The power of the podcast

Podcasts are big. Really big. One stat I read said there are more than 900,000 shows as of January 2020.

That’s a lot of choice but it’s a good moment to have such a range. Now we’re in lock-down our need for entertainment, education and chat is greater than ever. Here are five reasons why we at Wardour are encouraging all our clients to think about adding a podcast to their content channels.

They’re a

uthentic

and create trust

Most of the best podcasts are a natural conversation between a host and guest. We find an authentic and unscripted dialogue around a set of agreed questions helps create the best podcasts. Something in this approach builds a relationship with the audience too: they create trust. So, done well, the natural format of podcasts can make a message come across as even more open and transparent than a carefully constructed written piece.

They’re f

resh

and attract new audiences

Podcasts are not new but they’re still on the up. They help us to reach more people and different audiences for clients. For instance, younger audiences may not think they’re interested in personal finance but offer them some tips in the form of a podcast and they start to engage. Some of this may be due to the medium. From the outset a written article or even a video demands your full attention, with a podcast you can listen while doing something else, and then you get drawn in. So, they are great for multi-taskers and those of us looking for a way to make the time we spend washing-up feel less torturous.

They

’re cost effective but professional

Podcasts are a cost-effective way of communicating (no video crews, less work in post-production), but it is definitely worth investing in a good host and ideally hiring a studio for the best sound quality. Choosing the right host (and set of interviewees) makes a massive difference to the audience’s perception of quality.

For The penny drops podcast for Royal London members we use the ITV continuity announcer and radio presenter Andrea Fox. Her voice is one you immediately recognise and that helps engender trust. In addition, her professionalism ensures we present personal finance in a simple, accessible way with a healthy dash of humour and banter to entertain listeners.

They give our eyes a break

I don’t know about you but I’m searching for as many forms of entertainment as I can get my hands on right now. And that means going from work computer screen, to phone screen, to TV screen all day long. Every once in a while, I look at a magazine or a report. But overall: my eyes are tired. Podcasts, like audio books, are the perfect solution. They give audiences a chance to rest straining eyes.

You can engage with them on the go

Podcasts are not just for lock-down they are for life. And it may seem impossible to believe right now, but the day is coming (soon I hope) when it is safe for us all to start going back to work. When that time comes, I will be plugging into my favourite podcasts to help me get through my commute. They are a brilliant way of being in your own world as you negotiate the world around you: you can’t go up the escalators at Holborn reading a paper or watching a video.

And what’s my favourite podcast? Well if you are interested it’s

Off M

e

nu

where comedians Ed Gamble and James Acaster turn their conversations about a guest’s favourite meal into an hour of belly-laughs. Try it, it’s delicious!