Floor Schoenmakers has run her own communications agency in the equestrian industry for 20 years: EHS Communications. With this agency, she focuses on developing marketing strategies for entrepreneurs in the equestrian world. Through her work, she has been attending major national and international equestrian events for many years.
That changed in 2020. "Suddenly everyone was sitting inside. Were all events cancelled," Schoenmakers begins. "I missed connecting with people in the world and was looking for a way to still be able to talk to people." Since Schoenmakers herself enjoys listening to podcasts, she decided to take the plunge. The podcast HorseHeroes was born.
"I thought: I'll do 20... Twenty episodes with big names, important people from the horse world. But the response to those episodes was so positive, and I enjoyed making it so much myself, that I thought: we'll just keep going." Since then, her podcast has become the main marketing tool within EHS Communications. So quitting? "I'm far from finished!"
HorseHeroes is a combination between the 'educate your customer' and the 'Awareness through education' podcast, but characterised by a personal character. Both types are great for entrepreneurs who want to put their brand in the spotlight. In our white paper '20 business podcast ideas and formats' we highlight ten different podcast types. Below, we explain the above types to you.
The 'educate your customer' podcast
Marketing is mainly about creating awareness and helping the right potential customers further along the customer journey. Not everyone is 'ready to buy' right away, so in many cases it is necessary to help your customer along the way. Often with the help of content. A educational podcast about your profession or product can help.
Insights from the 'educate your customer' podcast:
- Handle case studies
- Share knowledge and experience
- Interview experts
- Interview customers about their experiences
- Share the latest insights
The 'awareness through education' podcast
Do you want to create awareness among a certain target group and make people aware of, for example, a social problem or a major change (movement) that you want to bring about? Or are you looking for a way to put your product or service in the spotlight? The awareness podcast does exactly that. By sharing stories, interviewing experts or debating.
Angles of attack:
- Interview (experience) experts
- Educate by sharing stories
- Debate and explore different perspectives
20 business podcast ideas and formats
The trick as an entrepreneur is to promote your own brand without promoting your own brand. "Just broadcasting or giving a sales pitch in a podcast doesn't work," Schoenmakers also knows. So how do you make sure you engage people without directly advertising your company or brand?
Schoenmakers: "The podcast is never about me, nor at all about my company. It's about my guests. But because you have such a personal conversation and tell a lot more about themselves, the listener feels like he or she is there, like a kind of third guest at the table. That creates a bond with the listener."
Make it personal
The first 20 guests of HorseHeroes were mostly very well-known names from the equestrian world. Think Anky van Grunsven, Britt Dekker, Sjef Janssen and Emile Hendrix. Schoenmakers: "All people I have worked with. Think of creating a website, organising fairs or auctions. That then came up sideways."
"This makes people feel that they know me better, that they know my company better, and it is easier for them to make contact." Schoenmakers has gained many new clients as a result of the podcast. And not only her, but also the companies that were guests. A direct result of that personal touch, she thinks.
There are seven different podcast formats. We explain all seven in our white paper '20 business podcast ideas and formats'. The podcast HorseHeroes is a fine example of the interview podcast.
The Interview
The interview podcast is perhaps the most popular type of podcast. The format is simple. You have a host, possibly a co-host, and a guest who is interviewed. This format stems from the traditional radio and television programmes.
The big advantage of this type of podcast is that you not only reach your own followers, but also the followers of your guest. This may open up a new target group of potential followers for your podcast.
However, the form creates challenges, because you have to deal with technology and people. The energy of your guest and their ability to express themselves determines the quality. Do you do a remote interview, then technology can also be a challenge.
Read also our article About the best tips for podcast interviews.
The podcast as a marketing tool
The podcast is now the main branch of marketing within EHS Communications. Besides Schoenmakers choosing guests herself, companies can also pay to appear on her show. "Think of it as another form of advertising. Companies pay a fee and then can be heard for an hour with their story in HorseHeroes.”
This form of affiliate marketing has become an important branch within EHS. "If a client comes to me and they want to set up a visibility campaign, we can do that through advertisements in magazines or on social media, but they can also be in the podcast." According to Schoenmakers, the latter is much more effective than an ad campaign.
Schoenmakers: "After all, when you hear someone tell you about their company and why they do the things they do, they are much more personal in the picture than with an advertisement." When you then share the podcast back on social media from both EHS Communications and the channels of the company in question, you have an effective marketing campaign, is Schoenmakers' experience.
Tips for entrepreneurs
- Interview (famous) people in your own branch
- The better known your guests, the greater the chances of success
- Make it personal; no one is waiting for a 'promotional talk'
- Create something new; don't imitate something or someone
- Use social media to promote your podcast
- Promote each episode with short clips from it
- Ask your guests to share the episode on their own channels
About Masters Of Podcasting
Masters Of Podcasting is Springcast's brand new podcast. In this show, we engage with experts in the field of podcasting. These can be professionals who guide organisations through the podcasting process, as well as entrepreneurs and organisations who have started successful podcasts themselves in recent years.
The first season of Masters Of Podcasting is a series of ten episodes. A new episode will be published every Tuesday. You can watch these here find. Want to know more about this podcast? Then keep an eye on our socials or subscribe to the show in your favourite podcast app.
