Why the biggest brands are using podcasting to transform their impact

It seems as though the whole world and their dog is listening to podcasts these days, and that’s no exaggeration - Spotify really does have a pod for pups!

So, if everyone is listening, it is the perfect opportunity to connect with a captive audience, ready to listen and engage.

What is a branded podcast?

Simply put, a branded podcast is a podcast created by a brand. It sits alongside any other entertainment or educational pod, providing listeners with content they want to engage with as part of an overall marketing strategy.

The important thing is that a good branded podcast should feel like a podcast and not like a sales pitch. In fact, many of the best ones aren’t hawking products or services, but creating content that naturally engages listeners.

These podcasts can be found in any genre, no matter the brand. From a financial brand putting out a podcast that gives tips on financial literacy, to a beauty brand with a lifestyle and entertainment podcast made up of interviews with inspiring public figures.

A branded podcast isn’t just about selling

When you’re trying to market your brand, it can be easy to get caught up in actively pushing your products and services, but taking that attitude with your podcast can end up giving your show the same vibe as a dodgy ‘The Apprentice’ style sales pitch - cue the Karren Brady eyeroll and the Nick Hewer scowl.

If the aim of your podcast is to sell, you’re setting yourself up to fail. Rather than seeking sales, the objective of your podcast should be to connect and engage with your audience.

What are the benefits of a branded podcast?

Branded podcasts offer a number of great benefits for any business, but if you’re wondering why it’s something you should consider, these are just a few of those perks:

• Connecting with your audience

First and foremost, a branded podcast exists to create a real connection with your audience. If you can get your voice directly to your audience, you can make genuine connections which give people a sense of intimacy with your brand.

• Giving your brand an authentic voice

Finding a brand voice can be challenging. Want to be professional but not too formal? Or maybe you want to sound like yourself and keep your voice conversational and friendly. That can be hard to get right when writing, but so much easier to do successfully and consistently through audio.

• Building a community

Connecting with an audience isn’t a one-sided pursuit. Through a podcast, your audience can feel like part of a community. This is something that can be really hard to achieve when your relationship is purely business and customer, but when that relationship becomes podcast host and listener, community is a natural next step.

• Cutting through the noise of AI

In a world where we’re becoming more and more suspicious of written content and wondering how much of what we read is created by AI (we’re looking at you em dashes…), building trust can be hard. Of course, podcasting isn’t immune to AI; in fact there are already AI podcast hosts out there, but building trust can be so much easier when you’re using your true voice. 

• Creating a traffic stream

If you’re struggling with getting decent traffic to your site, a podcast creates an excellent opportunity to build on it. With links to show notes, social media content and truly relevant CTAs, you can keep directing your audience back to your site in a natural, non-intrusive way.

What are some of the best branded podcasts?

Some of the most recognisable brand names are already smashing it when it comes to podcasting, creating an invaluable platform to connect with audiences and evolve their brand voice.

Search Off the Record - Google

To some, Google and search engine optimisation feel like an incomprehensible combination of science and sorcery, but the hosts of Search Off the Record are on hand to demystify all things Google.

SEOs and marketers are able to connect directly with the Google team through the podcast, creating a sense of community as the hosts tackle queries and provide an invaluable resource for those creating content for search engines.

This type of branded podcast is directly relevant to the ‘product’, Google without pushing the sales side of things. The pod itself serves to provide value to the listener, create a bridge between SEOs and the brand, and offer a human voice to represent the brand.

Radio Headspace - Headspace

Headspace is one of the most recognisable brands in the mental health and wellness space, offering everything from online therapy to mental health care for businesses, and of course, the Headspace app.

Radio Headspace is a daily pod with short episodes released every weekday. With advice and bite-size classes covering the subject of mental health, this format offers listeners a chance to ‘try before they buy’.

The Big Pitch - Netflix

Hosted by comedy’s most corporate character, Jimmy Carr, The Big Pitch plays on one of the unique features of Netflix - the super niche subcategory. From ‘Rich People Behaving Badly’ to ‘Coming of Age Animal Tales’, Netflix has an impressive array of super-specific subcategories which serve as inspiration for Jimmy Carr’s comedy guests. Guests including London Hughes and Chris McCausland take on these subcategories, pitching their zany movie ideas that would fit right in.

This podcast is a great example of engaging your audience without trying to sell them anything. Using a feature of Netflix and creating something new and funny from it piques interest in this aspect of the product while offering an entertaining freebie in the form of a podcast. 

Honourable mentions for Decibelle Creative podcasts

Of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning some of the podcasts produced here at Decibelle Creative. Our clients’ brands are perfectly represented by their pods as the hosts bring their own unique perspective and expertise to the airwaves.

For example, the pods, Atelier Talks and Newborn to Teen and Everything in Between offer expertise and advice that is relevant and valuable for their audiences. This advice is directly related to the services they provide themselves, but it doesn’t mean that their episodes are just glorified sales pitches. Their shows are there to provide a valuable asset to their audiences while allowing them to connect to potential and current clients. 

Similarly, The Chat Womb and The Journal with Lucy Spicer are podcasts hosted by inspirational coaches who created their podcasts to connect with people, showing exactly how they can work with clients, offering that ‘try before you buy’ tactic seen in podcasts like Headspace’s Radio Headspace.

Taking a completely different approach is wo0 pod, which is hosted by photographer Wendy, but doesn’t feature content about photography. Instead, Wendy speaks to badass women with a story to tell, tying into her philosophy of empowering women. The podcast is relevant to Wendy’s business and her clients without even having to mention photography.

Ultimately, one thing all of our podcasters have in common is passion for their craft. No matter what industry they work in, their podcast demonstrates the value they can provide to the clients through their own voices and stories.

Of course, this is far from an exhaustive list of our brilliant podcasts, so make you go and check them out for yourself.

Are you considering taking the plunge and starting that incredible branded podcast that you know you have in your brain somewhere?! Lucky for you, you’re in the right place. 

If you’ve got a brilliant idea but you’re not sure what to do with it, Pod Squad is the perfect small group programme that will take you from concept to launch-ready in just four weeks. Work alongside our very own Buckers and an exclusive group of podcasting newbies to turn your scattered ideas into a structured podcast strategy. 

Find out more here or drop us an email if you want to have a chat.