There’s no denying the media landscape is changing. As people consume media in new ways, traditional news channels – newspapers, magazines and broadcast news – face a new contender: the podcast.Popularized in part by the true crime show ‘Serial,’ which recently broke records for its season three debut, podcasts have become a household staple for both news and entertainment. They’re also a new way to reach your audience, from consumers to B2B tech decision makers.Before pitching your clients and spokespeople to producers, review the below primer for an introduction to the world of podcasting and for recommendations to improve knowledge of the news, strengthen your skills and more.
By the Numbers
- According to Apple at WWDC 2018, there are over 550,000 shows available on Apple Podcasts, but the number continues to increase with a low barrier to entry. Anyone can start a podcast – you don’t need special skills to get started and production only requires a microphone and internet connection.
- About 44% of the US population (124 million people) has listened to a podcast, with 49% of the listening being done at home and 22% in the car.
- Listeners subscribe to an average of 6 shows; 19% increase the speed to listen faster.
- 69% of listeners agreed podcast ads made them aware of new products or services. Podcast listeners are also more likely to follow companies and brands on social media that non-listeners.
What does this mean? As more individuals and households consume podcasts, listeners are noticing the content and advertisements. Podcast fans are loyal, affluent and educated, making them an ideal audience targeted public relations and marketing efforts.
What Should I Listen To?
For PR and marketing pros, podcasts can be used for both professional and personal use. Here are just a few of the ways to integrate podcasts into the public relations playbook.
1. Catch up on the news.
Stay on top of trending news to catch rapid response opportunities for your clients or listen to in-depth analysis on the top headlines with several shows topping the Apple Podcasts News & Politics channel:
2. Improve your skills.
Strengthen your industry knowledge and brush up on your skills by subscribing to shows that break down the top public relations and marketing stories:
3. Navigate the workplace.
Looking for general career advice or answers to questions about work? Get tips, best practices and advice from shows like:
4. Just for Fun.
On the lighter side, listen to Oprah interview thought leaders, authors and spiritual luminaries, or check out conversations with celebrity guests and comedians on my personal favorite, WTF with Marc Maron.
Once you become a podcast consumer yourself, it becomes easier to imagine the type of creative content, interview subjects and sources a podcast producer or host is looking for. Get started on the journey with these recommended podcasts. Happy listening!
What’s a Rich Text element?
The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.
The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.
Static and dynamic content editing
A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila!
How to customize formatting for each rich text
Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system.
