The benefits of quality podcasts and web audio

  • The personal touch. People respond better to the human voice than written words; it can draw people in and capture their whole attention.
  • Buy yourself some time. Research has shown that the average email gets 51 seconds of our attention (*source: Nielsen Norman Group). Meanwhile we listen to an average of three-and-a-half hours of radio a day (*source: RAJAR Quarterly Summary of Radio Listening - Period Ending Dec 2006.) People are ready to listen to quality audio - you can have more of their attention and custom.
  • People can choose how they listen: out jogging, on the train to work or in the car. Catch them away from their desk and hundreds of emails, and they are more receptive to your message.
  • It is cheap. A magazine costs money to mail out, radio and television advertising is a major outlay. Once you’ve produced it, loading and distributing a podcast costs next to nothing.
  • Attract regular listeners. Like blogs, people expect podcasts to be more than a one-off. They will come back again and again for something worth hearing. Raise your profile and keep yourself in the forefront of customers’ minds.
  • Have the edge. Podcasting is a new medium and has been poorly utilised by many organisations - bad news for their brand and reputation. Not only will you be enhancing both of these with quality audio, you have the chance to stand out from the herd and be seen as pioneering.

Uses for a quality podcast

  • Introduce yourself. Explain who you are and what you do without forcing people to read pages of your website.
  • Train people. Training materials can be downloaded any number of times and accessed from anywhere: the train home from work, or a business flight to an important meeting.
  • Audio Guides. The ideal guide to any town, art gallery, museum or other place of interest; a podcast is as portable as people’s MP3 players.
  • Talk in person. A podcast is an ideal medium to distribute a regular address to clients, potential donors, customers, employees or shareholders.
  • Show them how good you are. Are you a fantastic actor, comedian, poet or musician? Put your skills on show in a dynamic and creative new way.
  • Keep in touch. A podcast can be an entertaining alternative to the ubiquitous newsletter.