What is a podcast? A question very few will have a problem answering in 2023 with there now being a jaw widening 460 million listeners worldwide.
With the podcast industry booming over the past decade, it is impossible to ignore this rising medium and it is important to consider the outcome of your involvement as a business. More than five million active podcasts make up the global market and with that comes a responsibility to be selective, along with deciding whether it is right for you in the first place either as a participant or even a host.
Podcasting on the surface and as a concept appears relatively straightforward, however there are several nuances to be aware of to ensure your message will be seen and heard.
We have compiled the key areas to consider when approaching the world of podcasting to help your business stand out and make the right decision on whether this format fits your strategy moving forward:
What is your topic and how will you convey this – The first step is to figure out what type of podcast you’re wanting to be featured on and/or start yourself. There are several formats ranging from interviews, conversational and panel discussions. Analyse your target market, if you haven’t already done so and invest thought into what kind of topics and insights you think your audience will respond to best. Exploring what is trending is very worthwhile, but tread with caution as they may not all align with yours and your business’ values. James Sinclair’s ‘Business Broadcast’ and Kevin Appleby’s ‘The Next 100 Days’ are examples of noteworthy podcasts on the rise with an array of business topics at their core. Whatever you do, you need to reinforce your brand personality and expertise.
Have you got your own brand and industry expert – Get the right spokesperson and the rewards can be invaluable. The individual or group selected needs to demonstrate a clear passion and undoubtedly understand what they are talking about. Applicable even more so within the B2B space, discussions about trends and developments provide proof that your business has got its ear to the ground and is a credible brand within the industry. Anything of this value will always bring an audience. If necessary invest in some training for you or your team to ensure your interviews are slick and impactful.
Being open to personal exposure – The deeper the conversation, the more invested the listener will typically be. When looking at your podcasting horizons, understanding that you’ll stand out by sharing your authentic self and personal, unique anecdotes is highly advantageous. The element of vulnerability and a willingness to connect with those preset and the audience listening is what gets exposure. Ask yourself, is your story the right one to tell? Steven Bartlett’s ‘The Diary of a CEO’ tops the business charts and features varied conversations with infamous celebrities and business personalities often sharing vulnerable stories showcases there is a hunger for this content.
Time is of the essence – Ensure you know your topics inside out so that certain points discussed remain concise and you don’t run any risk of losing the audience. Whilst it is true that podcasts are considered long form content, that doesn’t mean those listening have the patience and will tolerate those that don’t know when to stop (the average podcast listening time is 30 – 40 minutes after all!). What is also key to deliberate when looking at time is the commitment this requires from your business as podcasts will often be recorded during work hours and may entail a commute to a studio.
There is an unquestionable value podcasting can bring to help you grow your brand, reach new customers, and establish yourself as an authoritative voice in your industry. There is no ceiling for your business when considering and applying the areas above within your strategy.
As we now head into the New Year, Custard Content Manager and Sounding Out Horsham podcast host Emma Eversham touches on 2024 trends to factor into your podcast decisions:
- Accessibility – Following the Netflix model of ‘bingeable’ content is something worth considering subscribing to within your strategy. Having a whole series ready to go and accessible keeps listeners retained for a longer period.
- Evergreen content – Proposing a great potential return on investment and a hot topic particularly for corporate media, capitalise on content that doesn’t date and sounds fresh.
- Think visual – Giving a face to your podcast, this gives further options to market your podcast where little snippets can be taken and used across websites and social media platforms. for your podcast and so video coverage of a snippet from the conversation – that kind of thing rather than watching the conversation.
- Increasing use of AI – Mainly within the production of podcasts, there are lots of tools now that can assist with recording and transcribing helping speed up and remove costs within the production process.
- Younger audiences – Often branded the generation with a deteriorating attention span, Gen Z listeners jumped nearly 50% in the first half of 2023 making them a large portion of a podcast audience and thus creating a strong argument to include them within your strategy if progressing with this form of media.
With a serious, somewhat overwhelming, amount of hospitality podcasts out there, Emma has also whittled down her top listed to draw inspiration from:
- Supersonic Marketing with Mark McCulloch
- Hospitality Meets with Phil Street
- M&IT Talks
- Lock In (The Morning Advertiser)
