What is Podcast, What is it for and How can you Listen to it?

Does the term ” Podcast ” ring a bell, but you still don’t know what it is or how to listen to it on your mobile? If you are constantly browsing the Internet for leisure or work, you will already know of its existence and its resounding success.

And it is that this type of content is becoming more and more popular, both among users and consumers of the same, as well as among professionals who intend to use it as part of their digital strategy.

For this reason, I wanted to offer you a complete guide where you understand in detail what a podcast is, the advantages of creating a program of this nature and everything you need to know about this type of content, as well as how you can listen to it comfortably from your mobile. Do you dare to discover it?

What is a Podcast?

A podcast is a digital content in an audio format that you can download and listen to repeatedly on any computer or mobile device from the author’s website or any application or podcasting platform where the aim is to inform or entertain the listener with a topic of interest.

For those who do not understand its definition exactly at first, it is a radio program taken to the Internet that, as I have told you, you can download or listen to via streaming.

In addition, they are usually available for you to subscribe to, in the same way, that it happens with a YouTube channel, so when the author publishes a new episode, you can activate a notification so that, through a subscription (RSS), be notified immediately.

As a curious fact, its name comes from the union of “iPod ” and “Broadcast” because it is similar to radio programs but that you can listen to from your portable player (popularized in Apple iPods).

What Exactly are Podcasts for?

And since you perfectly understand what a podcast is, let’s talk about what we can create this particular type of content for.

As I have told you, this is an excellent way to share valuable information with the user (in this case, the listener), just as it happens in a Blog, although it would be the reader here.

Whether it is entertainment content, news, comments or even educational content, there are a variety of programs whose main objective is to serve as a training platform, whether teaching a language, a technical topic or even entertaining your audience.

Another point that can be highlighted is that it works as main content or as extra content. That is, you can use this content as your main product or share it as an extra.

For example, some professionals use them as an incentive for people to subscribe to periodic newsletters and even teachers who offer or recommend one of these programs to complement face-to-face classes.

How does a Podcast work and what is its Competitive Advantage?

Seeing it from a strategic point of view, I will focus its utilities on those belonging to the listeners who enjoy consuming them; and, on the other hand, what it contributes to all those professionals who generate this type of online audio content.

» Advantages for the Consumer or Listener

The life that many of us lead today is quite fast. Let’s say that we constantly go from one place to another, occupying our time with things that we consider important for our lives, be it work, studies, sports activities or even care of our children.

The problem comes when all these activities that we do daily and that are part of our routine leave us with little or no time to enjoy informative content that interests us and that can contribute a lot to our training or distract us.

It is precisely this lack of time that has made them so successful in recent years.

And it is a content format that is easy to enjoy and does not occupy any moment of the day since you can listen to or see them while doing any other activity.

Whether in your car on the way to work or while cooking dinner. The way this type of content is made makes it easy to enjoy anytime or anywhere.

In a life as busy as the one that many tend to lead, it is quite appreciated by the general public.

Although the video had already displaced text content a few years ago, this digital format positions itself above video since the latter requires you to look at your screen all the time, while the other does not.

» Advantages for the Creator of the Podcast

Now, it is something that our public or audience should be grateful for, and the professionals who generate this type of audio track.

And it is that these open a new window with which to connect with our objective or target audience. It does not matter if you are self-employed, an SME, or a large company. A podcast is a method by which you can communicate with your audience closely.

As a professional, having one is an opportunity to provide your audience with unique, exclusive, and interesting content. Only some people have time to sit down and read blog posts or social networks, but they can listen to your show while driving to work or busy with any other activity.

It can also be a great incentive, such as extra content to offer, something that attracts attention and that makes your customers feel that you are interested in them and that you want to offer them the best, for example, offering them the opportunity to answer their questions via email through of the audio of a program that you dedicated solely to solving them.

As it is a regular program with “episodes,” it is a great way to build loyalty with your audience since if they are interested in the content you share, they will return regularly to consume more episodes.

