Our team is always researching and talking about popular and promising trends in audio and video communications today. As you might have seen from our website where we host a number of podcasts, we find especially intriguing executive podcasts.
It’s an internal or external podcast that showcases the CEO or other executive leader’s thoughts, vision, ideas, and questions for employees, customers, influencers, and more. It’s also a space to talk about current and emerging trends, products, and services that the executive team is proud of or wants feedback on.
Companies have used podcasts for years for broadcasting meetings to a large or global audience, but that’s not the type of podcast I’m thinking about. I’m excited about fresh approaches to podcasts that give executives at all levels a chance to reveal a different side of their personalities and what matters to them.
Research shows that 16 million people in the US are “avid” podcast fans. If you’re brand thinking about how to spend your advertising dollars more strategically, it’s also interesting to note that 81% of podcast listeners pay attention to podcast ads in comparison to the 63% of people who ignore TV commercials, 66% who ignore digital ads, and 61% who ignore billboards.
Interestingly, we’ve also found that listeners tend to stick with the podcast, rather than dumping it after a few minutes. A recent Edison research report found 85% of listeners hear the entire show, or most of it.
As this research underscores, podcasts are no longer a niche option – they are clearly mainstream, and smart executives would be wise to take advantage of this increasingly popular communication vehicle. Unlike video, podcasts are also much cheaper and easier to produce, often requiring just 15 to 20 minutes of a leader’s time to record. (Though you can also have a video podcast, more on that later!)
One of the biggest challenges for executives today is finding new ways to connect and truly engage their teams. Time and logistical constraints force leaders to resort to long emails or scripted speeches as their main forms of communication. As a result, employees don’t see the personal side of leaders.
To the average employee, the leader is often a distant figure, which can make the business strategy feel distant and unrelatable as well. Yet with a quality podcast, leaders can use tone and storytelling to communicate in a whole new way, and reach a busy workforce that much more easily.
The possibilities are endless, but the simple concept of a leader conducting interviews with other leaders, employees, factory line workers, HR managers, and a whole host of other employees is a great way to introduce a new side of the leader. At the same time, leaders who are uncomfortable being videotaped are often far less reluctant to speak into a microphone.
Of course, podcasts aren’t just for executives. A growing number of brands use them to reach a busy or now distributed remote workforce that craves easily digestible information on the go. Podcasts allow employees to access important content in a quick and easily accessible format while they’re commuting, working out, grabbing lunch, or heading to their son’s soccer game.
Podcasts can be as short as a minute or two, or as long as 30 minutes or more (but the longer versions need to have a really compelling narrative, such as a highly engaging guest speaker, storyteller or interview subject).
Companies such as Marriott also use podcasting as a way to reach potential job seekers. Recently, Marriott launched a podcast for job candidates called “The Wandernaut Show,” which highlights what differentiates Marriott from its competitors and shares the company’s values through storytelling.
Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital also recently launched its own “BlogTalkRadio,” which features 30-minute episodes and employee interviews that provide a “behind-the-scenes look at the people, places and work we do.” The episodes feature doctors, nurses, leaders and other employees sharing their experiences in pediatric care.
It matters more than ever to showcase diverse voices. So in addition to diversifying your communication channels, a video podcast can also showcase the different background, ethnicities, and stories your brand has. Perception matters more than ever in 2020. How is your brand or association prepared to tell your story in a human driven way that will connect with your audience?
After all, great leadership communication requires that we know and understand the needs of our audience. And for today, an engaging podcast may just be what your audience is looking for.
Have you come across an executive podcast that you find particularly impressive? If so, we’d love to know more. What stands out about it, and why does it work? And if you’re interested in starting an executive or company podcast, let’s set up a time to chat.