The tallest man to ever live was Robert Wadlow of Alton, IL, who measured 8 feet 11.1 inches tall and weighed 439 pounds. His size was due to abnormal activity of his pituitary gland that led to excessive levels of human growth hormone. Not surprisingly, Wadlow’s height made him a celebrity and landed him work as part of the Ringling Brothers Circus. Unfortunately, his height also led to health problems that resulted in his death at only 22.Wadlow turned out to be living proof that bigger isn’t always better — something that is also true when it comes to digital content marketing. Microcasts, essentially mini-podcasts, have become an increasingly popular marketing method . Given their additional effectiveness over traditional podcasts and the ease of production, microcasts are a simple way for community financial institutions (CFIs) to augment their digital marketing efforts.Our lives are busier than ever, and while many people turn to podcasts as a convenient source of news and information, not everyone has the time or willingness to sit through lengthy programs. Microcasts bridge the gap between the word’s bite-size attention span and increased desire for information through significantly shortened audio clips — typically lasting between one and three minutes long. Comparatively, only 14% of typical podcasts are 10 minutes or less.The best of both worlds. Beyond proving more appealing for listeners, there are many other benefits for organizations that use microcasts for marketing. Not only are microcasts simpler and less time consuming to produce, but they also allow companies to parse information out over multiple days, instead of just one weekly drop. This keeps their brand consistently visible and more likely to remain at the forefront of consumers’ minds, ultimately helping to boost their search engine optimization rankings.Grow your following. Microcasts can also be set up so that their content is aligned with the content of your other digital marketing platforms, like social media or your website’s blog. You can also gain viewership and credibility by tagging collaborators, influencers, and others who contributed to the microcast’s production. That way, your updates will be seen by the followers and connections of those individuals and businesses as well.When it comes to creating your own microcasts, here are five things to keep in mind:
- Focus on educating. About 74% of podcast listeners are looking to learn something new. Be sure your microcasts boil down a specific subject that is topical and useful for your target audience.
- Get customer/client feedback. Ask your customers what topics they are most interested in and would like more information on. Use that feedback to build a list of potential subjects to cover in your episodes.
- Be creative with your sources. From research and content posted on your website or social media to experts associated with your organization, nothing is off limits. Your customers are also a great resource. By featuring expert speakers from other organizations, you’ll not only broaden your reach to their social media network, but they’ll gain reach from your network as well, making microcasts a win-win for everyone’s marketing strategy. Plus, you’ll be deepening your connection with these customers.
- Make a content calendar. Map out your organization’s microcasts so that you are able to regularly get them in front of followers. This could mean new episodes daily or a few times a week — whatever schedule you can commit to on a consistent basis.
- Cross-promote. Don’t be afraid to mention your other marketing activities within microcasts, as this can be a good way of driving additional eyeballs to that content as well.
Microcasts are an easy way to catch the fleeting attention of busy people. With educational topics and a focused, thoughtful approach, you can leverage your microcasts to increase brand visibility and even drive traffic to your other platforms, while building a valuable connection with your customers.
