Remember when videos were the next big thing? Videos were on every platform you logged on to; Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, even Pinterest. Eventually, every business was using video as a form of marketing content. Companies using video were no longer standing out from one another, so what did they move to? Businesses wanting to be different and gain a competitive advantage turned to podcasting.
Podcasting has taken off as a form of successful marketing content for many B2Bs, and is even surpassing blogging. The second most popular podcast category in 2019 was technology and the fourth was business. That’s a perfect fit for a managed service provider.
Some say podcasting is the new blogging and it too will become saturated — until then, why not take advantage of a less crowded market and get ahead of your competition. Let’s look at some of the benefits your MSP can receive from starting a podcast.
Lead generation
Most likely, you’ll want to start a podcast for your MSP for lead generation purposes. Podcasting can aid in building up your prospect list and converting them to clients. Podcasts hold interest longer than other forms of media such as blogs, videos, whitepapers, guides, etc. In 2019, 52 percent of podcast consumers listened to an entire audio episode (Edison Research). This means listeners are actively engaging with your content, unlike written forms of content where readers can just skim over the material.
When you create engaging content, you are gaining more brand-customer interaction. Those listeners become subscribers, interact on your social media, and are interested in what you have to say. Integrating your podcast into your sales sequence allow you to convert subscribers into clients.
When you get prospects on a call for your podcast it makes an impact, you are not just building a relationship with your leads but deepening that relationship. Inviting a prospect to be a guest on your podcast will make much more of an impression than your typical sales call or email.
More credibility
Once you have episodes under your belt and have an established show, this can be a great resource for new prospects. When they can turn to your MSP as a thought leader, you’ll come first to mind when it’s time to make a purchasing decision.
Apart from becoming a thought leader and expert, podcasting builds trust with prospects and other listeners. Sharing your message through this avenue is more transparent and personable — it shows you are a real person with a real voice, giving life to your MSP.
Increased exposure
Another reason podcasting can benefit your MSP is to increase exposure. Opening your content channels to a new avenue can attract a different audience that you may not get from traditional forms of media.
The great thing is that these listeners are a very loyal audience. In fact, podcast listeners are 20 percent more likely to connect with a brand on social media (Edison Research). Podcasts that release episodes consistently stay on top of people’s minds, which helps to effectively build buzz around their next releases.
Not only are they more loyal, but the podcasting world is less saturated. Therefore, your content is more likely to get seen and heard. Currently, there are around 60 million active business Facebook pages and only around 750,000 podcasts (Paid Insights). From there, the number of podcasts then shrinks by topic, thus increasing your chance to be exposed to a listener. Wouldn’t you want to put your content in a space that has a chance to be seen and heard?
According to Hootsuite, the average organic reach for a Facebook post is only 5.5 percent of page followers – meaning hardly anyone is seeing your content! For example, if you had 100 followers on your MSP’s Facebook business page, then only five or six people would have seen your post. Not to mention, Google now indexes podcasts in the search results. This is just another way for your content to dominate the SERPs.
Should your MSP start a podcast?
If you’re still on the fence after reading the benefits of starting a podcast, then consider these variables to determine if this strategy is right for your MSP.
- Time – Will you have enough time each week/month for pre and post production of your episodes? This could include research, finding and scheduling guests, recording the episode, editing, and promoting it.
- Money – Podcasts can be relatively inexpensive, but for better production, you will want to invest in high-quality equipment, rather than just using your phone or laptop microphone.
- Knowledge – Are there enough experts that can share their knowledge on enough topics for a full podcast season?
The most difficult part about podcasting is just starting it. A lot of planning goes into a podcast, but once you’ve got a few episodes under your belt, you will see just how smooth and rewarding it can be. For ideas and inspiration, check out The Geek Freaks Podcast, a podcast started by our MSP, Omega Computer Services.
Photo: Branislav Nenin / Shutterstock
