Communication and marketing for your online course are essential if you want to engage your target audience and improve the enrollment rate of your stellar course. A fantastic method to broaden your exposure and market your online course is to either host your own engaging podcast or get interviewed as a guest on someone else’s podcast.
But why podcasts are so effective?
Well, podcasts are highly converting, with 16 million avid fans in the US alone. According to a survey, nearly half of American teenagers listened to podcasts in 2020. The majority of kids who had listened to a podcast were between the ages of 13 and 17. Considering this, podcasting can be a super effective way to sell an online course from any possible niche.
Despite having a smaller marketing share, podcasts have greater conversion rates than social media marketing. To be more specific, the industry average for podcast advertising was 1.58% in 2021.
Considering the impressive stats, there is no doubt that podcasts are one of the most effective methods to connect with your audience. Furthermore, it is one of the most converting ways to advertise and sell higher education services, particularly online courses.
You can sell more online courses by connecting to the students to help them understand your teaching style, course goals, and what to expect from online courses.
As you have the chance to engage with prospective students directly, sort of like a Q&A session, you can effectively promote your online course using podcasts.
Let’s find out why leveraging podcasts to sell your course is a great idea and how you can do it!
Why Promoting Your Online Courses Through Podcasts a Good Idea?
What do you do when your lead magnets run out, and your email list stagnates? You need to try something new!
Here are some reasons to opt for podcasting to promote your online courses:
- Enhanced accessibility to the audience
- Higher scope for online course promotion
- Creative freedom to express your ideas
- Flexibility to select the format
- Improved credibility in your niche
Let’s discuss each of these benefits in detail, and how they can help promote online courses.
Enhanced Accessibility to the Audience
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Podcasts are excellent for content marketing for your online courses for various reasons, the most important of which is their accessibility.
Listeners may listen to podcasts whenever and wherever they wish, such as while moving, exercising, or washing the dishes. According to statistics, 73% of people listen to podcasts on their smartphones. This makes podcasts a very accessible medium for online course creators as they can conveniently reach and promote their course to their target audience.
Higher Scope for Online Course Promotion
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People have different learning preferences, which implies that if you want to offer online courses to a larger audience, you need to diversify your teaching and communication strategies.
Many people dislike reading books or listening to talks, while some dislike watching videos. So you need to give students choices!
When you start a podcast, you have access to an entirely new audience of audiophiles with 74% of them ready to learn (Statista). You would not have reached this audience otherwise.
Today’s top digital influencers and channels use a variety of content formats. They have podcasts, a blog, a YouTube channel, and profiles on all social networks. Consequently, thousands of devoted followers select how to consume material based on their preferences.
Consider how podcasting can introduce a new way of communicating with your leads and prospects about your online course.
Making your material available through programs like iTunes and Google Podcasts will boost your podcast’s reputation and reach.
Choose a name that makes it clear to listeners what you do and what you intend to discuss.
Creative freedom to Express Your Ideas
Podcasts are excellent tools for selling online courses since they allow you to talk about any topic and create whatever promotion you want, whenever you want, in a comfortable and amusing manner.
According to Statista findings, 22% of regular podcast listeners prefer comedy over any other genre so you can market your courses in a fun and humorous manner. There are no restrictions on the format of your podcast. It may consist of short or longer episodes that correspond to the themes covered in your online courses.
When establishing a podcast to increase sales, you can plan a month’s worth of material each week focusing on a particular online course that you provide. However, creating unique content instead of just selling online courses and generating money can help your share your ideas creatively.
Flexibility to Select the Format
Starting a podcast in one format does not imply that it must remain in that format indefinitely. For example, you may alter the time, subject, presentation format, frequency of publication, and type of person interviewed.
Many successful businesses began with a daily podcast in which they commented on industry news. However, people want short, regular, and educational episodes that they can listen to every day, wherever, and at any time.
However, many pros have transformed the daily podcast into a weekly program. There have been changes due to a lack of time or a desire to create longer and more in-depth episodes, but this does not mean its popularity has been undermined. People adapt and keep a devoted following if the material conveyed maintains its quality.
The beauty of podcasting is that you can make changes in real-time to innovate and improve it for your audience continually. You will also learn how to use it better to sell online courses and make the required modifications over time.
According to CoverKit, interviews are the most popular and converting format of podcasts. You can utilize them if it complements your niche.
Keep in mind that podcasts may also serve as another revenue-generating avenue for your institute in addition to increasing course sales and providing value to listeners. You can get sponsors for your podcast. Sponsorships can help both large and small podcasters monetize their shows.
