“So, Darlene, should I have transcripts for my podcast? I already create show notes.”
That is a question I get asked every now and again by clients. Show notes are a summary of the highlights to entice listeners. Transcripts are presented word-for-word to allow your audience to read along instead of listening. Using episode transcripts comes with three big advantages you may not have previously considered.
Advantage #1: Diversified consumption
While podcasts are all about growing audio listeners when you include written transcripts this allows your show to be consumed by broader audiences. Suddenly, those who are hearing impaired can read along and get entertainment, insights, and more from what your show delivers. This one act of transcribing each episode has the potential to double your listenership…lightning fast!
Advantage #2: Increased New Website Content
Adding new written content to a website feeds into search engine optimization (SEO) helping your content show up in searches. When more people find your content, this action sways the SEO algorithms to push your website and specific web pages higher in search results—known as boosting your page ranking. The search engines aim to give people reliable and trustworthy answers—all elements your show delivers regularly. Transcripts help search engines place your content in front of the right people.
Advantage #3: Repurposing Content
And, now for my favorite advantage of all: Having written text for each episode delivers an abundance of content to repurpose into multiple marketing materials. Here are a few ways to repurpose:
1. Select pull quotes from key areas of the episode to use on social media graphics.
TIP: Link back to specific episodes instead of your website Home page.
2. Use excerpts from each episode to write related blog posts. Write about your guests and highlight their book or product or key service. Choose a standout topic you and your guest discussed at length and do a deep-dive into this topic. From any given transcript you may find you have multiple blog post topics waiting to be expanded and shared on your website.
TIP: Always include in the blog post a link back to listen to the full episode.
3. Highlight the increased value of episode series. Whenever your show features a series of related episodes, group these transcripts together to create a brand-new digital download. Some ideas could include: an eBook, report, eCourse, or other download items to use as a lead magnet for list building.
For example, my first podcast was dedicated to the virtual assistant industry. I used the transcripts from high-impact episodes as my foundation for creating a digital download titled, Virtual Assistant Business Startup Questions Answered! An Audio Series. The product included audio clips and a complete eBook created solely from the episodes’ transcripts.
So, podcast transcripts are your chance to double-down on all your podcasting efforts plus make your marketing efforts easier. You’ll soon find you have a lot of content at your fingertips just waiting to be used.