As a business owner, your goal is clear: stay visible, stay relevant, and stay trusted. While social media, search engines, and email marketing often get the spotlight, there’s another powerful (and often underutilized) tool at your fingertips: podcasting. Whether you're a service provider, retailer, nonprofit, or consultant, podcasting allows you to build brand awareness, showcase expertise, and connect with your audience in a way that’s personal, portable, and powerful.
Why podcasting works for business. Podcasting is more than a trendy platform, it is a marketing channel with serious potential.
- Reach a growing audience: Over 62% of Americans 12 and older have listened to a podcast, and that number continues to grow each year.
- Build trust and authority: By sharing insights, stories, or industry expertise, you position yourself as a knowledgeable, trustworthy voice in your field.
- Engage on the go: Unlike blogs or videos, podcasts let your audience listen while driving, exercising, or working — making your content more accessible and frequent.
- Humanize your brand: A podcast gives your business a voice — literally. It lets people get to know the people behind the company, building stronger relationships.
Not just a buzzword — It’s a strategy. Podcasting isn’t about becoming the next viral sensation, it is more about strategically sharing content that matters to your customers, prospects, and community. When done well, podcasting will help you:
- Drive traffic to your website
- Improve SEO and online presence
- Support social media and email content
- Strengthen your brand’s credibility
Interested in starting a podcast? Use these simple steps and ideas to get your podcast off the ground:
- Know your audience. Determine who you are trying to reach and consider what questions they have that you can answer. Focus your content on what matters to your audience.
- Define the purpose. Is your podcast meant to educate, inspire, entertain, or promote your services? Setting clear goals ensures your episodes align with your business strategy.
- Choose a format that fits your style. You can structure your podcast with solo episodes to share tips and insights, conduct interviews with experts or customers, host panel discussions, or run Q&A episodes to address common customer questions. Consider these ideas to get you started:
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- Behind-the-scenes of your business
- Interviews with staff, vendors or partners
- Customer success stories
- Industry news explained in simple terms
- "How-to" guides related to your products/services
- Common misconceptions in your industry
- Your journey as a business owner
- Tips your customers wish they knew sooner
4. Keep it simple. You don’t need a Hollywood studio to get started. All you really need is a decent microphone to capture clear audio and a quiet space to avoid background noise. Basic editing software will help you polish your recordings. You will also need a hosting platform to upload and distribute your episodes.
5. Be consistent. Commit to a publishing schedule you can maintain. Consistency builds trust.
6. Promote your podcast. Share episodes on social media, embed them on your website, feature them in newsletters, and encourage listeners to subscribe and share.
Podcast power: Stats that speak volumes
- 69% of podcast listeners say that podcast ads made them aware of new products or services. (Demand Sage)
- Brands that launch podcasts see an average 14% lift in purchase intent. (Nielsen Branded Podcasts Report)
- 48% of monthly podcast listeners are between ages 25–44 – the prime age range for business decision makers and consumers with spending power. (Edison Research)
- 51% of listeners have a college degree, and 45% have a household income over $75K. (Edison Research)
- 80% of listeners tune in for to all or most of each episode, a far higher engagement than social media or email. (Podcast Insights)
- 38% of listeners report purchasing a product or service mentioned in a podcast. (Podcast Consumer Report)
BBB can help you get started — For free! BBB Accredited Businesses have access to a podcast recording space at the BBB Serving Western VA office. Whether you want to record a solo message or invite a guest, we make it easy to get started. To learn more about how BBB can support your podcast journey, contact us today. We’re here to help you amplify your voice and build trust with every episode.