Getting Serious about Biz Podcasting
by Tim 'Gonzo' Gordon
There are two distinct approaches to podcasting: the hobbyist and those who do it for their business.
From there you could break each one down into a thousand different sub-genres, especially the hobby side of the equation.
Podcasting for business takes a disciplined and precise approach. Hobby podcasting on the other hand is all over the road in terms of talent, skill, subject matter and quality (not that all business podcasts are of high professional quality, too!).
And it doesn’t matter why you’re podcasting: you’re in the marketing business. Even if you’re a 13-year old in Tulsa commenting on your favorite TV show The O.C. - you want to get more listeners – which automatically puts you in the marketing business.
But making money as a podcaster?
In a recent interview with Paul Colligan, The Affiliate Guy, he took the view that there are three distinct approaches in getting people to pay for podcasting.
“Level one would be free podcast – advertiser supported, much like broadcast television was in the early days,” said Paul.
“The next level would be premium podcasting, such as HBO,” said Paul. Much like HBO, where you pay an extra monthly fee and take whatever value from the podcast.
“The third level is Pay-Per-View, where you pay a fee for a specific event. Much like you’d pay for a boxing match or a special concert.”
Following the premium podcasting model, Paul has built out a website called premiumpodcasting.com which explains the business model. One obvious question: how do you issue an RSS feed for the podcast and make sure it goes out only to the paying subscriber? Paul’s solution: instead of one RSS feed for the world, simply issue one RSS feed per individual. If that individual stops paying, just turn his RSS feed off, as it’s all database controlled.
Early on, Paul says he has a number of subscribers and is making money, “not enough to retire on, but it shows the concept works.”
Here are a few other ways I’ve seen that use podcasts to boost the bottom line for business:
Promoting products with in-depth interviews or analysis
Using the podcast as a teaser for a lengthier ‘paid’ program
Using your podcast as another marketing tool to discuss various aspects of your business or industry, making sure you always mention your website or product
Using contests on your podcast to drive people to a specific website which can build your mailing list, which you can then market to
Bottom line: if you’re podcasting for a hobby, I hope you keep having fun. Nothing wrong with that.
If you’re looking a podcasting as a serious marketing tool, it’ll take some thought, discipline and action to convert listeners into paying customers – but it’s being done every day. What’s your plan?
Tim 'Gonzo' Gordon shows you how to create professional, high-quality audio on your home computer. With 25+ years of radio production, writing and voice talent, Tim can show you how to set up a small pro studio and create audio for fun and profit. Subscribe to his free newsletter Digital Audio Bits at Digital Audio World. Learn how to create compelling content for your podcast with Podcasting Adventures Online.
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