Thought leadership in one’s field of expertise is a rite of passage that opens doors for individuals and entities to establish authority and grow in their respective areas of specialization. There are many tactics organizations can tackle in pursuit of enhanced brand awareness, boosted market share and increased brand value. Podcasts are an up and coming tactic marketers are integrating into their marketing mix in order to achieve the goal of becoming expert resources in their field. 

Thought Leadership

Thought leaders are successful, informed individuals or entities within their respective fields. These influencers create a substantial amount of accurate and reliable content in order to garner public trust. Attaining this strategic visibility and expert status in one’s field warrants a measure of credibility that attracts consumer loyalty. 

As a result, the public perceives thought leaders as having an authoritative, influential impact on the subjects they speak on. They also reap the benefits of increased PR opportunities and increased respect from listeners and peers. The endless opportunities to regularly engage with niche communities make podcasts one of the most accessible mediums to become a thought leader. 

Podcasts

Podcasts are an audio broadcasting marketing tactic in which creators launch a series of episodes focused around a particular theme and listeners subscribe to follow new content. This easy-to-create medium is a flexible tool to create relationships with listeners and share opinions on topics of interest. For example, podcasts can vary in length, frequency, format, tone and subject matter. The freedom of this space offers an approachable space to jump into and become an influencer amongst a loyal following. 

Creation

The steps to create a podcast are relatively simple. Creators begin by developing a podcast concept with a strong reason behind the need to start the podcast, a solid understanding of what will be spoken about and an agreed-upon topic or theme to center content around. SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound) goals can then be applied to identify benchmarks to measure the effectiveness of the tactic. Next, details for the podcast can be solidified, such as the podcast name and format. Examples of podcast formats include interview oriented, scripted non-fiction, new-recaps, educational and scripted fiction. 

Once a regular posting schedule and length are decided upon, you can invest in recording equipment and software. Entering this space requires minimal overhead expenses. For example, a typical one-person podcast (microphone and headphones) setup costing under $200. Editing software is also affordable with platforms, such as Audacity being free for Mac, Windows and Linux and GarageBand being free for Mac & IOS. With this equipment in hand, creators can jump right in to begin recording, editing and uploading episodes to platforms, such as Buzzsprout which offer affordable solutions to get your podcast onto Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Additional steps include choosing a theme song and cover art as well as crafting marketing plans to entice interest.

Appeal

Podcasts are a fan favorite amongst listeners for the convenient, portable nature of consumption. The solely audio nature empowers subscribers to listen as they complete daily tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and driving. As a result, the podcast industry has experienced impressive growth. According to 2020 Edison Research Infinite Dial, there are over 1,500,000 podcasts out there. However, this is a small dent in comparison to other mediums. In fact, for every podcast, there are approximately 750 blogs and 29 YouTube channels. Podcasts are a great opportunity to lead a relatively new and growing content marketing space and to establish a stake in. In addition, with 50% of all homes listening to podcasts, there is a sustainable population of listeners awaiting fresh content. 

Burkhart Marketing recognizes the impact thought leadership has on brand equity and value. We invite you to collaborate with us to unlock the opportunities podcasts have in store for your organization.