Podcasting is one of the best ways you can tell the story of your brand.
I have spent the past 13 years podcasting. It started small, helping my church at the time create a podcast for its weekly sermons, and it grew from there. For some reason, podcasting and listening to stories through audio resonated with me. I couldn’t figure out why it was such an impactful medium for the longest time. But every time I listened to a podcast, I was transported by time and place to the podcaster’s story. I don’t know about you, but when I put my AirPods in and start listening, I tend to put everything else out of my mind. It’s probably one of the most intimate spaces for listening and thinking.
It wasn’t until I rejoined Zweig Group in 2013 that I discovered the value of using a podcast to tell the story of your brand. With a few years of podcasting under my belt, I suggested to Mark Zweig and Chad Clinehens that we use a podcast to create more awareness around The Zweig Letter and Civil + Structural Engineer Magazine. I figured it would be an excellent way to create more awareness around the newsletter brand, share some of the great stories told in print, and bring them to life through audio. After all, as Arianna Huffington wrote, “People think in stories, not statistics, and marketers need to be master storytellers.”
The Zweig Letter Podcast was born!
Six years and more than 210 episodes later, the podcast has taken on a life of its own. It has allowed Zweig Group to engage its community differently and feature Zweig Group leadership and AEC thought and practice leaders worldwide. It was never created to battle the likes of Joe Rogan or The Daily podcast, but rather to leverage the medium of audio and sometimes video to expand the firm’s brand and create more awareness in the process. We even started to generate business inquiries through the podcast, leading to work and new client relationships.
Some of you probably think, “This is great, Randy, but I don’t even listen to podcasts.” You may not, but there are plenty of folks who do. According to Edison Research, more than 62 percent of the U.S. population (177 million) ages 12 and older listen to podcasts.
Here are some additional statistics from Edison Research that may convince you this isn’t just a trend:
- 41 percent of millennials listen to podcasts weekly.
- 66 percent of podcast listeners have a college degree and an average income of $75,000 annually.
- The biggest increase in podcast listenership in the past year has come from those in the 12-34 age group.
Need more convincing?
Here are five specific benefits of creating a podcast for your firm:
- Increased exposure. One of the primary benefits of creating a podcast for your business is increased exposure. A podcast is a digital audio file that can be downloaded from the internet and played on various devices, including smartphones, tablets, and computers. By creating a podcast, you can reach a wider audience than you would with other marketing methods, such as print, web, or television advertising.
- Improved SEO. Another benefit of creating a podcast for your business is improved SEO. SEO, or search engine optimization, refers to optimizing a website to rank higher in search engine results pages. Creating a podcast can help improve your website’s SEO as it will give you another avenue through which people can find your site. In a future article, I’ll walk you through ways this can be done.
- Cost-effective. Another advantage of podcasts is that they are relatively affordable to produce. In most cases, all you need is a microphone and some recording software. If you already have these items, your time will be the only cost.
- Build trust and credibility. When people listen to a podcast, they typically do so because they trust the host’s opinion. By creating a podcast for your business, you will be able to build trust and credibility with potential and current customers.
- Connect with your audience. Finally, creating a podcast for your business will allow you to connect with your audience more personally than other marketing methods. When people listen to a podcast, they feel like they are having a conversation with the host. This personal connection can help build strong relationships with your listeners.
Consider how you’re telling your brand’s story. If you’re relying on a static website and a couple of webinars from 2018, it may be time to rethink what you’re doing and how incorporating a podcast into your marketing and branding toolbox may not be a bad idea.
Zweig Group’s advisory group is now offering podcast strategy services, and I’m happy to say that I am leading this effort. Let me know if you want to learn more or just want to talk through a few ideas. We would be happy to assist you in extending your brand through podcasting.
Randy Wilburn is a podcast strategy advisor at Zweig Group. Contact him at rwilburn@zweiggroup.com.
