2016 was an interesting year for podcasts as there was a boom in its popularity. According to Edison Research, 57 million Americans were listening to podcasts on a monthly basis. The number of people aware of the term podcasting is a staggering 150 million and 98 million people listen to podcasts. About 47% of those listeners follow brands on social media, which shows how much of the market can be influenced by podcasts.
Why did podcasts become extremely popular?
The rise in the number of mobile users is one of the main reasons why podcasts became popular. According to GSMA, the number of mobile users is expected to cross 5 billion in 2017. Mobile users find it easy to access and download podcasts and listen to them while they are on the go. Edison Research found that about 71% of people listen to podcasts on their phone. Also, there is a decline in the number of users that prefer reading as most people love doing more than one activity at a time. For example, people listen to podcasts while working out in the gym, on their way to work or even while waiting in the queue to order food.
What are the advantages of using podcasts?
Here are three reasons as to why you should start using podcasts.
1. Low investment
When compared to graphic and video design elements, podcasts are cost-effective methods to create content. You can purchase a really good microphone and the software necessary to edit podcasts on a small budget. However, you will mainly have to invest your time to plan and create the content.
2. Different readership
Podcasts and blog posts have different target audiences. If you have podcasts and long-form content, you will be able to tap into both communities. By following this strategy, you can increase your reach to a wide audience.
3. Extremely popular at the moment
If you create a podcast, you are taking advantage of the current trend in America. At the moment, podcasts are extremely popular in America. However, this popularity will not last forever, so you have to take advantage of it while it still hasn’t reached the peak.
How do you make sure your podcast is successful?
Here are three simple tips that will make your podcasts successful:
1. Be different
There are thousands of podcasts available to download. About 79% of the users click on a podcast and listen to it immediately. To grab the attention of podcast users, you need to be different from everyone else and provide content that is relevant to their needs. For example, you can take a look at a podcast called What’s Good Games. It consists of four women who talk about video games. As the gaming industry is dominated by males, the podcast grew in popularity as they had a different perspective.
2. Integrate your podcasts with various media types
To ensure you have the attention of your target audience, you need to publish your podcasts in all media types. For example, you can use Youtube to release videos of your podcast recording. You can also embed podcasts on your blog. This will increase the visibility of your podcasts, giving it a higher chance of getting clicked by your target audience.
3. Consistent release timing
If you are planning on releasing your podcasts on a weekly basis, you need to make sure that it gets released on the same day at the same time every week. By establishing a routine, your target audience will know when to expect your podcasts.
As you can see, podcasts can boost your content marketing campaign. However, it can be challenging to come up with content for your podcasts on a regular basis. But you can always take the help of professional content writers to make the entire process easier.
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