The Hottest New Marketing Strategy Everyone Knows About But No One Uses

Podcasting has taken off in the last few years. The number of podcasts are up as is the number of listeners, which is up to 39 million Americans in 2014. Is this expanding medium a viable platform for marketing? Five or six years ago, the answer may have been no, but changes in how podcasts are made and who listens to podcasts have made them a useful tool for B2B Marketing.

Plenty of Pros to Producing Podcasts

One of the primary benefits of a podcast is they are incredibly cost-effective. One employee can easily create a podcast with just a computer and a microphone. Typical podcasting microphones can cost anywhere from $50 to $200 depending on the quality that you are seeking, and that one investment can last for quite some time if properly cared for. Add to this the number of free and low-cost audio editing software on the market and you have a recipe for easy marketing!

A low cost considering how much longer podcast listeners stay on the internet, about 33% more than non-podcast listeners according to an article by Edison Research. In fact, the average podcast listener stays on a site for about 27 minutes.

Podcasting from a marketing perspective would also give you a way of standing out. iTunes and Stitcher, the two largest podcast hosting locations report that only 6% of marketers podcast. That presents a vaccuum that any professional marketer should jump at the chance to fill.  A vacuum filled with affluent listeners excited to share your work and messaging. Keep this affluent, business-minded consumer front and center when planning out your content.

Who Actually Listens to Podcasts?

Four in ten of the listeners have an average household income of at least $75,000 and half of all podcast listeners are between 12-34. The type of statistics that make a lot of marketers mouths water. Yet, most listeners are unlikely to ever see many of the traditional ads that target them. 73% of podcasts listeners list the internet as the most essential medium in their day, beating out TV, radio and newspaper by an incredible margin. Which means if you can’t appeal to them on that level, you aren’t likely to see any of their higher income.

If you can appeal to this group, though, they will be sure to let other people know about it. 78% of podcast users use some type of social media with 74% of them using Facebook and over 20% using Twitter and LinkedIn. With numbers like that, the word of mouth potential presented in podcast listeners shouldn’t be overlooked.

So how does my company start podcasting?

So how do you get in on that action? Luckily, the internet has many guides to getting your podcast up and running. But the long and short of it comes down to making sure that you create a quality product that is both entertaining and informative. Long-form marketing like podcasts should entice the listener to keep tuned in. That means writing a script that you can be proud of and it is also important to note not to skimp out on the equipment that you use to record and edit. Bad audio creates a bad experience for the listener, which they will be sure to share on social media, as well. From there it all comes down to what works best for your business. Just remember to make it something you’d want to listen to yourself!

Learn more about marketing with these stats!

The Branchers

We build the best damn marketing campaigns on the planet. And we do it for industries and companies you might not identify as easy to market (right away). Working here takes a very special kind of person.