Podcasts are increasing in popularity like never before - and companies are taking notice.
Pocket, a popular IOS and Android app best known for allowing users to bookmark articles from their phone or desktop to read offline at their convenience, just released a completely revamped version of the app that includes upgraded functionality which allows you to listen to your articles in addition to reading them.
Now, the Mozilla-owned app mimics some of the best features of a podcasting app, except that rather than having a professional broadcaster speak to you, Amazon Polly (Amazon's text to speech app) reads all of your favorite bookmarked articles from across the web.
It’s worth noting that Pocket previously had a "listen" feature, but it suffered from low adoption because the voice was too robotic and not pleasing to listen to.
The app was past due for a major upgrade and now, thanks to Amazon Polly, users can look forward to a human-like voice and tone.
Other upgrades make Pocket's user interface more audio-centric and include an Alexa skill that lets you listen to your Pocket articles through Alexa-enabled devices, such as the Amazon echo.
Pocket’s update comes at a time of tremendous growth for podcasting. 2017 saw a surge of activity related to the audio broadcast format, and technology companies like Google and Apple are increasingly investing in the medium.
“Your Pocket list just became your own personal podcast, curated by you,” Pocket CEO Nate Weiner said. “Our new Listen feature frees the content you’ve saved to fit into your busy life. It enables you to absorb articles whenever and wherever, whether you are driving or walking, working out, cooking, or on the train.”
It’s no secret that in our increasingly mobile society, users enjoy the ease of being able to listen to their favorite content while going about their day. This trend is only expected to continue, so now is a great time for marketers to think about how to incorporate voice as a format in our content strategies.