In the 2008 podcast report from Edison Media Research, 23 million Americans said they’ve downloaded and listened to a podcast within the last month- the highest number in the three years of Edison’s surveying. The report also shows that adult podcast users tend to be college educated and living in higher income households. Both factors make them an attractive consideration for information-based marketing toolkits.
The content options for downloadable audio are nearly unlimited. Just ask the information entrepreneurs, publishers and chain bookstores who have capitalized on this trend. Yet even for the uninitiated, podcasting can be simple.
Think of them as audio positioning. Just as you might write an article for a trade publication to showcase your expertise, service or product (in an informative, not a hard sell way), podcasts offer expertise, information and even entertainment, in a portable form.
You don’t need to create new content to use this tool effectively. One great example of effective content recycling is the engineering firm Psomas. Operating in an industry that hasn’t exactly been on the forefront of new media or marketing, this firm has integrated new media into their marketing by translating articles written by the firm’s leaders into downloadable podcasts available on their web site. (The print versions are also available there.)
The series of occasional podcasts fit seamlessly into the firm’s efforts to position themselves as sustainable land development engineering specialists in the western U.S. Adding audio clips to their iPod or listening in the office makes it simple for busy executives and those looking for expert information to keep up with the regulations, opportunities and case studies regularly covered in regional and national trade publications.
What would make this effort even stronger? A regular diet of “audio articles” available by RSS feed, so that their busy audience doesn’t need to check back for new material.
If you’ve worked with professional service firms, as I have, you know most tend to be old-school about marketing. But as Psomas shows, new media tools can be a great way to convey your message and execute your strategy- no matter what industry you’re in.
Sally Anne Giedrys is the founder of artisan communications, an independent copywriting and communications consultancy that works with businesses and nonprofit organizations to craft compelling marketing and PR messages. For more than 15 years, Sally has been making businesses “sound good” in print and online through a potent combination of great writing, savvy strategy and high integrity communications. Learn more about artisan’s services at www.artisancopy.com. Or reach Sally directly at sally@artisancopy.com.
