Written By Spike O'Connell - 12th March 2022
To fully understand what the purpose of a podcast is, you’ll first want to get a grasp on what “podcast” means. According to the Cambridge Dictionary:
Seems pretty straight forward to us! Although with some podcasts available today, can be streamed straight from the internet with no need to download. There are many diverse listening options available in the big world of podcasts along with various platforms people can create them on (we’ll touch on this in another blog).
Simply put, a podcast is another method to entertain, humour and educate. They are all sound, with no distraction coming from how people look or dress like you might get from watching a TV show or film. Most podcasts come in the form of series, just like a television show, and then are broken down into episodes. Sometimes they are done weekly, bi-weekly or monthly - it really is up to the producer. Most of the time these series will be created on a specific topic and then its episodes will dig deeper into them. Sometimes they have multiple hosts and guests, while at other times, it’s just a solo show.
When doing some research, you’ll find that the original podcasts were known as audio blogging. Although they were not created to the same standard and design, people were recording and sharing using this method. Audio blogging has a history that can be traced back mostly to the music scene. People used their voice or music and recorded an MP3 to share tracks and the latest gossip.
“Audio blogging” or “MP3 blogging” has roots that can be traced back to the 1980s. “Podcasting” however, was a term coined in 2004. This word stemmed from some new technology that was being developed. This technology (or program) is now known as iPodder. iPodder allowed its creators to download internet radio broadcasts directly to their iPods!
The software developer who created this code, Curry, now hosts “The Daily Source Code”. His show is one of the most popular podcasts available!
"Some of the earlier episodes of "The Daily Source Code" aren't even available on Apple Podcasts! You can however, check them out here, it's a great insight into some of the very first podcasts"
People may want to start a podcast for several reasons. Maybe someone is an enthusiast about a certain topic, wanting to develop and share their knowledge. Most podcasts are started as passion projects. When someone loves a specific topic, person or just sees this as an opportunity to share, they’ll start a podcast.
Most people use this platform because it’s cheap to get started and you don’t need many tools or equipment right off the bat. Alternatively, someone could use a podcast for marketing potential and see it as a direct way to sell to customers.
Podcasts are a great marketing tool for many reasons. They create a repetitive touchpoint for your customers. Whether you’re selling a specific product or using the podcast as a platform to sell multiple items, it can work wonders for your sales. And, according to Forbes, podcasts are more popular than Catholicism!
The benefits don’t stop there either. With there being so many different podcasts available, you can use this to really target your ideal audience. We don’t see this trend slowing down anytime soon.
Piggybacking off of the marketing topic above, podcasts can be great for SEO! If you know anything about SEO you’ve probably heard of backlinks. These are great for the podcast host and the guests. Whenever you have someone on your show, you’re most likely going to place a link that will drive the viewer back to their website. Even if listeners don’t click the link, it will still boost their SEO.
As the host of a podcast, you can start to rank for specific keywords in the iTunes store, on Google and more. Just remember to keep your focus on some specific keywords that are authentic to you and your show.
There are upwards of 700,000 active podcasts available for your pleasure right now! They cover an extensive range of topics. We’re going to share with you some of the top topics below in no specific order:
As you can see, there are a lot of options you can choose from. And from these umbrella topics, you can start to stem down into more niche topics. For example, if you’re interested in True Crime podcasts, but have a specific interest in serial killers, you can find a lot of different series that will cover this specific topic.
Podcasts are for everyone. There is a podcast available for everyone. You don’t have to be part of a specific group or meet any criteria. And with new podcasts coming out every single day, we’re sure you’ll find at least one that resonates with you.
Podcasts are for students who are looking to get a little extra edge, mothers who want to have a little time set aside for them and workers looking for a laugh on their lunch time. Podcasts aren’t just for the elite and they’re not just for the working class. They really truly are for everyone, which is one of the biggest reasons we love them so much!
Now that you’ve learned all about the purpose of a podcast including the benefits and history, we’re not surprised that you’d want to join in on the fun! Starting a podcast can be a really fun journey and the best part is, here at Podshop, we’re here to help you every step of the way. We offer consultations, transcription services, uploading and hosting along with top of the line audio editing and sound design.
If you’re looking to take on your new podcast on your own, we can help you set off in the right direction!
