Podcasts are growing. According to Convince and Convert, podcast listening grew 23% in 2016 and there are just as many podcast listeners as there are Twitter users. So it makes sense that a lot of marketers are taking a closer look at this medium.
And that includes our partners.
The Cincinnati Art Museum is using the podcast, Art Palace Podcast, to talk about art with cool people. And that has included people from some local organizations, such as the Cincinnati Ballet and ArtWorks. It’s a way to teach listeners about art through different lenses. Then those listeners can experience the constantly growing Cincinnati art scene with a bit more knowledge that they can share with their friends and family.
Another podcast that we love is the Cincinnati Zoo's The 90-Second Naturalist. This podcast is just quick facts about the natural world. Instead of having listeners delve into a big topic over an hour-long episode, the Zoo makes great use of those ninety seconds with very specific facts that listeners can easily recall later on.
With our partners so ready to accept this format, it got us thinking about podcasting for events. Before jumping on the bandwagon for your next meeting, here is what you need to think about:
Does your audience listen to podcasts?
This is the biggest question you need to ask before embarking on a podcast for your event. If your event audience doesn’t consist of podcast listeners, then it doesn’t make sense for you to jump on this trend.
If you look at the statistics, your audience most likely listens to several podcasts per week. However, you'll actually want to make sure. You can simply ask them with a survey. Ask about how often they listen and what shows are their favorite. This will give you an idea if they are listening for business or pleasure and can help you craft the appropriate content.
Do you have the time for a podcast?
A podcast is more than recording a conversation and putting it on the internet. There is booking guests, edits to the recording to make it more listenable, adding in music to make the recording more interesting, etc. And that’s just the content itself. Don’t forget that you also have to market that podcast. Whether it’s social, email or something else, you have to use every tool available to you to get it into the hands of your audience. Then you have to solicit reviews to help your podcast get into even more hands. A podcast can eat up a lot of time. Do you have that time to spare?
Can you keep a podcast going all year?
Before and just after a conference is the best time to have a podcast. You have a whole list of people to talk to before the event, from speakers to sponsors, that can make for interesting podcast content. And then while you’re at the event, you can grab attendees and record content as well. But what about when the content is not so easy to come by?
Do you have access to people that will want to talk to you on a podcast? Will you have the excitement and energy for the medium to keep the conversations interesting? Keep it going throughout the year and keep your relationship going with your audience to make sure they are ready to act when the next event comes around. Otherwise, it will be seen as just another way to market your event rather than a great piece of content for your attendees to consume and share.
Are you using a podcast your for your event? Why or why not?
