Have you ever heard of a video podcast? Video content is taking the world by storm. This type of content allows brands to connect at a deeper level with their audience. With humans being visual beings, we learn more from what we visualize than what we hear. Videos are also way more engaging.
Something else that has been gaining popularity in recent years is podcasting. So, why not combine the two to boost the performance of your content?
In this article, we’ll help you understand what a video podcast is and why it’s something you should care about.
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What is a video podcast?
In its simplest form, a video podcast is an audio podcast with a video element such as a motion graphic or static image. They usually have a host, follow a theme, and build upon the audio experience. Today, they are popularly called videocasts or vodcasts.
We all know that podcasts were originally audio-based. They were first developed in 2004 by MTV video jockey Adam Curry and his software developer friend Dave Winer. They coded a program dubbed “The iPodder,” which allowed them to download radio broadcasts on their iPods. That’s where the name podcast sprang from. This is why podcasts were associated with audio productions and not video.
Over the last few years, podcasts have witnessed exponential growth. Data from The Infinite Dial also shows consistent growth in the number of US residents that listen to podcasts.
You may be tempted to say, “Well, that settles it. I will stay with my audio episodes and still get listeners if the trends say that audio is growing.” But here is the thing; why sell yourself short when you could reach even more people and gain better results?
Video podcasts are not complex to create.
It can be a video file of the conversation filmed on one camera or an eye-catching static image thumbnail that gives the podcast a video element and allows it to be shared in video form on YouTube.
Whichever form you pick for your video podcast, so long as it has a visual element, it qualifies to be called a video podcast.
With the changing times, audiences no longer want to listen to the conversation. They want to feel part of the conversation or podcast interview.
Why should you have a video podcast?
One of the greatest reasons you should have a video podcast is that human beings are incredibly visual creatures. 30% of our brain’s cortex comprises neurons devoted to visual processing. That is a lot of brain capacity compared to only 3% devoted to hearing and 8% to touch.
Let us get into the other reasons that will convince even the most hesitant podcasters to take a deep dive into creating a video podcast.
Video clips work best on social media
Social media platforms have become optimized for video in recent years. Short, bite-sized clips of your video podcast will increase your content’s shareability and reach on social media.
The Ben Shapiro Show, a daily conservative political podcast, is a good example. It went from a podcast to a live radio show and eventually ranked the second most popular podcast in the US by Podtrac. Incorporating video and bite-sized clips for social media has contributed to the raving popularity of the show.
It is also quite easy to go viral with video content. A short clip can quickly spread across TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram, helping your podcast gain more exposure and subscribers.
You may also want to add subtitles to tap into foreign audiences. But be sure to check the grammar of the subtitles to avoid embarrassing misspells.
Builds trust with your audience
Fans enjoy seeing the people behind something they love. The facial expressions that can only be seen through a video podcast also help viewers see your passion for the subjects you talk about. These little details add to the authenticity of your podcast and overall brand.
Moreover, it makes you more relatable and boosts the level of trust with your listeners. When your audience trusts you and finds you authentic, they are more likely to stick around for more episodes and recommend you to their loved ones.
Increases engagement
Video podcasts help your audience form deeper connections with you, their host. They get to see your face and engage with your personality, which generates a sense of community. That makes more people want to engage with your content.
The most interesting part? Sometimes viewers will grab something random from the video and make it a trend. A snippet of the video could end up being used as a meme, for example. Viewers could also generate their own conversations based on something that happened in the video. The bottom line is video content creates more room for engagement with your audience.
You could also use video podcasts to give your audience a sneak peek into what happens behind the scenes. This is another easy way to connect with your audience and drive more engagement.
Audience engagement is key to the long-term growth of any podcast. An additional method of growing the engagement for your podcast is to have an optional email sign-up pop-up on your website. This would enable your older followers to not miss out on your new content. This would also allow you to learn the interests of your newer audience members via personalized emails. However, it’s important to look up the email addresses you collect from the signup form to ensure your email marketing efforts are only directed towards the right recipients.
Allows you to repurpose old content
Repurposing basically means taking a piece of content intended for one channel and reusing it in other channels.
With video podcasting, repurposing would involve recording content once and reusing it on various channels. You could post it on Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube, for example. Brands can also repurpose the recordings and use them in their email campaigns.
Yes, you do need to invest in good gear, a great setup, a video editing tool, and so on, however, once you start producing content, you’ll be able to use the same podcast episode across a variety of channels.
How can you do that?
For example, you can create companion videos. Companion videos are short videos that act as extensions of your podcast. They can serve to advertise the podcast by providing snippets (or highlights) of what the podcast is all about, creating curiosity in the audience. Subsequently, viewers will be drawn to the podcast to get the full picture.
From one single video podcast, you can create 10 to 15 companion videos, audiograms, or teasers, depending on the length of the podcast episode. That is a lot of content out of one single episode.
Joe Rogan is one of the various podcasters who do that. He usually has pretty long podcast episodes. However, these episodes are clipped into shorter snippets which are then shared on YouTube. You’ll find each clip pulling hundreds of thousands of views.
Repurposing your video podcast helps you meet your audience where they are, thus widening your listenership and, ultimately your podcast’s growth potential.
Widens your reach
A good portion of the masses simply prefers video to audio podcasts. Therefore, you can increase the reach of your podcast by adding a video element to it. This allows you to capture the people who prefer consuming video podcasts over audio.
As the second-largest search engine in the world, YouTube boasts 1 billion users every month. This is about 33% of internet users all over the world. YouTube is currently available in 80 languages, meaning that 95% of the global population can use it.
As a search engine, Youtube is a great tool for podcast discoverability. People who have never heard of your podcast can discover an episode if you optimize your video with specific keywords.
Remember to use relevant keywords in your video title, description, and thumbnail. This will help you become more discoverable. Be sure to create compelling thumbnails as well. They are instrumental in getting people to click through and watch your clips.
If you want to learn how to grow your podcast on Youtube, make sure to read this article.
Monetize Your Podcast with Spreaker Prime
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Is Creating a Video Podcast Worth It?
Video podcasting will help you build a strong connection with your audience. Viewers will develop trust in you and find your content more authentic than mere audio. Video podcasts also help you reach a wider listener base as they help you build a stronger presence on social media.
As we know, social media is focusing on video first. So why not give it what it wants?
Additionally, videocasts will increase your engagement with current listeners. People will be more compelled to comment and talk about your videos when they see you.
Hopefully, this article has given you all the tips you need to begin your video podcasting journey. Have fun!
Owen Baker is a content marketer for Voila Norbert, an online email verification tool. He has spent most of the last decade working online for various marketing companies.
You can find him in the kitchen mastering new dishes when he’s not busy writing.
