I recently joined Adam Parry from Event Tech Live, Bob Toovey from Event Planner News, and Paul Richardson from Vividink PR at The Meetings Show to discuss the power of podcasting.
One thing became very clear throughout our conversation: podcasting isn't just another marketing trend - it's becoming an essential part of along-term content strategy.
One of the biggest questions I'm asked is whether a business should produce an audio podcast or a video podcast. But the real question is: where is your audience consuming content?
If your audience spends their time on YouTube, LinkedIn or Instagram, video gives you a huge advantage. People scrolling through their feeds are far more likely to stop when they recognise a face than when they're presented with a static graphic. Often they're watching without sound too, so captions become just as important as the conversation itself.
Audio is still incredibly valuable, but video dramatically increases discoverability. The reality is that many people now discover podcasts through short-form clips before they ever listen to or watch the full episode. That's why I always encourage businesses to think beyond the podcast itself. Think about all the places that conversation can live.
I don't see podcasting as a separate marketing channel. I see it as another way to have meaningful conversations with your audience.
Whether you're interviewing an industry expert, discussing challenges your customers face or simply sharing knowledge from within your own business, podcasts allow you to communicate in a way that feels authentic.
People consume podcasts while they're driving, exercising, travelling or even doing the washing up. You're meeting them in moments where they're actively choosing to spend time with your content. That's incredibly powerful and something we encourage our clients to consider. Your essentially meeting your audience where they are.
One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is looking at a podcast as a single piece of content. It isn't.
A 30-minute conversation can become:
Instead of investing time in creating one asset, you're building an entire content library from a single recording. When businesses start looking at podcasting this way, the return on investment becomes much easier to justify.
At First Sight Media, we're seeing podcast studios become one of the most valuable spaces on an exhibition floor. They're no longer just somewhere to record content. They're becoming another stage that effectively pays for itself... See for yourself here.
The studio gives organisers the opportunity to host exclusive conversations, attract keynote speakers and create content that continues promoting the event long after everyone has gone home.
We've also seen them become incredibly attractive commercial opportunities. Sponsors aren't just buying branding around a podcast studio. They're buying the opportunity to be associated with meaningful conversations and thought leaders. When you can deliver a discussion between respected voices in an industry, that creates value far beyond traditional sponsorship... It's authentic, editorial and far more engaging than simply placing a logo on a banner.
One thing I want businesses to understand is that podcasting isn't replacing blogs, video or social media. It's strengthening all of them.
Every conversation creates another opportunity to build trust, demonstrate expertise and give your audience valuable content in a format they enjoy consuming. Podcasting continues to grow because people connect with authentic conversations more than polished sales messages.
For businesses looking to build authority, strengthen relationships and create content that keeps working long after it's recorded, there's never been a better time to get started!
After all, it's another piece of content for your brand... There’s nothing to lose and so much to gain.
Author: Rich Belcher, Managing Director at First Sight Media