Podcasts are so much more than true crime and comedy. They’re intimate, engaging and personal, which makes them great communication tools.

At a time when connection and storytelling are more important than ever, a podcast could be a great way to evolve your internal communications and bring colleagues closer together.

But don’t take our word for it! We caught up with podcasting expert and W&P partner Guy Kilty, from Dap Dip, to talk all things audio on demand.

Hi Guy! What’s your background in podcasting?

“I spent nearly 10 years at the BBC working in radio and in the last few years as a producer on podcasts. I grew to really love podcasting and wanted a new challenge, so in August 2019 I decided to start a specialist podcast production company as I couldn’t see too many around. My company creates original podcasts and also supports companies to develop, edit and publish their own podcasts.”

Why do you think podcasts are a great communication tool?

“With podcasts you can create content that people can consume without needing their undivided attention – they can be doing other things, like driving or walking the dog while they listen. It’s also an intimate medium, as most of the time it’s just a couple of people talking. You can only hear voices, so to the audience it’s like you’re speaking directly to them and they become part of the conversation. There’s time to breathe in podcasting too, things aren’t quite as determined by the clock as they might be in radio or TV so naturally you can build more of a connection and get to know people.”

Have you seen any trends in the kind of podcasts people are listening to/making?

“A lot of people think that podcasts are a good idea, but don’t know how to get started. It’s exciting when people make the leap! There are broadly three types of podcasts – interview-style, topical and chat-based or narrative and serialised. They’re all great, depending on the topics you’re discussing. Interview podcasts are all about personalities, and can work really well for businesses. For example, if you have a charismatic CEO or a company full of people who are great talkers they can be really engaging for people to listen to.

“Podcasts have been around for a while, but it feels like it’s an exciting phase for audio on demand. The audience is growing, platforms are developing, and they’re becoming a bigger part of standard media landscape. It’s a really exciting time in the industry.”

If you’re interested in starting a podcast, but aren’t quite sure where to begin, get in touch. We’ll be happy to talk through your ideas, identify any stories that would translate well to podcasts, and help you hit the record button!