It’s no secret that the beauty industry is desperately scrambling for alternative revenue streams, from selling products online, to creating influencer-style social media content.
With that in mind, salon owners could consider creating podcasts. Revenue growth in the Australian podcast market is set to hit $47 million by the end of 2020, what with the majority of the population remaining at home, looking for original and inspiring content to keep them engaged and entertained.
According to a recent report published by Deloitte, “audience uptake is increasing at impressive rates, with over 1.6 million Australians now regularly downloading content, an increase of 70 per cent since 2015.”
So, how do you make a podcast, and how do you use it to engage with your audience and, ultimately, drive revenue?
What are your goals?
Be really clear with this one. Are you creating your podcast to have fun? To generate leads for your business? To be recognised as a leader in the industry? “Once you’ve developed the ‘why’ and the ‘what’, the rest of the concept will fall into place,” says a representative from Buzz Sprout.
What’s your theme?
It can be as broad or as specific as you like. For example, maybe the loose topic is beauty for women, or, specifically, eyebrow care. “The only requirement is to be passionate about whatever you choose,” says the representative. “It should be something you’re excited to research and regularly discuss. Search your show’s topic in Apple Podcasts to see other podcasts in that genre. If there are, listen to a handful of episodes to see what they’re doing well and to think of ways they could improve.”
Name your podcast
Our suggestion would be to use your salon’s name, as you’re going to want the two to be linked. But with that in mind, it will also be worth adding key words, to help listeners to find it. For example, if your salon is a waxing studio called “Carley’s Corner”, it will be beneficial to add “hair removal”, or “waxing” to the title. An example could be: Carley’s Corner: Premier waxing studio.
Decide on your format
Are you going to be a solo presence? Feature your staff? Clients? Suppliers? Bear in mind that this will need to be carried out while observing social distancing rules, and you can use Zoom or Skype to achieve this. Will it be interview based? Scripted? Educational?
Equipment
Despite popular belief, you don’t need a sound-proof studio and a stack of expensive recording equipment to create your podcast. Rather, you need your phone and a set of headphones. To edit, download an app, such as Audacity, which is free and simple to use.
The end game
Ideally, your podcast will cement you as the authority in your field, and will have your listeners lining up to book in once your doors re-open. Alternatively, you may want to try to sell advertising – similar to radio ads – on your podcast. These could be from the mall that your salon resides in, from a supplier that sells products in your salon, the opportunities are varied and many.
For more news and updates, subscribe to our weekly newsletter.