Podcasts are doing more for brands today than anyone could have predicted. However, the podcasting medium is still in its infancy and in many ways an untapped creative channel when it comes to brand marketing. 

Branded podcasts give businesses a voice and are the perfect tool for driving awareness and authenticity. 

As more and more companies lean into podcasting, they’re realizing the benefits of their investment as it humanizes businesses to consumers and changes perception. Podcasting is a unique and rare opportunity for brands to connect with consumers without being too invasive. 

Keep reading to find out how and why podcasts are playing a larger role in branded content for companies. 

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1. Low Barrier to Entry

Podcasts are one of the lowest-lift ways to create new content, which is one of the reasons why it’s such a natural fit for your branded content strategy. 

Podcasts can be made from anywhere – a studio, your home, your office space. Podcasting requires little upfront capital in terms of equipment, all you need is a quality microphone and reliable recording software to get started. 

As a brand, you’ll likely want to look into finding a podcast agency to work with. Different podcast agencies are great for different goals and sizes of companies. Make sure to research the different agencies out there to see which one fits your goals, needs, and budgets best.  

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2. Easy to Consume

Unlike other types of content, such as videos or blogs, that require your undivided attention – podcasts fit naturally into people’s busy lives. You can listen to podcasts anywhere; on your commute, your walk outside, at the gym, or cleaning your home. In fact, data shows that listeners retain more of the podcast content when they’re multitasking.

Given the ease of consumption and the 24/7 use of smartphones, podcasts are one of the leading mobile-friendly content experiences. Its accessibility means that it is easier to build a following, a win-win for both the listener and the brand. 

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3. Drives Traffic to Your Website and Boosts SEO 

Podcasts provide significant SEO benefits. Whenever you host a podcast, each episode has a transcript, keywords and links that are used to drive traffic to your company website. What better way to attract new audiences and keep your brand top-of-mind? 

Ensure that you’re optimizing the visibility of your podcasts correctly. 

Three podcast SEO tips: 

1. Focus on selecting strategic keywords for your titles, descriptions, and show notes. Select a variety of both high-volume and lower volume search terms. Ensure that you don’t keyword stuff and make your content come off spammy. 
2. Create additional content to support the podcast like blogs and transcriptions. Transcriptions specifically are great for both SEO and also making your show more accessible. 
3. Promote your podcast on social media, newsletters, your website, etc. This will help to generate more word-of-mouth traffic and assist in boosting visibility. 

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4. Targets Niche Audiences 

Podcasts are generally on a specific topic. A company can use podcasts to discuss its products or services and target a specific audience. 

A great example is how Sephora partnered with Girlboss Radio to create a podcast on a line of lipsticks and women. The show was named #LIPSTORIES, and each episode featured an influential woman telling her story.  

The podcast was created to support and encourage other female leaders and to shine a spotlight on them. As a result, Sephora and Girlboss Radio were able to grow their following by targeting a niche segment of female leaders through their podcast. What better way to get your future (and current) customers to consume your brand messages?

This tip comes with an important reminder, going niche is a proven strategy. It may feel as if you’re cutting out listeners or that going broader will reach a wider audience, but we’ve seen brands fail when their shows aren’t specific enough. Understand who exactly you want to be speaking to and create a podcast that they’ll love. 

5. Encourages Audience Engagement 

Achieving brand affinity starts with an engaged audience, and podcast listeners are one of the most engaged segments. Avid podcast consumers tend to complete show episodes and listen to new episodes as soon as they release. Basically a brand's dream audience.

These consumers generally also share and promote episodes which in turn attracts new audiences. When you have that kind of brand loyalty, it means your branded content is creating fans that will champion your products and services over time.  

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6. Gives Birth to Other Content 

Podcasts can work in conjunction with your company’s written and video assets to create well-rounded content that engages more of your audience. For example, specific podcast episodes can inspire other mediums such as: 

• New blog posts 
• Video content
• Transcripts 
• Social media assets
• Infographics 
• Audiograms 

Think of podcasting as a creative loop that keeps generating more and more branded content for your followers. 

Overall, brands are continuing to search for new strategies that resonate and educate audiences while also telling a story. This can be challenging to achieve in an authentic format. Luckily, we’ve seen it done time and time again through valuable, strategic, and well-thought-out branded podcasts. 

Some of our favorite branded podcasts: 

• Powering Travel by Expedia Group 
• Well Said by Indigo 
• Inside Trader Joe’s by Trader Joe’s 
• Hackable? by McAfee 
• IRL by Mozilla 
• Open for Business by eBay