The Power of the Podcast
Time to read: 2 minutes
We look at how podcasts are becoming the star pupil in the B2B marketing class of 2019.
Podcasts are thriving in the UK. Nearly 6 million people now tune in each week, according to a survey from Ofcom (September 2018) – with the number of weekly podcast listeners having almost doubled in five years – from 3.2 million in 2013 to 5.9 million in 2018.
While podcasts were traditionally created with consumers in mind, thanks to the tech evolution, brands large and small are getting in on the action.
The soaring popularity of podcasts has led many B2B publications to introduce them to their websites. Be it paid-for ops, interview placements or the opportunity to submit pre-recorded material, the rise of the podcast is opening new avenues to B2B PR professionals looking to get clients heard as well as seen.
So, should your client be hopping on the podcasting bandwagon?
While podcasts are relatively easy to make, producing and managing a regular branded podcast is a big commitment. It is not something I would recommend to any client taking their first steps into podcasting. Clients need to think realistically about how much time they can dedicate to recording and the frequency with which they can publish content. The key to podcasts is consistency. If you want to be effective, you should offer something that listeners can tune into regularly.
Our advice
We recommend making podcasts part of your existing PR and marketing strategy that complements other activities.
As PRs, we should familiarise ourselves with existing podcasts in our client’s sector. In our case, that’s technology. We should be engaging with these podcasts and the editors producing them to identify available opportunities. This might include guest speaker slots or themes of the month that clients can get involved in. You should invest time in pitching for slots, establishing if there are opportunities to submit client speakers, or even submitting pre-recorded material regularly.
Beyond ease of production, the great thing about podcasts is that you don’t need to duplicate content. You can utilise written articles as topics for discussion and kill two birds with one stone. In addition, there is the advantage of longevity, as content can be listened to repeatedly.
As PR consultants, we should look for opportunities for clients to contribute to podcast conversations (as with all other media forms). It allows the speaker to convey information more interactively and engagingly than words on a page. We should encourage clients to augment their PR strategies with podcasts and start honing their broadcast skills in preparation.
