A recent study by Nielsen found that podcast ads were more effective than digital ads, and it is predicted that in 2020, U.S. adults will spend more time listening to digital audio than radio.
As conferences and events continue to suffer cancellations and greatly reduced attendance, many businesses are wondering how to network with large investor audiences in the new normal.
Enter the podcast solution: a form of media attracting serious consideration from business people around the globe due to its impressive conversion rates and unparalleled ability to align brands with target audiences.
Podcast popularity is booming—almost 80% of Internet users are tuning in to digital audio at least once a month—and in a multitasking era where people seek to incorporate a dose of human connectivity and new insights while doing various activities, the podcast platform cannot be ignored.
Podcasting’s Edge in Modern Media
- Social media usage seems to have plateaued, but podcasting has continuously been on the rise, with the majority of Americans now saying they have listened to a podcast before.
- Podcasting is a unique format with a traditionally different sensory input—hearing. This audio format allows listeners to multitask while still keeping an active mindset, one ideally primed for engagement with content.
- Specificity of podcast platform allows for critical alignment between brand, mission, and audience. Loyalty is a trademark of the podcast culture, and listeners tune in religiously.
- Alignment creates impressive conversion rates—podcasting is outpacing social media in its effectiveness at reaching target audiences.
- As podcast guests, company representatives are placed in the spotlight, positioned as experts and thought leaders for an extended period of time. The show is edited and saved in perpetuity, whereas traditional interviews afford a much shorter, more transitory, and less striking impact.
- Though rising in popularity prior to COVID-19, podcasting is now becoming an integral part of the new normal in business and networking communities as traditional in-person events fall to the wayside. The podcast format offers a tremendous replacement for conventions, conferences, and events in marketing professional brands to strategic audiences.
- Audiences forge a personal connection to a company or brand that cannot be achieved in a press release or digital ad; this human connectivity encourages brand loyalty and interest as well as retention of content.
- Incredible reach—some podcasts get 200,000 downloads. With a specific enough audience, even 500 downloads to interested members is comparable to presenting at a conference of similar size.