We’re asked all the time if we really think podcasting – audio and/or video – can help someone’s business.

The answer is yes.

The next question is: How?

That depends on the kind of business involved and what it’s aiming to achieve.

Demonstrate thought leadership. Building your brand as a trusted authority is a great way to differentiate your organization from the pack. Podcasting is an intimate experience: You’re talking directly to each listener. It’s a great way to build trust.

Create brand awareness. Without knowing who you are, why will people choose to give you money for what you do? The ROI on this is difficult to measure; it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Podcasting can play a significant role. Everyone who listens to podcasts is a potential customer!

Generate new business. If someone’s looking for a product or service you offer, podcasting can be a great way to communicate why you’re the best to provide it.

Engage customers. The first sale to someone is the hardest. Getting someone to give you money a second and third and fourth is a lot easier. But you still need to invest in retention and loyalty. Podcasts are a great way to remind them why they loved you. And listening is an easy lift. They can take you with them as they commute, do errands, work out. It’s also an easy way for them to share your work and thoughts with their friends and colleagues.

Connect emotionally. Audio’s a great way to connect on a personal level. The effectiveness of podcasts’ host-read advertising underscores this point. You can be authentic, direct and open. It’s a great way to connect to your stakeholders on an emotional level.

Leverage other content. Content marketing can feel relentless. How many different blog posts and newsletters can you possibly write? How many TikToks or Insta-reels can you create? How many LinkedIn or Twitter posts? Podcasting can be the piece that brings it all together. For example, you can record a podcast based on a report you’ve published, then transcribe it for text that can generate multiple blog posts. And you can use clips for social media. It can be a unifying way to get more bang for your buck.

Build a network. Inviting guests to your podcast and guesting on others’ podcasts can be a great way to meet industry professionals in a deep and authentic way. Sharing and re-sharing their episodes can build your following, too.

Boost search engine optimization. The written description that accompanies a podcast is a great way to increase SEO and drive traffic to your website. And that description can also be used on your website as a blog post, increasing SEO again.

Create a forum. Podcasting can be much more than a one-to-many format. You can engage your audience and start a discussion: respond to their comments on the posts, ask for their feedback, record live-event panels.