Should you make podcasts part of your PR playbook?

Podcasts are nothing new, but when you add them to your marketing arsenal, they open up a whole new way to drive engagement to your company. 

People spend a large chunk of their time on their smart devices. According to Statista, the total number of smartphone subscriptions worldwide has surpassed 6 billion and is forecast to further grow by several hundred million in the next few years.

The purpose of podcasts is to meet your customers where they are. There’s no better place to build authority than on mobile, where more and more people are going every day. 

In addition, NPR has found that 75% of podcast listeners take action on a sponsored message. This means that they are more likely to click on ads, follow affiliate links or buy merchandise. 

Check out five reasons why you should make podcasts part of your marketing outreach program:

1. Podcasts provide an opportunity to showcase your expertise

– Most people tune in to podcasts because they want to learn. They want to gain new skills, know what is going on in their respective fields or increase their general knowledge. Therefore, if you are an expert on a specific topic, podcasts can be a great tool to teach others about an interesting and upcoming trend or idea. This way you can position yourself as a credible authority on the subject.

2. Podcasts are great marketing assets

– An effective podcast interview can be used for other purposes as well. Even if you are unable to attract a large audience, simply appearing on the podcast can help. Once the interview is live, you can add a link to it on your social media pages or your company website, send it to prospective clients and share it in a newsletter to markedly expand your audience.

3. Podcasts have a long shelf life

– Podcasts, in general, offer evergreen content, unless they focus on a time-sensitive topic or an interview that is relevant only at a specific point in time. They are about big trends and ideas, about opinions and thoughts, and about what’s next. 

4. Podcasts allow you to put your message in front of a niche audience

– Thought leaders and industry groups frequently host podcasts, which can be especially useful if their niche audiences are just the audience you are trying to reach.

5. Podcasts are good practice

– Since this medium is casual and conversational, you can experiment with key topics to see what resonates. When done well, an interview on a podcast that has an emerging audience can be used to pitch others with larger audiences or broadcast outlets. 



Podcasts can be an effective outreach tool, but it is important to get them done right: Choose the right target, prepare well and share any podcast interviews with your customers and prospects. 

Tips on how to start a podcast

Since podcasts don’t require a visual focus, people can listen to them while doing other chores, which is a primary reason for the ever-growing podcast audience. You can plan and start a business podcast to reach your target audience in three simple steps:

Know your audience

: Ensure that the topic is relevant to your target audience and provides value to them. Build a podcast to answer two key questions about your business: (1) Who are your ideal customers? and (2) What problem do you solve for those customers?

Develop podcast artwork

: Teach, educate and give valuable, actionable advice in every episode, including useful tips and insights. Keep episode lengths short and interesting to avoid losing consumers’ interest. Select the right equipment or medium to record your podcast and software to deliver a podcast that sounds great.

Hosting and launching the podcast

: Once you’re ready with your first episode, upload and distribute it to the iTunes Store, Stitcher, social media and other podcasting libraries and services. Publishing frequency should be at least weekly, and you should schedule new episodes at the time when your audience is most active each day. Advertise your new episode or podcast on social media, other podcasts and your website to ensure that your audience is aware of it and knows how to find it.