Podcasting is growing exponentially, with more and more of the world listening in – and they’re ready to listen to you. We look at the benefits and pitfalls of starting a podcast.
A 2020 report from Deloitte predicts the Australian podcasting market is growing faster than the rest of the world, with 1.6 million Australians now tuning in. Driving growth is our love for mobile devices and appetite for entertaining and educational content.
The ABC’s 2019 Podcast Survey revealed that Australian podcast listeners are very engaged. For those who listened to a podcast in any given week, an average of six podcast episodes were listened to, with listeners driven by audio that entertains, teaches or informs them.
The popularity of podcasts is growing; it’s a platform that’s shaking up traditional media and it’s here to stay. The question is: should you jump on board?
Podcasting and the aesthetic practitioner
There are many advantages to starting a podcast of your own, including sharing your expertise and knowledge, gaining new audiences and greater intimacy among them, as well as being a platform with less competition (for the time being).
An essential element of any successful aesthetic practice is patient trust. In today’s highly competitive industry – and in a digital era where we are increasingly consuming information online – content marketing has become an integral part of aesthetic surgery marketing to build trustworthiness and awareness.
Content marketing comes in many different shapes and forms social media posts, videos and blogs – and now podcasting is being added to the mix. When people listen to a podcast regularly, they come to feel they know their host and develop trust in them.
‘On the Internet today, it’s all about earning trust, and there’s no better way to earn trust from people than with your voice and the “real you”,’ says Pat Flynn, author, motivational speaker and founder of SuperPassiveIncome.com. ‘As a podcaster, you’re going to broadcast your message to thousands, maybe even millions of people. But to the listener, it’s just you and them. Podcasting is the best way to scale intimacy.’
The nitty gritty
If you’re looking to share entertaining and informative content, build your brand or help cement your authority on a particular topic, starting a podcast is worthwhile… if you’re willing to put in the work.
To showcase your expertise and build your online authority, you need to produce consistently high quality content. One way to do this is to collaborate with people whose expertise complements your own. ‘By inviting guests on your podcast, it allows you to engage in authentic, candid conversations with them where they share their knowledge while you also highlight yours,’ says Jack Kosakowski, CEO at Creation Agency.
You’ll also need to make a time commitment to researching guests, setting up blocks of time to conduct the interviews or chats, recording the conversations and promoting your podcasts across multiple platforms (the main players being Apple podcast, Spotify and Soundcloud).
But be warned: it’s only worth doing a podcast if you’re ready to have thoughtful, engaging conversations. ‘If your material is superficial or boring or if you just haven’t done your homework about the guest, you won’t come across well. You’ll miss out on the benefits a great show can bring says Kosakowski.
Numerous online guides break down all the steps to getting your own show up and running. One of our favourites is “How to Start a Podcast in 2020: The Complete Podcasting Tutorial” on smartpassiveincome.com.
Starting a podcast may sound daunting to the uninitiated, but in reality it requires minimal up-front investment and is easy enough to implement.
How to become an expert interviewer
Choose the right guests
When your curiosity about another person is genuine, it’s much easier to ask interesting and insightful questions.
Do your homework
Your guest’s accomplishments are impressive, but for listeners it is much more interesting to learn about who they are as a person, rather than aesthetic practitioner. Look for something that’s unusual or interesting about them – this is usually where the bones of a great story lies.
Listen first, ask questions later
People are like onions; they have many layers. The job of an interviewer is to keep peeling back layers. But remember, this has to be approached as a conversation, not an interrogation! It also stands to reason that if you ask boring questions, you’ll get boring content.