Improved Credibility in Your Niche
According to a survey, 74% of the regular audience trust the podcaster and are likely to buy the product or services offered by them. In addition to building credibility with your podcast, you may interview other experts in your field to boost your reputation and reach.
How would this help you expand your reach? Simple: After uploading the episode (which can also be streamed live), send a thank you email to the guest, encouraging them to share the interview highlights and promote your online course on social media. This can increases your exposure and reputation to your audience especially considering the post-covid changes in the education sector.
Make a list of the top 10 persons you could interview for your podcast and write them an email introducing yourself and explaining why you want to speak with them.
You may also develop a plan to be interviewed on the best podcasts in your field to broaden your reach.
There is a podcast for every industrial sector, and participating in other people’s programs might help you advertise and build your own.
Even if you are a complete newcomer to podcasting, being honest, open, and knowledgeable may go you far.
Steps to Start Your Educational Podcasts
Podcasts give course creators a simple alternative approach to distributing course information, whether in the form of lectures or extra resources such as interviews with experts and debates on course-related problems. Through engaging podcasts, course creators can engage with their target audience and effectively market their online courses – drastically increasing their enrollment numbers.
Here are the steps to start your educational podcast without any hindrance.
1. Set your goals
First, you’ll need to set the goals for your podcast. Next, you’ll need to figure out what you want to say or what topic you want to cover in your podcast.
Remember that you want each podcast to have a reasonably restricted topic so that it doesn’t get overwhelming or allow you to ramble in a way that loses listener attention.
You’ll also need to set a final goal for the podcast: to assist students in meeting a learning objective or simply to interact with people in your profession.
You can set the goals for your podcast by finalizing the topics you want to cover, selecting the guest speakers, providing the schedule in advance, and making the presentation you want to share with your audience in advance.
2. Finalize the format of your e-learning podcast
Setting a format for your podcast sets the tone and helps you decide how you want to engage your audience. For example, you need to finalize whether you want to be formal or add humor to your podcast.
You can also decide the topics you want to cover, the guests you can invite, and how you will add students’ feedback to your podcast. These points will ultimately help you understand how to sell your online courses and improve your rapport in the educational arena.
3. Invest in a reliable recording setup
You must invest in a basic recording setup to start your educational podcast. Any microphone will do. However, a higher quality type will be more effective. Investing in headphones will allow you to hear your audio as your listeners do, and you can utilize almost any headphones you already own.
Quality audio is more fun to listen to and creates a more positive impression. It’s critical to make your podcast sound as professional as possible, especially if you’re a professional. This implies you should always utilize a good microphone and wear headphones.
High-end audio software may be expensive, so an open-source application like Audacity is your best choice if you’re just getting started. This concludes the requirement for a recording setup, but you will also need a quiet corner to subtract any distractions from your environment.
4. Focus on providing value than self-promotion
To make your podcast successful, you will need to bring value to your podcast by focusing on educating the student. Though you can promote your courses, it should not be the focus. Instead, the main goal of your podcast should be helping others.
If you put genuine effort into helping the student understand complex topics, you will get their loyalty for life, ultimately improving your course’s sales.
For example, if you are offering a music learning course, educating your audience regarding the basics of music theory can provide value and shift the focus from selling to educating the audience.
5. Invite guest speakers
We’d all like to be the go-to person for everything, but it’s simply not feasible. Having a guest allows you to show knowledge on various topics in addition to your material.
Allowing your audience to be informed from diverse views gives them a well-rounded understanding of various topics, allowing them to make their conclusions.
Inviting the experts as a guest in your podcast will help you attract more prospective students and help your audience to learn more. You can also ask them to review your online course and share their feedback with the audience.
Inviting guest speakers to your podcast is a terrific and straightforward method to engage your audience. You may segment your podcast into episodes and interview experts on the subject. This will not only boost trust but will also bring significant value to your sessions.
How to Promote Your Online Course Through Podcasts
After starting your podcast, it’s time to get featured on other podcasts to increase your visibility and followers. Here are some tips for promoting your online course through podcasts.
- Find top podcasts to get interviewed on
- Outreach podcast hosts to request an interview
- Add value to other’s podcasts through great interviews
- Promote your podcast on all channels
Find Top Podcasts to Get Interviewed On
You may also plan to get interviewed on major podcasts in your sector to broaden your reach. Every industrial area has a podcast and making it a priority to offer your expertise through other people’s podcasts may help you advertise and build your own.
Here are some of the approaches you can use to find a podcast.
- Perform a discovery Google search
- Select your niche and type in “higher education podcast” or any subject podcast related to your field. Filter the results by selecting the metrics you are looking for.
