Podcasts have become a real success, especially in the last decade. In Slovenia as well, the popularity of podcasts has been steadily rising, with just under a third of the population already listening to them. The listeners are predominantly young, educated and affluent individuals, but what does that mean for organisations and how can they use podcasts to spread their messages?

The rise of podcasts coincides with a general increase in the use of digital media, especially on mobile devices. One of the factors contributing to the growing popularity of this medium is a wide choice of podcasts that cover many different topics – from current affairs, art and politics to sport, health, lifestyle, technology, business, popular culture and more.

How did it all start?

One of the key moments in history that had a significant impact on the creation of podcasts happened in 2001, when Apple introduced its first portable music player – the iPod. That’s when former MTV video jockey Adam Curry and software developer Dave Winer, after years of work, found a way to stream online radio broadcasts directly to Apple’s revolutionary device, making it possible to listen to them on the go. The English term “podcasting” is therefore a portmanteau combining “iPod” and “broadcasting”, coined by a British technology journalist Ben Hammersley, who first used the word in an article for The Guardian in 2004.

Companions of our daily habits

“The freedom given to the listener, of being able to choose when and where to listen to their favourite programming is proving extremely popular,” Hammersley wrote at the time. Nowadays, listeners still choose to follow their preferred podcasts according to their own interests – at the place and time of their own choosing. As a result, podcast listeners have much longer attention span compared to other types of media users. Podcasts are listened to for a variety of reasons: to learn or broaden one’s horizons, to be entertained, to follow news and events, and to listen to conversations with interesting individuals, audio dramas or fictional stories. Podcasts have become companions of everyday human habits such as driving, recreation and household chores.

An opportunity to connect with audiences

Unlike traditional methods of content production, such as TV and radio programmes, podcasts are a relatively accessible way for creators to connect with their audiences. There is no time limit on the length of an episode, so podcasts range from a few minutes to several hours. The flexibility of the medium and its audio format allow the podcast host to tell stories in depth, connect more authentically with their listeners, and create a more intimate space for the message delivery. By publishing episodes consistently and regularly, it is possible to build a community of highly engaged and loyal listeners.

Podcast as a part of organisation’s communication mix?

The potential of podcasts is also being recognised by a growing number of organisations and companies, which are creating their own podcasts and integrating them into their communication strategies as an additional communication channel in order to strengthen the positive image of the organisation, build long-term relationships with stakeholders (both internal and external), connect the brand to the audience, and create community and emotional connections through the delivery of engaging content. While podcasts were initially just an audio medium, some individuals and companies have embraced video podcasting as well, which enables sharing podcasts on YouTube and other social networks, thereby reaching a wider audience and potentially more attention, engagement and support.

What about you – have you thought about integrating a podcast into your organisation’s communication mix? Or perhaps a podcast is already one of the channels you use to communicate with your customers or employees?

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