It was just a matter of time before some slick marketer came up with the term Vodcasting. This shmooshed-together term marries the two fastest growing content vehicles that marketers are using these days to battle “content clutter” and bring excitement and creativity to brand messaging: video and podcasting. If you’re already podcasting, it’s likely you’re using a desktop or laptop, almost all of which have a camera, along with a Zoom-like cloud platform like Squadcast or RiversideFM, which already includes video recording capability. So if you’re already eating chocolate, it’s a tasty proposition to add the peanut butter to get a Reese’s Cup. Like the candy, video and podcasting can be more delicious than the sum of its parts!
Adding video to a podcast can be really easy/cheap (just switch on the camera and separate video file will be generated along with the audio), or it can be more effort/more expensive, as the kind of visual elements you can incorporate into a given podcast episode is limitless.
Either way, it is more work, so what are the reasons for taking the plunge?
Vodcasting can expand your total audience.
Absolutely no one was shocked when YouTube surpassed Apple and Spotify as the #1 destination for podcast enthusiasts in 2022. YouTube is often the place people find podcasts, and the company introduced a page to help users find new shows. Last November, the company announced that it had surpassed the 80 million viewer mark with its new video subscription offering, According to Podcast index, the number of vodcasts grew from 34,194 to 50,800 in the ensuing six months, an increase of over 25%. Also, the most recent first time consumers of podcasts are more likely to be open to vodcasting: only 42% said they prefer audio only, compared to 47% of those who started listening to podcasts four or more years ago,
Certain content lends itself better to a visual mode of communication.
There are some things you need to see to believe. This is particularly true when conveying technical information or highly conceptual information simply, which is often the case in information-intensive industries such as financial services, biopharmaceuticals, and technology. Visual aids can supplement the stories and examples that make podcasting so effective. We’re seeing more and more companies use “explainer videos” to educate customers or other stakeholders, so in some ways a vodcast is similar, except you’re already recording a podcast for listening, so you might as well kill two birds with one stone.
Vodcasting provides a new way of diversifying your marketing content.
Content is still king, but customers are besieged by it in the digital realm. It’s fabulous if you’re using podcasting to reach segments of the population that are mobile and away from their screens, but the same customers will ultimate return to their screens, and wouldn’t it be great if they could see the information in a different form? Would that reinforce your branding and messaging?
The great thing about its ability to expand your content in a wide variety of ways:
- YouTube and Instagram have made video shorts famous. You can cutdown a vodcast to any length, post on these platforms, or within any marketing media for that matter.
- There are infinite ways to break up podcast content. You cut in out-of-office interviews, outdoor scenes, screen shots, webpages, etc.
- You can bring out the personalities of podcast guests and hosts. Look no further than ModPod’s own podcast, Show Me Your Set Up. The personalities of the two hosts really come out when the viewer sees them, making it a more compelling and memorable experience.
- You can highlight your branding. Most elements of branding are visual, not only your logo, but colors, shapes, objects, etc.
There are certain extra requirements and costs associated with folding in video to your podcast production approach. If you’re recording video and audio in the same session, you’ll need to avoid or edit out references to elements that listeners won’t see, and otherwise consider how listeners and viewers experience the content. This must be done without disrupting the flow of the dialogue and story, so planning is in order. And last but not least, additional effort will be needed to prepare the right studio lighting and background.
All in all, the benefits of video should outweigh the costs and extra effort.
We’d love to start a conversation with you about your own podcast aspirations. We welcome you to visit our website at www.gomodpod.com, or reach out to us via our Contact form or at info@gomodpod.com.
