You might be holding off on producing your own podcast because you’re not sure whether podcasts are still good content—can this medium actually benefit your brand, and is it worth all the work that goes into producing one?

In short, yes. Podcasts are still good content, even as more and more amateurs start producing their own. In fact, this is exactly why you should be proactive about launching your own podcast as soon as possible.

Capture the Audience While the Competition Is Still Low.

Think about the boom that was heard when every business or brand created its own Facebook page. Back in the beginning, it might not have seemed necessary for every business to have its own page. That’s not the case today when you’d be hard-pressed to find a business that doesn’t have a presence on Facebook.

We’re seeing the same thing happen with podcasts. Every brand is launching one. Don’t worry—we’re still in the early phase before the boom. While there are millions of Facebook pages, there are only hundreds of thousands of podcasts. If you search by a specific subject, particularly a niche subject, the selection gets even narrower. There’s still far less competition for catching an audience’s attention with a podcast than there is with a Facebook page.

“That’s great,” you think, “but practically everyone is on Facebook. Not everyone listens to podcasts.”

No, not everyone—but many. And the number is growing! An estimated 144 million Americans listen to podcasts (that’s about 51% of the population older than 12) and that’s up from 20 million just two years ago. With that number bound to increase, now is the time to make your debut, establish your podcast, and garner a following before the scene gets too saturated.

Podcasts Are Content Marketing.

Podcasts are like blogs in that they are what’s known as content marketing. It’s not about blatant self-promotion (though you can make important announcements or introduce a new product or service via your blog or podcast — it’s just that’s not the main reason people are tuning in).

Content marketing is about demonstrating your leadership and expertise in your industry. People learn to trust your brand because they see you as reliable and as someone who knows what you’re doing.

“If you want to be considered the expert in your field, locally or nationally, your need to be the person on the stage,” says Ann Brennan, owner of ASMM Digital, “Creating a podcast is on the fastest and easiest ways to be the person on the stage.”

Podcasting even takes this one step further by allowing you to demonstrate what’s known as thought leadership. If you yourself are not the sole source of ideas and information, then you are a leader who is making the ideas and information more readily available via your podcast. You are bringing on experts to interview, citing polls and research studies, reading from informative articles, and introducing other media that has formed your perspective on topics.

Podcasts Easy-to-Consume Content Marketing.

Unlike a blog, which you have to sit and read (or, let’s be honest, skim through on your phone as you wait in line for coffee), a podcast is something you can enjoy while you’re multitasking. People are able to consume podcast content at times when they wouldn’t be able to scroll through social media or watch TV — they’re commuting, exercising, cooking, walking their dog, folding laundry, and so on. They don’t have to carve out time while they’re doing it.

And podcasts are adaptable, so if your audience does have the time to give you the undivided attention, and those audience members prefer reading or watching videos instead of simply listening (because, hey, we all learn differently), you can adapt your podcast to other forms of media. Some podcasters video-record themselves so they can release both: they release the audio files for podcast listeners, and they release the video for people who prefer a visual element to accompany their listening. You can even publish a transcript of your podcast to your blog for people who prefer to read.

ASMM Digital takes it one step further and creates the video live, to take advantage of the live video boom, broadcasts it to Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube and then pulls the audio to use in podcast format.

Podcasts Bring People Back Over and Over Again.

People don’t just enjoy listening to podcasts — they like subscribing to their favorites. They look forward to the weekly release of its newest installment. When you release your weekly podcast at the same time on the same day every week, people know to look for it. This consistency means your followers and/or subscribers will be exposed to your brand again and again. It’s great for brand recognition and generating leads.

Just remember that to get subscribers, your product needs to be of high quality. It’s all about education and entertainment. Your audio quality should be clear, and your topics should be engaging. You don’t have to produce your podcast with lots of professional-grade equipment, but it should at least sound professional, something that’s easy enough to do with recordings you make on your smartphone.

Keep an open mind when it comes to your weekly topics. Need a few ideas?

• Talk about the buzz in your industry or something people in your field would know that laymen might find interesting.

• Bring in a guest to interview and pick their brain on a certain subject. You could have a guest of the week, or you could bring the same guest back every few months to comment on new topics.

• Tell stories about what’s been happening around your business. Focus on stories that are funny, inspirational, moving, or enlightening.

• Do a Q&A session with feedback from your listeners. You could either save this for a special segment every month, or you could do this at the end of every episode.

In the constant effort to set yourself apart from others in your field, podcasts are an increasingly popular and easily consumable mode of content you can use to engage with your target audience and show off your expertise. Take advantage of it!

If you need help coming up with ideas for your podcast or help creating it, connect with the team at Ann’s Social Media & Marketing. Call 443-679-4916 or email ann@asmmdigital.com.