Like many of you, I commute to work every day. I’m working from the office most days, so I hop in my car and prepare for a 40 minute drive each morning, knowing I’ll be bored out of my mind by the time I pull into the parking lot. Very early on, someone told me they break up the monotonous hum of the road with podcasts, and my mornings and evenings have never been the same.
It doesn’t matter what platform you’re using to find them or what your interests are, there is a podcast for you. Growth of this medium will continue in 2021, and here’s why this is great for your brand.
Content Marketing is Changing
As things change in our world, we adapt and move forward. Right now, content marketing is expanding beyond traditional written content and into more of a multimedia approach. Brands need to develop a well-rounded content mix to keep their audience engaged. Whether you’re launching a full-blown podcast or embedding audio clips into written pieces, brands should be experimenting with and incorporating audio into their marketing strategies.
And why not? Podcasts are entertaining and easy to consume. But they aren’t really a one-and-done type of content. They can help uncover new topics and ideas for other types of content media. A conversation with someone in your industry on a podcast may spark a blog topic or two, for example.
Podcasts Build Brand Trust and Affinity
People listen to podcasts for different reasons. Some might find a host relatable while others might appreciate a show’s topic or insight. Whatever the case may be, the very best podcasts grab your attention and never let go. That’s not a bad thing to read knowing that more people are listening to podcasts than ever before! People are longing for connection, for a depth of understanding and for refreshingly ‘slow’ content compared to the never-ending feeds and constant scrolling.
If executed correctly, the trust you gain from your podcast can directly affect your brand. For example, tech company Red Hat saw its brand increase significantly through its Command Line Heros podcast. This company saw a 90 percent average episode completion rate and an average time spent listening of 23 minutes. That’s all great, but the real number that caught my eye was that 96 percent of listeners identified Red Hat as the creators of Command Line Heroes. By listening and making the connection between these two entities, it bumped Red Hat’s public opinion by 21 percent.
Podcasts aren’t just great outlets to entertain and engage listeners — they also build brand affinity. Once you have brand affinity with your podcast, you can leverage it to cultivate customers who will recognize and trust your brand through your show.
Podcasts are Poppin’!
Like I mentioned earlier, more people are listening to podcasts than ever before. From 2019 to 2020, the percentage of Americans who listened to podcasts monthly went up five percent. Doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you realize that’s roughly 104 million people listening to podcasts (at least) monthly, that five percent jump seems a lot larger.
As we go further into 2021, podcasts can play a critical role in a marketing strategy. Not only are users up, the average time spent listening to them is up, the number of podcasts listened to weekly is up and general awareness of the medium is up. People are longing for connection, and a podcast can make us feel like part of a community while we are away from our real friends and family.
It’s Easier than Ever
Making a podcast has never been this easy. You start with a reliable microphone and build from there. There are free editing software available and free tools to keep track of your metrics. You don’t have to have a massive budget to make an impactful show. The important thing is to have a topic and a goal in mind … and, of course, that reliable mic.
With so many listeners turning to podcasts, there’s never been a better time to start one than now. Building a successful show, like any marketing strategy, doesn’t happen overnight; it takes work and vision. Our marketing team at Rooted Web can help you get started. Let’s chat!
Rooted Web Team Favorites
- Bryce, UI/UX Designer: Ologies
- Cole, Copywriter: The Joe Rogan Experience, Monsters Among Us
- Colin, Sales Specialist: Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History
- Emily, Marketing Manager: How to do Everything, Ask Me Another
- Hannah, Developer/Graphic Designer: The Adventure Zone
- Matt, Web Design & UX Manager: Tomlin’s Harmonica Podcast
- Sam, Digital Content Writer: The Beerists, Lore, The Marketing Millennials
- Sarah, Digital Content Writer: Serial, The Writers Circle, She Reads Truth
- Vladimir, Back End/API Developer: History of Rome
Disclaimer: Jeff and Steve apparently aren’t part of the 51 percent of the U.S. population who listen to podcasts … We forgive them, but just barely.
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