Podcasting is simply a mobile form of storytelling.
With the rise of Internet radio, streaming music services and mobile transferred information, more people are flocking to the podcast as a means of education and entertainment. The adoption of smartphones has made podcast consumption simple and convenient, providing the ability to listen to niche interests whenever and wherever.
Why should marketers care? Despite the upwards trend of listeners flocking to download shows from Apple, Google or other independent outlets, the untapped potential audience is still great. According to Statista, 15% of the U.S. population listened to an audio podcast in the past month, leaving an opportunity gap of over 118M people who would find interest in some podcast.
- Ability to target information towards a highly niche audience who are likely captive during a commute
- The human voice is lost within the digital marketing ecosystem. Exposing an audience to a real person helps brand connections and relationships
- Podcasting continues to be the only true means of marketing within iTunes
- With brands utilizing podcasting exponentially less than other forms of digital content, there is less clutter to cut through in order to deliver messages
While podcasting is a cost and time efficient way of content creation, there is definitely work to do and best practices to consider before pressing the record button.
· Have something to say. While this sounds like a no-brainer, it is important to have a map of what you want to talk about before starting. It is not so easy to stare at a microphone for 30-45 minutes and just talk
· Utilize a natural speaker. Very few things can be as annoying as listening to a speaker who says, "um" and "uh" every few words. Consider your podcast host like on-screen talent, this person will now be the voice of your brand
· Have the right equipment. Research shows that the number one reason a podcast fails is due to bad sound. It comes off sloppy and an overall bad user experience. A professional microphone is not expensive and will make a world of difference. Two beginner microphones to be considered are: