When podcaster and marketing legend Ed Dale spoke at We Are Podcast, he opened his remarks with the following: ‘I love podcasts, they are my number one way to get information about anything. I love, love, love them to death.’ Ed is obviously a bit biased when it comes to podcasting, but his sentiment has been reflected in the trends of how people consume information these days.
Consider the following:
According to a study cited in Adweek, there has been growth across the board in the podcasting world – ‘the percentage of the 12+ population that has heard the term podcasting is 60 percent, up from 55 percent last year, the percentage that has listened to a podcast is 40 percent, up from 36 percent last year, and the percentage that has listened in the last month is 24 percent, up from 21 percent last year.’ For further evidence of continued podcasting growth, one needn’t look far. This Newsweek article is another prime example, with this quote as an immediate stand out: ‘more than a third of Americans have listened to podcasts (112 million) and many have made it a weekly habit.’
The point being, people love podcasts and that love only seems to be growing. Their utility is undeniable. In an era where competition for attention is cut-throat, this is of paramount importance. People love being able to plug their favorite comedian into their ears on the subway or listen to inspired philosophical discussion while cooking dinner or learn new skills and ideas from the plethora of ‘how to’ podcasts now available. Podcasts can be formed to shape any and all consumer needs – even falling asleep.
But for all the incredible free value they offer to consumers, those who podcast are set to benefit just as much or perhaps even more than their listeners. Never before has there been a way to speak more directly with people you don’t know, form personal connections, network and promote yourself, and provide value to others. If you want an audience, a community or a tribe, you’ll be hard-pressed to find something better than podcasting to build it.
Value creation is really the key here, and if you listen to Ed’s full talk, you’ll find out just how you can use podcasting to circumvent ugly sales approaches and avoid being a ‘dirty marketer’. Ed explains the importance of trust with your audience, how to build it, and how to avoid unintentionally making people feel bait and switched.
There really isn’t a limit to the number of superlatives that can be thrown at podcasting, and this article could easily be 5,000 words long. But would you read an article that long? Probably not, but the chances are you’d listen to a podcaster of, say, 5,000 words. Podcasting unleashes so much power, none the least of which is getting to the heart of things people really care about and providing things that make their lives better.
Listen to my entire conversation with Ed Dale here.
http://wearepodcast.com/shouldistartapodcast91/
Author: Ronsley Vaz
Ronsley is the founder & chief day dreamer at AMPLIFY. He is an author, speaker & serial entrepreneur.
He has a Masters’ degree in Software Engineering and an MBA in Psychology and Leadership. He is known as the creator of We Are Podcast – the first Podcasting Conference in the Southern Hemisphere, and the host of The Bond Appetit Podcast and Should I Start a Podcast. He has an audience of over 3 million in 133 countries.