Marketers today are too familiar with the expectation to prove their campaigns with a secure return on investment. This rising demand for ROI has prompted many to reconfigure their content strategies in order to deliver proof. This typically results in a mad dash to create even more completely new content. But what if there was a way to rework our current strategies to take full advantage of the content we already have? 

Podcasts are perfect for approaching content with this perspective in mind. As a rapidly growing medium for brands, with 17% of marketers planning to incorporate podcasts into their efforts this year, podcasts are often viewed by marketers as a thought leadership tool to increase “brand awareness.” While they are an effective medium to accomplish this, the real power of podcasting is its ability to engage core audiences and build community. 

While the ambiguous metrics around podcasting have been known to frustrate marketers, there are other meaningful ways to measure the impact of a podcast throughout the funnel, equipping you with the answer to the ‘ROI’ question. 

1. Think of the Big Picture

The most common mistake marketers make when they approach podcasting is not considering other places the content should live. Simple tactics you can adopt to leverage your show as additional content includes making the show live as a separate resource on your website, integrate it into your blog or accompanying the show transcript with your SEO strategy. 

The point: don’t isolate podcast content. 

More than likely, you’ve already dedicated a blog post or two to the topics covered in your podcast, so ride out the increased traffic on those posts by adding relevant episodes to the page. Not only does this boost show downloads, but it opens the door to A/B test top pages with and without an audio component. Doing this will uncover new insights on whether visitors who listen to your episode are more likely to convert. 

Understanding how podcast content impacts the buyer’s journey allows you to place podcasts in the best position to increase conversions. Then, an additional step you can implement to track conversions is creating an on-site form for visitors to take a specific action. 

2. Take the Initiative

Don’t assume you are reaching your ideal audience by simply having a podcast or by promoting it on social channels. Chances are, your CRM is overflowing with contacts who haven’t heard your podcast. 

Take the initiative to include your podcast in lead-nurture campaigns to directly deliver it to your audience. Email is an effective approach to get your show in front of new listeners who are most likely to benefit from listening. From there, you can measure impact by testing various topics, delivery formats, and calls-to-action. Testing your podcast in this way will inform you of how your audience is engaging with your show. 

Your podcast can also be used as content for recruiting or onboarding new team members. Imagine new hires being able to listen to past episodes providing them with a  better grasp of your brand and solution. While leaning into this content further to start conversations with prospects. 

3. Promise Exclusivity

There is no standard way to track metrics. Yet, there are common practices to indicate success. Look beyond downloads and consider how you’re engaging with already-subscribed listeners. 

This audience who shows up for every episode, no matter how big or small they are, deserves to be nurtured with exclusive content. An offer can be as simple as recording a special episode solely for regulars, restricting access on your site to invite audience members only. Use this opportunity to further track engagement by adding embedded links within the episode’s description and distributing links on channels you use to promote the show. This will uncover which channels convert new downloads and what content drives audience engagement. 

Becoming familiar with your existing podcast audience is an effective way to achieve marketing objectives. You can build upon this success by encouraging listeners to share their feedback about your show. Their thoughts will uncover what they want to hear, why they listen, and how you can evolve your show to best appeal to them. 

Podcasting is an invaluable avenue to fuel uniquely high rates of engagement, retention, and action. Starting with a clear business objective will prepare you to measure how your show impacts the bottom line. Successful brands today are those that integrate podcasts into their overall initiatives and view it as the heartbeat of their content marketing strategy. 

About the Author: Rachel is the president and co-founder of Share Your Genius. She is driven by living a life of purpose and helping others do the same. Outside of Share Your Genius, she’s an avid reader, a Bravo! junkie, and loves spending time with her two little girls and her husband. At the age of 14, she thought her destiny lied in becoming the next Eminem. The last story she couldn’t stop talking about was Big Little Lies.