Why Podcast?
Over the past few years the podcast as a content piece has seen a major resurgence. Much like the rise, fall, and rebirth of blogs (remember the early Blogger sites?) podcasts have found new life. But why should you as a business or as a person care? Why should you podcast? If you’re reading this instead of listening to the recording above, you’re probably a little skeptical. Here are six reasons why you should stop reading right now and hit that “play” button!
1. They make for efficient content. This one might speak to you more or less depending on the industry you operate in. If there’s one thing we as internet marketers have internalized as our mantra it is that “content is king”. The ability to create quality content that provides value to your audience is a powerful thing. Podcasting allows you to create material for your website or social sharing that takes written content a step further, but doesn’t require the huge amount of time and effort that goes into producing a video. In terms of back-for-buck, podcasting is a relatively cheap and easy way to create content for an audience.
2. It puts a voice to a face. There is a personal touch that comes through with the human voice that is almost impossible to achieve with written blog content. We have a mental block that prevents us from really reading something in the voice of the person who wrote it, especially if we’ve never met that person. Audio as a medium provides that level of personality that written content simply can’t. it let’s us jump that great mental chasm between reading something and truly appreciating it.
3. If the quality is there you don’t need video. Particularly in situations where you’re trying to relay valuable or entertaining information, the thing that should grab and hold your audience’s attention should be just that: The actual information. Think of your content like music. Sure you can sit down and watch the music video, but does it really enough value to warrant the amount of production that goes into it? How many times have you opened something in YouTube only to minimize it and go back to what you were doing in another tab? 
4. Podcasts record candid conversation. Here’s a big fat secret: Most people actually like
conversation. Shocking right? We secretly yearn for an unscripted back-and-forth. It’s why we go to parties. This is basically impossible to relay through written content, and feels a little awkward and unnecessary when recorded on video. Podcasting offers the perfect medium for recording conversation.
5. They inspire communities. When you’re creating content for an audience the ultimate dream is that they not only consume and appreciate it, but actually form tribes around it. Think about how excited you get when someone mentions Game of Thrones. For some strange reason podcasts do a particularly good job of rallying people around their common cause. Regular listeners of podcasts identify viscerally with them. Why does this happen? Well, number six has a lot to do with it.
6. Podcasting respects the audience. You’re a busy person. You’ve got a lot going on. If you’re going to consume a piece of content you better be able to do it easily, almost without having to think about it. Reading a blog or even watching a video are hard. Sorry, but it’s true! Listening to something passively is much, MUCH easier. Poscasts are just generally easier to consume then most other content and as a result the audience feels that their time is respected. If there’s one thing that will keep an audience coming back over and over it’s making them feel that you respect them.
At the end of the day no medium or content style is perfect for every conceivable situation. There are certainly industries and personalities for which podcasting would make absolutely no sense. That being said, if you’re going to decide not to try something be it podcasting, a new business model, or particular social media platforms, do it for the right reasons. Being scared or confused by something is not nearly a good enough reason not to try.
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