Are podcasts the best support for your digital strategy?

Podcasts are one of the audio formats that have gained significant popularity over the last few years. In November 2020 alone, more than 104 million podcasts were downloaded or streamed, according to Médiamétrie.

This form of audio support is attracting an increasing number of users and has also caught the attention of several companies. Known already as practical and trendy, podcasts also require less visual investment than video. But is it the right medium for everyone’s digital strategy?

The numerous benefits of podcasts

Podcasts have countless advantages for companies wishing to establish a close relationship with their target audience.

First of all, it increases the visibility of your brand. The platforms’ search engine optimization capabilities effectively increases the popularity of both your podcast and your brand if you write a summary, use the required keywords and include links to your sites. Therefore, the search engine optimization will be done through the content as well as with the related backlinks.

Secondly, this innovative and interactive format establishes audience loyalty. As the episodes will be produced and broadcasted on a regular basis, the audience will wait for and look forward to the next release. If the quality of the podcast meets or exceeds the listeners’ expectations, the brand’s image and values will be strengthened. Hence, the relation between the listener and the company is created in a fun, natural and pleasant way.

However, even though the production costs of a podcast are lower, this medium of communication should still be used strategically because it’s not always successful in every circumstance.

Podcasts are not the right fit for every digital strategy

Podcasts form part of the Brand Content and therefore require a bit of reflection before launching into the production of episodes. As a matter of fact, podcast fans are quite picky and an underdeveloped and unstructured podcast will most certainly be harmful to the image of the company.

Therefore, in addition to the importance of the quality of the podcast, a company should also dedicate time to asking itself the right questions before using this medium.

Important questions to consider before including a podcast in your communication strategy

Some companies have been very successful at using podcasts in their communication strategies. For example, the jewelry brand Gemmyo stood out with its Chalalove podcast targeting couples. But to be successful, a thorough reflection on the questions below is needed.

Does my target audience listen to podcasts?

First and foremost, if the target audience does not listen to podcasts, the company should think of another medium that better fits the product or brand.

Will podcasts give more value to my brand?

This audio format does not suit all brands; some need to be visually showcased. If you can think of a way of enhancing your brand with a particular concept, then you might consider creating podcasts.

Will podcasts help strengthen my client relationships?

As previously mentioned, podcasts help create a relationship with the customer. However, in some cases, direct contact through tools such as chatbots or webinars are more suitable to create a relationship with your customer.

Which format, length and tone should be used?

Unlike videos, podcasts do not use visuals and thus require a certain amount of work to grab the audience’s attention. It is therefore important to focus on the concept, format and length of the episodes. The podcasts should also be structured so as not to lose the listener’s attention.

What is the goal of my content?

Lastly, you need to decide on the type of content you want to create. Should it be informative, educational, entertaining? It’s up to you! However, in order to keep your audience interested and loyal, you should remain consistent over the course of the episodes.

After answering all these questions, if you still think that podcasts are a good fit for your digital strategy, all you have to do now is think about the platforms on which you would like to broadcast the episodes as well as a social media strategy in order to reach your target audience.

Article written by Camille Reau.