Over the past year we’ve delivered a series of conversations with a wide-ranging group of contributors– a cancer survivor, a neurodiverse guest, a happiness officer, and a vocal health practitioner, to name a few. Their popularity has increased month-on-month, with more and more subscribers tuning in to listen to the latest in the series. The feedback we’ve received has helped us to understand why our subscribers are tuning in…
“Good short clips with sound practical advice” – Which got us thinking does the length of a podcast matter?
Our Sound Advice podcasts run for just under 9-minutes. If I think about the podcasts I listen to for recreational purposes, then they’re ranging from 45-minutes to an hour. But is there capacity in the workplace for a podcast of that length? Our thoughts are it’s unlikely - Sound Advice is pitched as a 10-minute bite-sized learning opportunity. We’re not suggesting our listeners don’t have great concentration spans, but we’re aiming to be realistic about the time they have available to tune in. And our statistics show that it’s not the length of the podcast that determines its popularity.
“a thought-provoking talk” – So is it about curiosity?
One of our most popular podcasts ‘Practical Positive Thinking’, opens up a discussion on reframing and seeing things from a different perspective. Catherine de Salvo talks about ‘consciously developing a ‘can-do’ mentality’. Our listeners are open to reflection time, inquisitive, and use our podcasts in group exercises and team meetings to provoke discussion. Our listeners definitely have a curious mindset!
“Good course on a subject which is very important at the moment”. - Is the topic important?
Mental health awareness, hybrid working solutions, diversity and equality are regular themes that come up in discussion with our L&D contacts. By delivering podcasts on topics like these we’re supporting our listeners with new approaches to the current challenges they face within the workplace. Over the past year we’ve shared tips on how to build rapport in virtual meetings, how to strengthen your mindset, and how fresh ideas can emerge from collaborative working. So, keeping the topic ‘on trend’ and relevant is key.
“Very positive podcast with great examples and tips at the end to test out within a team situation very encouraging podcast.” - Is it a useful learning experience?
As a supplier of workplace learning content, we’re conscious that our resources need to offer general advice and support. We ask each of our contributors to provide a ‘takeaway’ tip at the end of their podcast. They’ve ranged from drawing a 3x3 grid to reflect on communication, culture and collaboration in a hybrid working environment to a more personal process of tracking connections between your own personal thoughts and feelings in a diary to examine your confidence as it ebbs and flows. So, whilst the podcast is a conversation that’s interesting to listen to, we also provide the ‘takeaway’ tip as a practical learning opportunity.
“Motivational and realistic!” – Is there enthusiasm for the podcast medium?
Over the past few months our listening figures have more than doubled. So, we’ve got engagement in the podcast medium. We’re hearing that our listeners are tuning in at their desk with their headphones plugged in, during their outside exercise time, and using their coffee break time to delve into a topic. There’s definitely a buzz and interest.
So, what’s the future for Sound Advice? We’re speaking to experts in change, the menopause, racism, and gender equality. As well as lining up discussions on active listening skills, remote visibility and having a curious mindset.
Every month we feature two podcasts on our website, so tune in to experience the Sound Advice listening experience and let us know what you think.
We’re aiming to continue to deliver quality, focused content that seeks to motivate our listener. Happy listening and Happy Birthday Sound Advice!