Why Audio is a Key Pillar in Your Content Marketing Strategy

With the rise of platforms like Clubhouse, Spotify’s Greenroom, and of course, podcasts, audio has rapidly accelerated to become an essential pillar of content marketing today. Despite what some may say, audio is a form of content that’s here to stay as it provides multiple benefits to the listener and the companies hoping to strengthen their brand storytelling through the medium.

There are several reasons why we’re seeing such a strong audio boom today. While the pandemic certainly played a role in this phenomenon by forcing people to rely more heavily on podcasts for entertainment during the lockdown, it’s not the sole reason for the massive growth of the medium, as we’ll explore during this article.

Today, launching a podcast is like maintaining active social media channels for brands—AKA, it’s becoming a non-negotiable tactic if you’re hoping to lift brand awareness and connect with your customers in a meaningful way. If you’ve been on the fence about launching a podcast to promote your brand, build an audience and establish your company as an industry leader, learning more about the benefits of audio content marketing should help to sway your decision.

Without further ado, here are six reasons why audio is a key pillar in any effective content marketing strategy in 2022:

1. It can help you build brand intimacy among target audiences

Given its long-form structure, podcasting provides brands with an excellent opportunity to share their story with the world and connect with audiences in a way that feels much more intimate than social media or blogging. The nature of podcasting gives brands and audiences a chance to connect with one another on a personal, human-to-human level since in many cases, listening to a podcast can feel like you’re simply having a conversation with a friend.

2. It has high engagement rates and can keep your audience’s attention for much longer than other mediums

According to a recent study by BBC, podcasts that mention the brand deliver on average 16% higher engagement and 12% higher memory compared to surrounding content. Podcasts have also been shown to hold the listener’s attention for much longer than other mediums such as blogging, sometimes by up to 14 times longer! 

With numbers like these, it’s hard to deny that podcasting presents an unmatched opportunity to drive brand engagement and convey important key messaging to consumers for brands.

3. It will help your brand cultivate key relationships and partnerships in your industry

While podcasting is undoubtedly a great opportunity to convey your brand’s story, messaging and mission statement to listeners, it’s not just a one-sided conversation. One of the great things about podcasting is that it can act as an extremely effective networking tool and a surefire way to build a solid community around your brand.

For example, podcasting gives your brand a chance to reach out to other like-minded industry leaders and invite them on the show for a conversation. This will ultimately help to increase your network, expand your reach and strengthen your community.

4. It will help your brand establish thought leadership and credibility in your industry

On a similar note, podcasting can provide your brand with a chance to position itself as an industry leader and an authoritative voice in your area of expertise. Creating buzzworthy audio content that is shared often for its high value-add to listeners will help to raise your brand’s profile and establish the company as a trusted source of information—whether you’re discussing finance, wellness, travel, or any other topic of interest on your podcast.

Providing your listeners with innovative thought leadership, helpful advice and an interesting perspective will go a long way in turning your audience into potential new customers.

5. It can help to align your brand with a positive mission

In addition to helping your brand build a reputation as an established and credible voice in your industry, podcasting can also help you align your company with a positive mission, which will ultimately help to increase trust and credibility with your audience. Whether your company’s mission is to raise awareness about climate change or help people learn about personal finance, podcasts present the perfect opportunity to demonstrate your positive intent and show people you care about important causes.

6. It’s convenient and easy for audiences to tune in and discover you

Last but certainly not least, audio is an extremely convenient and easy way for listeners to learn more about your brand, engage with your story and connect with your products or services. Since listeners can easily tune into a podcast on their morning commute, during a walk or while working out, it’s much easier to integrate your content into your audience’s busy lifestyle when it’s in audio format. This is another big factor behind the massive growth of the podcasting and audio industry we’ve seen in recent years. 

About the Author

Mackenzie Patterson is Quill Inc.’s digital content strategist.