In order for a brand to create a great podcast, it’s important to not just own a topic, dominate your podcast topic. And dominating your topic can help build brand affinity.
According to Brand Watch:
“Brand affinity describes consumers who believe a particular brand shares common values with them. These shared values help build a relationship that tends to retain loyal customers for longer.
All brand purchases are a mixture of emotional, rational, and behavioral decisions. When a customer feels an affinity to a brand, the emotional aspect is more likely to play a part in the decision.”
Podcast listeners expect a certain level of storytelling and conversation when they listen to a podcast. Audio is an intimate medium, as it is literally audio being whispered into the listeners’ ears. And let’s be honest, nobody wants to listen to a 20-minute ad, especially inside their head. So at no point during a brand podcast should you wax on about the benefits of your products, how amazing you are as a company, or why you are better than your competitors. The content should expand beyond your company walls.
But that doesn’t mean your brand doesn’t have a point of view listeners won’t be interested in hearing.
Let’s pretend you are an airline. Why not share some great stories about the trip that changed your perspective on the world? This is going to be much more interesting than highlighting the strengths of why your airline should be the listener’s carrier of choice.
But the trip that changed your perspective on the world is not exactly a topic lacking relevance. It’s an indirect brand message, for sure. And it’s something you can dominate if you are consistent with your topic.
It’s this point (where indirect brand messages rub up against humanity) that the benefits of a brand podcast come in. It’s all about the brand’s subtle presence, and if you use it consistently it’s going to build brand affinity because it aligns with your values and the values of your listeners. Your dinner party is only as good as the guests you invite.
But you can also dominate your topic by:
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Including it in the metadata (show name, episode title, show notes).
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Include it when promoting your show through social or your owned media channels.
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Really exploring the topic from all angles, which enhances your ownership of the topic and frames you as a leader around this space.
Dominating your topic also allows you to zero in on the niche audience you are looking to create new relationships with.
The ownership of a topic that’s relevant to your company, its brand, and your audience, gives you a solid platform to tell great stories that are relevant to your listeners. And that has them subscribing to the show and anticipating the next episode – and this helps build a relationship that tends to retain loyal customers for longer.
So don’t dabble. Dominate.
Jen Moss is JAR Audio’s Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer
