1: NO RIGID FORMAT & SOCIAL MEDIA ADVANTAGE

Minus stifling regulation, a podcast can be written, voiced, edited and published more briskly than conventional radio output and nearly all video applications. Against 80 million Facebook business pages, there are just 850,000 active podcasts. Your niche podcast may easily reach hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands of affluent, educated listeners.

“It’s the beginning of a new medium and no-one knows the rules. That’s what makes it exciting and attracts pioneering creators.”
John Northwick

2: THE JOY OF ON DEMAND

Listeners become fans, curating their own channels and consuming shows when and where they wish. A vast amount of time is now spent (up to 3 hours per day*) on mobile devices and podcasts have prospered greatly because people can multi-task and consume content on demand.

“Most people I know are interested in on-demand stuff. Podcasting is essentially audio Netflix.”
Jordan Harbinger, Art of Charm Academy and social influencer

3: BRAND TRUST, LOYALTY & INTIMACY EFFECT

The spoken word creates a 1:1 atmosphere, prompting strong, trusting relationships between hosts/guests and listeners. Listeners/subscribers are happy to share what they hear more readily, revealing strong loyalty patterns. Unlike radio, episodes are usually consumed from start to end. Audio enjoys an ‘intimacy effect.’

“Podcasts aren’t a bubble, they’re a boom—and that boom is only getting louder.”
Miranda Katz, Wired

4: TRAINING AND MENTORING

Audio learning promotes a brain-stimulating effect* and has a retention rate twice as strong as reading. Showcase expertise and encourage audio-retentive coaching and feedback platforms for your organisation or product.

“Your podcast content should not be about you, but about solving your prospects’ problems.”
Steve Lubetkin, Journalist, Podcast Producer, and Author

5: UNIQUE NEW REVENUE PLATFORM

Podcast hosts enjoy the advantage of personally endorsing products and brands for authenticity. 76% of UK podcast listeners* report making direct purchases from product or service endorsements heard during episodes, perfect for organisations that have become disillusioned with Internet page ad blockers.

“You need one person to listen, get your message and pass it on to someone else. And that’s the way you start to double your audience.”
Robert Gerrish, author of Flying Solo

BONUS! BE A VALUABLE RESOURCE

It’s impossible to conduct hundreds of 1:1 consultations with prospective clients every week. Podcast listeners are educated, affluent professionals, far more active on social media.* They are qualified prospects, ready and eager to learn. Whether your podcast is daily, weekly or monthly, becoming a trusted shared resource is a powerful driver of business. Podcasting identifies you as an expert in your field as you discuss and delve deeper into relevant issues that your audience cares about.

“It’s much more likely you can develop a business relationship from someone in your audience when you’ve established your credibility.”
Stephen Woessner, Onward Nation podcast.

*research sources: FORBES, BBC, OFCOM, APPLE, EDISON RESEARCH, SLING MEDIA, MIDROLL, ACAST, BACKYARD MEDIA, MEDIUM AND ABC

OVER 30 YEARS OF RADIO BROADCAST EXPERIENCE

Our principal programme maker and producer Neale James started his broadcast career 1989 within BBC regional radio, presenting, producing and reporting leading to a contract offer in 1991 to join the national network Radio 1 where he worked in presentation and documentary making.

He has also presented and produced within the commercial sector of UK radio, in both local and regional networks before joining a former BBC colleague to launch the first Internet streamed in vision radio station, Storm.

Later the company formed partnerships with some of the world’s largest media and corporate names to develop satellite and private radio networks. Forward thinking initiatives by companies such as HSBC, News International, Dixons, PC World, Ikea and the Post Office, provided and streamed via satellite, live bespoke radio broadcasts into organisations and outlets, connecting staff and partners with consumers.

1: RECOGNISE YOUR NICHE OR MESSAGE

An identifiable reason and consistency is what will drive your show. Loading Zone can help identify your niche and coach anchors or even provide hosts that can deliver coherent messages.

2: THE FIVE F’S; FORMAT, FREQUENCY, FACE, FEATURES, FEELING

FORMAT

Stylistically how is your show to sound? Will it be a round table discussion programme, a regular guest interview edition, or possibly material contextually recorded on location with your prospective audience?

FREQUENCY

Continuity is important. Loyal subscribers actively look forward to episodic frequency. Whilst audiences enjoy a ‘listen on demand ethos’, interest fades with inconsistency. If your cast is seasonal, then this becomes part of the show’s message.

FACE

Who is to be the presenter or indeed presenters within your team? Listeners build rapport and strong association with hosts, often recognising these characters as friends.

FEATURES

Signposted features within an episode can create islands of opportunity and retain listeners longer. Regular Q&A opportunities, ‘Talk to the boss’, top 10 advice tips, highlights of next week’s show,’ separate your podcast from those who haven’t identified a start, middle or end.

FEELING

Tonality. Is it serious, humorous, flippant even? Broadly speaking the top genres of podcasting in the UK are; comedy, music, business, TV and film. Business podcasts are highly consumed programmes and attract loyal downloaders and subscribers in the tens and hundreds of thousands. Many are buoyant motivational journeys, some highly colourful in terms of presentation style.

3: PASS THE BATON

Who will organise an episode? Who will record each show? Who will host? Who will edit? Who’ll design the artwork? How will you promote your new cast? How can you leverage social media? Loading Zone will bring all these elements together to produce seasonal or episodic podcasts to make your company sound, act and perform like a podcast leader. Speak to us and pass the baton so that we may be your partner in this next exciting adventure for your company.