I enjoy listening to podcasts while I work and when we travel. We have a couple that we listen to as a family on road trips and several work related podcasts that I am subscribed to that I can I listen to while I’m folding laundry or cleaning house. I recently helped set up a podcast for one of my friends and have been seriously thinking about whether a podcast could be the next step for Hobbies on a Budget. Recently one of my friends Krystal offered to share some reasons that podcasts are so popular.

While podcasting has been popular for many years, it is only now that it is considered a mainstream way of promoting your blog or brand. This medium is expanding, and many bloggers are questioning if the effort is worth the time. If you’re thinking about starting a podcast (or are just a faithful fan of them!), these ideas will show you just why podcasts are perfect for bloggers and readers alike.

Why Podcasts Are Popular For Bloggers

It’s essentially free.

Podcasts are typically recorded at home and have zero startup costs. When the Bloggers Get Social podcast launched, we used the Mac computers we already owned. We didn’t need an audio editor or a graphic designer for our podcast button. We just clicked “record.” While you can certainly upgrade to a professional-grade microphone or specialty software, it is not necessary. Many smartphones have the capacity to record audio and it can still sound crystal clear.

It can be more effective than guest posting. For those that have guest posts as part of their marketing plan, podcasting might be a better alternative. Instead of creating a niche-specific keyword rich blog post for someone else, you can boost your brand with a podcast that shares what you are all about. You can also appear as a guest on other bloggers’ podcasts. Guest posting can take a little while to see a return on investment depending on the blogs you are submitting content for. Don’t forget that some bloggers never publish their submitted guest posts, so podcasting can be more powerful for you.

You can gain readers’ trust.

With a potential oversaturation in your niche, it may be hard to stand out from the crowd. What is so different about your blog? Your unique voice. Let readers actually hear it with a podcast! Depending on whether you start your own podcast or appear on others, your story will get your message heard by a larger audience week after week. You can share podcasts within your blog posts or link to them in your weekly email newsletters.

Create a Network.

There are opportunities within the podcasting world including business networking. When you speak to your podcast audience or appear on another podcast, you are creating new relationships that could develop into future partnerships.

Podcasting may be less time consuming than a blog post from start to finish. I have found that creating a podcast takes less time than setting up a photo shoot for a new recipe I cooked. A thirty minute podcast might take a few minutes to prepare with an hour of editing at most. Even when I create a blog post to accompany the podcast episode, I am still looking at less time to podcast than to create a fresh blog post. It is easy to see why podcasting is a fun and less stressful alternative.

Your readers are multi-taskers.

Our blog audiences are pinning while they watch TV or listening to music while they clean. A podcast gives our readers an opportunity to consume your message without being tied to a computer monitor or reading a blog post on a smartphone. We can listen to podcasts while we commute, and we can “start” and “stop” then as we wish.

You want to build your brand.

Creating a podcast or appearing on one boosts your brand in a new way. The more readers hear about you and your blog, the more potential readers you will reach. You may have a small spike in traffic over time due to podcasting or you might build your email list. Podcasting topics are usually evergreen which means they are relevant year-round.

If you are interested in speaking at conferences or being an ambassador for a brand, a podcast is just one piece of the puzzle to recognition. It can be a resume booster and improve your public speaking.

Podcasts are designed to engage listeners who have similar interests. All you truly need to get started is a good attitude, a microphone, and some knowledge of audio editing. There are free tools available online (or you can use a simple paid tool called Screenflow). The key is to just get started!

This guest post was provided as a courtesy from the Bloggers Get Social group. We are a blog network, podcast, and community for content solutions. Join us today for creative content, accountability, and learn how to blog better.