Of course! No major brand doesn’t sponsor a streamer, has a YouTube channel, or even has its show, and we are sure that at least if they don’t yet, they will very soon include a podcast in marketing strategy.
Podcasts have established themselves as one of our society’s most basic entertainment content. Gradually displacing radio and opening up a new battlefield for media advertising since brands started to include podcast in marketing strategy. If we already saw problems in music radio with platforms like Spotify or Tidal, now the more traditional radio finds its nemesis in podcasts. But before we talk about anything else…
What is a podcast?
A podcast is nothing more than audio content available through online platforms on demand. Whatever the type of content, we can find talks, debates, narrations or even music sessions. All of this through the internet and with non-linear programming, whenever you want, wherever you want and however you want.
In addition to that, being a non-linear format with the production benefits that this allows, there is the possibility of Omni-channelling, allowing these programmes to be recorded and either streamed or uploaded to YouTube, in turn generating video content that can easily be shared by clips on Instagram, Twitter or TikTok. In short, an all-in-one format.
Why use a podcast in marketing strategy?
To answer this question, we first have to take a small step back. Although when we talk about radio, it is the radio company itself that produces and finances the programmes it broadcasts, the profile of the podcast format is generally independent. While it is true that many radio stations are re-submitting their programmes in podcast format or that there are already production companies that generate these programmes, as it is such an easy format to share, the vast majority are people with their budget doing what they want. This gives them a lot of freedom in the creation of content.
This point of independence, as there is total freedom of broadcasting through the platforms means that to finance their podcasts, many creators resort to introducing advertising in their content, something that is very appealing to brands. But given the panorama and the great boom, as well as the absence of legislation in this regard, while advertising programmes are limited to conventional television or radio, they are not here, which is why there are brands that have turned the tables and created their podcasts and hired content creators as presenters and ambassadors for them.
At this point, there are several reasons why having a podcast under your brand is a great idea: The format Podcasting, like radio, enters through our ears. This is something that makes it different from the rest, as we cannot do many tasks with our eyes on a screen, but not with our ears listening to something in the background. This greatly increases the engagement and penetration of the message, in an intimate and close way as long as the content of the podcast does not fall into propaganda.
Low investment
Unlike a major TV or media campaign, this requires a much smaller investment and an initial outlay that can be amortised over time. If a long-term strategy is built well, it is a seamless plan.
Easy assimilation
Making the customer aware of our brand with a billboard or a YouTube spot is complicated and requires an alignment of factors. Here we have the benefit of an almost infinite extension of what we can say and how we can address the message, without limiting ourselves in time and space.
Benefits of having your podcast having said all this, we want to emphasise that a branded podcast can never be an endless radio slot. It has to be an entertainment programme with either an educational or purely leisure profile, through which the brand’s values and image are expressed. That is why including podcast in marketing strategy is something that would fit in with brand recognition strategies.
The direct benefits we would therefore find would be greater customer loyalty to the brand and assimilation of our values, greater brand exposure generating great brand awareness and the generation of highly valuable content for our social networks.
Participate in other podcasts?
Well, we already have our podcast and we have reached a large audience, the strategy is working and we are very happy with it, and we get an invitation via DM to participate in an informative podcast of the sector, what do we do?
We start from the premise that in this podcast we have created we appear as owners, CEOs or CMOs of the brand. So we are the visible face of the brand and the podcast and we have not hired anyone famous to do it on our behalf. Well, if the audience has already managed to humanise our brand to the level that they see us as the image of the brand, it is an unbeatable offer. We will have to analyse the target and audience of the podcast that has invited us so as not to fall into content that is harmful to our image or a profile that doesn’t suit us. But if everything is OK, go for it.
These collaborations are a great opportunity to expand our brand image and self-promote our podcast, which will lead to greater reach and brand recognition.
What do you think of these tips, are you already looking for microphones and a space to set up your set? I’m sure you’ll do great! If you want to keep up to date with articles and guides like this one, don’t forget to follow us on our social networks!