What the Rise of Podcasting Says About the Importance of Audio

Once upon a time, people gathered around a radio, listening to great stories.

It’s how people got their information and their entertainment. Even back then, fake news (Orson Welles’ infamous “War of the Worlds” broadcast, which sounded as if Martians really had invaded Earth) was a thing.

But the rise of TV changed the face of radio, which ultimately became predominantly a place to tune into music or “talk radio,” where only a few do the talking — and advertisers paid high prices to have their messages distributed.

That is, until now.

The rise of podcasting has been swift, and in the last decade has grown from a very small avenue, initially only to a few early adopters (comedians, former MTV VJs), to a wide open path that’s a smart and viable option available to anyone with a passion, a perspective, and a platform — which is relatively easy and inexpensive to launch.

It’s the perfect way to tell your story, and to shine a spotlight on others’ stories that inspire, intrigue and excite you. Unlike video or text, you can reach your core audience during most of their daily activities, such as going to the gym walking a dog, driving to the office, and even throughout the workday.

For brands large and small, podcasting is becoming an important part of the modern marketing mix. As a digital marketing specialist, I’m sold: my own podcast, Activate, where I’ll be interviewing community leaders, philanthropic movers and key business shakers, launches in a few weeks.

Activate will be launching later this month. Stay tuned!