The Rise of Podcasting as a Marketing Tool: How Businesses are Using Podcasts for Branding

What is Podcast Marketing?

Podcast marketing is a strategy that involves promoting products or services through audio content. It may involve the use of sponsored segments, host-read advertisements, or partnerships with podcast creators.

Podcasts are usually posted on podcasting platforms like Buzzsprout and Podbean. These tools then distribute the podcast content across other different channels, including podcasting directories such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

5 reasons to use a Podcast as a Marketing Tool

Podcasts offer a multitude of benefits when it comes to connecting and captivating your desired audience. Here are five compelling arguments in favor of business branding with podcasts.

1. Growing popularity and reach

Looking back a decade, podcasts were less popular than they are now.

Back in 2006, only 11% of people in the US were into podcasts. Fast-forward to 2022, and an impressive 62% of individuals were familiar with podcasting.

This significant podcast listener growth has transformed it into a valuable asset for marketers seeking niche marketing strategies.

Furthermore, podcasts have a wide appeal, attracting people from different age groups. Younger listeners, in particular, are attracted to the convenience and personalized experience that podcast content offers. In fact, 50% of podcast listeners fall within the 12-34 age range. This makes them more open to marketing messages that are integrated into the show.

2. Brand storytelling and authenticity

Podcasts provide businesses with a powerful platform to communicate their stories compellingly and engagingly.

But why are podcasts effective for brand storytelling?

Unlike traditional formats, podcasts are not limited by time or space, allowing for more flexibility and creativity in online content creation. They may last from a few minutes to many hours, allowing companies to go deeper and connect with their ideal audience. Podcasts may also be accessible anytime, anywhere, making content consumption easy.

Moreover, podcasts facilitate authentic communication by allowing businesses to speak directly to their audience in a conversational tone. By featuring real voices, personal anecdotes, and genuine emotions, businesses can establish a human connection with their podcast listener base.

Finally, this channel is highly versatile and allows businesses to incorporate multimedia elements such as sound effects and music. This improves the brand storytelling experience and ensures engaging audiences with business podcasts is possible.

As part of your business branding, incorporate your unique voice and personality throughout each podcast episode. This will help to differentiate both your podcast and brand, and leave a lasting impression on your listeners.

That’s not to say you should rely only on podcasts to tell your brand stories. There are other types of content and channels you can complement with podcast marketing to disseminate your brand messaging to a wider audience. For instance, why not leverage the services of a good PR company? Whether it’s a manufacturing or a drink PR agency, it will know how exactly to pitch your brand stories to traditional news and digital media outlets for coverage. You can also partner with influencers who can promote your brand stories with authenticity on social media for the best results.

3. Niche marketing and targeted content

With podcasts, businesses can easily connect with target niche audiences that might be more difficult to reach through other means. There's a podcast for just about any topic you can think of, whether it's news, education, entertainment, or hobbies.

Because of this niche targeting, podcasts can easily enhance that feeling of connection and shared values among listeners, establishing the groundwork for a community around the brand. Additionally, they provide an opportunity for podcast hosts (and the brand) to establish themselves as experts or thought leaders in their specific fields.

But to create a successful podcast that caters effectively to niche audiences, businesses like yours still need to follow a strategic approach.

A definition of the target audience within the niche market is key. This involves understanding their demographics, interests, pain points, and preferences. You should then create a listener persona based on this information. The persona will help guide the content and tone of the podcast.

Once you’ve defined the target audience, determine a niche for the podcast that aligns with the interests and needs of that audience. Then conduct market research to identify popular topics, trends, or gaps within the niche.

Data analysis using generative AI may help you uncover podcast subject ideas that are likely to resonate with the intended listeners. With the right prompts, Writer can generate these suggestions based on specified audience criteria. This advanced level of automation can save you and podcasters time on research, allowing you to focus on producing quality content.

The more focused and valuable your content is, the more likely you are to attract and retain your niche audience. For the best branding results, make sure the content you create also reflects your brand values.

