Podcast listenership is growing across Asia and Australia and podcast content is becoming more diverse than before.
According to a study on podcast listenership by published by the News & Media Research Centre, Canberra, Australia, appetite for podcasts is strong:
- One-third of Australians listen to podcast and the audience is growing
- Podcast listening in general is popular in Asian countries (45%) and among the different genres, news podcasts appear to be the most popular genre (22%).
- In a number of Asian countries more than half of consumers are listening to podcasts; the Philippines (57%), Hong Kong (55%), and South Korea (54%).
- In the Philippines (26%), Hong Kong (32%), South Korea (27%), and Japan (11%), news podcasts were the most popular podcast genre.
- Lifestyle podcasts were also popular in Malaysia (23%), Hong Kong (32%), Taiwan (26%), and Singapore (12%).
Source: News & Media Research Centre, Canberra, Australia
Source: News & Media Research Centre, Canberra, Australia
But what exactly goes into the makings of a successful podcast? Should brands jump on board? Does it matter if you’re a B2B or B2C brand?
In the first episode of our newly launched Clubhouse series, Summer of Sonic, we stepped into the world of podcasting and addressed the big questions about how podcasting fits into a marketer’s content strategy. Joined by guest speakers and podcasters, Geoff Quattromani of Technology Uncorked and Shaun Tupaz of Send Help And Coffee, here are the key takeaways of the session:
#1 Align Your Agenda With Your Brand Values & Purpose
Podcasts should be treated as another medium for helping you achieve awareness of your brand. Just like social media, podcasts are another great space that can help you reach your audiences. You don’t necessarily have to start your own podcast series but you can look for existing podcasts that align with your brand values. Consider appearing as a guest or appearing as part of a sponsorship and look for opportunities that match what your brand mission, vision or promise.
If you are considering starting your own series, don’t feel that you need a company representative to be the voice of that podcast. For example, say your brand is in the business of infant care products, podcasts can become part of your overall content strategy. You can launch a parent’s podcast series hosted by a mummy or dad influencer or subject matter expert, perhaps even consider your employees who are parents themselves.
#2 Forget About Rules
The great thing about podcasts is that they don’t have to follow a single format or set of rules – YOU are the captain and this is YOUR ship. Of course, there are certain styles of podcasts such as a talk-show style, conversational style, a roundtable or even ‘rants’ like Shaun’s. But the key to a great podcast is to basically be yourself. Instead of fretting over the bells and whistles of putting a podcast together, set clear goals for your brand and put a bigger focus on creativity and content.
Another myth that Shaun busted for us during our Clubhouse session: you don’t need to have that certain ‘radio voice’. There are lots of ways to improve your articulation and technique but at the end of the day, it’s not the quality of your voice but what you are saying.
#3 Consider Your Audience’s Habits & Preferences
When it comes to determining the publishing frequency and duration of your podcast, it should always revolve around where your audience is and what they’re doing when they’re listening in. Geoff shared that before he first launched Technology Uncorked, he considered what the average commute time in Australia was. He ended up with a 30-min episode. You can also find out what the typical lunchtime hours are in the places you want your podcasts to be popular.
As for frequency, the important part isn’t whether you do a daily or weekly show, it’s about committing to it and sticking to your schedule because your audience will depend on it. This is really critical for brands to note because you don’t want to let your audience down. What you can do is to ensure you pre-record as many episodes as you can, so you only have to worry about publication dates. In a nutshell, your decision on how long your podcasts should be depends on how much time your audience has, and how often you should post will depend on what you are most comfortable with.
#4 Don’t Be Afraid Of The Attention
Still unsure about taking the plunge into podcast or other audio-based platforms like clubhouse because you’re not quite sure what to say? Or worse, it’ll open a can of worms for negative criticism?
The reality is, people are already talking about your brand whether you like it or not. If you’re using social listening tools, you’ll know what associations your brand has, what customers like or not, and that should be seen as an opportunity for you to become part of the conversation. There’s nothing better than being able to respond to negativity and work on fixing or improving the relationship. If sentiment is positive, use that to build your brand further because your customers are the real brand advocates.
#5 Measure Success, Measure Engagement
The topic of ROI is bound to come up when it comes to digital. In addition to metrics like total listenership across all distribution channels, measuring how many people you’ve engaged is equally important. Try adding unique links that are trackable so you know when listeners click on them and include call-to-actions so they can continue to interact with your brand outside of the podcast.
By engaging your audience, you’re offering a mechanism for feedback and allowing two-way communication. It’s as simple as reading out comments or answering questions from your listeners. Lastly, tie your podcast programme back to your socials. Get your followers to share feedback and comments using a hashtag. By doing so, you can also track your success based on the amount of mentions and lead a conversation to an action.
Special thanks to Podcasters Connect for hosting us on their club.
Ready to launch your podcast? Check out our tips to getting started here. You can also get updates on future Clubhouse sessions by signing up for our mailing list.
