Content marketers must always be aware of which channel is best for the content they are producing, and audio remains an underexploited medium

By now, regular readers of this blog will be familiar with one of the golden rules of content marketing: choosing the appropriate channel for each piece of work.

What works for one idea will differ completely from what works best for another. For a content marketer looking to reinvigorate membership output, for example, sending out a weekly digital newsletter might be the best option. Then again, a large-scale change in the business focus might be better served by some kind of print offering – a one-off explainer of the changes, perhaps.

Away from the written word it’s never been easier, or more important, to create engaging multimedia content. Video, infographics and images are all key elements to creating sharable content, especially across social media.

But what about audio?

Much has been written about the rebirth of audio, in particular the rise to ubiquity of podcasting. Podcasting shows the strength of audio, and should provide inspiration to content marketers everywhere.

With the world permanently plugged into earphones, there was clear space for a new and innovative form of audio. Radio had yet to capitalise on the possibilities of a mobile listenership. Podcasts provided a space that could be filled – where creativity could run free.

Podcasting has no time constraints, no restrictions ­– editorial or commercial – from broadcasters (you don’t need them), and utilises a deeply personal medium. Audio is a powerful form – it has the power to stir emotions and requires an engaged brain to participate: filling in the gaps and demanding the energy of the imagination.

So, content marketers, it’s over to you.

Instead of a print leaflet, would a monthly podcast – downloadable from your company website – be a good way of engaging an audience? What about recorded interviews from prominent figures within the company? Or ‘audio tours’ of events, uploaded to SoundCloud and shared instantly on Twitter and LinkedIn?

Compared with video, audio is relatively quick and easy to produce. It’s also inexpensive – audio editing programs such as WaveLab and Audacity are available for free download, and are fairly intuitive for anyone with basic photo or video editing skills. The microphone on a pair of Apple headphones records high quality compressed audio, and there are probably at least half a dozen pairs in your office somewhere. Alternatively, high street retailers sell audio recorders capable of producing broadcast quality recordings for around the £100 mark.

Ensuring you cover all channels when it comes to your multimedia content output can help expand your reach and engage as many people as possible.

Audio can inform and entertain in equal measure, and is an endlessly innovative platform. To get your content ahead of the game in a crowded marketplace, such a powerful weapon shouldn’t be left out of your content marketing arsenal.