How Internal Podcasts Are Transforming Corporate Communication
When we think of branded podcasts, we usually think about how they’re excellent content marketing tools. We think about how to reach our target audience, join global conversations as thought leaders, and make our brand stand out in the eyes of what we hope will go from listener to customer. External things.
We don’t often think about what a branded podcast can do internally for our team. Is there even room in branded podcasting for an internal podcast? We like to argue (with proof!) that yes — yes, there is.
And that proof come from our friends at Staffbase, who are experts in the internal communications space. The following data on internal communications ROI came from their excellent newsletter.
The Benefits of Internal Podcasts
Boosted Communication
When it comes down to it, podcasts are tools for communication. You’re communicating your thoughts, ideas, brand, values, etc. With internal podcasts, you can ease and boost communication between upper management and employees. There are a few areas this comes in handy:
Safety Pays Off
Workplace accidents can seriously hurt your bottom line. You can easily spread vital safety guidelines and updates through an internal podcast. Think about cutting occupational injury costs by a whopping 31% while bolstering a top-tier safety environment. Rather than have employees sit in boring safety meetings first thing in the morning or put them through hours of training they’ll never remember, an internal podcast can teach them everything they need to know, hands-free, and can be revisited time after time.
Streamline to Earn
The forever favoured adage of business leaders everywhere: Time = money. Like safety meetings, think of all the time spent in meetings to download some information to your employees. Instead, you can offer quick information through podcast episodes, shaving off unnecessary hours spent trying to gather everyone together and have them “listen” to upper management talk.
Let’s put that into numbers:
Shaving off 15% of the time spent on meetings and tasks equals a juicy 5% revenue jump per employee.
Declutter Emails, Boost Productivity
Are you tired of drowning in emails? We feel you. Replace some of those emails with engaging podcast episodes. The episodes will be timely and relevant and reduce those pesky email distractions. Plus, it’s significantly harder to miss an episode than to lose an “Important Update” email in your hundreds (or even thousands — but hey, we’re not judging) of emails sitting unread in your inbox.
You didn’t hear this from us, but you can probably even listen to some episodes while decluttering that inbox. That’s a pretty good one-two punch.
Using podcasting as a communication tool can shake things up and ensure the information you’re trying to convey to your employees is well-received and even enjoyable to listen to. You’ll benefit by saving time (which is money) and boost productivity by freeing up space for your team to focus on the tasks that really matter. Again, that can add up to a 5% revenue jump per employee.
But wait, there’s more!
An Elevated Employee Experience
Your employee experience and employer brand reputation are as crucial — if not more so — as the customer experience. These days, it pays to keep your employees happy and high-functioning. Believe it or not, an internal podcast can also help with that.
Here’s how:
Pocket-friendly Employee Loyalty
Let’s chat about employee turnover. By enriching engagement with podcasts — be it through shoutouts, leadership talks, or feedback — your team sticks around. This is exceptional news for any business, but especially for smaller companies with less room in the budget for constant hiring. What is the result of podcasts and employee loyalty in numbers? A potential 65% drop in turnover, keeping more coins in the company pocket.
Lower Recruitment Costs
Turn your team into brand ambassadors! A podcast series aids recruitment, trimming the hiring process, and expanding reach. Like how external branded podcasts communicate your brand values to an audience, internal podcasts communicate your brand values and employer brand. When people love where they work and understand what their company values, they’re more likely to share that with others and advocate for their employer — maybe even making referrals. The numbers don’t lie. An efficient audio strategy could save you up to $16,000 on recruiting!
Happy Customers, Happy Wallet
Elevate your customer game in a couple of different ways with internal podcasts. Back to that more efficient communication shtick, you can use podcasts to give your team the insights they need to dazzle clients. Further, the happier your employees are, the better your customers’ experiences will be. A great experience starts with a happy, competent, passionate staff member. According to Staffbase’s math (from their internal podcast), a 10% bump in customer satisfaction from streamlined communication can fuel a 7% revenue growth. Those are numbers we love.
Get That ROI
If you want an impressive ROI, tune into the power of internal podcasts. By streamlining communication and an elevated employee experience, your business could see significant revenue, efficiency, and efficacy improvements. If you don’t believe us, ask our friends over at Staffbase, where their internal podcast Infernal Communication was a big hit (it even won awards!).
If you’re unsure how to create a podcast for your team rather than your customer, give us a shout! We’d be happy to identify precisely what internal pain point you want your podcast to address and how to ensure it resonates with your team and is an authentic lens into your brand, values, and who you are as an employer.
5 Key Takeaways:
- Enhanced Communication: Internal podcasts serve as effective tools for conveying important information within a company, cutting down on meeting times and reducing reliance on emails.
- Cost Savings: By using podcasts to disseminate information and engage employees, companies can significantly reduce costs related to safety training, meetings, and even recruitment.
- Increased Productivity: Replacing some email communications with podcast episodes can lead to a decluttered inbox, allowing employees to focus more on their core tasks and less on sifting through emails.
- Employee Retention: Engaging content like shoutouts and leadership talks in internal podcasts can boost employee loyalty and reduce turnover, which is especially beneficial for budget-conscious smaller companies.
- Boost in Customer Satisfaction and Revenue: Happy and well-informed employees tend to provide better customer service, which can lead to increased customer satisfaction and subsequently, revenue growth.
By Roger Nairn
Roger transitioned from a 22 year career in advertising account management to co-founding JAR, a podcast podcast production agency. As CEO of JAR, he propels the company’s growth by prioritizing audience engagement and podcast marketing. Under his guidance, JAR flourishes with a global clientele, aiming to broaden its reach across North America and revolutionize brand connections through immersive storytelling.
