Recent research shows that Australian podcast listeners are an educated and discerning demographic, who spend, on average, five hours 20 minutes listening to their favourite shows each week. The average Australian podcast listener will tune in to around five shows per week; this equates to a whole hour of devoted attention per show. To gain and retain that attention requires high quality programming; this presents an exciting opportunity for marketers and communicators wanting to nurture meaningful connections with audience members. A captivated listener can become a subscriber, or, better yet, a brand advocate.
The following do’s will help you produce a successful branded podcast:
Do – Let your brand take a back seat
Nobody wants to listen to a brand waxing on and on about themselves. Australian Podcast Researcher Tym Yee describes how Australian brands face a “sweet window of opportunity” to create risk-taking and unexpected podcasts in an uncrowded content space. He also warns that conservative thinking and legal-vetting, could lead to brands publishing overly promotional podcasts or “PRodcasts”.
“PRodcasts could very well come into being over the next 24 months in Australia in instances where corporations that have the budgets to produce amazing, inspiring, entertaining, engaging and fierce podcast content choose to play the safe card instead of taking a risk.” – Tym Yee, (article published in B & T Magazine)
There is a time a place for mentioning your brand but it’s important to be as minimal as possible. A brief mention during the intro and outro, plus a short live-read mid-roll message is enough. Your branded message can directly relate to the podcast topic or stand separate; as long as your content chimes with your listeners’ goals, you’re golden.
Do – Know your audience
The tried-and-true exercise of creating a listener persona can be very helpful. Be specific about your listeners’ goals – even if they don’t directly relate to your business activies. What do your listeners really want? To be more productive? Happier? Wealthier? Do they yearn to escape?…Perhaps it’s a combination of things. On the flip side – it’s vital to also define negative influences lurking within your listener: their fears, challenges and insecurities. Programme content that takes your listeners towards their goals while conquering the negatives.
Do – Be generous
Your listeners should always gain something from your podcast – whether it’s insights, strategies, entertainment, or something else. Don’t be stingy or guarded, rather, give freely and often. Tip the scale in the their favour and they’ll reward you with their loyalty.
Here are some practical ways you can be generous:
1. Host a regular audience Q&A slot where you invite an outside expert to weigh in.
2. Give pro-tips, hacks, tricks, ‘try-this’ or ‘what I learned’ segments. Invite knowledgable guests to offer their advice and tell their stories.
3. Ask listeners to request show topics / themes.
4. Give a specific listener one-on-one attention; record a phone-in chat and make a segment all about their problems.
Do – Tell stories
Support your message with anecdotes, good yarns and honest accounts. Audiences love having little mysteries laid out, so, create moments of tension and release (This American Life does this particularly well). Even the most dry topic can be elevated by introducing narrative; for example, personal finance podcasts often educate listeners through telling brutally honest personal stories.
Do – Be available
Your podcast is the start of a conversation, so always provide ways for listeners to contribute:
- Encourage listeners to use special hashtags (and take the time to comment when it’s used);
- Give out your social handles and encourage listeners to reach out (and acknowledge them when they do);
- Create a facebook or LinkedIn group or event to build a network around your podcast (this will also acts as a forum where you can be *a little* more promotional).
The key is to encourage participation and ongoing conversation, without overtly promoting or selling.
Podcasts are unique because they have the ability to sustain a listener’s attention among a blizzard of tweets, grams, posts and memes. There is huge untapped potential for Australian brands to contribute incredible original content through podcasting … and delight audiences by taking them to unexpected places.
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Sandra is co-founder if PodBooth – Adelaide based podcast facility. She helps Adelaide businesses and organisations connect directly with audiences through streamlined podcast creation. Connect with Sandra at sandra@podbooth.com.au or on LinkedIn