The fashion for podcasts has come almost everywhere. During the lockdown they sprouted like mushrooms after the rain and quickly gained popularity, which did not escape the attention of savvy marketers. Can radio plays become an ideal marketing tool?
The world of marketing is developing at a very fast pace. Not so long ago, we witnessed the huge success of digital and social media. The growing importance of smartphones and social networks has driven a change in customer behavior, and as brands realized that more and more people were spending time with them, marketing moved into the digital realm. Today, being present and active online is almost a given. So how do you stand out and how do you build a lasting relationship with your consumers? The perfect answer may be podcasts.
Podcasting is another marketing medium that has been popular among marketers for several years. Globally, podcasting revenue has been growing steadily, and according to a PwC report, the industry is expected to generate around $1 billion by 2021. In countries like India, the podcast boom is highly visible, driven by the rise of smartphones, the increasing availability of mobile data, and the affection of Millenials and Generation Z for “on-demand content.” The coronavirus pandemic has further positively contributed to the growth of podcasting, with many people setting up their own channels, gaining considerable notoriety. Even companies have started to launch dedicated podcasts for their employees. In Poland, we can also observe this trend, which undoubtedly opens up a new opportunity for companies to reach potential customers.
Podcasts are an extremely effective form of digital marketing. When planned and executed successfully, they build trust, strengthen our brand and elevate our status to that of an industry expert. How can they become an effective communication tool?
Traditional marketing is not a reliable option when it comes to familiarizing customers with our brand. Customers don’t want to be inundated with information that they won’t use, and when we want to sell a product or service we should focus more on providing them with content that adds as much value as possible. Having a podcast that directly relates to your audience or helps them in some way is a great way to both communicate your brand message and establish yourself as an industry expert. It has a more expansive format and so we are able to sneak in more information about our company philosophy.
Podcasts are most often very personal. Communicating in the form of a regular broadcast creates a sincere, intimate atmosphere that makes it much easier to gain the sympathy and trust of potential customers. It allows you to engage your audience while communicating information about products, new services, reaching out to customers and more. The fact is, the more we engage with our audience, the more likely they are to become our customers.
The best thing about podcasts is that they are unique. If a podcast series has an interesting storyline or is designed in a way that helps solve customer problems, it can help increase engagement and build a group of regular listeners. With podcasts, a brand has the opportunity to share all the ups and downs with listeners. The beauty of podcasts is that with a little planning and attention to detail, such as the soundtrack, they give brands the opportunity to present themselves in a truly unique way.
Listening posts are not aggressive or intrusive, unlike many forms of classic or digital advertising. Whether a customer is driving, cooking a meal, jogging, or burning calories at the gym, they can enjoy a podcast without abandoning their current activities. It is, among other things, the consumer’s sense of convenience and informed choice that has made podcasts so well accepted around the world.
Podcasts are a great medium for brands to promote their products or build brand reputation and trust. Companies can use this medium to communicate closely with their customers, and on top of that, they can make it a great tool for companies that want to stand out from the competition, carve out a niche for themselves, and capture the attention of a wide audience.
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