Podcasts have been integrated into iTunes since 2005. It’s taken a while, but it’s safe to say that they have now taken off. Better accessibility and distribution, the popularity of IP-connected devices, and faster mobile networks have all contributed to their success. Ad revenue is predicted to pass $220m this year – up 85% from 2016. When it comes to creating the right podcast for your brand, what approach should you take?
Stick to what your audience wants to hear
So, podcasts are popular- great! But that doesn’t mean you should just start producing them rigorously. There is no guarantee that this is what your audience wants. It might just simply not be a medium that they are interested in. Remember what podcasts are at the end of the day- a form of content and like anything content-based, they need to have a strategy behind them. You don’t want anything muddled it has to have a clear coherent narrative. In order to select content for your podcast, you need to go about it in much the same way that you’d go about creating a blog or a short video. You would look at Social Media analytics and discover really what it is that your users value and then start delivering content for them based on these values.
Less is more
Alongside creating branded pieces, advertisers may wish to sponsor your podcasts if they like what your brand is producing and if audiences are engaging with you. The key to gaining high levels of interest in your podcast from both consumers and advertisers is subtlety. First, you need to get your viewing figures up, then the advertisers will come on board. You want your audience to think that your sole reason for creating a podcast is to deliver meaningful content and not to gain advertising revenue. Therefore a less is more approach to the amount of visible branding you show, will make customers less cynical towards you and less likely to believe that you are operating only for corporate gains. Displaying subtlety and relevancy, i.e. content that your target audience considers current, will increase your viewing figures.
Create a space for discussion
Podcasts by their very natures are intimate. They involve so much more dedication than watching videos or browsing web pages. The lack of visuals in podcasts means that the listener will have to conjure up in their heads an idea about how your products look and feel, requiring a level of emersion and concentration that binds the consumer to your brand, like seldom other mediums do. It is only reasonable that you supply the consumer with a way of discussing your podcast with others. This can be done via Social Media. Create a standalone page or channel, giving consumers a platform to discuss how they feel about particular episodes or moments in your podcasts.
Additional content
You never know where your podcast can take your brand. If there is obvious interest in what you are recording and sending out then there is a good reason to post similar content on blogs, Youtube and Social Media.
Podcasts are a great way to engage your audience in an intimate and thought-provoking way. Through your podcast, the customer can get to know who you are, what your products are like and most importantly what your values are. Create something succinct that you know your audience will love based on your understanding of who they are as a demographic and you will have laid the foundations of a podcast success story.
