It’s coming up on a year now since I started my podcast – The Voice for Voice – and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made in nearly ten years as a business owner. Since I started The Voice for Voice, the podcast has become the UK’s leading podcast about voice tech, with a strong following in the United States as well. I love podcasting, and I would urge anyone to start. Here’s why I think you should start a podcast of your own.
Freedom to talk about what you want
Podcasting is basically the punk rock of the radio world, anyone can pick up a mic and make something worth listening to. You don’t need expensive equipment or anything like that, all you need is an idea, a microphone of some kind, and a computer to edit and upload your episodes. If you’re really strapped for cash you can even record on an iPhone, though I would recommend buying some dedicated podcast mics as soon as you can afford them. When I recorded my first episode, I only spent around £100 on audio gear, though to be fair I have upgraded some of it since. That’s not a particularly big outlay if you’re serious about getting your podcast off the ground, and especially as it may bring in new business (more on that later).
You are in control
As mentioned before, podcasting is a bit like radio, but unlike radio you are in complete control. Let’s face it, getting a radio show on the BBC isn’t the easiest gig in the world to land. And if on the off chance you do get that gig, you’ll have plenty of restrictions on what you can and can’t talk about.
That’s the beautiful thing about podcasting, you get to talk about exactly what you want, no matter how niche it is. In fact, as I’ve said before, the more niche your topic the better! You also get full editorial control. You decide what is said, and how it’s spoken about. If you’re a bit of a potty mouth, you don’t have to censor yourself for fear of being chucked off the air. Your show, your rules.
Networking
There’s a big culture in the podcasting world of hosts guesting on one another’s podcasts. This is a great way of introducing yourself to the listeners of someone else’s podcast, while you let them introduce themselves to your audience in return. This is also a great way to network and make new contacts, not just with another pod’s listeners, but also with the hosts that you’re sitting down and having a chat with. Don’t get me wrong, you shouldn’t go onto someone’s podcast with the explicit aims of making new contacts; you may end up disappointed. But putting yourself out there and going to speak to new people in your industry is never a bad thing.
Recently I invited Mark McCulloch of Supersonic Marketing onto my podcast to discuss all things food and drink marketing, with a focus on Voice. In a few weeks I’m going to be a guest on his podcast, the Supersonic Marketing Podcast. You can do this too! All you need to do is start a podcast in your niche, make a bit of a name for yourself and then reach out to people who you find interesting.
New business
Podcasting is an intimate medium. The format lends itself to unedited – or lightly edited – conversations. Podcasts work best when it sounds like a conversation, rather than something that’s been extensively cut up and edited. If you listen to any podcast regularly, you’ll know that you start to feel like you know the hosts as people, even though you may never have met them. For example, I really love the podcast Diary of a CEO, hosted by Social Chain CEO Steven Bartlett. I’ve never met Steven, but having listened to countless hours of his musings over what it’s like to be the CEO of a digital company in 2019, I feel like I do know him.
So how is this related to getting new business? Well, in my experience, a big part of winning new business is about getting any potential client to trust you, and to build some sort of relationship with you. Every single client I’ve won in my career has been based on some form of face to face meeting and personal relationship. Podcasts give you a bit of a headstart on this, as your regular listeners get to know you already. By the time you have that initial meeting, they’ll know what you’re about already, and you’ll have a much better shot at winning their business.
Don’t believe me? Since starting the podcast, I’ve started working with some great clients who found out about me through The Voice for Voice!
It’s enjoyable
Last, but by no means least, recording podcasts is just plain fun. I love the weekly recording sessions that I do with my co-host Will. To be honest, we tend to just talk about all of the stuff we talk about in the office anyway, because we are interested in it and passionate about it. Via the podcast, we get to share those discussions with our listeners. And what’s not to love about that?
Introducing – the Move Digital Podcast
That’s right. I enjoy doing my podcast so much that I’m launching a second one! The Move Digital Podcast will launch in June, and is a place for myself and Will to discuss more general digital marketing news. Keep an eye on my social media over the next few weeks to find out more.
Why everyone needs their own Podcast
