Sorry for being harsh lately.

But, after assigning traditional banner advertising a bad name, now another one has to go out.

Brochure-type website is out for good.

I bet you have heard the story of businesses wasting five to six figures just to have their “corporate website” ready. The biggest mistake is nothing will come just because they build. If only part of the investment was allocated for driving traffic…

Chances are, people don’t come to website to buy unless you are a huge and reputable online store they frequent for. The fact is, even those giant stores are doing their best to integrate social networking tools and other technologies and techniques to avoid being boring brochure-type websites.

Small businesses and practice professionals don’t stand a chance. They simply don’t own the budget to advertise on Super Bowl or buying advertising space on large websites.

Take GoDaddy. When they advertised on Super Bowl, some savvy online users should have known them.

Bloggers were watching closely what they did. Media did the same.

When people searched for the information, they saw the name “GoDaddy” everywhere. They went viral.

Small businesses can’t compete. Even if we are doing business in an entirely different industry, we could not generate buzz loud enough to get heard. Moreover, we don’t want to shout into random audience and hope they respond.

Fortunately, there is a fact that I will tell once again. People go online for information. They do it for different purposes but when it comes to buying decision, they search even more extensively.

Let’s take podcasting.

Podcasts must contain good information. They are perceived to be safe ground for information seekers.

The way a podcast appears on a regular basis in front of the listeners and how it builds relationship with a prospect are not what a traditional brochure-type website can achieve.

A podcast carries personality so strong it is the next best thing after direct one on one conversation with a listener.

This is also a chance for companies to inject human touch into faceless corporate communications.

So, podcast is for those who care, for businesses of all sizes. The applications might be different, but it applies well if you plan strategically.

People hate being sold. But if they have a good experience during the process of seeking information, they may as well feel ecstatic, which in turn buy the product and service you offer. Satisfied customers with good experiences tell their friends. It’s a process. But, at the end of the day it is not all about selling but also referral marketing.

Regarding selling, instead of applying high-pressure selling methods, you adopt the opposite approach. It does well. You are selling without the prospects feeling sold.

There is no cheating involved. What you do is provide information to ease the selling process. They like and trust you, so they buy.

Podcasting allows all those, without spending a fortune.

Feeling excited already? There are more to come.

Read also: Marketing with Podcasts.

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