Podcasting: The Loudest Way to Whisper in Your Audience's Ear

kingandcopruae
Aug 5
3 min read

A bit of pub trivia first. "Podcast" is a mashup of iPod and broadcast, a term coined by journalist Ben Hammersley back in 2004. It stayed a niche corner of the internet for a decade, until Serial exploded onto the scene in 2014 and suddenly everyone realised audio storytelling could hold an audience the way TV or film could.

Then came Covid. Suddenly, everyone had a podcast, myself included. Mine was called Sandpit Diaries. At a time when we were all disconnected from one another, podcasts became a genuine way to reach and connect with people, and they earned a remarkably high level of trust along the way. Studios were empty, home mics were cheap, and launching a show felt like the easiest content play in the world. A few years later, Spotify and Apple went head to head over exclusive shows and star hosts, and podcasting had its first real growing pains as a business.

Now we're in a genuinely exciting second act. Regular podcast listenership in the UAE and Saudi Arabia used to sit at around 16 and 20 percent respectively. Fast forward to today, and that figure has jumped to 57 percent in the UAE and 60 percent in Saudi Arabia tuning in regularly, according to YouGov's most recent regional data. The narrative has flipped completely: podcasts are no longer a side project, they're a mainstream media habit.

The region has some brilliant shows leading the way, from Kerning Cultures and Culture Bites, to Saudi's record-breaking Finjan and THE 966. For those after news and analysis, The National's Behind the Headlines is well worth a listen too.

Part of the appeal is the format itself. Podcasts offer something quite rare: an authentic yet controlled conversation. They carry the same high levels of trust as radio, because in many ways that's exactly what they are, radio on demand, just whenever and wherever you want it. It feels less scripted and staid than video, and the barrier to entry is far lower too, no studio, no crew, no big production budget required, just a good conversation and something worth saying.

So why should brands care?

Because podcast listening isn't accidental. You don't stumble onto a podcast the way you might scroll past a social post. People choose a show, choose an episode, and press play because they're genuinely interested in that topic. That means there's no audience wastage. You're not hoping the right person sees your message, you're reaching a niche, targeted audience who are already exactly who you want to reach.

What are the options?

Be a guest. The fastest way in. Find shows your audience already listens to and pitch a genuinely useful angle, not a sales pitch.
Start your own. A bigger commitment, but a powerful way to build a consistent, owned platform for your point of view.

But starting one is only half the job

If you do launch your own podcast, you then need to think seriously about how you attract listeners. A brilliant show that nobody knows exists doesn't do much for your brand. You need a proper strategy behind it: how you'll promote it, where you'll clip it, who you'll get to share it, and how you'll keep bringing new listeners in episode after episode. If you don't tell people it's there, how will they ever find it?

Podcasting is something I'm a huge consumer of, and a real fan of for brands. So if you want to chat about launching a podcast for your brand, explore guest placement opportunities, or simply fancy discussing the latest episode of Diary of a CEO, I'm here to chat!

How often do you listen to podcasts?