Podcast or Social Media Strategy: What’s Best for Marketing?

When it comes to choosing a podcast or social media strategy for marketing, my answer might surprise you. Choose both, because they work hand-in-hand.

For the past 20 years, social media has been the best way to get your message in front of the most people at once. Facebook has more than 3 billion active monthly users, Instagram has more than 2 billion, and LinkedIn has more than 1 billion. (Twitter used to have around 1 billion, but usage has fallen by 20% since Elon Musk purchased it in 2022.)

Meanwhile, podcasts allow you to better tell your brand story and connect with your audience. Audio conveys tone of voice, your passion for the topic, and your personality much better than text in a social media post. 

And podcasts are popular! According to Edison Research, 67% of people ages 12 and up in the US have ever listened to a podcast, 47% listen monthly, and 34% listen weekly.

Let’s take a look at how podcasts and social media complement each other. 

Podcasts last forever, while social media posts do not

Your social media feed is essentially a news feed. The more you post, the faster your old posts disappear (no one is going to search for a post from two years ago). And for time-sensitive posts, they are no longer relevant once the news cycle passes.

Unless you take down your podcast, your episodes will live forever. You can always link back to timely or evergreen episodes on social media. For example: “We talked about this crisis we’re having now on an episode two years ago….”

By showing you were ahead of the times or already studying a big societal trend, you build instant credibility and authority both on social media and via your podcast.

You own your podcast, but you don’t own your social media accounts

Just like your organization owns its website, the organization also owns the podcast and every episode. Only you can make changes to these platforms.

Your social media accounts are just borrowed online real estate. You have no control over the algorithms that govern the news feed or the whims of a new owner (cough *Elon Musk* cough). All of the content you have ever put on social media can disappear tomorrow. 

Therefore, it’s important to only create content on channels you own. Distribute that content (your blog posts, case studies, podcasts, etc.) on channels you own (email) and don’t own (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc.).

However some of you may be thinking, hey, isn’t a podcast RSS feed borrowed (or rented) real estate? Technically yes, but you can always migrate the podcast from one RSS vendor to another. Good luck migrating several years worth of social posts from Facebook to LinkedIn.

Podcasts are a perfect format for a digestible, deep dive into a topic 

That white paper that explains a proprietary process (without giving away the farm)? The new industry term you coined? The customer survey results you just published?

A podcast is a perfect place to share the details in a conversational way that doesn’t overwhelm your audience. When you take into account that around 30% of people are auditory learners and 58% of people prefer audio-only podcasts over video podcasts, audio content just makes sense. 

Trying to craft social media posts that are just as engaging as a podcast episode is a challenge. 

Plus, social media posts don’t allow for real-time conversations, and they cannot convey tone, humor, or personality quite like audio.

Podcasts allow your organization and team to build authority

A podcast helps senior leaders and subject matter experts showcase the depth and breadth of their knowledge. By sharing their insights on your podcast, your organization will become a thought leader in your industry.

Plus, as people tune into your podcast and get to know the hosts, listeners will become more connected to the brand. (When choosing a host, look for someone who is personable, willing to put themselves out there, and comfortable talking about multiple topics. It doesn’t have to be the CEO.)

Can you build authority on social media without a podcast? Sure, but it may take longer.

You don’t have to choose a podcast or social media strategy 

Podcasts and social media marketing can tie together your marketing and communications strategies. Though we can’t help with your social media, we can help with your podcast strategy and work with your team to produce a must-listen podcast. Contact us today to learn more.