The rise of podcasts & how to utilise them to build your brand

The power of video content and visual storytelling is undisputed. It has been eclipsing good old-fashioned prose and written content for some time now, but there’s a new kid on the block and they aren’t shy about making themselves known. We’re talking about podcasts – the audio medium which Ofcom recently revealed in its Media Nations 2019 report is being greedily consumed by 1 in 8 of us on a weekly basis. That’s more than 7 million people in the UK tuning in every single week to some sort of podcast material - but why has podcasting become so popular?

#1- we’re greedy as multi-sensory consumers 

Well, first of all, audiences want the media to deliver a whole multi-sensory experience these days. We’ve had written content; we’ve got video in the bag and now we’ve got audio content via the means of podcast making itself very much at home. We’re only really short of scratch ‘n’ sniff screens to complete the set. But even that’s not a million miles off with the ongoing advancements in experiential marketing campaigns. Imagine a Wonkavision advert actually beaming a chocolate bar straight into your front room, now who wouldn’t want that?

#2- A chance to grow your tribe & preach your values 

The popularity of podcasting isn’t just about ticking a box on the sensory spectrum though. The medium brings a whole host of USPs to the table, all of which align intrinsically with the Creative England demographic and our core ethos and values.

Podcasts inspire more thought-leadership content and brand awareness through the spread of expert knowledge on specific topics, leveraging influence and bolstering reputation within a respective industry. Of course, this is only enhanced by increased opportunity to get noteworthy guests on the bill. They also allow businesses to tap into more niche audiences as digitalisation paves the way for more intimate and personal content that people want to sit up and pay attention to. 

#3- On-the-go easy consumable content (straight into your feed) 

One of the most appealing things about podcasts is how accessible and easy to consume they are. Videos and blog articles require a certain level of undivided attention, a luxury many of us just can’t afford in this hectic day and age, but podcasts lend themselves so seamlessly to multitasking. You can be at the gym, in the car, rushing from A to B or on a long haul flight to the other side of the world and you’ve got that familiar presenting voice in your ear feeding your insatiable appetite for insight and information. ‘Familiar’ being the operative word there because, of course, podcasts also give vocal content the power to forge stronger connections with the listener. Visual storytelling and written articles have their sacred place in content delivery but both place a certain void between them and their consumer in a way that podcasts bridge by design.

So, podcasts are the future – we get it – but for Creative England, they posed a bit of challenge. Series one followed the development labs of iFeatures, but series two dared to follow our filmmakers across the country and talk to them around the locations set for the first time feature films. Our dilemma was how to capture the creativity and messaging behind our filmmakers’ visions through audio means. How would we express something so visual, audibly? 

#4- Take the audience with you 

Allow for a mix which can make your audience feel like they’re there with you. That’s all the jingling of keys, the clashing of the waves onto a rock bed and even the impatient driver honking his horn in the background. Don’t be afraid by sounds around you, as long as they’re not distracting too much from the main audio; embrace them into the story. Try and add movement into the content; no one likes a two headed static video of two people talking, audio is the same. The best podcasts out there, are ones that take you on a journey.

You can hear examples of this in our latest episode here

#5 Have visuals to accompany your campaign 

As immersive as a podcast can be, we always want to see how close our imagination matches with reality. In the way that a good book adaption to screen works, we’re loyal to what we’ve summoned in our heads, but does it live up to the expectation of the visuals? All those audio-sensory sounds you’ve teased the listener with on an episode all of a sudden come to life. 

#6 Blog, blog, blog

Your audience are individuals who just want more, they want behind-the-scenes, they want intricate details so write about the processes and things that didn’t make it into the cut. It also gives you a place to collate all the content in once place, with a neat little bow. Pretty much like this one (see what I did there?) 

So what are you waiting for? Be creative, build your community & most importantly tell your story.

You can subscribe to the iFeatures: Stories about Place podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google play or find out more on our website here: https://www.creativeengland.co.uk/ifeatures-podcast/