Branded Podcasts

Why Podcasts Need To Be a Part of Your Marketing Strategy

Last updated on: 
July 27, 2022

Since we're currently experiencing a listening boom with no indication of it slowing down, it's necessary for brands to understand how they can use podcasts as part of their content marketing strategy

If there’s one thing that all marketers know, it’s that audiences love rich media. A.k.a - anything that isn’t boring, whether that be images, videos, or audio. 

Today, I want to talk about an up and coming medium that has grown in popularity since 2014. 

Podcasts.

Podcasts have opened a convenient medium for marketers to reach audiences in a new and convenient way. In fact, podcasts are projected to have over 100 million listeners by 2021 in the US alone (Statista). 

Yeah, sign me up.

If their audience size didn’t convince you, here are four more reasons to integrate podcasts into your marketing strategy. 

1. Convenience is Key

To put it simply, podcasts are easy to consume. Listeners can listen whenever, wherever. Today, people are out of time - everyone is too busy to sit down and digest information. Podcasts are zero commitment. You can listen in the car, on a walk, at the gym, or even in the shower. 

Can you do that with videos or blogs? Hell no. 

As consumers move towards mobile devices, podcasting becomes even more effective. Podcasts are made for when your customers are on the go and give them the ability to multitask. Think about the engagement time - it’s basically a marketer’s dream. 

2. It’s Time to Stand Out 

In today's landscape, companies need to focus on what makes them different. Podcasts are a great way to achieve this. 

If you’re producing high quality content that provides value to your audience, then you can build a trustworthy relationship with your customers. Specifically for technology companies, this can help you educate your audience about the value your innovation brings. 

Podcasts also give your company a voice. 

Here, it’s all about showing off your brand personality. Your podcast can show who you are, your values, and cultivate a distinctive image amongst a hyper targeted audience. If you’re producing high quality content that your audience wants to listen to, your podcast will help you become a thought leader in your industry. 

3. Conversion Central

Ah, conversion. The term that we love to hear and the goal we want to hit. 
Podcasts can even increase your conversion rates. Seth Greene, CEO of Market Domination LLC.com, states, “there’s a shift with money leaving TV and radio; for the next three to five years, it’s like the new ground floor of podcasting” (MarTech Today). 

To break that down, Greene is saying that your customers are listening to podcasts, which means that they provide an opportunity to get in front of them.

At the end of the day, it’s the information age. Your audience is researching information, so why don’t you deliver it in an engaging format? Produce content that can answer all of their questions, while making your product/service their solution. 

Quick Tip: Remember to add effective CTAs at the end of each episode. Test what language works best with your audience and then plug it into every recording. Discover some great CTA examples

4. Connect and Build Trust 

Podcasts are a great source to build brand awareness, grow your company’s reach, connect with your audience, and build trust.

It’s basically a content superstar. 

As the number of podcast listeners increase, it opens a unique opportunity to have conversations about specific industries or topics. That means you get to build credibility as a podcaster. In 2018, 6 million more Americans listen to podcasts weekly versus 2017 (ConvinceandConvert). So it’s time to hop on the podcast bandwagon. 

Building a great podcast can also transfer over to other platforms. Companies who podcast have a unique advantage since 94% of podcast listeners are active on at least one social media channel and are also more likely to follow companies or brands on social media (Podcast Insights). 

Your podcast audience can cultivate a community that will carry across platforms, boosting engagement. This is key. If people know who you are and what you, you have the upper hand over your competitors.

So, in conclusion... 

Bet on podcasts. They are an incredible opportunity for marketers. 

Podcasts give you the ability to conveniently connect with audiences, stand out from your competition, convert potential customers, and build trust. Not to mention, their listenership is only increasing.   

Alison Osborne

Director of Growth Marketing

A passionate storyteller, Ali is Quill’s Director of Growth Marketing, previously the co-founder and CMO of the branded podcast agency, Origins Media Haus (acquired by Quill). She excels in merging creativity with data in order to successfully build and grow a brand.

Platform
Price
Pro’s
Con's
Anchor

Free

  • Easy to use
  • Automatically distributes your podcast to major platforms.
  • Embed media player.
  • Great if podcasting is a
    side hobby
  • Very basic editing
  • Since it’s a free tool, you don’t have full control over the monetization of your podcast.
  • Not the right platform for people taking podcasting seriously
Buzzsprout

Free for 2 hours of content per month

$12 for 3 hours per month

$18+ for 6 hours and up

  • Very user-friendly
  • Caters to both long term and beginner podcasters
  • Advanced analytics
  • Easy distribution of your episodes
  • They measure their size requirements to hours not megabytes
  • Bonus: get a free $20 Amazon gift card when you sign up for any paid hosting plan!
  • Advanced features like dynamic ad insertion need some work
Libsyn

$5/month for Monthly Storage 50mb

  • Oldest podcast hosting site.
  • Easy distribution to major platforms and great for scaling once your podcast gets bigger.
  • Hosted over 35,000 podcasts.
  • An iTunes Podcast partner.
  • Allows you to publish your podcast to specific directories.
  • Embed media player.
  • Price is based on storage
  • 50mb storage for $5 won’t be enough if you are publishing weekly so you’ll end up with a higher price point
Podbean

Unlimited audio package: $9/month

Storage space:

Unlimited

  • Great support & customer service features
  • Unlimited audio.
  • Pages are easy to customize
  • Can schedule podcast release dates.
  • Easy to use.
  • Uploads and changes to podcast titles and/or descriptions are automatic to Spotify.
  • Embed media player.
  • Simple Analytics
  • Analytics aren’t as advanced as other platforms
  • Upload and changes to podcast titles and/or descriptions take a day to change on iTunes.
  • Not an iTunes podcast partner.
  • The process to send a podcast to iTunes is more tedious. But, you will still be able to get on the platform.
Blubrry

Classic

$5/month

Monthly Storage

50mb

  • Podcast Wordpress plugin and management.
  • If you want to record a new introduction or conclusion, add in a sponsored ad or upload a new version of a podcast, it doesn't count towards your storage usage per month.
  • Blubrry allows a 25% storage overage each month
  • Prices are based on storage.
  • Usability is okay.
SimpleCast

Starting: $15/month

Recommendation: $35/month

Monthly Storage: Unlimited

  • Hosts your audio files no matter what the size!
  • Dynamic insertion for podcast ads or edits.
  • Incredibly detailed analytics including number of episodes completed and listener location tracking.
  • Embed media player.
  • Easy to use.
  • Great distribution! Easy access to all major podcast platforms.
  • Customizable podcast
    website.
  • Prices are slightly higher than other platforms, but well worth it especially if you have a branded company podcast!

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