One of the digital media world’s newest offspring is the “podcast”. The word, attributed to Ben Hammersley in a 2004 Guardian newspaper article, came about as follows: the “pod” is borrowed from Apple’s “iPod” and the “cast” taken from radio’s broadcast term.
I think the best way to think of podcast media is as Internet radio. A great feature is that it is on-demand because, like TV’s DVRs, you can listen to it on your digital devices whenever you please. You can listen to it live or you can listen to it recorded. If you want to schedule your listening time, you can usually go to the person’s or business’ website where you can download it.
What makes this form of digital media unique in the marketing world is its ability to immediately deliver its message to multiple podcast distribution points (such as iTunes and Sticher Radio).
You can also usually subscribe to an RSS (Real Simple Syndication) feed or a subscription button, oftentimes for free. When a podcaster releases a new episode, you are automatically notified. You can also choose, through podcasting software, to have the episode automatically downloaded. In this way, podcasting is much like having a magazine subscription delivered every month in your mail. You don’t have to lift a finger to receive it.
Because you can usually leave a comment or suggestion after listening to a podcast, podcasting serves its listeners as a social media platform as well.
Can a podcast help your personal injury firm grow?
Yes!
The beauty of podcasting lies in the fact that it is not only for mainstream or big-name media people. Anyone can create a podcast (more on this in a future blog). It can be a solo podcast or you can interview someone(s).
Here are a few ways that podcasting can help your personal injury firm grow.
- Traffic generation: Podcasting can help you reach new audiences who may need your personal injury law services now and in the future.
- Build real relationships with your potential and current clients: Podcasts can create a relationship with a listener without ever actually interacting. Even though it is a one-sided medium, listeners come to feel they know you better. If you pair this with TV advertising, you will probably gain fans that stop you in the street to just chat. It can really help bring your target audience closer to you.
- Increase conversions: Because people will come to your site to listen to your podcast episodes, not only will your website traffic increase, but your conversions from leads to clients will increase as well. People would much rather turn to someone they know when they need a personal injury lawyer, than to a stranger. This additional targeting and new website content will also help you rank better on search engine results pages (SERPs).
- Podcasts are educational and engaging: Not only will your listeners learn about your personal injury law firm and personal injury law, but they will experience receiving the information audibly, which for some is a much preferred way than reading written material.
Many believe that podcasting will compete with regular AM/FM radio stations. Its continued growth and popularity over the past few years seem to bear this out. Automakers and smartphone makers are finding better ways to work together to broadcast podcasts, and I would imagine that they will succeed in delivering very soon.
If you need some assistance in creating a podcast on your website, let me know. Our specialty is marketing for personal injury lawyers. Our business is to help get you the business!
Group Matrix Blog – December 13, 2017 – by Sharon Bowles
