How to use podcast for marketing purposes
Podcasts have only recently gained popularity, but they have already demonstrated benefits for businesses and ordinary users. The format has become an effective digital channel for brand promotion. It is ideal for branding and positioning strategies. No wonder podcasts are becoming an indispensable tool for marketers.
The sector attracts a wide audience due to the variety of topics. Popular shows receive millions of listens and views across multiple platforms. This makes it an attractive format for companies to promote. As a result, investment in the channel is growing rapidly, supported by general trends:
- Studies show that podcast listening time is on the rise. 34% of Americans over the age of 12, an increase of 31% by 2023.
- Approximately 40% of listeners over the age of 18 are willing to listen to an audio show about a favourite brand or product.
- Advertising spend on podcasts will increase by 39% by 2024.
Podcasts about businesses are becoming increasingly profitable, driving business investment.
Audio shows benefits
Podcasts offer businesses a wide audience of consumers and will be a valuable tool for any sector. However, this is not the only thing that attracts business investment. Audio shows offer the following benefits:
- Audience engagement. A podcast creates a unique listening experience for users. As a result, advertisements on the show are perceived as more natural and do not evoke negative emotions. In addition, brands can increase listener engagement through exciting content. This strengthens the connection between companies and consumers, increasing trust and loyalty.
- Niche targeting. Audio messages have the potential to influence a very specific category of users. This allows the brand to tailor its marketing efforts to the needs of the right audience. This increases the effectiveness of targeting and, therefore, the return on investment.
- Brand authority. Podcasts allow companies to position themselves as experts on a particular topic. They also help communicate the brand’s voice and values to a wider audience.
- Content utilisation. Podcasts are becoming an increasingly popular content marketing tool. They increase the ability to share and reuse information across platforms. For example, social media and blogs can use the same story in different ways.
Alongside the benefits, it is important to note the challenges that companies face when promoting podcasts. The audio interview market is saturated. There is a huge variety of shows on the same topics, all of which struggle to attract listeners’ attention.
It is also difficult to measure the effectiveness of marketing efforts. Podcast analytics are limited compared to social media or search advertising. Marketers test effectiveness based on the number of listens and downloads. They also consider the level of audience engagement. This method is not perfect and does not always give an accurate picture. As a result, brands need to be prepared for increased costs and difficulty in achieving their goals.
