In the US 90 million people spend 6 hours and 37 minutes each week listening to podcasts. Almost 40 percent of people between 25 and 54 listen to one podcast a month.
That’s a lot of people.
In a Word Camp KC 2019 presentation, Brent Bowen of Sparkade gave a presentation about how a podcast can fit into a brand’s marketing plan.
Podcasting is easy and cost effective. More importantly, podcasts are another way to to build brand personality and engage with customers.
It’s no secret that people buy from people they trust and like. The intimate nature of listening combined with the ease of consumption make podcasts an ideal part of a brand’s marketing mix. Blogs and videos can only be viewed in a few settings. Customers can listen to podcasts any time. This is what is driving their growth in popularity. Audiences develop a closeness with podcasts that they don’t with other mediums. Hearing the host talk directly to them builds trust.
That trust is what leads 65 percent of listeners to buy a product they hear about on a podcast. This study was looking at ads in podcasts. Ads are universally regarded as the worst part of any podcast, and still nearly two thirds of people will buy an advertised product. Unlike podcasters, brands don’t need to monetize their podcast, so no ad reads for mattresses or underwear. Instead retailers can casually talk about items they want to highlight. Describe the truckload of strawberries that just arrived. Taste test the new flavor of chips. Interview the butcher about how to pick out seafood. The possibilities are endless. The best part is they are all better than reading an ad. That means they will work even better.
Riesbeck’s Food Markets, in Ohio and West Virginia, started The Express Lane in May 2019. Peter and Brian Riesbeck host the show. Each week they talk about what is going on in the stores, tell stories of the stores’ history, and interview employees. The response has been good. People like hearing about their community members. A podcast is the easiest way to do that.
Contact Sean Kosednar if you are interested in starting a podcast for your store.