+1.415.763.5717podcasts: consumers are listening
the blupint team is always looking for fresh avenues that businesses can use to spread their messages, share their ideas, and strengthen their digital presence. in the rapidly evolving environment of internet marketing, one trend continues to gain momentum: podcasting. for those new to podcasting, it is a funky fusion of blogging and voice. podcasting began as a type of audio-blogging experiment which, due to increasing usage, has continued to illustrate that consumers are interested in what businesses have to say, not just what they have to advertise. it makes sense that in an economy where people trust recommendations and yelp reviews more than a 30 second ad on the television, consumers are more interested in what businesses are thinking about, talking about, blogging about, and podcasting about.
podcasts are unique because, unlike a blog, there’s no need to use a computer or smartphone with an internet connection to access them after they are downloaded. we like to think of it as radio on demand. subscribers can search for podcasts on their itunes account and automatically download the content onto their iPod or iPhone, giving anyone the opportunity to broadcast to an unlimited and constantly growing audience during a commute to work, run at the gym, walk to class….you get the point. and with predictions that podcast downloaders will grow from 9% in 2008 to 17% by 2013, businesses should consider this tool to engage with potential customers.
i took a look at some popular podcasts on my itunes earlier, and found a lot of companies using podcasts to update their listeners (actually, they’re not just listeners…they’re fans). you can find just about anything on here. ESPN’s pardon the interruption. the new yorker. the adam carolla show. bloomberg news. vans. oprah (not to be outdone, ellen and tyra are on there too). but big companies aren’t having all the fun, small and medium businesses are also creating podcasts. YOGAmazing, a kentucky based yoga studio, is a small business that has utilized their 25 minute yoga routine podcasts to connect with current yoga students as well as entice new students to visit the studio and buy products online. the podcast has a large following (over 8 million downloads) in over 20 different countries and has been picked as a staff favorite on itunes. YOGAmazing’s video podcasts have even been featured in shape magazine. this small business has definitely shown how successful an effective podcast can be!
whether a big or small business, podcasters reach out to their audience in a more intimate way. they use podcasts to build their brand and sell services, provide tutorials on how to use a product or service, and to keep listeners up to date with the latest press releases and product developments. we are excited to see how podcasts will continue to evolve in the future.
here are some great resources for you to get started finding good podcasts or starting one yourself: