Are podcasts becoming the new strategies for PR?

Over the years, the way content is created and consumed has shifted massively. It was once videos, then went to creatives and now it is audio. 

Podcasts have emerged as a powerful tool in public relations (PR), transforming how brands communicate with their audiences. Offering a unique blend of storytelling, authenticity, and targeted reach, podcasts are redefining how organisations connect with their audiences.

At the e4m PR 40 under 40 Summit, Kanak Kohli, Head - Content, The 23 Watts moderated a session with Srishty Thakur, PR and Communications Head, Physics Wallah, Mamta Dhingra

Founder and Director, Lateral Sutra, and Yashika Sagar, Account Director, Fuzion PR Pvt. Ltd to discuss whether podcasts are becoming the new strategies for PR.

Sharing perspective on whether podcasts really help reach a wider audience, Thakur said, “It is important to understand whether your audience is listening to podcasts. For the education sector specifically, you wouldn’t see any such podcasts. So for us, it is a great medium but we have to learn to do it right.”

Podcasts are a fast-picking ever emerging medium according to people but they have been around for two decades now, as per Dhingra. They have huge potential and there is no one way to get it right. One just has to dive into the deep end. 

“The only key to ace at podcasts is consistency. So if you are not consistent with your content, be it video, audio or even PR, it requires sustained efforts,” she added.

Sagar dived deeper and said within podcasts, the industry has evolved too. It started off as just audio but visual effects have been given to it now. 

Some innovative ways for PR professionals to leverage podcasts, as suggested by Thakur were firstly podcasts are a cool way of having one’s own newsroom. She said, “This can be your space for narratives to come out more authentically, deeply and your audience can connect with them.”

She further suggested that in times of crisis, it can become a credible platform of information which can even be used to express one’s personal point of view. It can also be used for internal communication and employee engagement. 

As an ed-tech platform, Physics Wallah has thought of becoming thought leaders or a skilling platform where people can come to know about any topic in-depth via podcasts. 

When it comes to PR terms like soft profiling, podcasts allow for those conversations to happen in a way you best like it to be, said Dhingra.

AI has also now found its place in the world of podcasts. But will it ever replace human touch and emotion?

Dhingra feels AI can be a great enabler in any form of profession or artistry. It can help in user generated content, edit content to make reels out of it, scripting the podcast, promoting the podcast but the podcaster’s style, content, narrative and more which cannot be done by AI.

“AI will do well if it is managed well by humans. It can never replace creativity, innovation that humans bring to the table,” she added.

There are a hundred podcasts out there and in the coming times, there will be a thousand more but the human factors make it different and unique from others and help it stand out. 

Moving further, Kohli stressed on the fact whether podcasts will be a part of the whole toolkit in coming times. 

“It’s a hand and glove scenario with PR and podcasts and they act as two peas in the same pod,” Dhingra added. 

Sagar said, earlier the majority of listeners and podcasters were from metros but lately they are also coming from tier 2 and 3 markets. On Spotify, Tamil podcasts enjoy the same popularity as Hindi podcasts. So they definitely have gained huge momentum. 

“But as most platforms rise, they also see a downfall like newsletters, Facebook, Orkut and now Twitter. I hope podcasts survive the highs and lows and let’s see how the story unfolds,” she added.