4 Reasons Why You Should Start a Podcast (And 2 Reasons Not to)

4 Reasons Why You Should Start a Podcast (And 2 Reasons Not to)

Podcasts have become such a huge sensation that many of us in marketing still have whiplash from seeing how quickly this new form of content sharing has grown. 48 million people listen to podcasts every week, and that number is rising.

The possibilities for businesses are huge. Here’s why.

New Way to Engage with Your Base

Every business should be thinking of new and unique ways to engage with their target audience. The industry is always changing and what’s popular today could be totally useless tomorrow.

Podcasts have been around for a while but their intense popularity is relatively new. That’s because of how easy it is for both the podcast creator and the listener.

For the listener, it’s a great way to learn something while driving to work or exercising. It keeps your focus a little better than music might because we actively engage in conversations even when we’re just listening.

Here’s the opportunity: Every week you will have an audience who will listen to everything you have to say.

It’s slightly different from a blog, which is designed to be easily skimmable and digestible. A podcast is an opportunity to share more in-depth information and add personality to your brand.

For business owners who aren’t great writers, a podcast might be a better place to start. It’s perfect for people who are more comfortable speaking, know a lot about their field and want to share some resources with their most dedicated following.

Easy to Do

We mentioned how podcasts are easy for the listener, but they’re easy for you too. Your bare essentials are a microphone, wires, audio software (Audacity is free), and the internet. Simply connect your microphone to the computer, open up Audacity, hit the record button and start talking!

Podcasts are meant to be informal, so you don’t even need a script. They should still be structured and engaging, however. We recommend keeping a list of notes and practicing a few times in the beginning. But otherwise, you only need to get on the microphone and speak.

Alternative (or Supplement) to Writing

Putting content out there is non-negotiable for any business. It doesn’t matter what type of content it is, you just need to have it.

Many business owners start by making a blog. We certainly have no problem with that (you’re here, right?) but some business owners may not have the resources to hire a writer, and so they try writing it themselves. And it’s boring, they grind through it, and it sucks.

For business owners who aren’t great writers, a podcast might be a better place to start. It’s perfect for people who are more comfortable speaking, know a lot about their field and want to share some resources with their most dedicated following.

For a podcast, your listeners already know your business, they already know your brand.

And if you already have a blog, a podcast can be a wonderful supplement. Blogs are great for sharing easy-to-digest information. Podcasts are an opportunity to take that information and dive deeper. You can add personal stories, share how these lessons affect your business, where you learned these ideas from, and some resources for further reading or listening.

Add Personality to Your Brand

The best podcasts are ones where you personally connect with the speaker. You can tell it is a human being on the other side who is expressing some real emotion to you. Blogs and other written content can have personality, especially through social media posts, but stuff like that is not the priority. Ease of access towards the client base always takes priority.

For a podcast, your listeners already know your business, they already know your brand. Some may join because of your podcast not knowing what you do or who you are, but that won’t come until much later when you’ve established yourself with your current base.

Instead, your listeners are going to be an opportunity for you to build brand loyalty with those who are already familiar with your business. That’s why creating and sharing authentic personality in your podcast is so important. People are loyal to people, not businesses.

Now, there are two reasons why you might not want to do a podcast that deserves your attention.

Requires Audio Editing

Audio editing is one of those fields where too many people try to do it themselves without knowing how it works and make it terrible. If you’re unfamiliar with audio editing, just know that (1) it always takes more time than you think it does, and (ii) everyone can hear the difference between professional editing and amateur editing.

It’s not that hard to learn if you have time and dedication. But if not, it might be worth outsourcing.

You also want to consider if you want music or a jingle to start your podcast. You should be careful about what music you use and how to use it. You can hire a composer to write something for you, and that would be an excellent way to establish yourself and create personality, but it’s expensive and will make the production more expensive too.

A podcast is an opportunity to share more in-depth information and add personality to your brand.

Could Take Up Resources

An important piece of advice we have is to not focus too much on your podcast. At the end of the day, you’re still a business that needs to do business things. If you find yourself using too many resources and getting too easily distracted by this podcast, you might want to tone it down (remember, they’re supposed to be informal) or outsource some of it.

Conclusion

Podcasts are a wonderful way to build brand loyalty, add personality, and build a more meaningful connection with your clients. There has never been a better time to start a podcast. So what are you waiting for? Connect that mic, hit record, and get to it!