With technology always moving forward, our preferences mature and our mediums of communication continue to evolve. Back in the early 90’s, PR professionals transmitted their messages through written publication more often than not, perhaps even utilizing television or radio platforms on a rare occasion. But after the internet ingratiated itself into our daily lives, a whole new plethora of communication channels began to materialize, forcing today’s tech PR companies to reconsider their conventions of messaging.
With this transforming landscape, the power of the podcast has emerged as a leading forum for getting your message across. Until recently, podcasts existed as the domain of media companies and individuals with a story to tell. For instance, The Joe Rogan Experience podcast has more than 8 million YouTube subscribers and is downloaded roughly 190 million times per month. Conversations are off-the-cuff, organic, and in-depth with each show naturally lasting for 2-3 hours. But with the help of experienced production companies, more and more brands are getting in on the act.
A podcast exists as an on-demand digital audio file downloadable onto your phone, tablet, or laptop. The content produced for podcasts is designed to be engaging, informative, and intimate. Essentially, it’s a form of radio show that requires no radio station or radio set to listen to it. Anyone can record them and publish them. Listeners can search for a topic they want to hear more about, download a podcast on that topic, and listen to it. According to the 2019 Podcast Consumer Report, as many as 62 million Americans listen to podcasts every week, with almost half of those listeners consuming more podcasts in 2019 than the year prior.
The PR Power of the Podcast
For a technology PR agency, one of the appeals of podcasts is that it’s highly niched, and therefore can provide conviction for a specific PR purpose. For example, The Pen Addict podcast “is a weekly fix for all things stationery. Pens, pencils, paper, ink – you name it.” If you can imagine an esoteric topic or specific passion, there is likely a podcast dedicated to it. This niche appeal also tends to be accompanied with a committed following, listeners (and potential customers) tend to be loyal and eager to learn. A majority of these listeners also tend to be young, educated, and familiar with media distributed across multiple devices, channels and digital subscriptions. For your B2B tech PR agency, this scenario allows you to refine your message and engage potential customers on a whole new deeper level.
One of the best things about a podcast is that those interested can consume your PR message weeks, months, and even years after you publish that episode. So your podcast carries on working for you in perpetual motion—it’s a brand-builder that doesn’t suffer from any traditional inhibitions.
How can a podcast work for your brand or client?
For your B2B tech PR agency, branded podcasts can come in different forms. The first type allows your brand a space to show off your “area” of expertise. Secondly, branded podcasts have also been used to align with a specific subject matter and/or core principle. For instance, eBay‘s podcast provides inspiration for individuals starting up their own business, while Hubspot launched three podcast series in the span of three years, with each one tailored to a specific audience or objective. The first podcast, The Growth Show, was an editorial podcast aimed at raising brand awareness and garnered more than 1.5 million downloads. In each podcast episode, a business leader was interviewed to discuss different approaches to growth
With Google aiming to “double global podcast listenership” within two years, now is the time for your B2B tech PR agency to start considering podcasts as part of your wider PR strategy.
