Are Branded Corporate Podcasts Working for Organisations?

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Corporate podcasts, or podcasts produced by organisations for their own audiences, have become increasingly popular in recent years, in Australia and across the globe. Many companies are turning to this medium to connect with their customers and promote their brand. But is it actually working?

Podcast Perks at a Glance

First, let’s first take a look at 5 key benefits of corporate podcasts:

1. Building deeper connections with audiences

One of the main benefits of branded corporate podcasts is that they allow organisations to build a deeper connection with their audiences. Podcasts are typically more intimate and conversational than other forms of media, such as written content or video.

This can make listeners feel like they are getting to know the company and its employees on a personal level. This in turn, helps build trust and loyalty with the audience, which can translate into increased brand awareness and sales.

2. Establishing thought leadership

Podcasts allow organisations to share their expertise and thought leadership on a particular topic, which can help establish them as a credible source of information in their industry. This enables organisations to differentiate themselves from their competitors and position themselves as leaders in their field.

For example, our client GIHUB used their podcast Innovating Infrastructure to position themselves as thought leaders in the niche global infrastructure space, reaching audiences all over the world.

3. Reaching new audiences

Podcasts are easily shareable, and listeners can subscribe to them so they don't miss an episode. This can help organisations expand their reach and connect with people who may not have otherwise been exposed to their brand.

4. Improving employee engagement

Corporate podcasts can be an effective way to engage employees, and improve company culture. Podcasts featuring employee interviews, company updates, and behind-the-scenes content can give employees a sense of pride and belonging, and make them more invested in the company's success. We’ve worked with companies including: Brown Family Wine Group, Lavazza and Spotlight to help them produce high quality internal podcasts.

5. Measuring the impact

Podcasts are a measurable medium. With the help of podcast hosting platforms, businesses can track the number of downloads, listens, and where their audience is located. This information can be used to optimise and improve the content, and to measure the impact of the podcast on the audience.

However, creating a successful branded corporate podcast is not a guarantee.

Many companies have attempted to launch podcasts and found that it's not as simple as just recording and publishing a few episodes.

A podcast that fails to engage its audience can be detrimental to a brand. This could be due to poor production quality, lack of a clear value proposition, or a lack of consistency in the content.

According to a study by Podcast Insights, over 50% of podcasts fail to publish more than seven episodes.
Additionally, the same study found that only about 25% of podcasts make it to their 11th episode.
A study by Edison Research found that, on average, only 11% of podcast listeners will finish an entire episode.
This means that even if a company is able to produce a high-quality podcast, it's not a guarantee that their audience will engage with it.

One sure way to avoid these early podcasting pitfalls is to work with podcast development professionals like Podcast Services Australia, who can help you as an organisation or a business to create high-quality content that will engage and retain your audience, ensuring you realise your goals and get your message across.

Face the Challenges & Always Be Yourself

One major challenge for branded corporate podcasts is creating content that is both engaging and authentic. Many companies make the mistake of using their podcasts as a platform solely to promote their products or services. However, this type of content can come across as inauthentic and self-serving, which can turn off listeners.

To be successful, a branded corporate podcast needs to provide value to its audience through interesting and informative content, while still managing to be subtle and not too salesy.

Another potential challenge of branded corporate podcasts is the time and effort it takes to produce them. Podcasts are a lot more demanding than other forms of content, especially if the quality is to be kept high. They require planning, scripting, recording, editing, transcribing and distribution, which can be time-consuming and costly. So, it’s important in the planning stages to carefully consider your internal resources, and decide how much of the podcast process you’re willing to keep in-house, and how much you will need to outsource. See our related video “Do you need a podcast team?” to help you in this decision!

In conclusion…

Branded corporate podcasts can truly be a powerful tool for organisations looking to connect with their audiences and promote their brand and at the same time bring the internal employee to a whole new level . However, creating a successful podcast requires careful planning, consistent effort, and high-quality content which isn’t as simple as just recording and publishing episode after an episode.

At its core, a corporate podcast needs to provide value to its audience, be consistent, and not be too salesy, but most of all, be authentic and original. At Podcast Services Australia, we provide a full range of podcast services to help businesses and organisations establish a strong presence in the podcasting world, to make them stand out, get noticed and make a name for themselves, having their message heard by both employees internally and wider audiences across the industry.

If you are keen to learn more about what a podcast could look (and sound!) like for your business, click here to reach out.