Is it me or is everyone podcasting?
Nope. It’s not just me (us). Podcast listening is up 25% from last year!
In fact, Edison Research says that 15% of Americans have listened to a podcast in past month.
So let’s talk about this up-and-coming trend, while I show you why podcasting is the bomb diggity.
Podcasting By The Numbers
With Smartphones, tablets, and other mobile audio players surpassing computers 51% to 46%, it’s now easier than ever to tune into your fave shows.
- 30% of all Americans have listened to an audio podcast
- 20% of podcast users listen to as many as 6 or more shows per week
- The average person will watch a video for only 3-10 minutes, but will listen to a podcast for 20-60 minutes
And if you still need convincing, it’s much less crowded than blogging (450 million blogs compared to about 225,000 podcasts).
Podcasting Benefits Your Brand By …
Assuming you’re an industry expert and know what you’re talking about, YES, a podcast can greatly benefit your brand.
If you’re still wet around the ears, a podcast may not be the best idea – you can’t fake it ’till you make it on these babies!
Here are three of the biggest ways podcasting can benefit your brand:
- Deeper Engagement: I imagine you imagine me as you read my words … what I sound like, how I talk, the way I laugh. Podcasting closes that gap and allows the listener to feel even closer to you/you brand.
- Not Limiting: As listed above, peeps are more likely to stay tuned in to your podcast, possibly because it allows them to multitask while listening. Watching your video or reading your entire blog post, on the other hand, takes full effort.
- On Demand Content: For those who subscribe to your podcast, each new episode is pushed out to them (much like subscribing to a RSS feed). For me personally, it seems WAY easier to produce content in the way of a 30-minute recording than it does to produce a well-written blog post.
Podcasting Tools
For those of you who are looking into starting a podcast of your own, here are some great tools to get you started:
- Yeti snowball mic (I have one and love it!)
- Editing: Audacity or Garage Band
- Free music (for intros and exits): Music Alley
These are good places to start if you’re a newbie – and I’ll be sure to add more as my journey with podcasting continues.
What journey, you ask?
Read on …
My Podcasting Journey
A few months ago I joined SteamFeed Radio as a co-host. Once a month, I help bring in guests and chat with them on an hour-long segment.
I’m really glad I decided to do this because it helped me get used to the things I hated about podcasting (especially when starting my own).
The NUMBER ONE reason I didn’t want to do a podcast?
My voice. [Spoiler Alert: I sound like a 12-year-old giddy school girl – and I HATE IT!]
Remember the first time you heard yourself on an answering machine and you were like, “WTF! That’s what I sound like?”
(Also, I talk too fast and laugh too much.)
Okay, maybe it’s just me, but I really dislike my voice; I felt like sounding so young would mean people wouldn’t take me seriously.
But that hasn’t been the case at all.
And after I did a show with the famed Audience Hacker, Jonny, the host, told me I needed to have my own show.
In fact, he threatened that if I didn’t get on it he’d come find me.
I still wasn’t ready …
Enter: Ready, Set, Podcast!
Fast forward to a few weeks ago when my friend Mallie of Go Creative Go approached me about starting a co-hosted podcast with her.
SCORE!
I still hate my voice. I still laugh way too much and give really high-pitched answers when I get excited (and I’m excited A LOT).
But sometimes we have to put our Big Girl pants on and do things that make us uncomfortable.
That’s how you break through.
Soooooo. I hope you’ll join Mallie and me in January for our launch!
We’ve already got some really well-known marketing peeps on board, and promise to bring enough snark and sass to entertain AND educate you.
Plus, look for me to expand on topics here for more digital marketing goodness.
Be sure to check out the site here (and sign up for updates if you’re ready for some AWESOME SAUCE).
Oh, and if you have any podcasts that you just ADORE, link them in the comments so I can listen and study up. icon smile Why Podcasting Is The Bomb Diggity Pretty please?
See you in the social sphere!