Podcasts are everywhere. It feels like everyone has a podcast these days, from your favorite celebrity to your next-door neighbor. On the surface, starting a podcast seems like a powerful way to solidify your status as an expert in your field, attract new customers, and grow your personal brand. But is it really worth the time and effort, or is podcasting just a modern-day vanity project where most people are simply talking into the void?

Let’s break it down.

The Case for Starting a Podcast

Podcasts, when done well, can serve as an incredible marketing tool. Here’s why they have potential:

  1. Establishing Expertise:
    Hosting a podcast gives you a platform to showcase your knowledge, insights, and unique perspective on your industry. If you invite guests, you also have the opportunity to align yourself with other experts, which can bolster your credibility.
  2. Engaging with a Niche Audience:
    While you might not get millions of listeners, podcasts often attract highly engaged niche audiences. These are the people who are deeply interested in your topic and could eventually turn into customers, collaborators, or advocates for your brand.
  3. Networking Opportunities:
    Interviewing industry leaders or potential clients on your podcast opens doors to connections that might not otherwise be available. Even if your audience is small, the act of hosting the podcast itself can make you more visible in your field.
  4. Repurposing Content:
    Podcasts can serve as a content goldmine. A single episode can be transcribed into blog posts, broken into social media clips, or turned into an email newsletter. This maximizes your effort and helps expand your reach beyond just audio listeners.
  5. Building Your Brand Personality:
    Podcasts allow you to connect with your audience on a personal level. Your tone, style, and authenticity can resonate with listeners in a way that written content sometimes can’t.

The Harsh Reality of Podcasting

For all the benefits, it’s essential to approach podcasting with a healthy dose of realism.

  1. The Saturation Problem:
    As of 2025, there are millions of podcasts available, and new ones are launching every day. While this doesn’t mean yours will get lost, it does mean standing out requires significant effort, high-quality production, and consistent promotion.
  2. The Listener Gap:
    The truth is, most podcasts don’t have a huge audience. According to recent statistics, over half of podcasts average fewer than 30 downloads per episode. This means that unless you have a built-in audience or a clear strategy, you might end up speaking to a very small group—possibly just your closest friends and family.
  3. The Ego Trap:
    There’s a danger in starting a podcast purely for the sake of saying, “I have a podcast.” If the goal is primarily to feed your ego, the time and effort involved may not be worth it. Without a clear purpose or measurable goals, a podcast can quickly become just another unchecked item on your to-do list.
  4. Time and Resource Intensive:
    Podcasting isn’t as simple as hitting “record” and uploading audio. Research, recording, editing, marketing, and scheduling take time. If you’re not committed to producing consistent, high-quality episodes, it’s easy to lose momentum.

So, Is Podcasting Worth It?

The answer depends on your goals and expectations.

  • If your primary goal is to solidify your expertise and reach a niche audience, then podcasting could be a worthwhile investment. Even a small, loyal audience can yield significant returns if it consists of people who are genuinely interested in your expertise and offerings.
  • If you’re hoping for overnight success or massive downloads, you’ll likely be disappointed. Most podcasts take years to build an audience, and even then, only a small percentage break into the mainstream.
  • If you’re not clear on your purpose, it’s worth reconsidering. A podcast without a strategy risks becoming a time-consuming vanity project.

The Middle Ground

Podcasting isn’t an all-or-nothing endeavor. You can test the waters by creating a short-run series or experimenting with other forms of content, such as YouTube videos or written articles, before committing to a long-term podcast. If you discover that you enjoy the process and can provide value to your audience, then doubling down on podcasting might be worth it.

Ultimately, a podcast is what you make of it. Done thoughtfully, it can enhance your brand and open doors. Done poorly—or for the wrong reasons—it can feel like shouting into the void. Before you start, ask yourself: Do I have something valuable to share? And am I willing to put in the work to make it resonate? If the answer is yes, go for it—but keep your expectations realistic.