Why podcast?
Discover 12 compelling reasons why companies, brands, organisations, charities and professional influencers benefit from podcasting.
1. Podcasts offer extra opportunities to connect with your people!
Connecting with your target audience regularly is essential, but creating relevant reasons to do so is a never-ending and often arduous task.
This is where one of the most overlooked benefits of regular podcasting comes into action.
A regular podcast creates an equally regular reason for you to reach out to your target audience (and on many occasions) via social media, direct mail etc., so even before anyone listens, your podcast delivers value by creating touchpoints and conversations that would not have existed otherwise.
Here are some very basic examples of how this works:
1. Social media posts before releasing each episode of your podcast:
“The next episode of our popular [name of podcast] is due for release next week. In this fascinating episode, we meet [name] and [name] and talk about [topic]. Here’s a quick preview” [Link to audio or video trailer].
2. On release:
“The latest episode of our [name] podcast is out now featuring a fascinating insight into [topic]” [Link to audio or video trailer].
3. Post-release:
“Thank you for all the positive feedback we’ve received about our [name] Podcast…if you missed it, you can still listen here and discover all our previous episodes too” [Link to the episode].
4. Every three months:
“Over the past few months, we’ve heard from some fantastic people on our [name] podcast, including [name],[name] and [name], who all had great advice on [topic]. In our latest episode, you can hear the best bits of these interviews [Link to the episode].
And your podcast will also create exclusive content, which can be used as conversation starters with your followers on social media. For example,
“This week, our guest [name here] told us 81% of people think X is more important than Y and Z. Do you agree?”
As part of our award-winning “everything you need” podcast production service, we supply suggested posts (like the ones above) based on the content of each episode. We also provide stand-out quotes as audio and video clips to add additional impact to your podcast-related posts and press releases.
2. Podcasts are superb for SEO.
Millions of people are actively searching for podcasts on every conceivable topic you can think of (and many you probably can’t!). So, if you’re not podcasting, listeners can’t find you!
In addition, your podcast will create loads of SEO-boosting content.
There are several ways to ensure Google and other search engines “listen” to your podcasts which creates more chances to be discovered by anyone looking for information about you and the topics you cover.
It takes experience and know-how to make this work, but it does, and of course, we can help you with this.
3. Podcasts are accessible, popular, and reach unique audiences.
Awareness of podcasts across all demographics has grown significantly over the years, and today, the demand for good-quality targeted podcasts is growing exponentially.
The popularity of podcasts is reflected and aided by the efforts of big tech such as Apple, Google and Spotify. These companies are committed to making discovering and listening to podcasts easy. For example, every product sold by Apple has the Apple Podcasts application pre-installed.
Podcasts also reach a unique audience.
Recent research by RAJAR (the official body in charge of measuring radio audiences in the UK) confirmed podcasting is now the third most popular form of on-demand audio listening, and additional research confirms that the demographic breakdown of regular podcast listeners is almost identical to that of BBC Radio 4, (so podcast listeners are generally well-educated and affluent).
4. Podcasts are perfect for reaching time-poor people.
Getting some quality time with your target audience is tough.
Podcasts offer the perfect solution to this problem!
Recent research from YouGov in America confirms most podcast listening takes place while people are doing other things, such as:
Housework(49%)
Commuting (42%)
Sport and exercise (42%)
Cooking (29%)
Walking (25%).
We have no reason to believe these statistics differ substantially in other territories.
In addition, this research confirms listeners choose to listen to podcasts at a time that suits them. Therefore, podcasts do not ‘disrupt’ the listener’s life, and when they do listen, they are pre-disposed to hearing what you have to say.
5. Podcasts are personal.
Podcasts give your team and your company, brand, organisation etc., a human voice (more so than any other form of communication, including video and webinars) and, done well, podcasts are the next best thing to sitting down and chatting with your target audience on a one-to-one and regular basis.
This may sound counterintuitive because a podcast isn’t a two-way conversation; however, focus groups of radio listeners (conducted by significant broadcasting corporations, including the BBC, over many years) confirm that listeners feel part of the conversations they listen to. They find themselves agreeing or disagreeing silently or talking aloud to the radio!
