3 Top Reasons Podcasting Will Benefit YOUR Business

What is the big hype around podcasting?  Podcasting can be loosely defined as recording your own business ideas, thoughts on life, relevant marketing interviews, and making them available to anyone and everyone.  While many people have discovered the benefits of podcasting, there are still some skeptics out there as to whether it's necessary or beneficial for building your business.

Social Media Examiner does a fantastic job at keeping up with the latest and greatest social media tools that small business entrepreneurs are finding more useful than originally anticipated.

The first issue that is tackled in the article is the fear factor.  The biggest hurdle you will probably face is getting over your own concerns over what you sound like, if the recording sounds perfect, whether the content will be relevant, etc.  But the post goes further to interview Pat Flynn of The Smart Passive Income Blog, who now makes a six-figure income which is heavily supported by his podcasting. He talks about his uncertainty in recording that first podcast.

“It was scary to do it,” Flynn said. “I wasn’t really comfortable with my voice on the mic, and it wasn’t as simple as I thought it would be.” Uncertainty about the technical aspects of feeds, file enclosures, etc., made him keep putting it off.

“That first episode was a struggle, because I re-recorded it three times and tried to edit the crap out of it to make it perfect,” he said. It wasn’t perfect, he admits, but it was out.

Almost immediately, he started seeing results.

Below is a brief takeaway of the 3 main reasons you will find podcasting to be beneficial to your business; but you can also click here for the full article by Louise Julig.

1.  Podcasting Brings Increased Web Traffic

“Every week I’m getting emails from people who are telling me they found me through the podcast,” said Flynn, who noted that he saw an increase in website traffic as soon as he started to podcast. 

“It’s hard to definitively tell [the traffic came from the podcast], since it’s audio so people can’t click a link,” he said. But Flynn is positive the podcast is a major factor in his increased traffic. 

A month after starting, he posted an update to the blog showing some early results.

A little over a year later, he posted a survey on his blog asking people how they first found him. He was blown away by the results.

The largest percentage of blog readers had found him through his podcast. 

2.  Podcasting Develops Influential Relationships

Another benefit Flynn has seen from podcasting is the relationships he has developed with top influencers from interviewing them on the show. 

“I’m having an hour-long conversation with somebody influential whom I can contact later on,” Flynn said. “Some of them I’ve become really good friends with since then. That’s indirectly helped my business.”

3.  Podcasting Brings Speaking Opportunities

“There aren’t a lot of books about how to improve your podcast,” Flynn said. “But there are a lot of books about how to be a good public speaker. Those all apply to podcasting as well.” One book he particularly recommends is Dale Carnegie’s Stand and Deliver.

Flynn has developed a natural, easygoing speaking style on the podcast. This has in turn led to multiple speaking opportunities. 

The first conference he spoke at was the Financial Blogger Conference in November 2011, two years after he started podcasting. By May 2013, he has spoken at seven conferences, including BlogWorld Expo, the Platform Conference, CreateLive andSocial Media Marketing World. He will give his first keynote address at the Financial Blogger conference in November 2013. 

What About You? Have you considered what you can offer potential clients through podcasting?

You might have missed 7 Simple Ways To Turn Blog Posts Into an Ebook (in 5 weeks)!