How can the podcast be implemented in a Digital Marketing strategy?

At this point, it depends on each person and the needs of each professional or business.

However, I can give you some points or advice on implementing it in your Digital Marketing Plan.

» Boost your Email Marketing

One of the most common methods is to use them as an enhancer for your Email Marketing strategies.

If you want more subscribers for your newsletters, why not incentivize your visitors by offering an exclusive podcast show?

They may be quite interested depending on the theme you work on or the type of content you create.

Above all, if it is about extra content that adds value to users.

» They are an excellent way to Promote Courses.

If your product has to do with courses or education in general, this format is an exceptionally powerful tool.

Through them, you can give “small samples” of what your clients can learn in your course or educational program and thus engage your visitors so that they become clients, that is, students.

» Strengthen your Brand and your Presence in Social Networks

I already told you about the main advantages of this type of content and based on this, they are somewhat easy to share on social networks.

Taking this into account, with them, you can strengthen your Personal or corporate Brand and the presence you have on the Internet.

It’s just a matter of creating content related to your business and broadcasting it in an audio format like this while promoting it on your social media profiles.

At first, it may be difficult for you, but you will see that you will develop better and better over time.

Plus, it makes users feel closer to the brands they follow and support, which is a huge plus.

» Offer it as Extra Content when Performing an Action.

If you want your audience or customers to be more likely to take action (similar to the first point I mentioned), offer a podcast as additional or “extra” content.

This will incentivize them to take action, and I am not just referring to subscribing to your newsletter. It can also be sharing content on their networks or even enrolling in a course.

It doesn’t matter what CTA you want to perform: if you give an incentive, your visitors will be more likely to follow it.

How can I Listen to Podcasts on my Favorite Device?

Finally, I want to recommend some applications that will come in handy if you want to listen to them on your mobile and even from your computer:

iVoox

This is my first option when listening to this valuable content format since iVoox is one of the pioneers in broadcasting.

Listening to them, at least in Spanish, is the best application.

Not only does it have many programs to subscribe to, but it also has many other types of content to listen to, such as the possibility of listening to traditional radio streaming.

The best? Well, you don’t just have to be a listener, you can start your program with the help of this application, and it’s very easy to use.

Its interface is intuitive, quick to master, and quite comfortable. It quickly finds the content you like the most and you can start enjoying it in a few seconds.

Spotify

Yes, Spotify is well known as an app to listen to music anywhere and anytime.

However, only some know that it is also an excellent platform to enjoy podcasting Online, and with excellent quality.

It is also highly recommended, and if you already have an account on this platform, I invite you to try it since it is very convenient in that you can have your favorite music and your programs from other professionals in the same place.

It is very easy to use and quite comfortable.

TuneIn Radio

Finally, I want to show you a third alternative: TuneIn Radio, an application you can download for iOS and Android. It also offers its users the possibility of listening to this format.

But it is not only about that, but it is also one of the main applications for radio listeners since it gives you access to thousands of radio programs and news, which allows you to enjoy live programs from various parts of the world.

SoundCloud

SoundCloud is the world’s largest podcast platform, with over 200 million users.

The podcaster can choose between different levels according to their degree of experience and need.

• For beginners, the basic level is more than enough, with three hours available monthly and a weekly broadcast of about 30-45 minutes.
• For more advanced professionals, the Pro or Pro Unlimited level offers new features such as replacing tracks or scheduling the release.

Interestingly, on SoundCloud, you will also find royalty-free music to use in your pieces—a 2-in-1.

Conclusion

Of all the existing content marketing formats and types, the podcast has come to stay.

And it is that, as I already mentioned throughout this article, one of its main advantages and the one that those who already consume it value the most, is that they can enjoy it. At the same time, they do other tasks without having to keep their eyes on the mobile or computer screen.

In this way, we can keep up to date with news, innovations in our sector, and everything that interests us.