Listening to podcasts, news, and content has become more and more popular over the past while. A lot of people choose to listen to their content rather than read it. Converting written articles to audio has numerous benefits, making content more accessible and appealing to a wider audience. In this post, I'll outline some of the main benefits, and why publications should consider adding an audio version to their articles.

1. Increased Accessibility: An audio version of an article makes the content accessible to a wider audience, including those with visual impairments or learning disabilities. It promotes inclusivity and ensures that your content is available to a diverse range of readers.

2. Multi-Platform Reach: People consume content in various ways, including while commuting, exercising, or doing household chores. Offering an audio version allows your publication to reach audiences on platforms such as podcast directories, streaming services, and dedicated audiobook platforms.

3. Enhanced Engagement: Some readers may prefer listening to content rather than reading it. An audio version can cater to this preference and lead to higher engagement with your content. It also offers a different medium to engage with your audience, potentially leading to more interactions and discussions.

4. Monetization Opportunities: Audio content can be monetized through various means, such as sponsored reads, advertising, or premium subscription models. This can provide an additional revenue stream for your publication.

5. Brand Building: Creating high-quality audio versions of your articles can contribute to your publication's brand image. It shows your commitment to providing content in multiple formats and demonstrates your adaptability to evolving media trends.

6. SEO Benefits: Transcripts of audio content can be used as written content, potentially improving your website's search engine optimization (SEO). This can help drive more organic traffic to your publication.

7. Diversified Content Portfolio: Having audio versions of articles can help diversify your content portfolio. This can be especially beneficial during slow news cycles or when trying to appeal to different demographics.

8. Longer Engagement: Audio content often leads to longer engagement times compared to written articles. People may listen to an entire audio version while doing other tasks, which can lead to increased exposure to your publication's brand and content.

9. Podcast Integration: If your publication has a podcast or plans to create one, audio versions of articles can be seamlessly integrated into your podcast episodes, providing additional content for your podcast audience.

10. Content Repurposing: You can repurpose existing written content into audio format, saving time and resources. This can also breathe new life into older articles and extend their relevance.

11. Subscription Attraction: Offering exclusive audio content as part of premium subscriptions can incentivize readers to subscribe to your publication, thereby generating recurring revenue.

12. Differentiation: In a crowded media landscape, having an audio version of your articles can differentiate your publication from competitors and attract a unique audience segment.

So you can see how providing an audio version of written articles can enhance accessibility, reach, engagement, and revenue opportunities for publications, while also contributing to brand building and content diversification.

If you'd like to try out this option and see how your audience responds, sign up to Legitimate now. We offer the ability to convert every article a journalist writes into an audio file, ready to share with your readers. Please get in touch and I can show you a demo.