Many companies experience success with producing interesting podcasts that highlight their products and services. Companies have also leveraged the power of YouTube videos to help gain more traction. However, this approach isn’t for every business model. If you ever wondered if this is right for your product, service, or industry, consider the following questions:
Are podcasts and videos already heavily utilized by businesses in your industry? If so, is it because the method works for their product or is it a matter of jumping on the bandwagon and over saturating the market? If it’s working, feel free to join the crowd; However, take care to do so with your company’s own flair while remaining on trend. If the content only supports what you personally find entertaining, it isn’t likely to result in conversions.
Do you have topics that would interest your target audience? If you are in a field that is more technical, a podcast may not be best for your viewers. However, if you have a very specialized job that people often try to do themselves but need assistance with, a YouTube channel may be a great idea. For example, if you run a body shop, you could post a series of videos on how to perform basic car maintenance such as adjusting tire pressure, changing the oil, etc.
Does your company lean more toward professional or casual? Podcasts and videos work well for both business models, but they require a different approach. A business that slants more toward the professional path can produce How To Videos to go along with their products and services. A more casual company can get away with any number of topic and can even work with collaborators from sister companies if they so desire.
Do you have an engaging speaker? It’s not enough to produce content. You need to make sure whoever speaks for your podcasts or videos is able to captivate your audience. An uninterested or monotone voice can kill your target audiences’ interest in the podcast or video.
Can you commit enough time to do it well? It takes an average of 4-6 hours per week to put together and publish a weekly podcast. Depending on your budget, degree of effort, and editing abilities, a YouTube video can take anywhere from 6-36 hours per video.
Do you have the right equipment? Podcasts don’t require much; check out our previous blog post here to see what is required. YouTube videos can be as simple as using your phone or laptop to as complicated as a movie with set pieces, music, choreographer, videographer, editor, lighting, etc.
Whatever you do, make sure you match your message to your company’s vision and that you are giving people useful information in an entertaining way. Click here for a free consultation to find out if a podcast/YouTube video should be in your company’s future.