You’re ahead of the game. Your brand has a podcast. You’ve got great topics and guests, mastered editing, and regularly uploaded content.
It took you MONTHS to find your groove, and you’re finally nailing it, right?
We’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is that you’re on the right track. The bad news is that you’ve been missing many opportunities along the way.
There are a few substantial limitations to audio-only podcasting:
By uploading audio-only content, your content is only being indexed on podcast networks like Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You’re missing out on search results from Google and YouTube (the second-largest search engine).
Audio-only podcast content can’t be trimmed into clips and used in other channels. For example, video snippets can be uploaded to social media to attract attention and drive traffic to your website. A typical podcast episode only gives you one inflexible piece of content.
CTAs are difficult to implement within a podcast because there’s nothing for the listener to click on. Your audience will have to remember a URL as a CTA, which is cumbersome and ineffective.
Similar to the way blogging revolutionized SEO years ago, video is poised to take over in 2020 and beyond. And it’s going to happen QUICKLY.
The shift has already started. Google has begun to give prime real estate to video search results. Facebook’s most recent algorithm favors video content in users’ news feeds, particularly original content.
While your podcast certainly places you ahead of the curve for rich media production, you’ll need to beef it up to stay at the forefront of the significant changes that lie ahead for SEO.
There are several reasons businesses opt to produce a podcast rather than video content. Podcasts are popular. They don’t require sophisticated equipment, you can record them anywhere, and it’s easy to have guests phone in from remote locations.
The general opinion is that video content requires resources, talent, and time that small businesses do not have.
Fortunately, that is a misconception.
Upgrading from an audio-only podcast to a video podcast is easier than you think:
Equipment: A polished, professional video podcast can be recorded with a primary camera or iPhone. A decent microphone can mimic the effects of a sound-proof studio. You’ll also need some video editing software, which you can download for free from Apple or Windows.
Guests: No, converting to a video podcast doesn’t mean you’ll have to fly around the world interviewing podcast guests in person. Chat with your callers using Zoom or any video conferencing software you prefer. Record the conversation, then edit the content into clips.
Stretch it out: Maximize your mileage by planning your video podcast content to divide it into shorter segments.
For example, one 40-minute video podcast can be chopped into eight 5-minute videos uploaded to YouTube at your desired cadence. Those clips can be further trimmed into microcontent, which are bite-sized clips used in channels such as social media and web pages.
Need some guidance on making the most of your podcasting efforts? We’ve got you covered. Tobe’s experts can help you transition from a clunky audio-only podcast to a smooth-running video content machine!
Reach out today.