Podcasts: What are they and how are they changing the game?
Written by Anna Hadzinski
““Audio as a medium will grow, and as it grows, it will give rise to earfluence,””
Podcasts
Podcasts are a form of media in which listeners can listen to a plethora of different topics, stories, news, etc. In recent years, there has been a rapid growth in the amount of podcasts being released, along with the number of listeners. Many ‘podcasters’ have figured out that they can market themselves just by talking to a microphone for an hour. One of the best ways to market yourself is to speak directly to your audience.
Who are these podcasters?
The beautiful thing about creating a podcast is that there are no prior qualifications. Anyone who has some sort of a microphone, whether it be a phone or the cheapest one you can find on Amazon, anything will do. On platforms such as Spotify or Apple Music, you can post any podcast for free!
While there are many podcasters that start with little to no social platform, there is an even bigger number of podcasters who began to try the media after already having a successful social media presence. One example of this would be Alix Earle.
Alix Earle: Hot Mess
Alix Earle began her social media presence as a TikTok influencer who went viral after her ‘Get Ready With Me” videos became really popular. She has since grown her social media presence and become a favorite among recent influencers. She recently decided to use the force of her social media platform to create a podcast with the idea of just having a conversation with her fans. She has always been known to have a ‘big sister’ influence on younger girls on TikTok, so now she can have that presence at the ready in the form of a long audio that people can listen to on their favorite streaming platform.
Changing The Game
Marketers and influencers, such as Alix Earle, are figuring out how efficient podcasts can be in marketing a brand, product, company, or even just a person. An article from Forbes magazine titled, The Audio Boom: How Podcasts Are Changing The Game For Marketers, mentions, “Needless to say, we are in the midst of yet another technology transition. The podcasting trend is not a whisper, but an explosion -- and a loud one at that.”, (Shadpour, 4). The article touches on the main reasons why people are choosing to listen to podcasts, as well as how marketers are taking advantage of this digital shift.
Content:
With so many podcasts now available, there is an endless amount of content that listeners can listen to. There are endless amounts of different genres, podcast lengths, and content structures. Some podcasters are beginning to add video recordings of them recording the actual audio for the podcast. In terms of the amount of different content, there is something for everyone out there. Whether you want to listen to a short recap of big news events on the way to work or a two-hour-long relationship advice podcast from your favorite influencer, there will always be something new for you to listen to.
Marketing:
Podcasts are a great way to market yourself as a brand, for free! Using tools such as Spotify for Podcasters, you can create and publish a podcast for nearly no cost. One reason why podcasts make for a great marketing tool is that they allow brands to deep dive into topics. For example, a company or brand might make a social media post about something that seems minor, but on their podcast can take a deep dive and let their customers get a feel for their product. On top of free marketing, many podcasters form sponsorships from different brands and their products. It is not uncommon for podcasts to insert short 30-second to a-minute advertisements during their episodes. These commercials explain their sponsor’s products and most times will have a discount code that their customers can use. Although this is not marketing the podcasts themselves, it is another way that others can market a product using podcasts and a small price.
What comes next?
Podcasts are heading on an upward slope. There is no telling how many more podcasts are going to be available shortly, but everyone is excited. In the next few years, it is easy to expect that we can see many more celebrities and influencers create or endorse podcasts. Oftentimes, celebrities will start a podcast as a way to gain traction during a time when they are promoting some sort of product that needs attention.
It is fair to say that Podcasts in the near future could nearly erase radio stations and news outlets. Today, many people would prefer to just throw on a podcast while in the gym and in the car, as opposed to listening to music or watching the news. Podcasts normally can have good unbiased news that most can agree on. This new form of media is changing how we listen and gather information, one podcast at a time.