What if I told you your voice could be on iTunes without the benefit of a record deal or even a speck of Adele’s musical talent?

What if there was a way to broadcast your expertise to thousands of potential customers across the globe without spending a penny on advertising? And what if your company became a go-to resource for job-related news and information for your current—and potential—customers?

Well, there is. It’s called “podcasting”, and if it’s not part of your content or digital marketing strategy, listen up.

In Merriam-Webster’s words, a podcast is “a program (as of music or talk) made available in digital format for automatic download over the Internet.” For those of us that aren’t tech geeks, I’d just call it a radio show on the Internet.

Its roots can be traced back to the mid-2000’s when the iPod was the hottest electronic star on the planet, and rapidly improving Internet technology allowed for the downloading of large files onto mobile devices.

In just a decade, podcast listenership has exploded.

• According to a 2016 “State of the News Media” report, 21% of adults say they have listened to a podcast in the past month (up from 9% in 2012).
• 36% of adults say they have listened to a podcast in their lifetime (up from 11% in 2006).
• On file-sharing site, Libsyn, podcast downloads have increased from 1.6 billion in 2012 to 3.4 billion in 2016.

Why are podcasts so popular? There are several reasons, but first, open up iTunes. You can find a podcast on virtually any topic you would ever want to learn or hear a fresh perspective about. Including the specific business you’re in.

Four key roles podcasts play in content marketing

1. Podcasts fill a void in industries with little third-party media.
   Not every industry is seeing its products or services in Forbes or the New York Times, and some industries even lack trade publications. But with podcasting, you can create a medium that fills the void—and demand—for news your stakeholders want to know about.

   Your potential audience can literally be in the thousands. The iTunes Store and Google Play both allow you to upload podcasts, as do file-sharing sites like Stitcher, SoundCloud, Libsyn and others.

2. Podcasts allow you to establish personal connections with your listeners.
   Think about when you listen to the radio. Is there a morning show host or DJ you loyally tune into? There is just something personal about the spoken word that can’t be duplicated by the greatest blog, case study, eBook or any other written marketing option. Podcasts don’t just promote your brand. They showcase your brand’s personality—and people.
3. Podcasts establish you as a recognized industry thought leader.
   Thought leadership is such a common marketing term these days that it’s almost become an industry buzzword. But actually being a thought leader—one who is known and respected industry-wide—is a daunting marketing challenge. When you host a podcast that covers cutting-edge issues, you put yourself in the forefront of your industry’s most important conversations. It demonstrates your and your brand’s leadership from the very first episode.
4. Podcasts are great content for your website, social media platforms, and beyond.
   Much the way the videos your company records or the blogs your company writes don’t live solely on your website, a podcast can be used on multiple platforms as well. It’s easy to take the link to your podcast and share it on Facebook and LinkedIn, include it in an email marketing campaign, and feature it prominently on your website. In turn, your podcast will also drive traffic back to your other channels as well.

Ready to step up to the microphone? If you can do the talking, we can help turn your voice into a content marketing machine. So if you have any comments or questions about podcasting, we’d love to hear from you.