Podcasting can have a range of benefits for your career, from connecting you to a larger network to making you a noteworthy talking head in your field
by Fred Heritage
CISI podcasts available on YouTube
The popularity of podcasts is soaring. According to data from The Infinite Dial 2021 UK report from Edison Research, last year 71% of adults in the UK said they were aware of podcasting, while 25% claimed to have listened to a podcast in the last week.
Meanwhile, figures from the US show that an estimated 120 million Americans listened to a podcast in 2021, with forecasts suggesting that number could pass 160 million in 2023 after increases of roughly 20 million listeners every year.
With demand booming for this still relatively new form of media, it’s little wonder that businesses are increasingly turning to podcasts as digital marketing tools. From global brands like Bloomberg or Goldman Sachs in the financial world, to smaller companies with unique perspectives and insights, businesses of all sizes and from every sector are launching podcasts as a way to connect more with their customers.
Going your own way
But launching a podcast as part of an existing company’s marketing strategy is a completely different prospect to launching one yourself. First, it takes time to launch and to grow your audience. And, when it’s your own, it will likely be you alone who’ll be putting in the hours.
In addition to physically recording episodes, there’s the time needed for researching topics, arranging interviews, and producing and sharing recordings. Podcasts are only as good as their content, so these steps will be essential to making yours a success.
At the same time, there are financial costs to consider. Although podcasting can be a very cost effective way of marketing yourself and your brand, you’ll still need to fund the use of recording equipment, hosting software, and possibly a venue.
Finally, there’s the competition to think about. The growing popularity of podcasts means there is now likely to be a deluge of available content on any given topic, making it difficult for yours to stand out from the crowd. However, such a challenge may also bring opportunities. An already crowded marketplace means that your new podcast may have an audience-in-waiting, while rival podcasts mean that yours needs to work harder to establish its own distinct voice.
Reach out and touch base
Despite these considerations, there are also many potential advantages to launching a podcast for anyone looking to kickstart their career. First, it can be a great way to connect with people you admire in your field and have a productive, real-world conversation with them.
In an article for Medium, author and podcaster Tae Haahr says that podcasting can provide access to influential figures in your sector who may otherwise be out of reach. “This is especially the case if you host guests on your podcast,” she says.
“It’s much easier to reach out to ‘chat’ with someone if you’re interviewing them on your podcast. And it makes that connection stronger and more memorable when you do get a chance to connect.”
“Hosting a podcast gives you an excuse to build relationships with high-profile people,” agrees behaviour scientist and author Jon Levy, in an article for Inc. “You get to meet impressive guests and discuss things that interest you while gaining industry status doing it.”
Podcasting can also be a great way to make you more accessible in the eyes of prospective employers and clients. By hosting regular episodes, you have the perfect opportunity to demonstrate knowledge and passion for your industry, all while growing an increasingly loyal listenership.
“Accessibility is key when it comes to developing customer relations,” says Haahr in the Medium article. Unlike other professionals in your area, the simple fact that you have a podcast means that “people don’t have to approach you to get a taste of how you do your work,” she writes.
Levy in the
Inc article says that hosting a podcast allows you to connect with your audience and interviewees on a different level. He suggests that by speaking directly to audiences in a calm and conversational tone, podcasters are well placed to break down barriers. He says that “with each episode, [the audience] not only get to know you more but become more comfortable and trusting”.