In a rapidly advancing world, people spend most of their time traveling. In India, there are those who daily spend more than two hours commuting from their homes to the office. They just sit in the metro, cabs, local trains, or their cars for these two hours every weekday. During this time, they prefer listening to music over reading or watching something.

The fact that there are so many morning radio shows for office commuters indicates a strong preference for listening during the commute. So, how can your brand tap into this potential? It’s simple – you need to provide audio content that your audience can listen to effortlessly. Some Indian brands have had already begun to try their hand at making engaging podcasts or audio shows.

A great example of early yet successful experimentation with audio content is Kan Khajura Tesan (centipede station) from Hindustan Unilever (HUL). It was a mobile-based radio-on-demand to help brands reach internet-deprived regions of north India. A missed call to a fixed number allowed one to listen to entertaining audio content topped with ad jingles. HUL bagged more than 10 million subscribers and enabled its brands to make inroads into this vast, untapped demographic.

A more recent example is Moneycontrol’s podcast service in the financial arena. Financial experts, policymakers, fund managers, and corporate CEOs are invited to each session for their expert views on various aspects of the industry. Other brands such as coffee outlet Sleepy Owl, mattress e-tailers Wink and Nod, and self-driven car provider MyChoize have also jumped on the bandwagon.

The best thing about podcasts is that you don’t have to stick to any one platform; it can be on YouTube, SoundCloud, iTunes, your website, or any of a hundred other hosting sites. Today, there are 265 million active YouTube users in India. Therefore, reaching out to the Indian audience through these platforms can be a successful strategy.

Why podcasts make sense

According to a study conducted among 130 voluntary medical students to find the difference between podcast learning and text-based learning, podcast users scored significantly better in the post-tests. They achieved a considerably higher gain of knowledge compared to textual learners. Podcasts are the future of content marketing as they help marketers leave a lasting impression on consumers.

However, not every brand would want to have a podcast airing every day or week, which is understandable. A good option would be to leverage the popularity of another popular podcast to meet your goals. To reach the right audience, you should collaborate with podcasts that share a familiar audience as your brand. For example, a health or food and beverage brand can work with podcast network like Audiomatic. It’s India’s first podcast network and mostly covers topics like food, cultural affairs, science, entertainment, and humor. Content published on such channels would reach a wider audience and at a minimal production cost.

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A PwC report suggests that by 2023 there will be nearly 176 million podcast listeners in India. Here are four reasons why you should start opting for podcasts as a content marketing tool right now!

1. It helps you reach your audiences

You don’t have to wait for your audiences to be in their office or stop doing their work so they can pay attention. Podcasts can be listened to while driving, exercising, or running errands. So, you can reach your audiences quicker without having to wait for a convenient time for them.

2. It is easy to produce

Unlike content that requires a framework, plenty of research, and a lot of SEOs, a podcast can be a lively conversation around a topic of choice. Compared to text, podcasts don’t require constant attention to correct grammar and spelling and they are less technical than written content.

3. It enables better retention

Your audience can read your textual content and forget it in a couple of hours, but podcasts are proven to be more effective than text when it comes to retention. Conversations and information heard on podcasts can stay in the minds of consumers for much longer.

4. It makes experts seem more reliable

Interviews are an important way to legitimize the topic of discussion. People are more likely to believe an expert when they can hear them speak rather than simply read their words. So, podcast interviews are a brilliant way to build trust with your audience.

Overall, it’s clear that podcast as a content marketing format has a lot of potential, especially when the aim is to increase retention. Since not too many brands are doing it right now, it also gives you that extra edge of being an early adopter.