The Next Big Thing…

It’s nearly impossible to predict but it’s sure fun to try. Well, we recently came across an article from Skift claiming that podcasting could be the next big thing in content marketing and we can’t help but agree, especially in the context of hospitality marketing!

What’s a Podcast?

Wikipedia defines a podcast as: “an episodic series of digital media files which a user can set up so that new episodes are automatically downloaded via web syndication…” But a simpler way to think of it  is a radio program you can download at any time and listen to on a mobile device.

Podcast programming covers a wide range of content, from music based shows, to long form narratives like the recently popular “serial” podcast. Some are even just re-published versions of actual live radio shows, like the Dan Patrick Show podcast.

Audio > Video

There are a million stats out there about the incredible popularity of video in today’s digital marketing world. We even did a blog article recently specifically focusing on Facebook Live, but audio content like podcasts has some unique value that video can’t match.

#1) It’s easier to consume–  the biggest advantage of pure audio content like podcasts are the ability to multi-task. You can listen to a podcast while doing other things like exercising, doing yard work or driving. It’s a very convenient way to consume information.

#2) It’s easier to produce – While video requires lighting, shot selection and good audio, podcasting requires much less moving pieces. All you need is a decent microphone and some know-how.

And sure, the podcasting audience pales in comparison when put up against video but it isn’t exactly small either. Over 35 million people listened to podcasts weekly in 2016!

How to start a podcast at your hotel

Adding a podcast to your content mix can be pretty simple. It mostly involves buying a decent microphone, learning to use audio editing software (which there are plenty of free options for) and creating compelling content for your audience.

For the more technical side of recording,  editing and publishing your podcast, this article from Lifehacker is a great resource to start. However, for advice on  developing content keep reading!

Treat it as part of your overall strategy

If you’re at all familiar with the rules of content marketing, you can apply the same concepts and strategy to podcasting that you’d use for any other piece of content. If you’re not familiar with the ideas behind content marketing  be sure to check out our earlier posts about the topic.

Basically, don’t view podcasting as a separate entity, view it as another tool for implementing your overall content marketing strategy! That being said, here are some hotel specific content ideas to get you started in podcasting:

Content Ideas

Interviews

Interviews take the pressure off of needing to be a compelling speaker for an extended period of time. Find some interesting people in your hotel and just have a conversation. For example you can ask your chef about his favorite dish or  you can ask your group sales director what makes your hotel such a great destination for groups and meetings.

Be an audio concierge

Having local expertise is valuable, talking about the best places to eat, local attractions and the most interesting nightlife locations can be great content for a first time visitor.

Repurpose other content

Use old blogs, infographics or videos as outlines for your podcast. You can translate a blog into a podcast script by using the main points as topics to elaborate on. You can do the same thing with an infographic!

Tell your story 

If you’re a boutique or historic hotel explaining your history could be a compelling podcast episode. Think about the fascinating tidbits that you’d tell guests about on a tour and use that to form a podcast.

Even if podcasting isn’t “The Next Big Thing” It’s still an exciting content format that’s worth looking in to!

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