Why Video is King When Growing Your Podcast

If you said ‘I have a podcast’ just 5 years ago, you’d often be met with, ‘a what?’ And now, podcasting is an obvious choice when it comes to engaging storytelling. The question is: how do you make sure everyone can find your story? Audio purists might turn their noses up at video, but you can no longer afford to be snobby when it comes to making your podcast visual.  

Video is Back (Or It Never Left)

Video content is not revolutionising anything. It’s just adding to your existing podcast strategy as part of a growing trend in the industry and on the internet. Ofcom 2023 showed the younger users to be the most engaged when it comes to podcasting, and yet the Gen-Z audience seems the hardest to engage in an audio-only format. Platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram are all investing in podcast integration and it would be silly to ignore them when clearly, people love it.

The YouTube Changes

YouTube and its music-focused app, YouTube Music, are now offering new opportunities for podcasters. You can leverage YouTube’s discovery algorithm by making sure you hit all of the aspects of distributing your pod ‘wherever you get your podcasts’ and uploading full episodes to your channels. These could use static imagery, but video is going to get you a lot further when it comes to discovery. Podcasts aren’t all about an RSS feed anymore – think of them as a content type, and not just a discussion around a microphone. 

Why Does Video Work for Audio?

  1. Visual Engagement: The reality is – visuals make content easier to digest for the vast majority of the population. A visual layer always helps, so why not add it? 
  2. New Audiences: Video platforms have way more potential listeners than podcasting apps. YouTube alone has over 2.70 billion monthly users.
  3. SEO Love: Search engines are obsessed with video. If you can put together a well-optimised video, you can drive organic traffic to your podcast. Meaning, more listeners and even more engagement.

Where Do You Post?

  1. YouTube: The home for long-form content. It allows you to not only upload the podcast, but also now link it up with your shorts content and feed through full eps to YouTube Music. Great SEO, and good to reach that coveted Gen-Z audience. 
  2. TikTok and YouTube Shorts:  Simply a must if you want to go viral. Quick bites of your podcast will go a long way here with your listeners, just make sure to always have clear CTAs in all of your visuals.
  3. Instagram: With features like Reels and even live feeds, Instagram provides multiple avenues for video content, reaching different segments of your audience. Don’t forget the millennials (and don’t forget to caption your content, too!). 

Podcasting might be moving into a more multimedia direction, but there is no reason to fear this change. You can stay ahead of the curve by being consistent and innovative, and the audience will surely repay you with an increase in subs. 

Not sure where to begin with video content? We got you covered.