Written by: Ahyiana Angel

This year, the share of Americans who report being familiar with the term “podcasting” is now 60 percent (or 168 million) and the share of American women listening has increased year-over-year: coming in at 24 percent this year, which is up from 21 percent the year before (2017).

Go women, go! 

U.S. podcast listeners earn on average $10,000 more than the average American and podcast consumers tend to be more tech savvy as well as more likely to use social media than the average American, but if you’re still on the fence about creating a podcast, I'll give you a few more practical reasons to podcast.

Establish a Brand or Industry Presence

There are plenty of digital marketing options available now when looking to make your mark online. However, entering a space where the cost of entry is low and the competition for attention is not at its peak can serve you well when you’re just getting started. Podcasting allows you to begin establishing your brand without even launching a website because initially you can drive all of your traffic to the page created for you by your podcast host.

Further An Existing Business or Brand

A podcast can help provide direction and offer a way to streamline content for an existing business or brand. If you already have a brand established, a podcast is a strategic way to make an extension for your brand, blog, product or website. When I started podcasting the bulk of my audience engaged with my brand via Instagram. When I launched the Switch, Pivot or Quit podcast it offered a way for me to provide more content and create ways for the audience to stay engaged off of social media. You can crate audio content via your podcast that compliments the messaging you are publishing through other mediums. Think about the way that your current audience consumes your content. Can you capture their attention in a more effortless way with a podcast by meeting them where they already are, perhaps on their phone? A podcast is another way for you to speak to your audience and potentially provide more depth and a stronger connection.

Connections are key to professional expansion and your podcast can be the through-line. 

Become An Expert

If you are looking for ways to expand your presence within your industry, it is quite reasonable for someone to develop into an expert in their space by being the host of a podcast. By consistently talking about a specific topic, reporting on it and interviewing people regarding said topic, you can become engrained in the conversation by default. Your name will become more searchable with relation to the subject matter as well. You may then find yourself being invited to be a guest on other podcasts, participating in other media interviews as well as speaking engagements. Maybe you'll even get a book deal from it like the ladies of Being Boss podcast.

Develop a Community

Since podcasting is known to be a medium of media that creates an intimate environment for you and your listener, you can create a strong connection between you and your audience. You have the opportunity to speak directly to your audience using a voice that is just as authentic as when you engage with your friends. For this reason, among others, your listener begins to really feel like they know you as a person. They like you as a host, which then turns into a feeling like you're a friend in their head. This creates an affinity and when enough listeners feel this way you naturally begin to see a community of like-minded people forming. To take it a step further you can establish routine ways to engage online via social media as well as offline via live podcast meet-ups. By exploring relatable personal journals the You Had Me at Black podcast has done a fantastic job of creating a loyal community of listeners which has resulted in sold out live shows and even a podcast tour to meet the listening communities demands.

Become An Early Adapter

Although podcasting has been around for years, it is still a rapidly growing space. In the current climate of advanced technology at your fingertips, creating a podcast just feels more accessible to the masses at this point. There is a very low barrier to entry. Most of us can create a successful podcast if we just put our mind to it and add a little effort and work.

I like to think that podcasting will operate similar to the growth and popularity of YouTube. There was a time when the world looked at people creating video to upload to YouTube as a silly hobby, but now some of the early creators have audiences in the millions and they are generating just as much in revenue. The early adapters and early creators will see a large amount of success as more and more people start to become podcast listeners. Currently, only a fraction of the possible listening population is tuned in so there is tremendous room for growth.

Let Your Ideas and Voice Be Heard

Many people just want to be heard, they have something to say and they are just waiting for an audience to listen, that is why we create. Developing a podcast where you can speak about topics of interest to you can be a great way to flex your knowledge, understanding and voice with regard to a specific industry or social topic. Your podcast will allow you the opportunity to become a part of the conversation. You can establish your content as a go-to source for those interested in your industry or topic.

Your podcast is now a form of media, media that can serve as a platform for guests to gain publicity.

 Build Professional Relationships

Creating a podcast with a show format that incorporates guests will allow you the opportunity to reach out to peers and industry professionals that you admire in an effort to invite them to be a guest on your podcast. In thinking strategically, you can reach out to people that you would like to build a relationship with. Your podcast is now a form of media, media that can serve as a platform for guests to gain publicity. Most people love publicity for their work or cause. Now you are in a position to offer something of value, which can result in the making of a valuable connection with industry colleagues. Connections are key to professional expansion and your podcast can be the through-line. 

Just like starting anything new, podcasting can seem intimidating at first. In an effort to make your entry into podcasting as smooth as possible, you can check out an in-depth course via Mediabistro called “Tools, Tips and Tactics for Creating a Killer Podcast” and I created the “Beginner's Guide to Creating, Launching + Marketing a Podcast” in which you can learn everything you need to know to enter the world of podcasting in 60 minutes or less!

Ahyiana Angel is traditionally published author and host of the Switch, Pivot or Quit podcast, who is affectionately known as the Chief Encourager. She is a seasoned executor who eventually blocked out the world’s ideas of success, quit her highly coveted position at the NBA, moved to London and traveled the world for a stint, then followed her passion in writing to find her purpose in encouragement. Mastering the art of note-worthy ideation, Ahyiana taps into her more than 12 years of professional business marketing experience to lend her thoughts on professional development, digital marketing, contemporary brand styling and more. However, Ahyiana enters her zone of genius when speaking to audiences about her 4 Ps: publicity, publishing, personal development and podcasting.

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