7 Great Reasons to Start a Podcast for Your Business
October 24, 2025
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Podcasts are one of the most engaging ways for brands to connect with their audience. From building trust to growing your network and customer base, podcasts can pack a serious marketing punch without requiring a Hollywood budget.
If you’ve been wondering whether it’s worth launching your own show, here are some of our favorite reasons to start a podcast — and how brands like Wistia make it work.
1. Build brand affinity
You know when you’re listening to a podcast and it feels like the host is talking to you? That’s the magic of audio. It creates an immediate, personal connection that’s tough to replicate in other formats.
Unlike short-form video or social media posts, podcasts give you the space to to take a deep dive into a story or idea. Long-form storytelling builds familiarity, trust, and brand affinity. Over time, your voice becomes a regular part of your listener’s day. It could be during their commute, their dog walk, or their Tuesday morning coffee.
And people are tuning in. 73% of Americans (about 210 million people) have consumed podcast content in 2025, with 55% listening monthly and 40% weekly. Even better, they stick around. 34% of weekly listeners consume an average of 8.3 episodes.
If your brand shows up consistently in that kind of environment, you’ll create a real connection and trust — the foundation of brand affinity.
2. Increase your conversions
Unlike passive scrollers, podcast listeners are engaged and engaged listeners are far more likely to take action.
In one study, 63% of people said they view hosts of the podcasts they listen to as trustworthy, and 80% said they trust recommendations from those hosts. That’s a huge credibility boost for any brand behind the mic.
The impact is even bigger for brands that go beyond guest appearances and sponsor ads to launch their own podcast. Signal Hill found that 86% of branded podcasts they tested resulted in a lift in brand affinity, one of the strongest predictors of future purchase behavior.
With your own podcast, you can both entertain your audience and gradually move them closer to becoming loyal customers.
3. Grow your audience and network
Podcasts give you a reason to reach out to people you admire, whether they’re industry leaders, customers, partners, or even your own teammates. You can invite them into a conversation, which is an effective, organic way to build relationships.
And every guest expands your network. When they share their episode with their own audience, your reach grows further. You get built-in amplification, without needing to ask for a retweet.
Sylvie Lublow, producer of the Wistia podcast Talking Too Loud, agrees that podcasting is a very effective way of connecting with other industry professionals.
“It’s become a platform for reaching and collaborating with people we admire — marketers, creators, and founders who might not have crossed paths with Wistia otherwise. Every podcast episode extends our network and positions us as part of a broader, creative business conversation.”
Plus, inviting guests with different perspectives keeps your content dynamic and your brand tapped into the conversations people care about. And while the goal isn’t direct lead generation, the ripple effects are undeniable.
“Talking Too Loud has led to ongoing collaborations with guests like Natasha Pierre and Jay Acunzo, new agency partnerships with companies like Superside, and even strengthened Wistia’s relationship with HubSpot through their Media Network,” says Sylvie.
The show has also taken Wistia to new stages. Live podcast events like INBOUND and On Air Fest connect with listeners in person and reach audiences who might never have engaged with Wistia content otherwise.
4. Boost your discoverability
Podcasts help you show up where people are already scrolling:
- Spotify
- Apple Podcasts
- YouTube
That means more chances for your brand to get discovered organically, just by showing up with valuable, searchable content.
At Wistia, we’ve seen this firsthand with Talking Too Loud.
“LinkedIn is where we’ve seen the most organic reach and engagement — particularly through video clips and posts that feel conversational, not promotional,” explains Sylvie. “When guests reshare or engage with their episodes, it can meaningfully extend the show’s visibility.”
When we pivoted to video, discovery also improved.
“YouTube has become a growing channel for discovery, especially since we pivoted to video. Shorts and full episodes help us reach people who may not follow Wistia yet but are browsing for business or creator content,” explains Sylvie.
Whether it’s long-form episodes or short video clips, podcasts keep working behind the scenes to expand your reach, without paid ads or constant posting.
5. Repurpose your podcast content
One podcast episode equals a lot of content.
You can slice and dice a podcast across multiple channels to create blog posts, social threads, LinkedIn carousels, YouTube Shorts, audiograms, even internal enablement clips. Each episode is a content engine primed for more mileage.
It’s one of the smartest ways to scale your content without reinventing the wheel every week. Check out our Start a Podcast Crash Course for tips on planning, recording, and repurposing like a pro.
6. Reinforce your brand
With your own podcast you get total control over the voice, tone, and customer experience. You’re not confined by ad formats or social algorithms. You get to decide what the conversation sounds like and who it’s for.
That makes podcasts a powerful way to reinforce your brand identity. The real magic isn’t in repeating your tagline, it’s in showing your values through the stories you choose to tell and the voices you elevate.
At Wistia, Talking Too Loud helps listeners connect with the people behind the brand. Whether it’s hearing Chris share what’s got him “talking too loud” that week or listening to a guest unpack a career-defining moment, the show creates space for curiosity, vulnerability, and personality.
“That kind of content builds emotional trust, because it’s not just about what we sell, it’s about what we value,” says Sylvie. “It shows how we think, what excites us, and what kind of company we’re trying to be.”
But it’s a bit of a balancing act. A podcast might feel looser and more casual than your other brand channels, but that’s the point. Done well, it helps you connect with a very specific part of your audience in a way that feels unfiltered and real.
“Some of the most meaningful feedback we’ve received is when listeners say the show made them feel like they already knew Wistia before ever talking to sales,” shares Sylvie.
That kind of connection doesn’t come from a landing page, it comes from podcast conversations that stick.
7. Podcasts offer a low barrier to entry
Podcasting is incredibly accessible. You don’t need a fancy studio, soundproof booth, or budget-blowing gear to get started.
All you really need is a decent mic, free recording software, and an idea of what you want to talk about. Some of the most engaging shows started with nothing more than a $70 mic and a quiet room. (Privy launched their podcast for $53 an episode!)
Affordable mics like the Blue Snowball or Yeti that’ll make your audio sound pro without the price tag.
Whether you’re testing the waters or already dreaming up your guest list, Wistia makes it easy to create, host, and share your podcast, all in one place.
With tools built specifically for marketers and not just audio pros, you can:
- Upload and manage episodes with ease
- Turn long-form content into shareable clips
- Embed your podcast beautifully on your website
- Track engagement with powerful, episode-level analytics
An added plus, Wistia supports full video hosting, so your episodes look just as polished as they sound.
