There are few better cheerleaders for our businesses than those people we have already helped.
That’s why case studies are such a popular tool – and I think podcasting can be a really awesome medium for them. Yep, in short, getting people onto your podcast who are already using – and loving – your products or services.
Podcasts shouldn’t be long form commercials. They have to be content rich. So, what you’re not doing here is getting on a client or customer purely to rave about how amazing you are.
Your episodes should still have a purpose and offer some genuine value for your audience.
Get it right and it could be fantastic.
A case study case study
A rather niche but real example here – I know someone who sells really high quality skin products. They are often life-changing for people who’ve struggled with skin problems for years. This resonates with me, as someone who suffered from eczema for years until discovering a product that changed everything in my 20s.
Imagine a podcast featuring the stories of people who’ve had years of misery due to their skin, and the things they’ve tried, and then the solution they found.
I’m not saying it would appeal to the world at large, but as a tool to point prospects and potential customers towards… It’d be brilliant.
Imagine the connection it could make with someone who’s going through all those same emotions and struggles.
They want to be the next person talking about their skin problems in the past tense, not the present. They want to be the next person on your podcast sharing their story, to help the next person after them.
They could be quite shortform – maybe 10 or 15 minutes – making them really easy to consume.
You could pop them onto your website for potential customers to find and listen to.
And then you also have all the SEO benefits of them being available in all the different podcast apps, should someone be searching for a relevant key phrase, and the ever-developing Google search relationship with podcasts.
This is just one example but you take a few steps back and figure out if there’s a path there for you.
Right for you?
This sort of case study podcast won’t be right for everyone. It’s particularly suited to people whose services have a real emotional edge. Think about a coach who’s helped someone turn their life around… or what about a travel agent’s customers recalling the details of their ultimate adventure vacation?
There isn’t a magic template I can give you for how to make it work. It will need to be unique to you and what you do, and as I always say, it’ll need to be backed up with a proper strategy and plan (which by the way, is what we do at Sound Media, and we’re here if you’d like to have a chat).
Done right though – what a powerful tool to showcase your very own cheerleaders, far and wide.