The role of podcasts in modern PR

Today, everyone should have a podcast, right? No, probably not. But they can be an important part to reach more defined audiences and create space for deeper conversations. In that context, podcasts can play a valuable role in building authority and stronger audience relationships.

At Agency, we see podcasts as most valuable when they have a clear role in the wider PR strategy. With the right content, they can generate earned visibility in a wide range of channels and media.

When creating a new podcast from scratch, we need to identify the right host or hosts, choose topics for discussion that fits the needs of the client, finding the right guests and the right timing and very often also train everyone that will be on air. 

For many brands, the challenge today is not producing more content but rather creating something people actually want to spend time with. Podcasts can give companies room to explore complex topics and show expertise in a way that shorter formats often cannot.

This can be particularly valuable for organisations with specialist knowledge or a clear point of view. A podcast can reach a focused audience, bring relevant voices into the conversation and create new angles for communication beyond the individual episode.

The podcast landscape is also changing. AI is beginning to influence how people discover, navigate and even create audio, making it easier to find content around specific interests. As the amount of available content grows, however, the quality of the conversation matters more. Choosing the right topic, guest and perspective still requires judgement, creativity and an understanding of what audiences and media find relevant.

A podcast should therefore start with a communications objective, not simply the decision to produce one.