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The ‘Big’ YouTube Announcement Almost Drowned by a Sea of AI News

Forget the never-ending conversations this week about Microsoft’s CoPilot, OpenAI’s launch of ChatGPT-4, and the U.S. Copyright Office guidance for AI-created works.

No, the buried news deserving your attention comes from a “big” announcement by YouTube.

Get Robert Rose’s take in this week’s CMI News video, or keep reading for the highlights.

Listen up on YouTube

TeamYouTube made this announcement on Twitter last week: “podcasts are a go.” That means new features in YouTube Studio desktop let you create a podcast, set an existing playlist as a podcast, and measure your podcast’s performance.

It was a public announcement of plans that had been whispered about for the past year. But Robert Rose calls it the “most underwhelming product launch” he’s seen in recent times.

As YouTube explains in this “helpful” video, YouTube podcasts are playlists. If you can create a playlist on YouTube, you can create a podcast. “It’s literally just a tag assigned to your playlist that you’re calling a podcast,” Robert says.

@YouTube’s #podcast features – a year in the making – earned the “most underwhelming product launch” in recent times, says @Robert_Rose via @CMIContent. Click To Tweet

Why would your brand want to do this? YouTube says podcast-tagged content will get featured in podcast-specific searches and maybe even on its podcast home page. YouTube Music subscribers can access content tagged as podcasts. Oh, and your podcast and video content could get special badges.

So if you want to enhance your existing podcast promotion or use YouTube and want to create a podcast, go ahead with YouTube’s podcast features.

Still pondering the value of podcasting?

If your content marketing strategy doesn’t include podcasting because you’re concerned about market saturation, Robert has some thoughts.

“While there’s been a general slowdown in advertising revenue for podcasts, the audience for them has never been bigger or more eager for great content,” he says. “Podcasts remain an incredibly viable way to develop relationships with audiences.”

But before you hit record, consider these two pieces of advice. If you’re going to do it at all, commit to it. Recent research found that 26% of podcasts have only a single episode. Almost two-thirds (66%) have three or fewer episodes. If you can’t come up with and commit to 12 episodes, don’t start a podcast.

Commit to 12 #podcast episodes before you launch, and you’ll do better than 66% of podcasts created, says @Robert_Rose via @CMIContent. Click To Tweet

You also shouldn’t view podcasts as a way to build audiences. Instead, consider them an opportunity to develop closer relationships with your existing audience. Yes, you will add subscribers, and people will become introduced to your company through podcasts. But most of the podcast’s value will come from people who know you a little and become closer to you through your podcast.

Does that mean you should consider podcasts a customer loyalty play? Robert says that’s the best benefit he can see – whether you use YouTube to start it up or not.

What are your podcast plans for this year? Let us know in the comments.

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Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute

 

Content Marketing Institute Team

Content Marketing Institute Team

The Content Marketing Institute team byline indicates this article reflects the collective work of the CMI team. CMI is a global marketing education and training organization dedicated to advancing the practice of content marketing. We create and curate content experiences that teach marketers and creators from enterprise brands, small businesses, and agencies how to attract and retain customers through compelling, multichannel storytelling. Global brands turn to CMI for strategic consultation, research, and training and certification, and send teams to Content Marketing World, the largest content marketing-focused event, the Marketing Analytics & Data Science (MADS) conference, and CMI digital events every year. Follow @CMIContent on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, and use the hashtag #CMWorld.