Why podcasting might be right for your tire business
New research from Edison Research and Triton Digital reveals a growing interest in podcasts from the American public. Thirty-five million Americans listen to podcasts every week and that number is growing quickly from year to year.
The study was the result of telephone interviews with 2,001 Americans, showing:
• More men than women listen to podcasts: 56% vs. 44%
• Podcasting has widespread appeal across generations
• People who consume podcasts are likely to have a higher household income
• On average, podcast fans spend more than four hours a week listening to podcasts
• Most people listen to podcasts on a smartphone or tablet: a total of 71%
It’s this last point that makes podcasting so interesting to tire business owners. Podcasting is the only kind of marketing people consume when they’re doing something else. You can listen to a podcast while driving, exercising or doing chores around the house. No other form of marketing allows that sort of reach.
What’s more, most people who listen to podcasts do so within the first 48 hours of a new episode becoming available. That gives business owners an opportunity to provide information on promotions and events happening in the store or business.
Podcasts and social media go hand in hand
If you’re using social media as part of your marketing mix, podcasting might be the next logical step in your marketing. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter drive a lot of listeners to podcasts. Ninety-three percent of podcast listeners are also social media users.
“Social media and successful podcasts are inextricably linked, especially now with so many podcasts being listened directly from a link shared in social media,” says Tom Webster, VP of Strategy and Marketing, Edison Research.
Opportunity for tire business owners
Besides leveraging your social media investment, podcasting is a quick and easy way to produce marketing content. It doesn’t have to take much of your time or budget, either. You can start a podcast in your own office with a voice recorder or a smartphone. If it turns out to be something you enjoy, you can upgrade your equipment as you go. You don’t need slick production values. Most listeners appreciate hearing from an authority on a specific topic and don’t expect those people to sound like professional broadcasters. They tune in to hear you and your expertise.
While podcasting is a rapidly growing medium, it’s still a relatively new marketing technique. This provides a gap in the market for tire business owners to start a podcast as audiences begin looking for very specific information. There’s a chance to get in early and become an authority on selling tires before the broader industry wakes up to the power of podcasting.
Watch the webinar replay of The Podcast Consumer 2016 from Edison Research and Triton Digital with analysis from Tom Webster.
