Video killed the radio star – but that was in the analog days. In these digital days, everybody gets resurrected. Audio is back, and in a big way. More than half of the American population has listened to at least one of the 29 million episodes of the current 700,000 active podcasts. They spend more than 6.5 hours listening to podcasts each week. And in this TLDNR age of skimming, 80 percent of podcast listeners say they consume all or most of the episode they select.
So, why isn’t a platform like YouTube eating the podcast industry’s lunch? Well, for one reason, most of us still have daily commutes that require us to keep our eyes on the road instead of our smartphone screen. As a result, videocasts and podcasts get to peacefully coexist in the digital age. Both formats are powerful marketing vehicles, which is why there’s a growing number of video podcasts – a combination that packs even more impact than either one alone.
Thanks to cord-cutting, and the rise of devices like Roku, Apple TV, and Google Chromecast, consumers are gladly claiming the responsibility of deciding what they want to watch. Entertainment remains the top format: Those interested in the video game Fortnite, for instance, have made Fernanfloo a top YouTube star – his more than 33.5 million followers have viewed his posts nearly 7 billion times.
Move past entertainment and you wade into the world of education and personal development. There you’ll encounter the phenomena known as TED. TED Talks: Ideas Worth Spreading continues to be one of the most popular YouTube channels in history.
The most popular TED talks of all time collectively have hundreds of millions of views, but there’s something even more interesting. One of the most popular Apple podcasts is TED Talks Daily, which is nothing more than the latest TED talks in audio format. Because it turns out that TED video does something right – something that a growing number of videocasters are replicating. Engaging video content, with proper planning, can be distilled into audio content for podcasts.
Today’s on-demand world is all about options. You can listen to Tim Ferris interview Amanda Palmer about creativity, or you can watch it. You’ve got the choice of a podcast, or a video of the podcast. The addition of video adds a massive experiential dimension: When you can watch the two interact, it enables you to interpret their conversations at a deeper level.
A deeper level. That’s what all marketers want to achieve. Adding senses to deepen perspective. It’s why video killed the radio star. But this time around it’s why making a videocast of your podcast can create more impact and help to put your brand further into a prospect’s worldview.
Some subjects just make more sense when you can offer a video version of a podcast. Imagine a podcast of someone reviewing the latest functional upgrades made to Adobe Photoshop – it probably wouldn’t work without screenshots. Videocasts make it much easier to communicate visual subjects, whereas a podcast is an excellent way to capture dialog-driven content.
Here are some other thoughts about this combined approach:
Create one episode that’s both a videocast and a podcast. It’s an effective way to make each format more effective because your audience has a choice. Don’t stop there. Take advantage of each format’s respective benefits. Create supplemental YouTube videos that support your podcasts. Offer a podcast-only follow-up. These two powerful content marketing devices play well together. You don’t have to choose just one.
Learn how we can help you create content that will drive prospects to your videocasts and podcasts.