Podcasts are increasing in popularity and marketing teams from a range of businesses are following the trend. Since lockdown people are increasingly turning to radio and podcasts to consume content. In a recent survey, we found that 41% of the professional services companies we surveyed reported that they were doing more podcasts since lockdown.
As of April 2020, there were over 30 million episodes (Podcast Insights). Ofcom has reported that around 7.1 million people in the UK listen to podcasts each week. That’s one in eight people, and that figure has been rising.
What is a podcast?
For those of you who have yet to discover podcasts, a podcast is simply an audio production that is made available for users to download or stream. They tend to come as a series and operate much like mini radio shows.
Here are our top 5 reasons why professional services firms should consider podcasting:
1. Connect with new listeners
A podcast is a create way to get your brand in front of a new audience. People often struggle to find the time to engage with webinars or read articles; having a podcast on whilst doing something else, is one of the reasons why podcasts are so popular.
2. Make connections with your stakeholders
A podcast provides a great excuse to reach out to your key stakeholders. Find out what they are interested in hearing about and produce content to match. Once you have the series, podcasts are an excuse to get in touch and start a conversation.
3. Reach out to new people
To make a podcast series, you could have a host from within your firm interviewing their peers from within the firm. You might like to have the host do most of the talking. However, many of the most successful podcasts bring in guests to make the podcast more engaging. In your search for guests, think strategically. Who has your firm been longing to have a conversation with? A podcast is a chance to do that.
4. Support other content
A strong way to use podcasts is to support other content. Perhaps your firm has invested in a thought-leadership piece. Creating a podcast series to develop the themes is a great way to extend it’s reach. Putting on an event? A podcast can at as a wrap-up to provide additional value to guests, or as a temptation for audiences to attend future events.
5. No limits
One of the reasons which might explain the popularity of podcasts from a production perspective is that they can be created virtually and connect speakers from across the globe. In our recent series, we interviewed a lawyer based in Israel and, later in the same day, another speaker located across the UK from the interviewer. The end result was as good as if all three had been in the same room.
How do I make my podcast stand out?
As with all content, for a podcast to provide you with traction, it needs to speak to your audience; and you need to be clear who that audience is. If you have engaging content that your audience want to hear then you are more likely to stand out from the crowd. At Client Talk we are experienced producing content and we can work with you to come up with themes that will delight your audiences.
Aren’t they really expensive to produce?
Podcasts can be produced relatively cheaply using a built-in computer microphone and free audio editing software, such as Audacity. This will get you an audio file that you can share.
However, if you want to have maximum impact you are best advised to hire a producer. Client Talk works with expert producers who can maximise your listeners audio experience. The cost is a fraction of what you would spend on an in-person event and can produce much wider reach. If you want to find out how Client Talk can support you on your podcast journey then contact us.
