parting gift that they'll have to remember your podcast by - as in, they'll remember how useful/intelligent/caring/insightful you are well after the podcast is over. Oh, and they'll be much more inclined to take the action you call for at the end of the show - which leads me to...
5. Don't Forget the CTA
It never ceases to amaze me how many of my clients forget to tell their listener what to do at the end of their podcast. They've gone through all of this effort in making a podcast, proving their worth and superiority and then they say, 'k, bye' and leave their potential client hanging. After all of this effort, don't you think it makes sense to tell your listener how to take the next step in, ahem, hiring you or buying your stuff? If you are using your podcast as a marketing tool, you absolutely must take care of your listener right to the very end by telling them what to do next. Now, it doesn't always have to be 'buy my stuff,' but it should be the next step on their journey with you - whether that is subscribing, joining a Facebook group or downloading a freebie. If they like you, they'll take that step. If they aren't sure, they might wait until next time but one thing is for sure - if you don't tell them what the next step is, they won't take it.
If you're using your podcast to grow your business or brand, you need to make sure you keep your listener in mind constantly, manage your guests, give made value (put a bow on it at the end) and don't leave them hanging without a call to action (CTA). If you can do this consistently, you'll be well on your way to having an engaging podcast that converts listeners into fans and fans into customers.
About the author:
Tim Wohlberg is a podcast performance coach with over 25 years of broadcasting experience. He helps podcasters gain mic confidence, sound more like a pro and convert more listeners into customers. Grab his free “Engaging Podcast Blueprint” at www.podcastperformancecoach.com/blueprint