- Use the search bar in the main podcast host sites
Riverside, Buzzsprout, Anchor, and Spreaker are some popular podcast host sites where you can just type your niche and select a podcast.
Use podcast discovery tools
Listen Notes, Pod Hunt, Podchaser, and Spreaker are popular podcast discovery tools that can help you find a new podcast, save it, and interact with the hosts later on.
Use keywords
Keywords specific to your niche or subject can also help you search for the podcast you want to be invited to. For example, search for “music lesson” and find the relevant podcast.
Outreach Podcast Hosts to Request an Interview
Appearing on an engaging and popular podcast can help you increase your exposure to the relevant audience. You will need to connect to the podcast host in this regard, introduce yourself, elaborate on the points you want to share with their audience, and how your presence will benefit their podcast.
Furthermore, you will also need to prepare a killing pitch that can help you communicate with the host effectively. Here are some of the pitching ideas for your consideration.
Leverage your network
Reaching out to your contacts is one of the simplest methods to secure a place in another’s guest post. People who know you personally are far more likely to respond to your proposal and invite you to their podcast.
You can pitch the collaboration idea in this manner:
“As we share the same field, I think it will be a great idea to collaborate on (topic). Our discussion will help your audience learn the concept in detail and help them improve their understanding of the subject. Let me know what you think about it!”
Find the right time to pitch
Your pitch’s timing may make or ruin it. So, research to determine the optimal moment to get invited on a podcast. For example, if your host has just published a book or course, they will be receptive to expert debate, and you may fill these spots by communicating with them. You need to be mindful of the timezone so you don’t piss the guests off by reaching them at an odd hour. Plan a meeting or send an email during business hours so your pitch will get an immediate reply.
Emphasize the benefit of your presence
When pitching a guest appearance, underline the advantages to them. How can your presence help them and their audience? For example, you may approach the idea as follows:
“Your audience will be better educated about the subject if we discuss the core concepts of the topic. By questioning and answering the problem, we can help your audience to think out of the box. As I have been teaching in the field of (niche) since (year), I think we can offer new points to debate.”
Be specific about your angle
Make a plan for how you’ll serve your host’s audience and offer them a cause to get passionate about something other than debating ideas in general. Again, this demonstrates that you conducted genuine research for your podcast and wish to contribute positively to their podcast.
Be persistent
You want to appear in a popular podcast, but It will not happen overnight; it will feel like an uphill fight. You’ll probably get a lot of “no,” and most people won’t respond. That is why it is critical to have a good attitude and persistence. You need to follow up with the possible hosts to make this magic happen.
Add Value to Other’s Podcasts Through Great Interviews
Giving great interviews is one of the best approaches to improve your visibility of the audience. However, as you want to create your image and sell your online course, you need to keep in mind the end goal of the podcast.
Here are some of the best interview tips you can utilize to make your interviews more enjoyable for the audience.
- Appreciate the opportunity as it is an honor to get invited to a podcast.
- Listen to the podcast for a few days at least to understand the format.
- Offer ideas that can benefit the host and the audience as well.
- Provide a headshot and a short bio so the host can promote the event easily.
- Invest in a good headset or microphone, do not depend on the host to provide one.
- Ask the host what they need. It is one of the most considerate things you can do for a host.
- Be open to suggestions and take feedback positively.
- Stick to the host’s format and rules. After all, they are sharing their space with you.
These tips can help you prepare for a podcast that will be enjoyed by the hosts and help you make your presence known.
Promote Your Podcast on All Channels
Podcasts are an excellent approach to generating interest in your course. Using social media and other means to promote your podcast can increase interest in your course and get people talking about it. In addition, the usage of podcasts in online courses will assist increase audience engagement.
It’s critical to consider a podcast like a serious brand with gravity while marketing it on social media. Share the podcast pages on your social media accounts to reflect your excitement. It can help you share the news and reach the post to your circle.
Conclusion
Now that we’ve concluded this post, we hope you understand that podcast marketing can be pretty powerful if done correctly. We hope you now know how to promote your online course using podcasts.
There is no doubt that online education is the present and future of education. If you have an online course to offer, we strongly recommend that you invest in educational podcasts to advertise and sell your courses.
The procedure is straightforward. All you have to do is figure out the best technique for raising awareness and engaging your audience.
In this post, we’ve covered all you need to know about podcast marketing, how you can benefit from it, what you can do to expand your reach, and how to promote your online course using a podcast. Hope this guide helps you attract prospective students but if you want to hire a professional online course promotion agency, Think Orion can help you plan an impactful marketing strategy by utilizing recent higher education marketing trends!
