Think about it: when you hear a good story or conversation, it sticks with you much longer than a Facebook post you glanced at does. This is because we engage with audio in a different way than we do with written content.
As Emma Rodero, a professor at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, told The Atlantic,
“Audio is one of the most intimate forms of media because you are constantly building your own images of the story in your mind and you’re creating your own production. And that of course, is something that you can never get with visual media.”
Audio content involves the audience in the narrative; it entices them to imagine the people, places, and situations they’re listening to. This can help your brand create a deep and meaningful connection with potential customers.
Here are five reasons why you should start podcast for your brand:
Podcasts harness the power of audio.
“Podcasts command the captive attention of their audiences like few other media,” Jessi Hempel of Wired Magazine points out. With a podcast, you can express your brand in an audio environment that incorporates exciting aural textures. You can add music to your podcast, enhance it with ambient sounds to set the scene, or showcase diverse voices. These techniques let you connect with your audience.
Audio content is the perfect fit for multitaskers.
Content that can be consumed while users are engaging in other activities is becoming increasingly valuable in a world that values multitasking. Your target audience may not always have time to read a blog post or watch a video, but podcasts are ideally suited for busy lifestyles. “The nature of podcasts is that they assume you’re multitasking,” says Charlotte Crowley, formerly the senior marketing assistant at Axonn Media. They can be consumed anytime, anywhere. “Consumers—particularly millennials—are cramming their media consumption into all available moments, whether it’s at the gym, walking the dog, cooking or commuting,” Mark Burgess of Strategy explains. This is when you can reach them with a podcast.
A podcast enables you to tell stories and create a narrative around your brand.
Memories are made through associations, and podcasts are a great way of channeling the potential of audio narratives to make associations to your brand. Rodero points out, “Radio is the invisible medium that has the greatest effect in stimulating the imagination of listeners.”
A compelling podcast that highlights your brand is something your audience will opt to listen to. “It’s people voluntarily choosing to have a regular, ongoing experience with your brand, every week or every other week,” explains Steve Pratt, founder of Pacific Content, which creates branded podcasts. Good stories stick and get people talking about them.
Podcasting allows you to build a long-term relationship with your audience.
Listeners need to be exposed to a brand repeatedly before they will make an interaction with it. “It takes 25-30 touchpoints with a brand before a listener decides to actually engage with them,” Pratt told Adweek. Podcasting is a perfect way to create these brand touchpoints because listeners will consume a podcast on a continuous basis, creating lots of contact time. Provide interesting content, and you’ll have listeners coming back for more and forming an ongoing relationship with your brand.
