They say faith comes by hearing. If that’s true, then do customers come by hearing too? Could podcasts attract an audience to your brand? What are the benefits of having a podcast, should your brand strategy include one?
Podcast History 101
Let’s tackle these questions by looking at the history of podcasting first. It first popped up in 2004 with Adam Curry and Dave winer credited with its invention. They had a vision of listeners being able to download a radio broadcast, and the podcast was born. The concept took off.
With the rise of YouTube and smart phones, podcasts lost some steam for a while, however in the past few years they’ve been experiencing a huge Renaissance and in the past year 21 percent of Americans say they have listened to a podcast.
Source: http://www.edisonresearch.com/the-podcast-consumer-2015/
Benefits
Podcasts are Personal
Have fun. Be authentic. Your brand has a voice in writing, but bringing that voice to life with an actual voice gives that writing even more personality. Get on the air and be yourself or choose someone who embodies your brand well and is enthusiastic about it. That kind of authenticity will translate through a podcast quicker than in writing. Be personal because a podcast feels personal to the listener.If you’re having fun, then your audience will have fun too.
Podcasts are Convenient
Having your content is multiple forms helps your brand meet its audience where they are, rather than asking them to come to you or do something they don’t want to, like read a blog post. This instantly adds value because they get to consume your content on a medium they enjoy. Podcasting allows busy people to multi-task. They can listen while commuting to work, doing housework or a number of other things that require our hand or eyes to be busy while our ear are free. Bottom line is, the consumer has the control and that makes it more convenient for them. That’s just polite and who doesn’t appreciate consideration?
Adding value to your audience’s life is what it’s all about anyway and if podcasting can do that for your audience, then it’s easy to see why it’s a good idea to try it out.
Podcasts are Cost-Effective
Podcasts cost very little to publish and advertising your brand on your own is free. Most listeners don’t mind advertising during a podcast, making it a great way to promote your brand without upsetting your audience or interrupting their time in an annoying way. Podcasting is also not federally regulated so there are no licensing fees involved. Anyone can start a podcast with surprisingly little equipment and pay nothing to promote their brand in space that consumers don’t mind advertising. That’s a win all around.