The world of podcasting is growing rapidly but is still just in it's infancy. In fact, in 2020 Apple Podcasts boasted 1 million shows on their platform after 15 years in existence. And it only took another year for them to hit the 2 million mark in 2021! Businesses, organizations and individuals alike are taking to podcasting for all sorts of reasons. As you consider the possibility, here are five reasons to start podcasting.

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1. Grow your influence:

We may not all don the title of “influencer” but we do all carry a certain amount of influence. Podcasting is a great way to grow that influence. I started my first podcast in 2018 with the purpose of training a couple hundred volunteer leaders serving across 7 counties in the state of Indiana. That podcast has since reached 26 different countries around the world and has weekly listeners in the UK, Spain, Hungary, Philippines, and the United States. When it first launched, I had no concept that my influence could carry that far and I’m guessing you’re probably not thinking that way about your project either. But if you have something valuable to say, there are a lot of people who would love to hear it. Podcasting can help you grow your influence with a larger audience.

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2. Connect with your audience:

Regardless of how big your audience is or gets to be, podcasting is a great way to stay connected with them. Ask a question and invite responses via email or social media. Invite their feedback on a topic you discuss or a guest you interview. Either way, just the familiar sound of your voice will even help your audience feel more connected with you. Connection is key in our world today and a podcast can help make that connection with your audience as they drive, workout, or mow their lawn.

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3. Share your expertise:

Ok, so I know you’re a humble person, but you definitely have something to offer. Podcasting is a great way to share your expertise. Educate your customers on your product. Train your employees. Share your unique perspective on world events. Maybe you’re a great storyteller looking for a new venue to tell stories, a history buff interested in WWII, a fan who just loves to talk sports. If you have an area of expertise that could be beneficial to share with others, you might consider podcasting as a viable option.

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4. Repurpose your content:

Maybe you’re already a blogger, a YouTuber, writer, pastor or someone else with loads of content already and the thought of creating new content for a podcast seems overwhelming. The good news is you don’t have to create new content. You can repurpose what you already have. Just because you wrote a book, doesn’t mean everyone is going to read it… I know right?!?… but they might be really interested in hearing you talk about it. You may have a YouTube channel with hundreds or even thousands of subscribers, but there are a lot of other people who would rather get out for a run than watch YouTube, but might pop in their earbuds for a listen to your podcast with the very same content. Podcasting gives you another outlet to repurpose your content for a different audience.

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5. Expand your skillset:

The world we live in is rapidly changing and in this environment, it never hurts to learn new things and develop new skills. Three years ago when I started podcasting I barely knew how to connect a microphone to my laptop to record my first episode and my interview technique left much to be desired. But since then, I’ve become a better communicator behind a mic, on video and even in person and what’s even crazier is that I own a business leveraging the skills I didn’t have 5 years ago. So while I wouldn’t suggest this be your primary reason for starting a podcast, it is a great benefit you might not think about early on but it’s proven valuable enough for me to put it in my top 5.

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So there you go, five reasons to start podcasting. I’d love to know which one of these reasons motivates you to want to start now. What other reasons do you have to start podcasting? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.

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Interested in learning more about podcasting? Ready to get started? I'd love to chat with you! Hit the link in the menu to schedule a call or send me an email to brian@summitcitystudios.com to start the conversation.