JAR Audio’s CEO, Roger Nairn, sat down with Jil Pasiecnik, our new Audience Growth Specialist, to discuss the importance of having a strategy.
You say we need to ask ourselves “why” before producing a podcast. Why?
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Generate awareness
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Drive trial
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Change minds
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Build authority
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Impact brand metrics (ie. helpfulness)
Why is it important to have a strategy before producing your podcast?
Between podcasts that go by the wayside and those that rise to the top, is the implementation of a strategy.
Establishing a game plan can be as robust or as straightforward as you want. But having a plan is important. To set yourself up for success:
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Take the time to find where you can carve out a place for your podcast in the current landscape
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Maximize its launch through a targeted, research-based campaign.
What happens if you don’t have a strategy?
Podcasts that don’t have a strategy lack consistency in tone and structure. Their messaging can be muddled and is more difficult to maintain. Having a podcast will feel harder than it should. Without a clear strategy, each episode feels like you are starting from scratch.
There are more podcasts than ever before. How can strategy help your podcast stand out?
A strategy will ground your podcast in a path forward. It will establish how it will be different from other podcasts (saturating the market).
Take the time to develop a clear purpose and create consistent messaging in each episode. This creates a consistent series of episodes. When you produce a high-quality podcast it will be appreciated by the listeners. And they, in turn, become loyal; and passionate followers.
What questions should you ask yourself?
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Who am I trying to reach?
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What is the purpose of my podcast?
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Why am I making this podcast now?
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Why is this podcast needed now?
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What are other podcasts not doing?
What do we need to know about our audience?
You should know what listeners you want to capture with your podcast and why. Get to know listeners. What are their habits? What they look for in a podcast and what are their expectations? How can you target them directly?
Your podcast will resonate with them because you have crafted it around them. You have taken them into consideration.
Podcast listeners are loyal but they are also incredibly smart and savvy. Knowing what your audience wants from a podcast (how they listen, what they are listening to) your podcast will be attractive to them.
How should your podcast strategy inform your marketing strategy? What’s the difference?
Creating a marketing strategy will be a natural next step. You have armed yourself with the research and insights to do so.
You will know how to talk to the listeners you hope to capture and where to reach them. You have identified shows that are similar. This will help elevate the status of your podcast. You can now use promotional opportunities and you have a clear mission to share.
The difference between a podcast content strategy and a marketing strategy is this:
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Content strategy – you are developing a plan for your podcast to land with your audience.
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Marketing strategy – you are using that information to reach them.
With a solid strategy in place you can now go forth and create something awesome. And it will resonate with your audience.
Thanks for the insights, Jil.
