You don’t have to be Ira Glass or Joe Rogan to see positive results from podcasting, and in the last few years, the number of individuals and brands publishing podcasts has increased exponentially.
There’s a reason we’re seeing an influx of branded podcasts—they’re big business. According to eMarketer, $479 million was spent on podcast ads in 2018, and figures from the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PwC show that podcast advertising revenues are projected to surpass $1 billion by 2021.
Brands are leveraging podcasts into tremendous marketing opportunities. Here are just some of the things your brand can accomplish with a podcast:
Establish Thought Leadership
The podcast format is perfect for spreading thought leadership and cementing your brand as an expert in your industry.
The possibilities are endless, because you have total control over the message, content and format of your podcast. For example, many brands produce informative podcasts featuring their subject matter experts talking about issues and trends affecting their industry. Shows like these are effective ways to share knowledge, build influence and establish trust.
Written content is still a great way to establish thought leadership, but hearing your voice helps listeners form stronger bonds and deeper connections with your brand.
Build Brand Awareness
Establishing your brand as a thought leader is a proven way to further brand awareness and solidify the top of your sales funnel. Podcasting provides multiple methods for doing this.
According to Edison Research, more than one-third of Americans ages 12 and over (104 million) are consuming podcasts regularly, which is a significant increase from 2019. Podcasts now reach over 100 million Americans every month. As your podcast reaches more listeners, the opportunity to drive those listeners to your website grows exponentially.
You’ll also be amazed at how quickly your podcast can help build connections with other thought leaders and influencers in your industry. Before you know it, you’ll have people wanting to be a guest on your podcast while simultaneously receiving invites to appear on other shows, giving your brand an even bigger platform.
Boost Your Content Marketing
If you’re looking to step up your content marketing game, podcasts are a tremendous way to do it.
According to Pacific Content, the average podcast episode length in 2019 was 41 minutes and 31 seconds. While that number continues to get a bit smaller each year, 93 percent of podcast listeners still consume most of an episode.
Think about how much great information and insight your brand can pack into a 41-minute podcast episode. Then, think about all the additional content you can generate from that episode. You can spin one podcast episode into a blog post, infographic, eBook, video, a slew of social media posts, and much more.
As an added bonus, Google recently began indexing podcasts, which makes it much easier for consumers to find your podcasts and podcast-related content. Just the act of including episode transcripts on your site is a great way to generate content while improving SEO.
If you’re considering a podcast for your brand, we can help you launch it successfully. Give us a shout and let us know how we can help make your podcast vision a reality.
Cindy Baker, Brand825’s co-founder and chief creative officer, has been spitting creative fire for more than 25 years. She has created visual solutions that drive business strategies for Mercedes-Benz, Comdata and Asurion, to name a few. When she’s not building websites or designing unforgettable logos, Cindy can be found enjoying life on a motorcycle.