All of these findings are equally relevant to podcasting (since podcasts are effectively on-demand radio shows). However, this statement is only valid when podcasts adopt the same techniques applied to popular radio shows by experienced producers, something we do instinctively at BQ Podcast.
6. No topic is too niche.
Think you’ve got nothing to say on a podcast? Please think again.
Our clients have already discovered that podcasts work for almost every subject/industry and that no topic is ever too niche.
A ‘considered’, targeted podcast on any subject will find a relevant audience. A well-produced podcast will keep them listening and coming back for more.
It’s worth noting that most of our clients are not seeking to create a number 1 hit podcast, nor should they be. The real power of branded podcasts, or ‘brandcasting’ as we call it, is the opportunity to connect with and engage the right audience for your company, brand, or organisation. This is particularly important if you are selling specialised products or expertise.
Targeted broadcast-quality podcasting doesn’t waste time (and money) trying to appeal to the masses.
The focus of any good, regular podcast or any appearance by you or your team on other people’s podcasts is to put you and your message “in the ears” of your target audience. Let’s put that into context with an extreme example.
Assume you own a garden centre, and one of your episodes is about “the best seeds to plant in February”.
Here are three immediate benefits:
1. You can be confident the listeners are gardeners.
2. They want to learn more
3. If they like your advice, chances are they will be coming to spend more money with you soon.
All of that said, if popularity is what you are looking for, it is achievable! In the past 12 months alone, we helped a builders merchanting company and an independent retail pharmacy achieve Number One podcasts in the Apple podcast chart.
We invite you to take a look at our case study for CarePlus Pharmacies and find out more about their hit podcast for new mothers.
7. Listening to learn.
According to comprehensive research by Edison in the USA (via telephone call-out in January 2022), 74% of people listen to podcasts to learn new things.
Once again, we have no reason to believe this statistic differs substantially in other territories and this is relevant to everyone looking to deliver detailed information, expert advice etc. to a target audience.
8. Podcasts build brand and/or personal authority.
As we have already established, podcasting gives you the perfect way to be in the ears of your target audience, and in many cases, they will hear directly from you and/or members of your team and/or clients you currently work with.
This is powerful, and the possibilities are almost endless, so we regularly work with clients to devise a ‘podcasting strategy’ to ensure your podcasts build brand and/or personal authority.
It’s worth noting here that podcasting doesn’t only help companies and brands directly; it also helps the person who appears on behalf of the company to be seen as a personal authority/expert on any given subject. This is great since we know people do business with people!
Most of the time, the key to building a brand (or personal authority) is to create a new podcast series for your company, brand, or organisation. This puts you in control of everything. Other times, we advise clients to make themselves and/or their team members available to appear on other podcasts. More often than not, a finalised podcasting strategy developed by us on behalf of a client is to do both.
As a general rule, you have nothing to lose if you know your stuff and come across well on the microphone (and we can help with this, of course).
Logically, you will build brand and personal authority by putting yourself or your team members out in the world, speaking knowledgeably on a particular topic.
9. Podcasts are cost-effective (but be careful here!)
A podcast offers a unique and relatively cost-effective way to achieve great results. For example, a podcast is much more cost-effective than arranging seminars, webinars, or producing a glossy video explainer.
To caveat this, please note we say ‘cost effective’ and not ‘cheap’ for a reason.
There are lots of people attempting to convince businesses that all they need for a podcast is a laptop and a microphone, but in the vast majority of cases, this is absolute nonsense.
Podcasting combines many different skill sets, but sadly many individuals, companies, brands, and organisations have gone into the world of podcasting ‘on the cheap’.
We constantly hear podcasts from companies, including huge brands and organisations, that harm rather than enhance their reputation. Somehow, they seem to have forgotten everything they know about the importance of communicating correctly and protecting their brand values. This can and ought to be avoided. Do it right or don’t do it at all is our advice.
The same goes if you decide appearing on other people’s podcasts is right for you. You’ll still need to make sure you sound your best (technically and in how you perform in an interview situation), and we can help with all of this.
