Significant Beginnings Of Podcasts For Marketers
The term podcast is an acronym for the fusion of the words iPod and Broadcast. Podcasting began as a way for people to convey a message, start a conversation, and build a community of individuals with similar interests. Marketers use this as content through which they can market.
One of the first instances in the history of podcasting was in 2005 when Steve Jobs announced that iTunes would support podcasts on its platform.
He believed that they would be significant shortly. He was right as podcasts continued to gain popularity. In the years that followed, podcasts gained momentum, and in 2014 “Serial” an American Life podcast was released. By 2017, it was the most popular podcast, with over 420 million downloads.
It’s been 16 years since the word “podcast” appeared, and now there are hundreds of thousands of audio programs. In general, 34% of the world’s population listens to a journalistic podcast at least once a month. Korea has the highest percentage of podcast fans -2 of 3 Koreans listen to Podcasts. This is music to the ears of marketers.
But why are podcasts so popular?
As marketers, you’d ask why an audio medium such as a podcast is popular at a time when video marketing is the trend.
Reasons for the growing popularity of podcasts can be summarised below:
Easy access
Freedom of choice – Nowadays most marketers choose what they want to watch and when they want to watch it! This applies to TV shows, web series, and even a podcast. The on-demand nature of the medium is a big attraction. We have a choice thanks to the internet.
Visual fatigue
When you’re exposed to so much of video content viewing on screens, you tend to have visual fatigue. However, this does not mean that the popularity of videos will decrease, it just means that podcasts can bring relief to visual fatigue. Podcasts have their place.
Podcasts save time
The main reason for the popularity of podcasts is that they save the viewer’s time. Research shows that people listen to podcasts at home, in the car, at work, and while walking and driving. This means that podcast listeners do at least two things at a time, such as exercise and listening.
Podcasts are informative
To learn about the latest developments, people usually listen to podcasts for 24-48 hours after downloading. More interestingly, a majority of people are known to go through the entire podcast. People find it very convenient to just hear about the latest news rather than reading a paper or news on the phone.
Podcasts are entertaining
Podcasts are not just for informational purposes; they cover a range of topics and can be fun to listen to. Podcasts are dynamic and can be produced as a series of podcasts. There is a podcast that addressed everyone’s interests.
What Do Marketers Need To Start Their Podcast?
Starting your podcast is fairly easy, there are a lot of platforms where one can upload their podcast such as YouTube, Spotify, Apple podcasts, etc. – these function as Podcast Distribution platforms. But before you do so, you’ll need to produce your podcasts.
Gear you will need to start your podcast:
Microphones (mics) & devices
Sound is the area where you don’t need to cut corners. Many of your podcast issues may go unnoticed by your audience, but bad sound is a no-go. Choose between dynamic mics and condenser mics. You will need to evaluate an interface that improves the sonics and enables you to connect to professional mics. If you’re seeking a way to host your podcast independently of a computer, then invest in an external audio recording device.
There are also expensive options such as Podcast devices that are preferred by professionals.
Other gear includes a pop filter, over-the-ear headphones (with noise cancellation), and a boom pole.
Editing software
You need software to edit your voice recordings. Podcast editing software usually doubles up as recording software.
The popular ones are –
Audacity
For Windows PC, macOS, or Linux devices
Exclusive to Apple devices
Adobe Audition
Some of this editing software has a free plan.
Podcast Hosting Platform
Podcast files are heavy, and podcast hosting platforms use servers that deploy to store media files for distribution. A simple independent website may not solve your purpose – as speed, quality, and data transfers are managed best by these podcast hosting platforms. You’d rather focus on the content than the management of the content. The biggest advantage that some of these platforms have to offer is that you
Here are a few you can explore –
These are the essentials that you will need to start your podcast. Starting a podcast is not expensive and very easy to set up. Once you have all the gear ready you record a podcast and upload it to the platform of your choosing.
An example of an extremely popular blog is the – Joe Rogan Experience.
One simply cannot mention podcasts without mentioning Joe Rogan. Joe Rogan is the most famous podcaster ever – thanks to his array of famous guests. The variety of guests that come on the show brings an appeal to every episode, every episode is different and engaging in its way. Joe Rogan has had enthralling conversations with the likes of Elon Musk, Mike Tyson, etc.
How can small businesses or startups benefit from a podcast?
Small businesses do not have a lot of marketing money and are always on a tight budget. They may not be able to advertise their products through traditional advertising channels. Podcasts are a very good option. Advertising on a podcast is generally cheaper than traditional channels (print and electronic) and may also generate better sales as the click-through rate for podcasts is very high. People generally trust a product shown to them if they trust the person showcasing that product. Small businesses may not benefit from having their podcast as they would advertising on some other famous podcast. Small businesses and startups may not have a huge audience who will watch their podcast but listeners will pay attention to a product offered by a business if it’s showcased on a relatively popular podcast.
Conclusion: In the marketers mix
For marketers who seek to start a podcast for their audience, this is the best time to do so. Podcasts are a great way to build communities for your brand. Regardless of the industry your business represents, podcasts can connect you with individuals and entities who share a similar area of interest. The best-integrated marketing strategy includes podcasts as an important channel in the mix.
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