Michelle Maldonado
Publicist/Writer
Seven Slot Media
Every business has a voice. It is up to you to pick up the megaphone.
In recent years, podcasting has exploded and there are countless automotive related shows on every platform. Each niche of the car enthusiast world has their own set of shows in audio form. Many of them have accompanying video components and many more strip audio from those videos to use for episodes. It’s an art to take one piece of content and chop it up into different segments for different platforms. Talk about a bank for your buck!
Why is it important for a small business, in this automotive space, to be participating in the strong social current of podcasting? You have a voice, use it! When given the cheap (and most times free) tools for success, it just makes sense to use them. When Facebook first started rolling out business profiles, not everyone saw the need to create one for their business. In 2019, you’d be hard pressed to find a business that doesn’t have any sort of digital footprint. The world of advertisement and promotion is constantly changing and it seems to be trending towards voice at an alarming rate.
Very few people are comfortable talking into a camera, however, putting a microphone in front of someone is usually a quick way to get their best Michael Jackson impression. A microphone is calming, for some odd reason. To record a podcast you don’t need to do your hair, check your make up, hell, you don’t even need to put on pants if you don’t want to! This great surge in technology has made podcasting as simple as talking into your phone. Literally. You don’t need to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars of audio equipment to start your podcast. All you need is your cellphone. With apps like Anchor, it takes 3-4 taps and you’re recording. Once you’ve finished recording, most of the platforms will distribute your episode to all of the larger platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
You’re probably saying, “That’s all well and good, but what’s the benefit for me?” This writer would suggest that may not be the best angle to look at it from. Instead, consider what value you could bring to the listener. Are you a small body shop in the northeast? Consider doing an episode on the top 5 brands of wax or wash that you would suggest car owners try before winter. Are you a mom and pop mechanic shop in Tennessee? Consider doing an episode discussing the adverse effects of not cleaning your 4x4 after a good romp in the mud. Are you a specialty drag racing shop in North Dakota with a comedian of a mechanic named Chad? Offer to take him out to lunch once a week to record a segment you call “A Chat with Chad” and watch your listener count climb week after week.
We could go on about practical application forever, but I want to focus on the “why.” Your small business would benefit from a podcast because it brings you closer to a listener and potential customer. Having a Facebook or Instagram page is essential for your business, but podcasting takes it a step further. The large majority of people who listen to podcasts, do so in their cars, or while commuting. This is where you can gain the advantage. Most drivers aren’t scrolling Instagram (I hope not!) but most are listening to something. Sometimes it’s music, a lot of the times it’s podcasts or audio books. If you’ve already found an audience on traditional social media, why not make the leap? Some fans don’t have 25 minutes to sit down and watch your YouTube video, but most people have 25 minutes in their day to listen to a podcast while they clean, or while they eat lunch. No matter what your business is, you would be doing yourself a favor to start, or at least try, podcasting.
You took a chance on social media as a whole, now it’s time to give voice a try. Don’t get left behind. Pick up your megaphone and start talking!
