Why should I start a podcast?

Audio is fast becoming an important content medium for individuals and businesses alike, with YouGov reporting the number of Britons listening to podcasts for more than 6 hours a week has grown from 5% to 10% in the last 4 years. 

While traditional editorial column inches are reducing, podcasts are growing as a new way to reach your audience, as well as own your own publishing platform that informs, entertains and connects with prospective clients with considered long-form content.

Read on to discover 10 reasons to start a podcast to support your business growth. 

1. Competition for engagement is low

There are estimated to be 3.2 million active podcasts globally. In reality, very few people commit to regularly sharing high-quality, engaging and shareable content. This means there is plenty of space for new podcast concepts to grow and build strong communities, especially as the UK currently only has a 6.3% market share

2. Create and grow a virtual yet connected community

Once you have earned someone’s ear via engaging content, they often remain loyal to your podcast and go on to discover your business too. By continuing to produce qualitative and shareable podcast episodes, you can grow a loyal community of listeners who then become customers. 

3. Provides long-form content 

Producing your own podcast provides you with a wealth of content to repurpose and share on your ‘owned’* platforms [see ‘paid, owned, earned’ explanation below]. Given that podcast content is long-form, you can take the time to educate, inform and inspire your audience. 

4. Share key messages, at scale

Podcasts provide you with endless material to repurpose in multiple versions of short-form content which can be repurposed for all other platforms, including Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn. This cannot be done in reverse, making podcast production a worthwhile investment for sharing your key messages, at scale. Extracting your key messages and placing them on your home page, investor decks and company handbooks etc. can all help support other areas of the business. Podcast content can also remain relevant for years to come, meaning you only need to produce it once for an unlimited number of listeners to listen to it

5. Allows you to educate and inform

It is hard to educate audiences via short-form content less than 60 seconds long. Podcasts instead provide long-form storytelling opportunities to inform listeners. Also, podcasts are elected content that people choose to consume, i.e. you can’t be ‘served’ a podcast, it resonates more than served content which can often be skipped through and ignored. 

6. Positions you as a thought leader

Recording a podcast series allows you to share your perspectives, learnings and opinions without ‘selling’ to your listeners. It also provides you with an opportunity to invite interesting people to feature as guests to support your views and offer engaging insights for your listeners further demonstrating your professional network. 

7. Additional revenue streams 

Podcasts also allow you to expand your traditional revenue streams. For example, you could offer a subscriber tier or a paid membership community providing access to exclusive episodes and rewards. Affiliate marketing, hosting ads within your episodes, live events and having the podcast sponsored are also options. 

8. Earn editorial coverage on external platforms

Creating an engaging podcast can also open up editorial opportunities, for instance with newspapers and magazines. Many top-tier publications publish roundups of their favourite podcasts, providing another avenue through which you, your business and your key messages can become discoverable. 

9. Podcast swaps

Having your own publishing platform affords you the opportunity to appear on other people’s podcasts as well. Looking for asymmetrical competitor podcasts means that both hosts can cross pollinate their audiences and further extend their reach.

10. Inexpensive to run

It can cost as little as £20 per month to host a podcast on a directory platform. While podcasts do require a time commitment to produce, the running costs are minimal. When you look at the total return on investment, why wouldn’t you start a podcast?

Questions to ask yourself before starting a podcast

• Which listeners do you want to reach? 

• What problem are you solving for them? 

• What is your podcast’s call to action? 

FF&M’s end-to-end podcast production service will conceptualise, produce & promote your podcast resulting in shareable, informative & engaging audio content that builds your community & brand awareness. 

To find out more email us at hello@fallowfieldmason.com. 

PAID: Third-party platforms, the environment over which your business has total control, usually paid for via advertising. Includes paid print or digital ads, paid social, native ads and PPC.

OWNED: Platforms owned by your business where you fully control the copy. Includes your own website, social channels and blogs.

EARNED: Third-party platforms that are ‘earned’ by relationships. Includes editorial coverage and influencer (unpaid) posts. Little control of the environment, however, can be influenced by the press materials shared in outreach such as press releases, written quotes, media-trained interviews and high-quality imagery.