What the pandemic success of podcasts means for PR pros

“Will people still listen to podcasts?”

I vividly remember that question from a client in early March 2020—and that I didn’t know the answer.

Podcasts were, of course, already wildly popular by the time the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world. But the way we listened to podcasts seemed to be irreparably harmed. For most, podcasts were what we listened to as we traveled, whether that was to or from work, or to and from a friend’s or family’s house. It didn’t appear anyone would be doing much traveling anytime soon in March 2020.

To say the rumors of the podcast’s demise were greatly exaggerated would be a gross understatement. Podcasts have not only survived through they pandemic; they have thrived. Podcasts don’t need to just be a part or parcel of your company’s or organization’s media outreach strategy; they need to be a focal point.

This isn’t about creating your own podcast from scratch, which is not what the podcast market wants from brands today. It’s about leveraging the networks of existing podcasts, using relationships with reporters and editors who have started their own, and finding new audiences for your message.