That’s because, just like any contact with the outside world, you must carefully consider how you present yourself. We assume you wouldn’t send out a rambling, ill-considered marketing email to your clients, print a blurred advert in a magazine, or publish a post on social media that didn’t reflect your professionalism and brand values, so please don’t be tempted to publish a podcast that is the audio equivalent of some if not all of these fatal marketing errors. Get expert advice/coaching and technical training, or outsource your project to a professional podcast producer like BQ Podcast.
Whatever route you take, it’s essential to formulate a ‘podcasting strategy’, including a plan for how you want to present yourself and your organisation on your podcast. Your podcast’s tone of voice, branding, and structure are essential considerations.
10. Podcasts are "the gift that keeps on giving"
Whenever you create a new episode for your podcast, that shouldn’t be the end.
Relevant and engaging content can and should be re-purposed to reach wider audiences (such as creating snippets and sharing teasers on your social media feeds).
In addition, we often advise our clients to produce podcasts with a long shelf life so they remain relevant for months or even years after the first release.
For example, an accountancy firm could create a series of podcasts about setting up a new business. They can then repeatedly direct prospective clients to listen to this for years. If some of the information needed to be updated (perhaps due to a legislative change), only that part of the podcast would need to be amended or edited. It’s certainly much quicker and easier to do that with audio than to re-shoot part of a video or re-print written materials.
11. Podcasts are Interactive and lead to profitable conversations.
Think a podcast is a one-way street, that you talk and the listener listens? This is a misconception.
Taking the lead from our professional radio training, we know there are many ways to get listeners involved in your podcast. Simple solutions are competitions or asking questions through social media.
There is also another form of interaction that perhaps you haven’t considered.
From experience, we know that a good podcast will likely become a topic of conversation with your current or future clients, staff, suppliers, etc. If your podcast is good, these conversations may start with a simple compliment about your podcast or a reference to something mentioned. You may also receive emails from listeners, probably from a current or potential customer who has heard something on your podcast and wants to know more. Then from time to time, some real magic can happen.
Everyone has a unique story or experience to share (relevant to a particular topic being discussed), and many times, these are revealed unexpectedly during a podcast discussion.
Any good broadcaster will tell you when such stories or experiences are interesting and resonate with listeners; it creates an unexpected connection and reaction. Listeners may begin re-telling your story to friends and colleagues, or they may contact you about it directly, especially if your story resonates with them.
These are just a few examples, but it’s a fact good podcasts lead to better interactions with your target audience and are likely to be a catalyst for some very profitable conversations.
12. Done well; podcasts offer a good return on investment.
Podcasts can be used to achieve many goals and can be customer-facing or powerful internal communication tools for larger companies and organisations.
Our producers are brimming with ideas on extending the various uses of podcasts. For example, when a large organisation hires a new staff member, this person can be interviewed about who they are, what they will be doing at the company, etc. In addition, for high-profile roles, short, punchy audio highlights can be created and distributed with press releases. It will get the attention of any journalist you are targeting, and ironically, these audio clips may end up on other people’s podcasts too!
Whatever the objective, we know from our clients that podcasts work differently for each of them. However, every client we work with tells us they have benefited from their journey into podcasting and achieved a return on investment.
Considering all the above, investing in a high-quality podcast series will likely produce a good or excellent return on investment.
We will leave the last word on all of this to some of our happy clients…
Need a helping hand?
Whether you are currently podcasting or just thinking about it, the expert, award-winning team here at BQ Podcast are here to help.
For example, if you are podcasting already, we can provide a customised appraisal of your existing podcasts and offer impartial advice on improving future episodes. We also provide a range of bespoke services, including ongoing consultancy, broadcast-quality podcast editing, mixing, mastering, custom music and audio branding.
Another option is to join the growing number of companies, brands, organisations, charities and professional influencers who have made us their podcast production partner. This is where we can take care of the entire process.
We’re here to help as little or as much as needed!
Below are some useful links where you can discover more about our work, services and us.
Better still, get in touch for a no-obligation chat!
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Useful links:
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Want to work as a podcast producer?
If you think you’ve got what it takes to produce broadcast-quality podcasts, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact us and let us know more about your best work so far.
If you are thinking of a career as a podcast producer, we’d love to help you get there. We’re working on a guide right now and we will publish it here as soon as possible.
