Podcasts are no longer a real novelty. Although they emerged in 2014, they have only recently gained momentum and have since become a growing trend. According to studies conducted by Nielsen and Edison, there are currently over 700,000 active podcasts and over 29 million episodes. But what is a Podcast anyway? It is simply a way of listening to content. Anyone can record and make their episodes available in audio form for later listening or downloading online. Themes are subjected to the creator’s inspiration, from comedy to culture or business and are available in any language and for all age groups.
McDonald’s, Sephora or Johnson & Johnson are some of the brands that have already realized the potential and business opportunity that this trend represents. Podcasts thus appear to brands as a way to connect with their audiences and to turn listeners into customers. As Niki Clark suggests in 4 Benefits of Pocasting for Brands, “Business podcasting has found a way to bring interesting topics to a specific audience who really wants to hear and is in tune with the brand.”
Thus, informally and playfully, companies can show their “other side” and speak directly to those whose interests and characteristics are similar, including potential customers. Niki Clark further concludes that “corporate podcasts generally have smaller but higher quality audiences. (…) which means that the audience, regardless of size, is highly relevant and qualified to interact with the brand.”