Podcasts: How Your Business Can Benefit From Them

Remember the world before incessant social media scrolling? Tuning your dial to an FM radio station? Recording your favorite TV show, complete with commercials – on a VHS tape when you weren’t home? All of these may sound archaic now, but truth is, they were reality not too long ago. Recent studies have shown that 50% of homes have podcast listeners, which means 60 million households are listening to podcasts. Still searching for a way for your business or brand to be heard? Look no further – podcasts are the way of the future, and somehow – an ode to simpler times too.

Talk to us about starting your own podcast! 

Podcasts Can Reach Nontraditional Customers

Considering most people are no longer watching traditional TV, with commercials, or tuning into FM radio stations regularly, businesses have to adapt to how consumers think and act. We’re still out there buying –that’s for sure, but where we’re getting recommendations, and input on where to go for things often comes from different, more modern sources. Podcasts are a great way to reach customers who don’t use traditional outlets.

Podcasts are Cost-Effective

Buying a costly Super bowl TV ad, a glossy magazine spread ad, or recording a radio ad won’t reach the same audiences they once used to. Dropping thousands of dollars on advertisements in print certainly won’t get the same ‘bang for your buck’ as online material – like a podcast can. For less than $100, your business could purchase equipment for a podcast, and produce regular content in-house versus hiring outside agencies for voice-over advertisements. Releasing podcasts on your own terms, whether that be a primetime slot, or during a morning commute, won’t cost your business any extra during premium times, like other ads would.

Podcasts Can Personally Deliver Your Brand’s Voice

Speaking of voice-over advertisements, we’ve all heard them. The cheesy, ‘roller rink’ sounding DJ voice coming loud over the speakers. If you listen closely, you might recognize the same local people are the voices of varying businesses around town. The same voice is used for a pet shop, which is for the biker bar down the street. It’s a small world, but it doesn’t to seem that small. Podcasts are a great way for your business’ brand to actually be delivered by your business. With this, your business can convey their own unique, genuine brand’s tone themselves. Actual employees who are representative of your company’s standards and mission can convey what the business is about – rather than an actor/actress. It’s a great way to build rapport with customers, and truly promote your business from the ground up.

Can deliver your actually brand’s tone of voice versus a voiceover actor/actress. Actual representatives can speak on behalf of your business.

Podcasts Can Cut Through the Other Fluff

People already spend countless hours on social media sites, incessantly scrolling – many times, without even realizing just how much. Much of a consumer’s Instagram feed or Facebook timeline can be considered white noise – it’s an information overload for consumers. How do things stick out within the surplus of stimuli? What grabs our attention?

One of the benefits of a business podcast is that it can give your eyes a break. Taking a step back, removing your thumb from the monotonous scrolling motion can feel like a vacation in itself. Allowing your eyes to rest, and focus in on your ears to do the work makes podcast listening feel like a more relaxing activity. You’ve heard about all these blue light screens are affecting our vision, right? Scary stuff. Podcasts don’t require any more attention from our already-strained eyes.

Podcasts are Convenient

Thanks to the smartphone, and the availability of internet virtually everywhere – even in cars, listening to podcasts is a convenient activity. Businesses can capitalize on the fact that consumers could be looking for podcasts while doing a variety of tasks. People frequently listen to podcasts while at the salon, in the gym, driving to work, during lunch, while doing the dishes after dinner, and before going to bed. There are 24 hours in a day where your business could reach potential and current customers/potential clients. Being able to minimize the podcasts on smartphones also provides an extra layer of convenience, compared to YouTube screens or videos that require full attention. Podcasts are minimal in nuisance level, unlike pop up ads, and feel less intrusive than video content hogging your device’s screen.

Bottom Line

Have I got you thinking about creating a podcast for your business? Just imagine, if your favorite brand read you this blog in their voice –the one you know so familiar? Would it sound genuine? Would it pull you in? Probably yes, and most likely, a little more than these black words on a white screen. Perhaps it’s time to hop on the podcast wagon – it’s not nearly as bumpy as one might think.

Listen to my podcast all about Brand Archetypes.