Three reasons why podcasting is a game-changer

If you have been in the media industry for a while, you would probably agree that digital media is slowly but steadily becoming big business in the Middle East. This could be because there is a high rate of social media and smart phone penetration in the region.  According to Strategy&, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are amongst the top nations driving such adoptions due to their digitally savvy population. A study by Northwestern University concluded that two-thirds of Middle Eastern participants said they get news from social media every day. That said, it is no surprise that podcasts are the Middle East’s new favorite media outlet. There are more than 550,000 accounts and over 18.5 million episodes in more than 100 languages on Apple Podcasts alone! But can you guess what makes podcasting so special?

1. Podcasts fit perfectly into people’s schedule

Marketers acknowledged the value of the daytime market since 1930 when soap operas were first launched in Chicago. In case you don’t know about the history of soap operas, housewives who send their husbands to work and children to school were considered a fruitful untackled market. Marketers knew that housewives were looking for something to entertain their ears while they were doing the housework.

Today, housewives, entrepreneurs, business men and women listen to podcast to entertain their mind as they work on routine tasks such as driving, cooking dinner or even while finishing operational tasks in their office. Podcasts are now a rich and quick source of information that users can comfortably fit within their schedule. Since the content is consistently available on podcasting platforms such as Anchor, Apple Podcasts and SoundCloud, users can download and listen at any time of the day.

2. Binge consumption is very common

It is no secret that digital content, including podcasts, is time-shifted media. This means that the track is recorded and stored on the platform for users to listen to at the comfort of their time. In fact, podcast creators are experiencing the same consumption rate that video producers on platforms like YouTube are facing. Serial media gets users inclined to binge on the episodes especially when the content follows a story telling format and engages the audience members.

3. Build a relationship with your audience

Podcasting creates an excellent opportunity for a brand to build its credibility by developing a connection with the audience and nurturing it. Podcasts and radio broadcasting are similar in the sense that audience members get familiar with the hosts’ voices. In fact, users can easily maintain their audience’s loyalty with the continued production of quality, engaging content. Additionally, podcasting is similar to social media as it allows two-way communication. It is no longer about the hosts sharing their ideas. Instead, podcasting platforms allow listeners to engage with the audio content by commenting on it and sharing tracks with their friends.

In conclusion, podcasts are one of the digital drivers in the media industry and every marketer should be aware of the potential that this new medium has and the opportunities it could bring about. This is why we leveraged Gitex 2018 Technology Week to launch our own podcast series titled “The Technologists”. In ‘The Technologists’, we discuss the latest technology trends, market demands, predictions and so much more. If you still haven’t listened to our podcast series, be sure to check them out by clicking this link.