Reason #2 to Launch a Podcast: Branding
This is the second of a nine part series on The Top Reasons to Launch a Podcast.
Change the Way People Perceive YOU and YOUR BRAND.
‘When you’re hearing somebody and you’re not seeing them, your brain naturally creates a version of them because you’ve created them.’
Alex Blumberg
A podcast is an effective way to craft an authentic brand and establish your character, essence, and identity. Lift awareness around your projects and services. Become a thought leader in your industry. A successful branded podcast is not a commercial. Instead, it uses storytelling or entertaining conversation that is related to the brand, while only making small mentions of the brand itself. This way, the listener invites the brand in rather than being marketed to in an invasive way.
Here are some best-in-class podcasts using Branding:
StartUp (Season 1): Audiences learn stories about entrepreneurial life from this Gimlet Media podcast. Season 1 focuses entirely on the startup of Gimlet media through the lens of its founder Alex Blumberg.
The Daily: Host Michael Barbaro of The New York Times delivers the day's leading news stories in a 20-minute podcast. By adapting their medium, The New York Times is offering their audience a new way to digest the news.
The Ben Shapiro Show: Conservative author Ben Shapiro leads conversations on leading culture and political stories. While certainly not for everyone, this podcast has helped create notoriety for Ben Shapiro and has lead to other media opportunities - Books, TV Appearances, and Speaking Engagements.
The Joe Rogan Experience: Comedian Joe Rogan leads in-depth conversations on the leading topics of the day. This controversial show was one of the first podcasts, arriving in 2009, and has made Joe Rogan one of the biggest podcasting icons.
.future: Thought leaders at Microsoft lead conversations about innovative tools and services creating our future economy. By launching a branded podcast, Microsoft is invited into the listeners ears and can associate themselves with innovation in a non-commercial way.
The Secret to Victory: Successful athletes share how they achieve victory after devastating losses. This is another good example of a successful branded podcast. Gatorade can now associate themselves with Success and Victory in a non invasive way.
Best Format:
Solocast: The host speaks directly to the audience.
Interview: The host leads a conversation with a guest or guests.
Narrative: Each episode consists of carefully selected, edited, and pieced together audio that tells a specific story guided by a narrator or host.
Read more in our How to Choose the Right Podcast Format guide.
Why launch a podcast?
Podcasting continues to be one of the fastest-growing forms of media. Market researchers at Nielsen describe podcasts as mainstream after recent audience and advertiser growth. You have a website. You're active on social media. You and your business need a podcast to grow and reach your target audience. Don't be left behind.