In a previous article, we discussed the enormous opportunity for brands, business owners, and marketers associated with podcasting and social audio. We also highlighted 25+ effective strategies you can use to market and grow your podcast and social audio presence.

Podcast has been around for years but it’s not a very crowded place yet. In fact, it’s underutilized.

According to PodcastInsights, there are around 2M podcasts.

Well, you might think, this is a big number.

It’s not if we compare it to the number of websites and blogs that exist.

According to Siteefy, there are around 1,2B websites in the world as of January 2021.

Let’s compare…600X more websites than podcast shows.

Way less competition.

Let’s dive in!

Podcasting & Social Audio Benefits

Photo by Kate Oseen/Unsplash

A Casual Chat

A friend asked me the other day why I am forwarding business owners to podcasting and social audio.

I said because it works. People don’t always enjoy videos and reading. Besides, we have been listening to radio stations for ages.

And he said. Then why don’t you run your own podcast?

Oh man, I said. I wish I had the time to get started. Not only with one,  but 2 and 3 show altogether.

*Our brand new podcast in Greek

And I continued…all the business owners that started podcasting thanks to my recommendations are now either crushing it or have built some momentum already, many of them out of nowhere.

That may be true he said…I heard that Lee, a common friend, has exceeded 400 downloads without even a music intro. Just a microphone and a phone screen.

You know I said. I have some news. I’m doing what Russell Brunson once did. I started recording stuff while I’m driving.

Watch out for the pedestrians he said.

And we started laughing.

The Benefits

Convenience/Portability

I really enjoy it when I record on the microphone. It’s this feeling of independence, it’s alive.

On the other hand, shooting videos is sometimes a nightmare. I need to get shaved if I don’t want to look like a priest, to take care of my clothing, the decoration, the lighting, camera angles, and on and on.

Writing is even harder. It takes time and obviously, you get distracted frequently.

I can record my voice while in the car, walking, on the bed, literally anywhere.

I can host a social chat in my pajamas as I watch a movie though.

You don’t have to travel to appear on a podcast show or to get in front of thousands of people.

All you need to broadcast audio is your mouth, a message, and a microphone or a phone.

It’s fast and comfortable however you look at it.

Less time on production = Cutting the costs

Shall we compare podcast to video production? 

For a 5 minute video, with a minimum of effects and only a few seconds of background music, I need at least 2-3 hours. I have to shoot the scenes, edit them, and finalize the production. And I mean for a lousy production.

If we have to produce something extreme and luxurious, like a trailer, we need days or weeks.

With podcasting, you plug in the microphone and speak. And if you are reading from a screen, a book, or from your notes, this task is a piece of cake. 

Podcasting editing for a 15 minutes episode? I may need 10-15 minutes or less in many cases. 

Social audio? Even better. You don’t need to edit and finalize the production unless you need some parts of your conversations to include in a podcast episode. 

Audio production for podcasts is time and cost-effective.

A quick note here: we are not comparing podcasting production to music production. This is a whole different arena. Music production is even harder than videos if you are trying to produce something professional with various instruments, vocals, and more.

Deeper connections

Although not everyone enjoys listening to podcasts or interact in social conversations, a big majority of people absolutely love it.

Some prefer watching videos, others reading and taking notes.

But with podcasting and social audio, you create a bond with the listener. The message becomes more personalized and tailored. Immediate, without delays and interruptions.

The host’s voice becomes familiar and listeners understand the feelings and emotions of the man running the show.

This creates a deeper connection that can be compared to writing.

And the catalog goes on. Anything we do on social media can be done through audio.

Easy to consume

As a listener, all you have to do is listen. At the same time, you can do other things, for example, you can prepare a meal. You don’t have to watch the screen as it happens with videos.

You can download the episodes you crave and consume them at any given moment.

With social audio apps, you don’t even have to do much. You open the app and voila, you connect with hundreds or thousands of people instantly.

Visibility

If you manage to get booked on a podcast show as a guest, you get instant visibility and build brand awareness. The host has to do all the work and you get to reap some pretty amazing benefits. Of course, you need to stay on track and be able to entertain the listeners.

With social audio, you can connect with thousands of people simultaneously with the click of a button.

Authority

If you get interviewed by a host of an even medium-reach podcast show, you gain authority and status.

And because podcasting interviews usually last an hour or so, people get to know and trust you right there right now.

Compare that to the short 2-3 minute interviews that take place on radio shows.

If you’re an expert in a field, you can easily demonstrate your skills and expertise by sharing some inspiring stories.

The same is true with social audio chats and discussions. You can take advantage of your skills and knowledge to connect with masses of people.

