OK, still wondering if this podcast thing is a trend you should consider?  Well, this tidbit might help.  According to an article in Tech Crunch, SiriusXM paid $325 million for the Stitcher podcast platform.  Podcasts from Stitcher will now be available on Pandora.

The Tech Crunch article quotes SiriusXM CEO Jim Meyer, “We are deepening our position in podcasting, the fastest-growing sector in digital audio…”  In a related quote, the article noted recently Spotify reported that “nearly a quarter (21%) of its active users now listen to podcasts.”

What’s a Podcast Platform?

The way I explain it to clients is as follows.  When you have a video you want to publish to the Internet, you might use YouTube.  Once you’ve uploaded it to YouTube, it’s being hosted on the YouTube video platform, not on your computer.  In podcasting, there are similar services.  Stitcher, Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes), Google Podcasts, Libsyn and many others are podcast platforms.  You upload your audio recording to a podcast platform so others can find and listen to it.

Podcasting Has Become Mainstream

In February of 2020, I posted an article detailing Google’s announcement that it has actively begun listening to and indexing podcast audio.  This means podcast episodes and comments contained therein can now show up in Google search results.

Later, in September of 2020, I also shared an article on my business Facebook page focusing on the fact that Amazon Music is now including podcasts in its directory.

There’s a reason SiriusXM paid $325 million for Stitcher.  The major providers are getting into podcasting, because consumers are increasingly going there for information, news commentary, entertainment and more.  Traditional media and those relying on traditional advertising/marketing tactics are feeling the impact.

Don’t Get Left Behind

Now is the time for you and your business to strongly consider a podcast for your business.  I developed and launched a turn-key podcast production service.  This content platform is leveraging consumer trends related to how the market prefers to digest information.  If you’re not there yet, it may be time for us to schedule a discussion.