The podcast: Are you ready to turn your customers into fans?

What is a podcast?

Simply put, a podcast is a radio broadcast that you can listen to whenever and wherever you want. The word is an amalgamation of iPod and Broadcast. Indeed, the audio show (podcast) started conquering the world in 2006, when the iPod was still popular and these shows were frequently listened to on the iPod.

Numerous enthusiastic radio makers focused on this new phenomenon more than 10 years ago and mainly recorded interviews, documentaries and scientific stories. Many saw the podcast as radio 2.0. Down with poor listening rates due to unfavorable airtimes! And, an important difference with radio: no music and chatter, but inspiring stories.

Anyone can record an audio show from home and distribute it around the world. With professional equipment, but also simply with your smartphone. A podcast star can potentially reach a much larger audience than a traditional radio personality. Indeed, the popular podcasts now have millions of listeners. That is why more and more companies are also seeing podcasts as part of their marketing strategy. Like blogs and vlogs, podcasts are part of the new content marketing revolution.

Podcast is also growing in the Netherlands

The popularity of the podcast is still growing (in the Netherlands). Once you're done, you often stick around. Compared to ten years ago, twice as many people now listen to podcasts. And good news: most listeners listen to most or all of an episode.

In the Netherlands, partly due to the initiative of BNR and the Stimuleringsfonds voor de Journalism, we see that podcasts are increasingly being listened to. BNR launched it BNR Expert Podcast Network that facilitates and bundles business podcasts, but also helps creators develop the podcasts. With a subsidy from the Journalism Fund, the podcast production platform became 'Day and Night Media'stomped out of the ground. So there's plenty of potential!

Where to find podcasts

Of course, Spotify is a paradise for podcast enthusiasts, but iTunes also has a huge integrated podcast library where you can easily download episodes or entire series. Finding and downloading the most interesting podcasts is just as easy via various apps. For example, there are many alternatives on the market. Think about Castro and Overcast for iPhones, Juice for Mac, Podcast & Radio Addict for Android and the well-known Stitcher. You can also easily listen to podcasts for free via SoundCloud, for example those by De Correspondent.

What can you do with podcasts as a person and entrepreneur?

Recent research by Edison Research and Nielsen shows that podcasts now account for around 20% of all time spent on sponsored audio. This is a significant jump compared to a few years ago, when it was only 2%. Podcasts are particularly popular among young people (18-34 years old): they spend almost a third of their listening time on podcasts.

That may seem like a big share, but it's good to know that there are now more than 13 million active podcast listeners worldwide, and that they listen to podcasts on average about six hours a week. It also appears that podcast fans listen much more attentively than with other forms of media. That's different from quickly scanning a news story or listening to the news with half an ear.

So a podcast is an ideal way to package and deliver your message in a creative and inspiring way. A hook to your product or service is created in no time.

Your story and connection
For a few years now, most podcasts have focused on storytelling. You engage your listener in an authentic story. Your (potential) customer is unconsciously drawn into this and this creates a close relationship with your target group. Speaking of that band: a podcast is therefore ideal for connecting with your target group. When you hear the presenter's voice (m/f), you're already more connected than when you read an article on the internet or in the newspaper. When you broadcast on a regular basis, your listeners become familiar with your voice and company. This way, your company stays top of mind faster. A podcast is a more personal way to reach (potential) customers. They immediately get a better idea of your values and how you run your business. Another great advantage is that they can decide for themselves where and when to listen to you. Traditional ads or print articles require utmost concentration at a specific time, while you're also great to listen to a podcast in the car while you're on the way to work. Flexibility is therefore a big plus.

Expert status
With a podcast, it's relatively easy to show that your company is an authority in the business. The medium is ideal for sharing knowledge. The added value for the listener is therefore usually that they can gain knowledge about a topic that they find interesting, where and when it suits them.

Brand awareness
Regular podcasts help create brand awareness. You may even be able to make your brand a household name. What a podcast is also suitable for is integrating information about your products and services. At least if they match the topic of the podcast. An example: as a financial advisor, for example, publish a podcast about pension planning and include information about an informal consultation. Podcasts are great as a creative and fun way to advertise.

Which podcasts are doing well?

English-language podcasts such as the “mother of podcasts” This American Life, murder mysteries Serial and S-Town of The Truth, The Moth, Criminal, StoryCorps, and Welcome to Night Vale have hordes of fans. The New York Times also produces several podcasts per month, which are downloaded an average of about 15 million times. The strength of this podcast is that the reporter brings current topics very personally and into an informal conversation.

In the Netherlands, the podcast “Really happened” is doing incredibly well, but “Man with the microphone” also has many regular listeners. For this latter podcast, Chris Bajema drives through his own neighborhood of Amsterdam-Oost looking for stories from ordinary people to share. In “Really Happened”, people tell special, moving or funny stories that they have experienced themselves. You can yourself too relinquishing to tell your story.

What other podcast recommendations are there?

In addition to “Really happened” and “Man with the microphone”, the following podcasts also have many enthusiastic fans and are regularly tipped off:

• BNR Nieuwsradio (Interesting Dutch podcasts about business, economy, news, politics, technology & innovation and more).
• Podcasts about media (Alexander Klöpping and Ernst-Jan Pfauth) have pub discussions about media and everything that comes with it during this show. By the way, this podcast was produced by the aforementioned “Day and Night Media”).
• Entrepreneur on Fire (About how entrepreneurs took their business to the next level).
• Bosses (People who have unique knowledge, do extraordinary things, or have experienced exceptional things).
• The Chase Jarvis Show (For creative minds: Chase Jarvis, one of the world's top photographers and founder of online education platform CreativeLive, speaks to the world's top creative entrepreneurs. Together, they share stories that give you insight into recognizing your passions and achieving your goals).
• Success fabric (For marketing gurus, or if you want to become one).
• Entrepreneurship as a way of life (A feast of recognition for the [future] entrepreneur).

Conclusion: The podcast is a unique opportunity for your company

There are so many media to choose from to promote your business, but the podcast is unique because of the effect it has on your listeners. Podcast listeners get interested in your business, and that interest only grows with your business. Ultimately, a regular listener will cheer with you in case of success and support you in the event of a setback. In addition, a podcast is ideal for showing expertise, making a connection with your target group and building a relationship of trust. As a marketing tool, this is therefore potentially worth millions, but in reality, it costs you almost nothing. With a small investment, your (small) company can create a huge following that will outshine your competitor. So definitely worth a try!

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