In the business world, the consistent rise of podcast listeners has led to a significantly growing opportunity for brands to create high-quality, well-executed, impactful marketing podcasts. And yes, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of podcast listeners in 2020.
In fact, podcast listening hours have doubled in the fourth quarter of 2020, according to the music streaming app Spotify. But despite the trend in podcasting, many brands still wonder how podcasting can play a role in their overall marketing strategy.
The truth is that incorporating podcasts into a marketing strategy offers numerous benefits to any business. Here are some of the advantages that companies might garner from starting a marketing podcast.
1. It’s Possible to Start A Podcast on A Limited Budget
Businesses can be flexible when deciding on the amount of money, time, and effort they can afford and willing to put into starting a podcast. That’s one of the best things about podcasting. You can start with a low budget for your channel and scale later. The most important thing is doing the podcast well and knowing how to catch your audience’s attention.
Note that podcasting isn’t like any form of paid advertising or marketing. It connects your brand with engaged listeners in a more wholesome way. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with paying for adverts, especially those that allow you to hyper-target your audience. However, they can cost you much in the long run when you’re not doing it right, especially if your target customers aren’t taking any action. On the other hand, podcast marketing can be a low-budget option that's still capable of growing your business’ popularity.
2. Podcast Marketing Improves Brand Strength
Companies can position their brand as an authority in their space and build their reputation through an informative, engaging podcast. That’s because when you do podcasting, you’re building credibility as an industry thought leader. It’s true whether you’re taking a more creative approach with your channel or keep things within the traditional style of interview.
3. Podcasts Integrate with Your Audience’s Lives More Easily
Most people are ok with listening to podcasts even while exercising, working, doing chores, or commuting. Unlike reading a written content or watching a video, listening to audio doesn’t demand a person’s full attention.
With this blogging analytics that contains podcast statistics for 2021, you’ll find that 59% of people listen to podcast episodes while doing housework or other chores. 64% also admit that they listen to a podcast while being on the road.
Podcasts only live in the background. That means it can’t only run longer but also dive deeper into the lives of your listeners. A podcast routinely engages listeners for at least 20 minutes, while a five-minute read blog post can be a tough sell. Just imagine how many more of your target customers would make it through the end of a 25-minute podcast than a 25-page annual report. You’ll definitely have a better chance of educating and informing your audience.
4. Customers Will Remember Your Brand More
Since podcasts allow you to connect with your audience, they’ll also more likely going to remember your brand. Whether you’re podcasting to disseminate information or to entertain, aim to provide something meaningful to your subscribers. Make your channel worth listening to or tuning in for by finding and inviting speakers for your shows.
People are more likely to return if they’re engaged by your episodes. In the long run, whatever positivity they have when hearing you, they’ll start associating with the brand itself. Of course, you already know that someone has a higher chance of purchasing your product or using your service if they feel good about a business.
5. Producing A Consistent Podcast Is Way Easier Than Writing Blog Posts
Business owners have to read and write a lot to produce blog posts quickly and consistently. There’s no shortcut around those things. On the other hand, consistent podcast production is possible even without going through countless work revisions. In fact, podcasting becomes better when it’s more conversational and casual.
6. A Business Can Reach New Audiences More Easily
Not everyone will download your whitepapers or read your blog posts; that’s the hard truth. That’s why traditional content marketing will only get you part of the way in connecting with your audience. The good news is that podcasting allows your target audience to consume that content in a whole new way. The opportunity to present your brand as an expert in front of new audiences is too huge to miss now that more and more people are turning to podcasts to obtain valuable information.
7. Allows Brands To Build A Community
As your audience in your podcast channel grows, so do your opportunities to really connect with them. One of the best things about podcasting is that it’s a community-driven medium. That means you can start a two-way conversation, then invite your audience to engage further not only with you but also with other listeners. You’ll know what you could do better that way, and people will understand more what they like regarding your brand.
Note that many businesses have also identified loyal customers through their podcast communities. You can equip them with the necessary knowledge to share your message if you can find your own brand ambassador.
8. Helps In Search Engine Optimization
Many business owners mistakenly think that search engine optimization only applies to written content. The truth is that Google and other search engines rank podcasts highly. You can even further capitalize on the search engine users you’re already targeting by plugging the right keywords into your podcast episodes.
9. Podcast Marketing And Traditional Content Marketing Complement Each Other
Podcasting is an opportunity for you to repurpose content from your blogs. Social posts and blogs, in return, can become excellent topics for discussion-based podcasts.
A business podcast channel can be a source of blog content ideas as well. Brands can even use audiograms to transform killer quotes from a podcast episode into engaging social videos on their Facebook and Instagram pages. Livestreaming recording sessions on YouTube and Facebook is also something that many podcasters now do.
To put it simply, podcasting works hand in hand with traditional content marketing to engage prospects and customers of a brand.
The Bottom Line
Businesses can use podcast marketing to share information about new products or services, including promotions. It will be an excellent addition to an existing content marketing toolkit for brands that want to increase exposure and engagement. The benefits mentioned above should be more than enough to convince you to start podcasting!