According to Podcasting Insights there were more than 2 million active podcasts in 2021 and 48 million episodes. That’s nearly 1.5 billion hours of content! It seems everywhere you look someone you know is podcasting.
And because of this podcast revolution, companies are increasingly asking their PR teams how to attack this medium. While some top-tier podcasts are boasting millions of listeners, there are also a variety of smaller podcasts that focus on niche topics. For many brands, these smaller podcasts with thousands of active listeners, can be a great forum to share thought-leadership ideas and stories.
If you’re not convinced that podcast outreach should be part of your PR campaign, here are five reasons you should reconsider:
1. Tap into niche audiences: One of the best things about podcasts is how granular they can be. When marketing, it’s often more important to reach the right audience instead of a broad audience. Think you’re too niche? You’d be surprised how many credible podcasts there might be for your specific audience. For example, while technology is a very crowded category, you can really dive deeply into sub-categories. For instance, there are popular UX and UI Design podcasts such as Awkward Silences, machine learning specific podcasts such as Talking Machines, you can dive into the niche world of Ham radio, or fan-led podcasts such as the numerous that exist for Tesla lovers.
If you’re looking for a great tool to find podcasts, consider PodSeeker. It gives you granular search capabilities so you can find the perfect podcast(s) for your brand.
2. A unique avenue for thought leadership: A core tactic of any successful PR program is thought leadership. Brands and individuals alike want to be seen as experts in their space and deliver helpful advice and expertise. While any form of media can help accomplish this, recorded media, especially podcasts, provide a unique avenue that some traditional routes can’t. For example, they allow you to express individuality, humor, show your human side, and much more.
Many podcasts embrace long-form journalism, allowing the freedom to create a narrative and tell a story rather than list off key facts and milestones. While you still want to create talking points, many podcasts allow for a more natural approach to thought leadership that’s often seen as more authentic.
3. Adds an element of mixed media: Sure, diversifying your media mix is essential. You want features in print, broadcast, radio, and podcasts, which is ideal for obvious reasons. However, having a diverse media mix also creates new opportunities for your sales teams with additional forms of content to attract potential customers and clients. It also opens the door for future podcast opportunities because you may be asked to appear on additional shows (if it goes well).
4. It’s good practice: Podcasts are a great place to perfect different parts of your messaging and story before pushing it out to a broader audience. Because of the conversational tone of many podcasts, you can have fun trying out different messages and talking points and seeing how the host reacts and delves in further. Consider starting with some small audience podcasts and then escalating to bigger shows once you’re comfortable delivering the messages.
5. Start your own: While many companies aim to be featured on podcasts, many organizations have successfully started their own. Just look at Slack, Blue Apron and Shopify.
What better way to present yourself as a thought leader than by hosting your own show and delivering talking points and stories that matter most to you and your community?
These are just a few reasons why appearing on a podcast may be the extra fuel needed to set your PR and communications program on fire. Consider reaching out to your favorite shows if you want to spice up your current communications mix. These can range from the niche and specialized to the well-known and beloved. Still not sure where to start? Let’s chat.