When most people think of content marketing today, a business blog is probably one of the first things that come to mind. While a blog serves as the foundation for your company’s creative offerings, it shouldn’t stand on its own. To ensure that you’re reaching your audience online, you need to also use other mediums to distribute content, such as social media and email.

Considering that today’s consumers digest content while on-the-go, podcasting is another effective way to serve your audience with value-added content. With 23 percent growth in the number of Americans that listened to podcasts in 2016, there’s no question that podcasting is on the rise. Even though this method of distributing content is still cutting edge, embracing podcasting will demonstrate to your audience that you’re with the times.

Should you make podcasting part of your content marketing strategy?
You may be wondering if podcasting is the right fit for your audience. Here are several convincing reasons why delivering this type of audio content to your audience will be beneficial:

1. Convenient to consume
The average American commute to work is 26.4 minutes. Podcasts are welcomed alternatives to traditional radio as they provide value and allow listeners to enrich their lives while on-the-go. Because podcasts are convenient to consume, listeners won’t have to divert their attention away from what they’re doing (driving, exercising, etc) to digest your content.

2. Expands your reach
When you publish podcasts on iTunes or Stitcher, you’re able to get your content in front of a new audience for free. Both iTunes and Stitcher are popular search engines, and prospective customers can find your business and its podcasts on these search engines through organic search.

3. Economical to produce
SMB owners typically don’t have large marketing budgets, so every dollar counts. By investing in a microphone and an application to record and edit podcast content, you can produce podcasts inexpensively.

4. Quick to put together
Generally speaking, creating a podcast will take you less time than putting together a blog post or recording video content. When you create a podcast, all you have to do is speak, which is something that you’re already doing everyday anyway.

5. Builds trust with your audience
Audio content is some of the most personal content that you can create. It literally gives your business a voice, which demonstrates your unique personality and authenticity. When people can hear the passion behind your business, you’ll become more likable and trustworthy.

6. Sets you apart from the competition
Although there is a lot of momentum behind podcasting, not every business is using this medium to distribute content. Making podcasting part of your content marketing strategy will give your business a competitive edge and position you as the go-to authority in your industry.

7. Gives you an opportunity to interview industry influencers
The interview format is commonly used is podcasting as it provides an opportunity to help your audience learn from your guest’s expertise. Making interviews part of your podcasting strategy will also help you to expand your audience and strengthen relationships with influencers.

8. Helps you earn more customers
Just like any other piece of content that you create, you will want to always include a CTA at the end of your podcast. You want to make it as easy as possible for your listeners to follow through in taking action, so optimize landing pages on your website prior to creating your podcast.

All in all, if you’re looking to diversify your content marketing strategy, producing a podcast is a great option. Putting together a podcast requires little investment of time and money and produces big results for your business.