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(By Sheila Knowles) Podcasts are overwhelmingly done in audio, and are subscribed to in places like Apple Podcasts_, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and _Overcast. But, humans are inherently visual creatures and video adds visual complexity and emotional depth that audio may not. That’s one of the reasons video is quickly becoming the foundation of the modern web.
Like aspiring actors flocking to Hollywood for more exposure or influencers utilizing TikTok to reconstruct scenes from their favourite movies/TV shows, creators are translating their work into video in hopes of growing their audience.
People gravitate to the faces of other humans because we’re hardwired that way. We use other people’s facial expressions to develop emotional context so our brains react differently to faces. We prioritize them over other visual stimuli.
Should I add video/visuals to my podcast? Yes you should 100% add video/visuals to your podcast. It’s a fairly simple process and here’s why. If you put your face on camera, people are going to pay attention. It’s in our chemical makeup. And when people pay attention, your engagement goes up.
Adding visuals to your podcast gives your audience another reason to choose your content instead of the flood of other stimuli they see every day. A video podcast provides a different sort of appeal that audio podcasts alone cannot and can you can easily produce this content in the comfort of our studio.
FAMILIARITY Familiarity Principle – the more you’re exposed to something, the more familiar you become to it. It’s the same reason why the same people deliver the news every night.
It’s also why brands bombard us with advertisements we barely pay attention to. Use the same logic with the visuals of your podcast. By consistently repurposing your show to video, your audience will become familiar with your face which means they will come to prefer you as host to others they can’t see.
SOCIAL IS MADE FOR VIDEO Social media is optimized for video, not for audio. Not yet anyway. By default, the audio is muted on every video post. Not ideal if you’re trying to promote your new audio-only show.
Luckily for podcasters the emergence of audiograms has made this problem a bit easier to solve. Instagram is also becoming a video app and not the photo sharing app it once was 10 years ago. The changes Instagram will unveil in the following months will make video more immersive offering a full-screen experience on the app therefore, so now is the time to add great visuals to your podcast for improved engagement and overall growth.
YOUTUBE FANS There’s no doubt podcasts are growing in popularity. In 2020, Apple reported that over 50,000 new podcasts were created as a result of the pandemic. But, YouTube is absolutely gigantic and has been around for much longer than podcasting.
Google estimates thatover 1.9 billion people log into YouTube every month. That’s roughly 30% of everyone who uses the Internet.
YouTube could be rocket fuel for growing your audience. Of course, you could upload the audio of your podcast over a static image, but then you’d pass up on the advantages outlined above.
Ready to start adding visuals/videos to your podcast? Tips to remember when adding visuals/video to your podcast
- Use a quality camera/recording gadgets
- Make sure the area you’re recording from is clean
- Ensure you have good lighting
- Use the most interesting sections of the recording to the promote your episodes if you don’t have the time to edit the footage or finances to outsource a freelancer
With adding visuals/videos to your podcast, the main factors you need to consider are: the cost of purchasing professional equipment and you also need to evaluate the space you’re recording in. It doesn’t need to be the Taj Mahal, but it should look somewhat decent.
Sheila is the Founding Director of BBE Podcast Agency & Studio and can be reached at info@bbeldn.co.uk