Is Your Podcast Creating Meaningful Connections?

We know we’ve mentioned this before, but we seriously can’t stress it enough…

If you want to release a branded podcast today, you might as well brace yourself — because you’re going up against 2 million other shows.

(And that’s some serious competition!)

Nevertheless, we maintain that the podcast is a brilliant medium for brands that want long-term success and sustainable growth…

But suffice it to say, you will absolutely have to go the extra mile if you want to stand out. There really isn’t room here for filler or fluff.

The standard has been set, and it’s higher than the Shanghai Tower, folks.

Consumers today are overwhelmed by choice. Even if they do decide to tune into a podcast, and even if that podcast is in your niche, you’ll have to make some very thoughtful moves to ensure they choose your show.

Life is wild these days, and our time is precious…

If you want to succeed, you’ll have to make real, meaningful connections with your audience. No doubt.

Below, we share five hot tips that can help you build robust relationships and get the most out of your branded show.

Increase accessibility (and reach)

Of course, if you’re looking to build more — and more meaningful — connections, you don’t want to alienate anyone who might resonate with your message.

Fortunately, a well-planned branded podcast is accessible in a way that blog posts, ebooks, and infographics simply aren’t.

Because we’re working with an audio format, your show should empower you to connect with those you might otherwise fail to accommodate.

A podcast is a great, easily accessible option for consumers with vision loss, and folks with other barriers when it comes to written content.

What’s more, an inclusive branded podcast — published with a transcript or subtitled video — will also accommodate folks with hearing loss and other auditory barriers.

If you’d like to learn more about creating a podcast that emphasizes accessibility, please check out this post, and don’t be afraid to reach out to us with any questions.

Have difficult conversations

A podcast is unique in the kind of environment it provides to responsibly cover difficult and important topics.

The conversational style of this medium creates space for multiple viewpoints and fosters an atmosphere of humanity that makes this kind of material easier to approach.

You might be thinking, though, that it’s better to stay away from loaded, sensitive, or hot-button topics with your branded show…

Because it’s always better to play it safe, right?

We’d like to respectfully disagree (for the most part).

While this does depend on your niche, diving into topics that are real, substantial, and sometimes difficult may very well be an absolute must.

People listen to podcasts to feel connected, to learn something new, to expand their minds, and to see the world from several different angles.

A podcast can help you go on this journey with your audience — and we all know that this is the kind of thing that builds lasting and deep-seated trust.

While you may find that some of the topics pertinent to your niche and your brand are daunting, a qualified production agency can help you take the road less travelled with sensitivity, poise, and tact.

Foster humanity

As we mentioned above, a podcast does foster a uniquely human environment.

Sure, you may already have exceptional branding, and a writing and design team with extraordinary talent…

But at the end of the day, you can’t convey authenticity, humanity, or warmth through blog posts or eye-catching visuals in the way that you can with audio content.

When it comes to translating our living, breathing, feeling selves - audio is top-notch.

A show with humanity might empower your listeners to…

• Laugh with your hosts
• Cry with your guests
• Be part of your community
• And feel a sense of kinship with your brand

If you want to create an atmosphere of humanity, there are a few things you should prioritize as you plan and create your branded show.

You should be sure to…

• Choose a relatable, charismatic, and emotionally intelligent host
• Foster natural, fluid, and unrestrained conversations with guests
• Address your listeners directly to build community around your content
• Create space for feeling, whether that’s through sadness or laughter
• And have conversations that actually matter to the folks that love your show

Emphasize value and purpose

If you want to foster meaningful connection, your mission, values, and purpose should be apparent in every episode of your show.

When you connect over shared philosophies and perspectives, your brand becomes more than an abstract entity trying to make a sale…

Instead, you create a real connection with your listeners and encourage them to invest with their minds and hearts (and eventually, their wallets).

If you want to emphasize what your brand really values, you can…

• Feature guests that share your team’s priorities
• Cover topics that reflect your overarching ethos
• And choose a niche that clearly conveys your bigger purpose

Prove that something really is free

Finally, if you want to build the kind of bond that creates loyal customers and long-term clients, you should look to foster reciprocity with your branded show…

Because nobody wants to be in a one-way relationship.

A podcast allows you to remind them that yes, you can still get something for free these days — and that when they give you their attention, it’s actually worth their while.

Provide listeners with an opportunity to learn, laugh, or join a community based on shared purpose, and you let them know that (to your brand) they are more than the cash in their wallet.

The take-take-take approach is tired, and you really should be looking to give something of value and substance to each and every person who tunes into your show.

Written by Roger Nairn, JarAudio.com. To learn more about podcast promotion and community development, check out our Ultimate Guide to Audience Growth.