It’s almost unthinkable that there are many persons who are still unaware of what a Podcast is. Yet so many marketers are building brands using this free, on-demand medium to communicate their messaging. It is one that has nowhere going anytime soon. It has come to stay, so we might as well get to know more about it and its awesome benefits.

If you somehow fall into the category of one who is oblivious to its existence, a podcast is simply an audio file fed from your website through a rich site summary (RSS). Using standard web feed format, it publishes frequently updated information with the file you’ve uploaded.

To get a little historical, the term has been coined from the words ‘iPod’ and ‘broadcast’. At the very beginning, podcast creators used their iPods to listen to their RSS broadcasts.

History of Podcasting

The genesis of this ground-breaking content creation is credited to Adam Curry and Dave Winer from a mere meeting between the two technology practitioners 17 years ago. However, kinks and know-how weren’t quite ironed out until in 2005 when podcasting started finding its footing, gaining support from major podcast directory, iTunes (Source: blubrry.com).

Here’s Why You Should Do It Now!

• Current statistics indicate that there are over 350,000 podcasts across varying niches. Of this number, approximately 200,000 are frequently updated whether daily as in John Lee Dumas’s EOFire, weekly as in The Entrepreneurial You, or whatever frequency the podcaster chooses. Be part of a community that is helping to spread the message that’s dear to your heart.
• Podcast listenership is highly mobile. Surveys show that 71% of Americans listen on their phone and tablet. This provides an opportunity for your targeted message to reach your market. Get this, 47% of listeners are following brands they learn about on a podcast compared to 28% on social media.
• Unique monthly listeners have surpassed 75 million per month. Podcast subscription soared past the 1 billion mark (2013 survey). In spite of this, only 6% of marketers are using podcasting as a form of content to get their message out. This is a missed opportunity as 88% of subscribers listen to every episode.
• Product advertising on podcasts drives brand presence. If you have a great podcast, listeners will visit your page frequently to listen. It therefore, drives traffic to your website.

Benefits of a Podcast?

1. It’s free – your listeners will flock you for the value you provide to them.
2. It’s accessible from Smartphones – Your listeners never have to worry that they will miss an episode.
3. It is available by the tap of a button – as long as there is WiFi available, your podcast is accessible.
4. Connect with your audience – Your audience has an opportunity to connect with you as the host. You also connect with the guests and increase your network and hence your net-worth
5. Broad reach – You may be local but you can go global reaching guests and an audience from anywhere in the world. The Entrepreneurial You launched in at the end of March 2017 is already heard in 34 countries.
6. Make Money – monetize your podcast through a variety of ways while making a global impact. Podcasts have some of the highest click per 1,000 listeners at $20-$45 (source: weeditpodcasts.com).

Podcasting is really hot right now. Be careful not to delay considering starting your podcast any longer. Get in on the action now.

Comment below if you want me to do a post on how to start a podcast.

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]http://henekawatkisporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/heneka.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Heneka Watkis-Porter is a serial-entrepreneur, cultural ambassador, sociologist, author, speaker, fashion designer and podcaster. She wakes up every day with a grateful heart as she lives her purpose of “life transformation through inspiration”. She is the leading lady behind Patwa Culcha International, the company that owns the authentic Jamaica clothing brand, Patwa Apparel. [/author_info] [/author]