As marketing professionals, we know that the media landscape is everchanging. We also know that people are busy. With never-ending task lists and responsibilities, capturing and maintaining the attention of your target audience is difficult when there’s 100 other things on their minds.
How can you get past this? Meet them in the middle. Through podcasting, you can discuss hot button topics within your industry in a format that is easily digestible and flexible.
According to research from Insider Intelligence and Statista, there were around 120 million podcast listeners in the United States in 2021. Streaming services like Spotify, YouTube and Apple Music have made it even easier for individuals to consume and discover new podcasts, so the number is projected to increase by about 20 million each year.
As a $1 billion industry, podcasts are a great marketing tactic that businesses can incorporate into their strategy to make an impact on their industries, customers and community.
They’re easy to consume
Podcasts support the on-the-go lifestyle. Instead of dedicating time to sit down and watch a video or read a blog, listeners can play your podcast on their way to work, at the gym, or at home. Since podcast listening is fairly mindless and allows for multitasking, it gives you the opportunity to transform the information you worked hard to create from a chore to a routine part of your target audience’s day.
You can really delve into your topics and interests
Podcasts allow for authentic conversation. When you write a blog or create a post for social media marketing, you worry about word counts and derailing too far from the original layout of the piece because you know that you’ll lose the attention of your audience. However, podcasts allow for more flexibility because of their consumable nature. Diving deep into industry topics and having in-depth conversations is the norm for most podcasters and your listeners will know that when they tune in.
You establish authority
Podcasts give you a chance to discuss your industry and apply your business knowledge and passion to the conversation. If you choose podcast topics that cover parts of your industry you know a lot about, you can establish yourself as an expert in the field and build the credibility you need to gain new customers and relationships.
They’re personal
When done correctly, podcasts are like a genuine conversation and can make your listeners feel like they’re sitting right there with you while you speak. Speaking directly to your customers through audio versus other traditional media sources adds a more human element to the moment because you’re not following a full outline or script. The natural ebbs and flows of conversation make podcasts feel authentic.
Most importantly, you develop your brand
With millions of new podcast listeners emerging each year, podcasts are an opportunity to build your business. When people subscribe to your podcast, they’re showing you that they want to tune in to each new episode and hear you speak, which builds customer loyalty. Podcasts are another platform where you can advertise your business and position yourself in a new light that reaches a wider base of potential customers.
Creating a podcast, having a consistent release schedule and covering interesting topics will help you stand out from your competitors and stay on top of business trends. By the end of 2025, it’s expected that there will be over 144 million monthly podcast listeners in the United States and that time spent listening will increase to 8.1%, or a little over 44 minutes each day! There’s no better time than now to start.
At Collective Alternative, we believe in Making Business Personal by creating marketing solutions that aren’t one-size-fits all. If you are interested in starting a podcast but aren’t sure where to start, our team can help strategically create and implement a podcast into your marketing strategy that aligns with your vision and goals.
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