The way we work may have been impacted by Covid-19 but it’s also opened the door of opportunity for the internal podcast trend. 44’s Digital Project Manager Jonny Hooke looks at the benefits of internal podcasts and how they could be the solution to your communication issues…
I confess, I’m a late convert to the world of podcasts.
What’s not to like? They’re accessible, they’re multi-task friendly and with more than 43 million podcast episodes available worldwide (and counting), you’re never stuck for something to listen to.
Creating a connection
But above all, the thing I love is that it builds intimacy. It creates a connection with the host and the guests, and it establishes a relationship that helps listeners to keep coming back. And when you’re invested in a podcast, the messages tend to stick.
There’s no doubt that the popularity of podcasts is continuing to grow, too. Podcast hosting company Acast recorded a 7% increase in listens globally over two days in March 2020, equivalent to more than 750,000 podcast plays. This coincided with the start of the first national lockdown, as companies scrambled to maintain internal communications and a sense of togetherness as workforces up and down the land adapted to home-working. And in July 2022, fellow podcast hosting specialists Buzzsprout reported that podcast listeners as a group have grown 29.5% in the last three years.
Practical tools
The national lockdown forced companies to get creative to spread frequent and clear communications to inform, engage and reassure their teams. Since then, we’ve come to realise that tools that may have once seemed unconventional are now more essential and practical than ever.
But along with the likes of Microsoft Teams, online collaboration tools and instant messaging apps such as Slack, have you considered the power of the internal podcast? After all, it’s an innovative way to create engagement, showcase your company culture and bridge the communication gap between employees and senior management.
Crafting the perfect podcast
In recent months we’ve noticed an uptake in the use of internal podcasting throughout our client base and we’ve also supported some of our clients to help them craft the perfect podcast for their workforces. In 2019, we released our own podcast series, Beyond IC, where we looked at the lessons we can take from the general election and the world of theatre. And more recently, we’ve supported National Highways with the preparation, recording and production of a series of podcasts that explores the future of the UK’s road network.
So if you’re looking for a better way to help your message hit the mark, why not try a podcast? Here’s what we’ve found are the biggest benefits of using an internal podcast as a communication tool:
1) It’s simple
Creating a podcast can be as quick or as complex as you like. But for the time-poor organisations among us, it can be a relatively small and undemanding production that doesn’t require too much time or resource. All you need is a decent microphone, basic audio editing skills, and the ability to distribute it among your colleagues. There are loads of apps and tools out there to help you hone and refine your podcast, but if you’re starting from scratch, we recommend Audacity. It’s free, easy to use, offers an array of audio recording options and effects, and supports all of the most commonly used audio file formats.
2) It’s personal
The immediacy and emotion of the human voice creates a much more personal experience than simply reading text. In this instance, it can humanise corporate messages and create a feeling of a one-to-one connection between the listener and the host. Over time, it can also help the listener to become more familiar with the speaker, which can help resolve the feeling of alienation that’s common in large and remote teams. Making sure colleagues are involved and allowing them to contribute will also let their voices be heard and create a shared experience.
3) It’s flexible
The beauty of a podcast is that it’s your own blank canvas – you’re free to use it in any way that you feel would suit the company and its needs. Whether it’s engaging the workforce with business updates and latest news, or alternatively inviting guests for a roundtable-style discussion, or even a creative, storytelling format – there are various avenues you can go down to get your message across. Think about the kinds of comms you’d naturally feel tempted to write about – sharing the latest company updates, communicating your business strategy, celebrating achievements or profiling an individual or a team – and consider if they can be turned into a podcast. Just because there’s a traditional way of crafting content shouldn’t stop you from being creative with it.
4) It’s convenient
If your internal messages are sent via email or hosted on the intranet, they generally require the employee’s complete attention. However, with a podcast they can engage when it best suits them, whether that’s while they’re out for a walk or relaxing in the evening. Podcasts can help you cut through and reach those colleagues too busy or disinterested to read internal communications.
5) It’s measurable
Podcasts are easily measurable, so you can see exactly who is engaging with your content. By looking at the actions of your employees, your podcast can be used as a tool to better measure performance, learn about the topics that interest them and take the temperature of the business. Completion rates of episodes are another great metric – how many employees are making it all or most of the way through each episode? Are they finding this valuable and is it a good use of their time?
Gaining traction
If you do decide to go ahead with recording and hosting your own podcast, remember to factor in the format and frequency. The timeliness of podcasts is likely to be dictated by company-specific circumstances, but they do gain traction when they’re more frequent and land when expected. The more they differ and delay, the less value people attribute to them.
Remember to think of the impact on the listener too – it’s a balancing act between coming across as engaging and overbearing. So make sure you keep the tone lively, informative and relevant.
An internal podcast may or may not necessarily be the best option for your company, but it should at least be considered as we move to a more versatile, digital workplace. It can update employees on what’s going on inside a company, aid learning and development, strengthen the company culture, and ultimately get your communication across in an engaging and inclusive way.
Do you have a topic you’d like us to cover in an upcoming podcast or would you like support on creating your own? Get in touch and let us know.
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