Before the concept of the podcast came into being, online information was communicated via text. Blogs ruled the day. YouTube was still just an idea. The internet was text-based, and speech was still relegated to radio.
Podcasts provided that human touch that so many of us were missing in online interactions. Speech allowed for us to speak more casually, as if in a two-way dialogue. If you run a podcast, it would make sense for you to want to keep everything vocal.
However, when it comes to marketing online, voice is still not an ideal mechanism. Google searches don’t yet parse voice patterns. No matter how many keywords you mention on your podcast, you won’t get the attention of the algorithm.
This is why so many podcasts have associated blogs. If you’re at a loss for what to include in your blog posts, here are 3 strategies you can use.
Setting up your blog
Before we get into the strategies themselves, let’s take a quick look at the best way to set up a blog. WordPress is still the most popular CMS for blogs and any other types of websites. It is highly recommended, even though alternative services like Wix and SquareSpace will also do a great job.
If you are going with WordPress, consider using these WordPress hosting services. They are optimized to integrate WordPress for you, making the entire experience easier.
Now let’s take a look at the strategies you can use.
1. Referential posts
Most podcasters do not want to write blog posts about a subject. They are in the podcast sphere because speech is their preferred method of communication. The good news is that you don’t need to write the equivalent of hour-long podcasts for a good blog. Rather, write shorter posts on the same topics you cover in a podcast.
These posts should be high quality and informative, but should also focus on referring the reader to your podcast. In other words, they provide a starting point for the reader, while leading them to the podcast itself.
2. Equivalent posts
Alternatively, if you want to take your blog further, you can use the notes you wrote for your podcast to create equivalent blog posts. Instead of having a relatively short referential post, you can include everything you discussed in your podcast. This will interest readers, many of whom will choose to listen to the podcast next time rather than reading your blog.
Yes, this is extra work, and if you really hate writing it is not the outlet for you. However, if you are careful in note-taking when creating your podcast, you can get a good head start and won’t have to do that much work.
3. Resource posts
Your blog posts don’t actually need to be equivalent or referential to your podcast. On the contrary, they can be complimentary. Instead of writing about the topic, you write resource posts which listeners can refer to once they are done with the podcast. You may mention some facts or ideas without going into detail on the podcast. In your blog, you can cover this information fully.
These resource posts can serve as extra fodder for listeners, but they can also bring in visitors looking for information on the subjects covered.
Podcasts are effective because people enjoy listening rather than reading. However, when doing online inbound marketing, an effective blog will bring new listeners and benefit those who are already listening.