Does the term Podcast sound familiar to you , but you still don’t know what it is or how to listen to it on your mobile? I am sure that, if you are constantly browsing the Internet for leisure or work, you will already know of its existence and, above all, of its resounding success.
And it is that this type of content is becoming increasingly popular, both among users and consumers of them, and among professionals who intend to use it as part of their digital strategy.
For this reason, I wanted to offer you a complete guide where you understand in detail what a podcast is, the advantages of creating a program of this nature and everything you need to know about this type of content, as well as how you can comfortably listen to them from your mobile. Do you dare to discover it?
What is a Podcast?
A podcast is a type of digital content in audio format, which you can download and / or listen to on a recurring basis on any computer or mobile device, from the author’s website or from any podcasting application or platform, where it is intended to inform or entertain the listener. with a topic of your interest.
For those who in the first instance do not understand exactly its definition, we can say that it is basically a radio program taken to the Internet and that, as I have mentioned, you can download or listen to it in streaming.
In addition, they are generally available for you to subscribe, in the same way that happens with a YouTube channel, so when the author publishes a new episode, you can activate a notification so that, through a subscription (RSS), be warned immediately.
As a curious fact, its name comes from the union of «iPod» and «Broadcast», for being similar to radio programs but that you can listen to from your portable player (popularized in Apple iPods).
What Exactly are Podcasts For?
And since I think you have perfectly understood what a podcast is, let’s talk about why we can create this type of content in particular.
Basically, as I have mentioned, this is an excellent means through which to share any type of information of value to the user (in this case, the listener) , just as it happens in a Blog, although here it would be the reader.
Whether it is entertainment content, news, commentary or even educational content, there are a variety of programs whose main objective is to serve as a training platform , whether it is teaching a language, a technical topic or even entertaining your audience.
Another point that can be highlighted is that it works as main content or as extra content. That is, you can use this type of content as your main product or you can share it as an extra.
For example, there are professionals who use them as an incentive for people to subscribe to regular Newsletters, and even teachers who offer or recommend any of these programs as a complement to face-to-face classes.
How Does a Podcast Work and What is Its Competitive Advantage?
Looking at it from a strategic point of view, I will focus its profits on those belonging to listeners who enjoy consuming them; and on the other hand what it contributes to all those professionals who generate this type of online audio content.
» Advantages for the consumer or listener
The life that many of us lead today is quite accelerated, let’s say that we are constantly going from one place to another, occupying our time with things that we consider important for our life, be it work, studies, sports activities or even care of our children.
The problem comes when all these activities that we do daily and that are part of our routine leave us with little or no time to enjoy informative content that interests us and that can contribute a lot to our training, or simply to distract us.
It is precisely this lack of time that makes them so successful in recent years.
And it is a content format that is easy to enjoy, and that basically does not take up any time of the day , since you can simply listen to them or watch them while doing any other activity.
Either in your car on the way to work, or while preparing dinner. The way this type of content is made makes it easy to enjoy anytime, anywhere.
In a life as busy as many tend to lead, he is highly appreciated by the general public.
In fact, although the video had already shifted a little to the text content a few years ago, this digital format is positioning itself above the video, since the latter requires that you be watching your screen all the time, while the other does not.
» Advantages for the creator of the podcast
Now, it is not only something that our public or audience should be grateful for, but also the professionals who generate this type of audio track.
And it is that these open a new window with which to connect with our target audience. It does not matter if you are self-employed, SME or a large company, a podcast is a method with which you can communicate with your audience closely.
As a professional, having one is an opportunity to give unique, exclusive and interesting content to your audience . Not everyone has time to sit and read blog posts or social media, but they can listen to your program while they are in the car at work or while they are engaged in any other activity.
It can also be a great incentive, as extra content to offer, something that attracts attention and makes your clients feel that you care about them and that you want to offer them the best, offering them, for example, the opportunity to answer their questions via email through of the audio of a program that you dedicate only to solving them.
Not to mention that, as it is a regular program, with “episodes”, it is a great way to build customer loyalty , since if they are interested in the content you share, they will return regularly in order to consume more episodes.
How Can The Podcast Be Implemented in a Digital Marketing Strategy?
At this point, it must be said that it depends on each person and the needs of each professional or business.
However, I can give you some points or advice on how to implement it in your Digital Marketing Plan in a simple way.
» Boost your email marketing
One of the most common methods is to use them as an enhancer for your email marketing strategies.
If you are looking to get more subscribers for your newsletters, why not incentivize your visitors by offering an exclusive podcast program ?
Rest assured that, depending on the theme you work on or the type of content you create, they may be quite interesting.
Above all, if it is extra content that adds value to users.
» They are an excellent way to promote courses
If your product has to do with courses or education in general, this format is an exceptionally powerful tool.
Through them you can give “small samples” of what your clients can learn in your course or educational program, and thus engage your visitors so that they become clients, that is, students.
» Strengthen your brand and your presence on social networks
I was already telling you what were the main advantages of this type of content and, based on this, we can say that they have some ease to share on social networks.
Taking this into account, with them you can strengthen your Personal or corporate Brand and the presence you have on the Internet.
It is just a matter of creating content related to your business and transmitting it in an audio format like this, while continuing to promote it on your social media profiles.
At first it may cost you, but you will see that with time you will develop better and better.
Plus, it makes users feel closer to the brands they follow and support, which is a huge plus.
» Offer it as extra content when performing an action
If you want your audience or customers to be more likely to take action (similar to the first point I mentioned), offer a podcast as additional or “extra” content .
This will give them an incentive to take some action, and I’m not just talking about subscribing to your newsletter, it can also be sharing some content on their networks, or even signing up for a course.
It doesn’t matter which CTA you want to take: if you give an incentive, your visitors will be more likely to follow it.
How Can You Listen Podcasts on Mobile?
To finish, I want to recommend you some applications that will come in great if you want to listen to them on your mobile and even from your computer:
1) iVoox
This is my first option when listening to this valuable content format, since iVoox is one of the pioneers when it comes to broadcasting.
It is the best application to listen to them, at least in Spanish.
Not only does it have a multitude of programs to subscribe to, but it also has many other types of content to listen to, such as the possibility of listening to traditional radio in streaming.
The best? Well, not only do you have to be a listener, if you want, you can start your own program with the help of this application , and it is very easy to use.
Its interface is intuitive, quick to master and quite comfortable, find the content you like the most in a short time and in a few seconds you can start enjoying it.
2) Spotify
Yes, Spotify is well known as an application for listening to music anywhere, anytime.
However, what not everyone knows is that it is also an excellent platform to enjoy podcasting Online , and with excellent quality.
It is also highly recommended, and if you already have an account on this platform, I invite you to try it, since it is very comfortable in that you can have your favorite music and programs from other professionals in the same place .
It is very easy to use and quite comfortable.
3) TuneIn Radio
To finish, I want to show you a third alternative: it is TuneIn Radio, an application that you can download on both iOS and Android and that offers its users the possibility of listening to this format as well.
But it is not only about that, it is also one of the main applications for listeners, since it gives you access to thousands of radio and news programs, allowing you to enjoy live programs from different parts of the world.
Conclusion
Of all the existing formats and types of content marketing formats, the podcast really is here to stay.
And it is that, as I already told you throughout this article, one of its main advantages and the one that those who consume it most value is that they can enjoy them while doing other tasks and without having to keep their eyes on the mobile or the computer screen.
In this way, we can keep up to date with news, innovations in our sector and everything that we are interested in hearing.
Did you know what a podcast is? Have you tried listening to programs in other apps or programs?
Tell me what you think about this format and if you have already tried it ?
