So you have started your podcast, and you need to take it to the next level, right? However, you are undecided about having a website or sticking to a podcast hosting site. Most podcasters ask, do I need a website for my podcast? Can’t I just use social media channels instead? These questions arise because you are probably overwhelmed with work and feel that creating a website will be an additional one.
Well, this article will help you make up your mind and fast at that. You will get to see why having a website is essential for your growth. Bet there is the chance you’ll quash the “do I need a website for my podcast” question before you get to the end of this article.
A podcast is an excellent medium for communication. For example, podcasts help business owners, their listeners and potential customers develop warm relationships with each other. Additionally, podcasts are getting widespread usage nowadays as people are creating podcasts more and more around the different niches they love!
Let’s have a quick look at what a podcast is about.
What’s a podcast?
“A podcast is an episodic series of spoken word digital audio files that a user can download to a personal device for easy listening.” It is a type of online audio broadcast. With podcasts, you can become an authority in your niche. The top five categories of podcast in 2021 are society & culture, business, comedy, health, news & politics. With podcasts, you can get into the minds of industry thought leaders via interviews. In a short time, listeners can become industry experts on their favorite topics.
Unlike reading written contents that requires almost all your attention, podcasts can be listened to on the go, while commuting to and from work (22% listen while driving), at home, at the office, at the gym, while multitasking or when relaxing. A recent study showed that while 49% of podcast listening happens at home, 11% happen at work, and 8% while exercising.
There are several reasons why people listen to podcasts – it could be to acquire new knowledge, learn about a new product, or to feel inspired.
Podcasts are episodic, and at the end of an episode, you can direct your listeners to your site. If you are a business owner, you could turn potential customers into paying customers with your engaging audio contents. It is one of the hottest marketing tools in the world today.
Today, podcasting is in high demand. According to Podcast Insight, there are over 1,750,000 podcast shows and more than 43 million podcast episodes.
Those numbers will only keep increasing, seeing as podcast listening is always on a yearly rise.
There are various types of podcasts. These include interview podcasts, solo podcasts, multi-host podcasts, live podcasts—and these podcasts can be found on Spotify or iTunes, but they are sometimes hosted on websites.
Now, having a website for your podcast is better than hosting on a podcasting site. There are great advantages of having a website for podcasts as against having your contents on a podcast hosting site.
Why you need a website for your podcast
To build a more intimate relationship with your listeners, you will need a website for your podcast. Websites help with publicity, which is important as it usually impacts bottom line in businesses. So, a great website which you can get here, can make it easy for your new and current listeners to not only sample your podcast episodes but also subscribe and dig deeper into them.
Podcasts are not in any central location; they are consumed on dozens of apps like Spotify. Therefore, having a website for your podcast ensures there is a principal hub for your show and contents. You will love the results if you put in the work.
So, “do I need a website for my podcast?” Yes, you do! And here’s why:
1. Increased Visibility
Podcasters sometimes struggle with visibility. It could sometimes feel like being lost in the crowd of other podcasters. To have an increasing number of new listeners, your content should be easily found. With a website, you can get new traffic and listeners can easily access your entire content collection with a podcast archive. With that, your listeners will have a comprehensive glance at what you have to offer.
2. Content Control
It is usually great, knowing you do not have to rely on anyone—in this case, a podcast hosting site—to be in control. Having a website for your podcast helps you stay on top of things. It gives you total control of your podcast.
Some people find podcast host sites plain and boring. For example, some of them do not allow podcasters to choose the color of the page. With a website, you can make the kind of changes you want and keep things on brand.
Also, if something happens to a podcast hosting site, your listeners will know just where to access your contents.
3. Added Value
With a website, you have the ability and tools to give your listeners more value. For instance, when an episode is published, that episode can be repurposed on your website to form a blog post. That translates into greater value. Even better, is that the blog posts will be picked up by search engines like Google and that is an avenue to attract new listeners. Getting found on Google will help you grow and monetize over time.
4. Content Display
The number of episodes you can release under one podcast can be limited by some podcast platforms. Furthermore, you can record multiple podcast series making the link a tad challenging.
If you are a podcaster that makes several podcasts, having a website will be a perfect solution to show your content in one place and monitor how it is viewed.
5. Community-building
A podcast is a dynamic medium through which you can build an online social presence and a community.
When you have listeners and your contents are impactful, a bond is very likely to be formed between you and them. Now, having a website for your podcast will allow you to set up things like a feedback form or comment section where you and your audience can interact. You can build a strong community if your listeners feel included in your work.
6. Monetization
Last but not least, you will be able to make money through podcasting when you get a website for your podcast. Podcast is free content for the end-user. But it will be nice if you – the podcaster – can make some money off your hard work. It is never easy producing content.
If you have a podcast that is only visible on podcast platforms, your principal source will be ads inserted in the podcast itself. It’s difficult having any control over that. However, having a website allows you to make money through ways like setting up an e-commerce store where you can advertise and sell your products and sell sponsored posts and affiliate links. You can even accept donations through your podcast website.
Conclusion
You can see the immense benefits that come with having a website for your podcast. It is very important not just for you as a podcaster but for your listeners, too. While you can make money off it and increase your visibility, listeners will be able to enjoy greater value from you. So, it is a win-win.
There are over a million active podcasts out there today. To break through as a fledgeling podcaster, ensure you stand out with a great and user-friendly website that can help listeners navigate through your valuable contents. So, back to your question – “Do I need a website for my podcast?” Yes, you do!
Looking to take your podcast to the next level? Iconic Digital World is your leading service provider. Talk to one of our team members or get a no obligation instant quote or pricing now.
