Podcasts are undeniably sexy and growing in popularity in transportation and logistics. But make sure your written blog is optimized and consistent before you go all-in on audio and video.
Even if you produce a popular blog, you might fall short of your objective: generating search traffic and qualified leads.
Search engines rely on text-driven algorithms for indexing and ranking content. But search engines can’t index and rank podcasts’ audio and video content in the same way. That’s a huge drawback.
Searchability is just the leading argument for writing rather than recording content. Here are six more reasons to prioritize your written blog.
Blogs boost retention. Logistics are loaded with topics like transportation strategy and warehouse automation that require study and constant learning. Blogs aid when it comes to information intake. Research shows people remember more when they read it than they do when they hear it. Plus most people learn from close study and repetition. With a blog, you can re-read a section over and over rather than replaying a section over and over…which gets annoying.
Text provides efficiencies. For a fast information download, choose text. People on average read 280 words per minute (WPM) while the normal speaking rate is 150 -190 WPM, according to Psychology Today. Additionally, the ability to skim and zero in on the text you want is a bonus of blogs. Even if a podcast has a scrub bar with cursor images, finding the audio and video info you want can be hit or miss.
Printed words provide freedom. Written blogs and podcasts both provide ways to consume content fast or slow – or skip sections all together. It’s easier with written words, though. You don’t have to rely on an app to change speed for starters. Also because you can see what you’re skipping. (Ever push the advance-15-seconds arrow on your smartphone and then obsess over what you might have missed? Or fast-forward too far in advance and end up going back and listening to the whole thing anyway?)
Updateable blogs live longer. We all know how quickly technology, the economy and freight spot rates change today. Podcasts that reference current conditions are quickly outdated, whereas a blog can be easily updated. It’s very useful to have solid evergreen content that can live on and on with subtle updates.
Repurpageabilty. The flexibility of written words enables marketers to easily repurpose content for different markets like automotive parts shippers or personal care products sellers. Blog posts can be repackaged in short form for social or email marketing. They can also be repackaged in long form for ebooks and whitepapers.
Sit-down versus drive-thru. The ability to watch a video or listen to a podcast on the go enables multi-tasking. But if you want prospects’ full attention, you’ll have to give them something they can study and evaluate. Written posts that can be pondered and shared among team members aid group decisions in B2B. They provide tangible reference material for the thoughtful.
No doubt dropping branded podcasts consistently is an impressive feat. High quality video or audio content can be an awesome addition to your site…as long as you still have written blogs covered.
It doesn’t have to be an either/or decision. If your podcast production isn’t leaving enough capacity for your blog, reach out to me at [email protected]. I’m happy to tell you how I keep transportation and logistics companies’ blog content moving forward.