Community

This is related to the previous benefit, where we discussed that podcasts and social audio create deeper connections with the audience.

It’s easier to build a community compared to writing, blogging, and shooting videos.

Marketers, brands, and business owners should take advantage of the massive audio opportunities that exist to build momentum and caring communities., families.

Continuity

A recorded podcast episode, a social discussion, won’t go anywhere. The audience can listen to their favorite shows or chats whenever they want, however they want.

If we compare that to TV and radio shows where if you are not recording something, it’s gone, we understand the phenomenal power of this medium.

A shift in content consumption

People are busy more than ever before. During the last decades, technology is marching on with giant steps and we need to keep in touch with our audience wherever they are. 

Audio is a convenient medium with countless benefits and also, audio files are way smaller than video files.

Engagement

Using your voice is a sacred weapon that can really excite people and motivate them into taking action, enjoy your show and speech, and engage with you instantly in the case of social audio.

You can raise and lower your tone and volume, you change emotions as you continue speaking, and you can be yourself, above all.

You can tell stories, inform, educate and teach, entertain, intrigue, and even challenge your audience.

All but with your voice. A magical instrument.

Interactive

If we isolate social audio from podcasting, we get even more benefits.

It’s an interactive medium, where the host or hosts can discuss in real-time with their audience and guests, and you can participate. With podcasts, you get only to listen to the hosts and guests. 

It happens in real-time, it’s live, fresh, at the moment.

It requires less internet connection bandwidth than video.

And more.

Enormous Opportunity/Less Competition

As we mentioned in the beginning, podcasts and social audio are not saturated arenas. There are 600 websites for 1 podcast show.

This is a huge advantage and a great moment in time to invest in audio.

According to Forbes…

With 60% of podcast listening done at home, adoption was especially notable during the pandemic. According to the latest Infinite Dial survey from Edison One and Triton Digital, in 2020, 37% of Americans (age 12+) listen to at least one podcast each month, up from 32% in 2019. The continued growth of podcast listening is expected. In 2020, an estimated 100 million people listened to a podcast each month and it’s expected to reach 125 million in 2022.

According to TechCrunch and App Annie…

Social audio app Clubhouse has now topped 8 million global downloads, despite still being in a prelaunch, invite-only mode, according to new data released today by mobile data and analytics firm App Annie. Per its estimates, Clubhouse grew from over 3.5 million global downloads as of February 1, 2021, to reach 8.1 million by February 16, 2021. This sharp growth is attributed to several high-profile guest appearances, including those from Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, for example.

Clubhouse is now the leading social audio platform and was founded only last year.

A major marketing/business tool

As with all the internet-era mediums, podcasting and social audio can lead to numerous monetization opportunities.

You build connections with people, brands, other business owners, partners, and friends.

You can generate leads and redirect people to other web properties and your own website for a multitude of reasons.

You can promote other people’s products.

You can earn sponsorships as you gain traction and sell merchandise or any physical or digital product as long as people trust you.

The majority of podcast hosting platforms let you monetize your content and presence mainly through advertising space.

The same is true with some social audio apps. 

Social audio platforms like Clubhouse are offering a unique opportunity to all their members to monetize their presence with the help of tips that happen in real-time. More importantly, Clubhouse and similar platforms are joined mainly by adults who are most likely well-educated, wealthy, and will tip you for providing value in their lives.

You also get feedback and gain valuable insights as you keep on interacting with people and monitor their reactions and responses.

It leads to joint ventures, partnerships, and friendships that may last for a lifetime.

Who can benefit from audio: companies, agencies, business owners, marketers, people using video platforms, coaches, consultants, other professional service providers, and more. It works for traditional brick & mortar businesses, digital and physical products, and anything in between.

If you want to build momentum and gain instant visibility, this medium is for you.

What Are You Waiting For?

You can record audio or speak on social platforms, while you are doing other things that don’t require your 100% attention.

The benefits are countless, the opportunity is enormous. Little to no cost, less competition, high levels of engagement, interaction with your audience, and a sense of community.

You will gain visibility, authority, and trust which is the most valuable currency in this world.

Do you need help to market your podcast show, get booked on other podcasters’ or increase your visibility with social audio.

Do you need help creating your movement?

We are here for you.

Schedule a free video-call interview to help us understand where you are at your business right now, your needs and goals, and we will give you a detailed analysis of how we work. Then, we’ll create the first campaign for you for free to prove we can get you results.

That’s it, another article has finished, here on Web Market Support. Are you a fan of social audio and podcasting? Are you hosting a show? I’m waiting for your comments and thoughts. Till next time.