The New Era of Podcasting

By: Ashley N. Rosa

It seems that every so often we are hooked on a new streaming service. We went from streaming music on the first generation of iPods to being obsessed with binge-watching series and now podcasting. There is always a new service to indulge in and a way to get educated.

What is a Podcast?

A Podcast is a digital audio file available through the internet and various platforms. It can be used to educate your audience, express an interest, a form of talk show, or anything in between. It’s a growing streaming service with a lot of growth opportunities.

Podcast insights reported there are more than 850,000 different podcast shows with more than 30 million podcast episodes. In February 2018 there were only 500,000 active podcasts. There is a huge growth in this market, and it has been one of the top ways for media veterans, YouTube influencers, professors, and many more to educate their audience and gain new income. Podcasting is for everyone and here are a few tips on how you can get started.

How to Grow a Podcast?

The Influencer Marketing Hub created a guide as to what a podcast is, how to create one, and the benefits of having one. In a nutshell, their top advice suggests:

• No matter which podcast marketing strategy you choose to use, your focus should be on your audience

• Don’t market to a broad audience, focus on getting more high intent listeners who will get the most benefit from your content

• Understand your why- what is the purpose of the podcast?

• Engage your listeners

• Schedule guests

• Repurpose your content

• Optimize for SEO

• Both your website and podcast titles and descriptions can be optimized for search references

• Include the keywords your target audience is likely to use when searching for content

• Take time to craft your titles and descriptions

• Start or update your website

• Website and blog content is easily shareable and attracts a different audience

• Publish new episodes at the right time

Audience vs Creator Aspect

Podcasting has its advantages for both the audience and the creator. As an audience member, you gain great knowledge on various subjects of your choice in an informal way. It’s a fun way to learn and you can listen to it whenever and wherever. Podcasting can also be used as a sense of stress relief by turning on a girl talk podcast, or maybe a cooking podcast. The beauty of a podcast is the endless amount of content that you can choose for all your different moods. As the content creator, it is a great way to build a more intimate connection with your audience. You can share new insights into your life that you may not be able to do through YouTube or national television. It is also a great form of new income and reaching a larger audience.

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