January 31st, 2017

Should you Expand your Content Marketing Channels?

illustration icons of vlogs and video play buttons

Using vlogs and podcasts to widen your marketing reach.

Your blog is running smoothly, and your social media channels are healthy. Your business is in a good place, but you’d like to kick your content marketing up a notch. Is it time to launch a new channel to expand the audience for your brand?

You may have noticed that we recently started doing our own vlog and podcast here at build/create. They’re off to a great start, and we encourage you to check out our first episodes. If you’re considering trying new content marketing channels to broaden your reach, here are a few of the questions we asked ourselves before we started vlogging and podcasting.

What do you hope to gain?

Remember that your investment will come with a tradeoff: resources invested in a vlog are resources taken away from other projects. So what do you hope to gain from your new channel, and will it pay off in the long run?

Starting a podcast or vlog has the potential to establish your knowledge in an area, position you as industry leaders, and create a following for your brand. They’re also useful and shareable pieces of content that you can use to answer FAQs or address client pain points. Point being: they have the potential to offer a fabulous ROI on your marketing budget, but you shouldn’t just jump into them just because they seem like an exciting idea. They’re a lot of work, so be careful what you wish for.

Do you have the resources?

Podcasts and vlogs have a lower barrier-to-entry than more traditional forms of advertising, but that doesn’t make them cheap. You’ll need to invest in reasonable lighting and sound equipment to start. And while they’re relatively low-tech, you will still have to know how to do some light video and audio editing to bring them to an acceptable standard, even if you’re aiming for a casual feel.

Once you get the hang of it, it’s easy to pound out enough material for a month’s worth of weekly vlogs or podcasts in an afternoon. But getting to that stage will still take a regular investment of time. It will take you longer to put your content together than its finished length, so budget your time and resources accordingly.

Who will take the lead?

Unlike a lot of content marketing, where the writers are essentially behind the scenes, vlogs and podcasts need a relatable person to work. You may have ideas, but not the time. Or you may not have anyone in your office with the enthusiasm or charisma to make the vlog or podcast work.

On the other hand, if you do have the right person for the project, put that person in charge and give them the time and space they need to make it awesome. Give that person license to be personable, but remember that they’re representing your brand first. Also, use this as an opportunity to invite guests on your vlog or podcast who will want to share your content with their networks. It’s a great opportunity for you both!

Vlogs and podcasts are higher cost and higher potential.

It will certainly take more resources to launch a vlog or podcast than to run your blog or e-newsletter. However, for this very reason, there are fewer businesses able to support them regularly, and therefore a greater opportunity for you to attract an audience through your channels. Take advantage of that space to stand out from the crowd.

Vlogs and podcasts also create richer forms of content, which usually garner higher engagement. And because your audience has a real person to connect with, they do a better job of building brand loyalty. So if you think you’re ready for the commitment, vlogs and podcasts are a great way to expand your content marketing channels. Why not give it a try!

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