Have a look at Knapsack’s Friday Habit podcast, which is all about productivity tips and habits for small businesses. This podcast has done a great job attracting a dedicated group of listeners who are eager to learn and improve their productivity skills. The content it creates also aligns with the web design company’s emphasis on efficiency as a brand:

You should continuously monitor audience feedback, engagement metrics, and market trends to refine content strategies and tailor future podcast episodes. This will help you better meet the needs and preferences of the niche audience.

As part of your effective strategies for building a brand with podcasts, to reach a wider audience within the niche market, promote the podcast through various channels yourself. Apart from podcast directories, you can promote this on social media platforms, industry forums, and via guest appearances on other podcasts.

Email marketing is another effective promotional strategy. By sending your email list regular updates, sneak peeks, and exclusive content with your email newsletters, you can ensure engaged audiences. However, email verification should also be done regularly to ensure a clean subscriber list.

Leveraging search engine optimisation (SEO) techniques to improve your podcast website’s ranking can also improve your visibility before your niche audience.

4. Engagement and community building

Listeners often develop a personal connection with the hosts, viewing them as relatable figures or even friends. This connection between the host and audience encourages long-term engagement and loyalty to the brand. It also helps establish a sense of community around both the podcast and the company it represents.

Businesses like yours can leverage tools like cloud PBX systems to enhance interaction with the audience through live call-ins, voicemail feedback, and interactive polls during episodes. You can also offer exclusive content or behind-the-scenes content to further incentivise listener involvement.

Furthermore, inviting industry experts, influencers, and thought leaders as podcast guests can help. They can ensure the audience gets additional perspectives and interesting insights that further enhance their engagement.

In its The Era podcast, BambooHR, a human resources software company, for instance, invites speakers outside the company to talk about HR-related topics:

Moreover, podcasts, unlike posts on social media channels, typically involve longer-form content that encourages deeper engagement from listeners. Therefore, they command the full attention of listeners for extended periods. This presents an opportunity for businesses to deliver more nuanced messages and build stronger connections for community building through podcasts.

That’s not all. Podcasts also usually follow a consistent publishing schedule, releasing new episodes regularly. This predictability encourages listeners to return regularly, creating a sense of anticipation and continuity. As listeners develop a habit of tuning in, they become more deeply engaged with the content and the brand.

Finally, some podcasts build dedicated online communities or forums where listeners can connect, discuss episodes, share insights, and interact with the hosts. Don’t know how to build a community with your podcast? Just invest in community platforms like Mighty Networks. These tools come with features that can help you ensure member engagement. They provide a space for like-minded individuals who love your podcast to engage with the host, the brand, and each other, further strengthening that connection. All you need to do is prompt the discussions.

5. Low competition

Did you know that there are over 30 million creators on Instagram, three million on Twitch, 13 million on YouTube, and more than two million on other social platforms? It's incredible how many people are using these platforms to showcase their talent and connect with others.

By contrast, as of February 2024, there are only 3.2 million podcasts.

That said, the podcast community is growing, but not at the same pace as other media channels like social media.

This slower growth rate isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It offers businesses an opportunity to have low competition and high reach within the podcasting space. That means that your business can build a dedicated podcast audience without facing that many competitors and easily promote your brand messages.

Also, unlike other content like social media posts that may get lost in a sea of competing posts, podcasts can easily reach engaged listeners. When you post something on social media, unless you’re in the good graces of the platform algorithm, your content might not even get seen by your target audience. But with podcasts, you have the option to post on platforms like your website, where your content won’t compete with others. As a result, intended listeners won’t have a hard time finding it.

How are Podcasts Changing Business Marketing?

Businesses have begun to recognize the potential of reaching their target audience through their podcast marketing efforts. This medium has become an effective tool for building awareness, sharing brand messages, and connecting with customers on a personal level.

What sets podcasts apart from other media channels is their ability to engage with ideal listeners and build a loyal community. Moreover, compared to other platforms, there is low competition in the podcasting space, providing brands with a significant opportunity to reach a wide audience and build long-term engagement.

As the podcasting community continues to grow, now is the perfect time for brands to invest in this powerful medium. Take advantage of the branding power of podcasts now.

About the Author

James Westfield is the Marketing Manager for Writer, an AI writing platform designed for teams. He has over 10 years of experience in the industry. When James isn't in the office, you can find him on the golf course.