Why Podcasts are the new video
Podcasting has become incredibly popular over recent years. A podcast is a set of digital audio files which users can either subscribe to or just listen to or download as and when they want to and businesses are now starting to use podcast for a variety of different reasons. Here are some reasons why podcasts are the new video.
Podcasts can be as simple or high tech as you like
While many podcasts are in video format, they don’t have to be. Making good videos requires a certain amount of expertise and equipment whereas basic audio podcasting equipment is much more accessible. One of the great things about podcasting is that you can start with a basic audio podcast and then upgrade it to a video podcast later on if you want to. By this time you will already have built an audience and it might be easier to invest in more high tech equipment
It is also a great way to try out your broadcasting skills without any commitment. If you just want to do a series of five or ten podcasts you can stop whenever you like and you don’t need the approval of a TV or radio network to get yourself out there.
Podcasts are convenient and accessible
Because podcasts are so easily accessible on mobile devices they have become the new talk radio. They’re convenient to consume and completely portable. Consumers can listen to them while commuting or driving, while they are doing other tasks or just to unwind at the end of the day. There’s no need for anything other than a mobile phone to listen to a podcast and provided it’s been downloaded they don’t even need a signal – perfect for listening to on the tube.
It’s a great way to build an audience
As long as you have something interesting to say, and are not just plugging products, podcasts are a fantastic way to build an audience.
Because podcasts are searchable by topic on platforms like iTunes you can reach people that wouldn’t otherwise have heard of you purely because they’re interested in the subject you’re discussing on your podcast.
If anyone is interested in the topic your podcast focuses on and likes what they hear then they are likely to subscribe and you’ve got a captive audience on an ongoing basis. They will also be far more loyal than those who consume on YouTube or the radio where it’s too easy to switch to something else that catches their fancy.
Although podcast are a broadcasting medium, listeners often feel somehow connected with the person they’re listening to. They’ll have chosen to listen because they’re interested in what the podcaster is talking about and so they already have something in common.
Podcasting complements other marketing channels
Podcasts fit in so well with other marketing channels. The transcripts can become blog posts and they allow you to offer something of value to your audiences on other social media such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
You can advertise your podcast on your website and social media channels and inversely you can use your podcast to make people aware of your website and social media channels – they are the perfect complement to each other.
Are podcasts the new video?
If you decide to add a video element to your podcast then the videos can be hosted on or uploaded to YouTube where they’ll live forever and increase your reach even further. If you’re not comfortable being on camera then you can either forego the visual aspect altogether or use other visuals with your audio recording to create a video. You have a lot more options with podcasts than you do with video alone and perhaps this is why podcasting is becoming so popular.
Whether for business or pleasure, podcasting is here to stay for the foreseeable future and is definitely worth considering if you have something interesting to share with the world.
