2017 is officially the Year of Podcasting – Are You Ready to Start Talking?

Listen. That’s probably what your target market is doing right now. They listen to podcasts on their tablet or smartphone.

Podcasting still makes up a small portion of content marketing. Only half of Americans knew what a podcast was as of 2015. This is still a great medium to listen to. Podcast listening is increasing, according to the content marketing institute. There has been a 23% increase between 2015 and 2016 and a 71% jump in podcast consumption since 2013.

Podcasts aren’t new. They’ve been around since the early 2000s. But they have just now taken root. There have been several successful attempts over the last three years, and there has been growing interest in everyone, from Buzzfeed to Wall Street Journal, creating their audio content. You can even listen to some great marketing podcasts.

What Drives Audio Content?

Two factors are driving the trend. The other is mobile use. Podcasts are now being listened to on the go. Podcasts are now accessible from anywhere, making listening easy on the go.

Listening is one of the best ways to experience modern phenomena every day. It’s ample time. You can either daydream, meditate, or feel frustrated that you’re not getting any work done. Or, you can listen to Freakonomics’ latest episode.

Quality is the second. This is the second; big brands like State Farm, Netflix, GE, and Netflix are already using it. Like many brands’ blogs, they don’t just distribute audio content but add brand messaging and promotional material. They are partnering with audio production companies that know how to tell stories. This is helping to generate interest in this previously overlooked marketing medium.

The Art of Branded podcasts

This is Huxley’s Brave New World and Johnny Dollar. These are all fascinating pieces of content. Shoshana Winter is the Chief Strategy Officer at Vizeum. She says branding podcasts have a higher creative standard than blogs and other written content.

Significant brands are well aware of the consumer who are tired of long commercials and are now embracing podcast marketing. They know they will need more than an extended advertisement to get results. Although they may enjoy a short promotional video, no one will listen to a half-hour-long audio episode if it smells like an advertisement.

The solution is to create audio content that starts with answering the question: What do they want?

It is a branded podcast about eBay. Gimlet Creative, a Brooklyn-based audio company, created it. This podcast offers a practical example of how a company can provide something that will improve people’s lives. Podcasts about building a business are an excellent fit for fledgling entrepreneurs, one of eBay’s target audiences.