Podcasts have risen in popularity significantly over recent years and they can be a very powerful tool for businesses wanting to reach their target audiences and communicate key messages.
Here we’ve taken a look at the background of podcasts and why it can be useful for brands.
What is a podcast?
A podcast is a spoken audio file usually in a series format that discusses a certain theme. Unlike radio, a podcast is held on a platform such as Apple Podcasts or music streaming platforms like Spotify and can only be accessed from the platform. Podcasts are not musical and are commentary on a variety of topics. Everything from cultural events to neuro-physics has a place in the sphere of podcasts, as listeners look for particular subject matter or themes that interest them. Listeners have different functions for their podcasts, for example some people use podcasts as a form of entertainment, listening to series of stories similar to an audiobook or a comedian musing over their jokes. Podcasts can also serve as a largely informative method of media – allowing for experts to pontificate about their particular niche and whether it be historians delving into the battle histories of times of old or an astronomer explaining NASA’s latest finding.
According to Podcast Host as of April 2022, there were 512,480 active podcasts on the Apple Podcast platform. Statista quotes that, in the United Kingdom there are 21.2m active podcast listeners with demographics spanning across both genders and an age range of 16-over 55s. The purpose of the podcast is that there is something out there for everyone – which is what makes it a brilliant tool for marketers across a range of sectors and industries.
Why are podcast good for marketers?
In 2021 the advertising spend on podcasts in the UK was £46m pounds. (Statista) Podcasters look for brands to collaborate with and promote to reach larger audiences, fund their studio time and pay their salaries. Podcast hosts primarily tend to read the brand advertisements and put their own podcast themed flair on it to keep their earned audiences intrigued. Other hosts have pre-recorded ads from the brand play during determined ad breaks. Listeners are used to adverts similar to television adverts and can fast forward if they don’t want to hear them. However, similarly to Netflix and other television streaming platforms some podcasters will promote services such as Patreon for their listeners to subscribe to – for a certain price – to have access to bonus content and ad free listening.
Podcasts are a brilliant tool for brands to be a part of. There are the obvious advertising routes to explore to promote a brand on a podcast but brands have also been the theme or the guest for popular podcasts. Examples such as brands explaining their brand founder story, providing expert insight or specifically discussing their product and how it can benefit the podcaster. There are so many benefits for marketers – from advertising, promoting a service/product or sharing a story.
How to get your brand involved with podcasts
It is important to keep in mind the type of audience that podcast listeners are as it’s a unique and broad type of media. According to Statista, 61% of UK podcast listeners are using podcasts purely for entertainment while 52% are listening to learn something new or further information on a topic they’re already familiar with. This is key to keep in mind when positioning your brand for interacting with a podcast – advertising wise the ads that podcast hosts choose are very closely linked to their subject matter and podcasts primarily will not promote something that’s not authentic to the brand they have curated. So to get involved, look for specific podcasts that can elevate your brand and position your brand as an industry leader.
At Prohibition, we work with a range of brands across all sectors to create engaging social media marketing strategies that allow brands to stay up to date with the latest trends and updates. Get in contact today to find out how we could help you.
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