With the continued growth of digital advertising in the past decade and increased competition, companies need to be savvier than ever to stay relevant. Podcasts are amongst the most powerful digital advertising tools companies can use today to stay top-of-mind. Branded podcasts are a way to expand audiences, generate new clients, build thought leadership, improve brand recognition and drive deeper customer engagement. 

Let’s dive into these five different ways companies can leverage branded audio. 

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1. Expand Audience Reach

Expanding audience reach is essential to any growing brand or business. Traditionally brands have spent their marketing dollars on running advertisements, SEO and partnerships. But in today’s world, podcasts are the modern ads that allow you to reach new audiences every day. 

A 2019 BBC Global News study found that branded podcasts are more effective in reaching consumers than traditional TV or radio ads. The same study also found that podcasts lift brand awareness by 89% and brand consideration by 57%. This is likely due to the authentic, conversational nature of podcasts, a level of brand intimacy that can sometimes be challenging to achieve through alternative mediums (more on this later). 

2. Attract High-Quality Clients and Customers 

Typically, branded or corporate podcasts have smaller, yet better quality audiences who are highly engaged and willing to binge multiple episodes of the show (because they chose to opt in!). Unlike the radio medium, which tends to span an assortment of topics throughout a single show with no hard-and-fast theme, podcasts generally possess an overarching subject matter, such as “The Sauce” by McDonalds or #LIPSTORIES by the Sephora Collection. 

Listeners of these podcasts are going out of their way to choose this content and, in doing so, are expressing interest in these topics. This means that the audience, no matter how big or small, is highly relevant and highly qualified to be interacting with your brand – which ultimately leads to quality leads for your business. 

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3. Build Thought Leadership 

Podcasts score very high when it comes to authority building and trust. Unlike other forms of content, podcasts are very personal and offer an intimate experience. And it's this intimate nature of podcasts that help create elevated states of engagement that are receptive to brand mentions. Plus, trust is core to any brand and its relationship with customers. 

Trader Joe's is a perfect example of a brand that has leveraged a branded podcast, Trade Joe’s: Inside Trader Joe’s, to build trust by opening a window into its operations and being transparent with listeners. 

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4. Improve Brand Recognition 

Podcasts are known for subtle marketing yet notable brand placement. Consumers have become tired of the days of blatant advertising with little value being provided to them. Whether it’s just a logo in the podcast’s artwork or mentioning the brand name in the intro and the outro, subtle brand placement goes a long way in the podcast industry because it doesn’t feel forced.

In fact, a 2020 Claritas consumer insights study found that podcasts can lift brand awareness as much as 30 times the lift rates of other media channels such as digital display, print and TV, which typically average about 2.6%. When creating your branded podcasts, ensure that you’re thinking about how you can offer value as your primary goal and then your business goals as secondary. 

5. Drive Deeper Customer Engagement

Podcasts are a great way to give you one-on-one time with your listeners. It’s your opportunity to tell your story to a captive audience, giving you not only the chance to build brand awareness but to create a deeper connection with your audience and humanize your brand. 

Most marketing channels like social media, email or ads rely on short-form, attention grabbing copy or visuals. But podcasts are unique in that your audience is already prepared to give you more than five seconds of their time. In fact, many listeners will devote an hour or more to your episode which allows for deep customer engagement overtime.

Branded podcasts are an ideal opportunity to bring listeners back to your website, social channels or forums and extend the conversation. Once you have a relationship with your listeners, you can use email marketing as your sales channel. Studies show when you sell to people who have already engaged with your brand and know who you are, email marketing is one of the most effective sales channels.

So, there you have it. It is clear that running a branded podcast can have much more opportunity than traditional marketing strategies because it allows you to tailor content to niche audiences and build your brand. We hope this piece encourages you to get your branded podcast up and running. Have questions? Feel free to reach out to the team at Quill.