Gone are the days when broadcast radio and television were the only means marketers used to reach out to their audiences. Today, podcasting has gradually developed into a new platform for storytelling.
An average user spends more than 20 minutes in listening to a podcast. This is one of the most influential motives to incorporate podcasting as part of your content marketing approach. It gives you the prospect of developing a deep relationship with your main audience.
Here are a few stats to illustrate the importance of podcasting:
• Around 32 million individuals listened to a podcast in the last month
• More than a quarter of podcast listeners consume more than six podcasts every week
• 6 percent of US citizens above 12 listened exclusively to online radio in the past week.
• Around 22 percent of the podcast audience enjoys video podcasts while audio podcast listeners constitute 27 percent
• 44 percent of smartphone users have listened to an online radio; 18 percent listen every day while 29 percent have used iPod or MP3 players to enjoy a podcast in their cars
• People reportedly spend 12 hours per week on average with all sources of online radio which also includes podcasts
Pros of including podcasts to your content marketing strategy
If you still haven’t started using podcasting for your marketing plans, here’s why you should give it a try:
1. Engaging the audience:
Podcasts, in particular, audio podcasts, are easy to access and consume. In fact, around 14 percent users listen to podcasts while they are at work and by 25 percent of the listeners while commuting.
Hence, podcasting allows brands to convey their message without forcing the consumers to abandon whatever they are doing just to listen to their podcast. This ease and simplicity encourage more and more people to become avid listeners and boosts visitors’ loyalty to your site where you publish your podcasts and eventually to your brand.
2. Develop brand recognition
Another benefit of using podcasting is that it offers consistent long-form content that keeps individuals connected with your company.
Once you distribute your podcast on iTunes and Stitcher, a large number of consumers can listen to it for free. And, how does it benefit you? Well, it helps you receive organic traffic, which eventually increases your reach and widens your customer base.
3. Upsurge social engagement
When you choose to socialize your podcast, you can magnify your influence by allowing social media network sharing feature.
Have you ever wondered why an increased number of marketers today are targeting youngsters and are producing online content for Generation Z, in particular? It’s because they will ultimately become the most diverse generation ever with advanced levels of technical savoir-faire.
In fact, around 86 percent of 18 to 29-year-old users utilize social media. Hence, using podcasting to increase community engagement can be an excellent strategy.
4. Increase search rankings
Podcasting also allows marketers to add metadata. Consequently, it paves the way to appeal new consumers or prospects who could be consuming podcasts relevant to your industry.
5. Extend Reach:
Remember, a human voice is powerful! Through podcasting, you can increase responsiveness by incorporating your audio podcasts into corporate blogs along with supplementary writing to expand your content reach.
6. Supports your SEO efforts:
Frequent distribution via RSS feeds, emails and corporate blogs will facilitate consumers in embedding your podcast link on their website. This way, your podcast can be shared effortlessly, thereby, boosting your SEO results.
7. Cost-effective:
Podcasts involve less cost as compared to videos and other marketing strategies. They are easy to record, manage, and distribute. Owing to their audio format, you do not require an elaborate recording workspace or a spectacular scene to create one. All you need is a microphone, soundtrack/editing software, and a hosting facility to maintain your podcast files.
Cons of including podcasts to your content marketing strategy
Podcasting has countless advantages, but those advantages are not free. Coming up with a quality podcast demands time, funds, and substantial labor. Here are a few other cons of using podcasting:
1. Strict Schedule Requirements:
Once you choose to start a podcast, following a regular schedule becomes a priority. Mainstream media has an accustomed audience that anticipates content to be supplied on an expected, regular basis, as frequent as weekly. Consequently, your release schedule must reflect those anticipations.
Producing a compelling podcast requires time, as it needs multiple cycles of creating and editing. So, anticipate expending up to fifteen minutes on delivering every minute of podcast audio that your listeners consume.
2. Need for Resources
If you have inadequate resources for producing persuasive content on a regular basis, you will lose your listeners swiftly. As discussed previously, to create an appealing podcast, you will require a microphone, soundtrack editing software, and some hosting service. That is just for the production; to promote your podcast, you will also need marketing services.
3. Lack of Control
Similar to any other digital platform, podcasts are convenient to share. Hence, if somebody’s copyrighted content is included in your podcast, then you have to make necessary arrangements to safeguard it against unlawful bootlegging and distribution. In case of your own copyrighted content, the same issue arises unless it is acceptable for your brand to let it pass around.
Since a podcast can include interviews with industry experts as well as with employees of your company, if any employee includes private content, others can access business information that you would rather keep confidential.
Final Word
Podcasting can be an astounding channel to reach out to your listeners and potential customers. It can develop allegiance and nurture progressive attitudes towards your company. However, podcasting is not free from disadvantages and trade-offs. It is important to make sure that you ponder over all the pros and cons before jumping on the podcast bandwagon.
