Should you blog or not? That’s the question. But if you’re here, the real query is: should you podcast or not?
In the realm of content marketing, businesses are often caught in the midst of the “blog versus podcast” controversy. Both channels offer excellent opportunities to strengthen connections with your audience. However, determining which is more suitable for your business can be challenging.
Today, we aim to clarify these doubts and delve into the nuances of blogs versus podcasts, discussing:
What constitutes a blog?
What defines a podcast?
Key differences between blogs and podcasts
Which platform is superior for your business
Three essential tips for launching a business blog
Three crucial tips for initiating a business podcast
Continue reading to deepen your understanding of the blogging and podcasting landscapes, or explore how WebFX can support your content marketing endeavors by calling us at 888-601-5359 or contacting us online today.
A blog is akin to an online journal accessible to anyone. Regularly updated blogs provide written content on any topic or industry, niche, or general theme. While professional bloggers often share their thoughts, experiences, and hobbies, blogs are also an invaluable tool for businesses.
Business blogs are typically found on a company’s website, often within the top menu options. They primarily consist of written content but can also incorporate images and videos to complement the text.
Let’s explore the advantages and disadvantages of business blogging further.
PRO: Blogging aids in SEO
Blogging is an effective way to enhance your website’s search engine optimization (SEO) performance by utilizing on-page SEO tactics such as link building and keyword optimization to drive more traffic to your site.
By targeting popular and relevant keywords your audience might use in search queries, you can increase your chances of ranking higher on search engines and improve site visibility.
CON: Blogs require significant time and commitment
A great blog doesn’t materialize overnight—it takes considerable time and effort to establish a blog that attracts readers and encourages engagement.
Moreover, as a popular on-page SEO strategy, it may take time before your blog starts to yield results such as increased web traffic and higher search engine rankings.
PRO: Blogging establishes your business’s credibility and expertise
When executed correctly, your blog posts can provide immense value to your customers. How? By addressing common questions from your audience, you can showcase your industry knowledge and expertise, building brand authority.
Whether you’re offering in-depth explanations of your industry or brief overviews of your products or services, blogs can help you gain recognition as a reliable source of information for your customers.
CON: Blogging is a saturated and competitive market
As previously mentioned, blogging is a popular SEO strategy due to the various on-page SEO elements that can be used to boost your rankings. In fact, 76% of content marketers use blogging to generate leads (and that doesn’t include the thousands of personal blogs).
When entering the world of blogging, you’ll be competing with other businesses within and outside your industry for the attention of internet users. Consequently, it’s crucial to make your blog stand out to avoid getting lost in the sea of other business blogs.
You can monetize your blog through various revenue sources, such as selling ads, offering subscription content, and selling products or services.
Additionally, if your blog is popular within a specific niche or industry, companies may reach out to you about featuring their products or services in a sponsored post or other affiliate marketing opportunities.
Podcasts are online radio or TV shows released episodically. Available on various streaming and podcast platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube, podcasts can be audio or video recordings.
Podcasts are recorded by the podcast host speaking directly into a microphone, often in conversation with a cohost or guest. Once edited, the podcast is published online, with or without video, depending on the podcaster’s preference.
Before diving into podcasting, consider the pros and cons of starting and maintaining a business podcast.
PRO: Podcasts are flexible in format and accessibility
While podcasts are primarily released in audio form, businesses can also release them with video. Additionally, many podcasters will attach the episode transcript to assist hearing-impaired users. These formats make podcasts extremely accessible for users, catering to both vision and hearing impairments.
CON: Podcasts require recording equipment and editing expertise
Podcasting requires proper recording equipment and editing software, so if you’re not tech-savvy, this can pose a significant challenge.
Great sound quality for podcasts takes time, effort, and money to perfect. If you’re a small business with a tighter budget or aren’t familiar with podcasting software, you might reconsider the idea of starting a podcast.
PRO: Podcasting can help you build a stronger relationship with your audience
For many, listening to a podcast is like listening to a friend. Especially when hosts have a cohost or guest, podcasts are literally a conversation between two or more people, resonating with listeners.
With podcasts, you can inject more of your brand’s personality and speak directly to your audience, fostering a stronger relationship and making listeners feel more connected to your brand.
CON: Tracking your podcast’s performance can be tricky
Another con of podcasting is keeping track of your show’s performance analytics. Unfortunately, there’s no single way to track how many people are listening to your podcast. Podcasts are downloaded onto devices from host servers—once downloaded, it’s difficult to track if users listened to it.
On the bright side, you can approximate the size of your audience by looking at the number of downloads or subscriptions.
Podcasters can make money off their shows through affiliate marketing opportunities just like bloggers. Monetization opportunities for podcasts include sponsorship deals, selling paid and exclusive content, donations and crowdfunding, and YouTube ads. You can also promote your podcast through multiple channels, like your blog.
We’ve only just scratched the surface of business blogs and podcasts. Take a more comprehensive look at the differences between blogs and podcasts in the chart below:
Blog
Podcast
Format/Medium
Written
Audio (primarily), sometimes video
Audience Interaction
Reading
Listening, sometimes watching
Accessibility
Anywhere online
Streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iTunes, YouTube, etc.)
Equipment Needed
Hosting service (WordPress, Tumblr, Blogger, Wix, Squarespace, etc.)
Hosting platform, microphone, headphones, audio editing software or mixer, recording software
So, who is the ultimate winner in the blog versus podcast debate?
Unfortunately, we don’t have a definitive answer for that. When it comes to choosing between the success rates of blogs and podcasts, it all depends on the business. Some businesses benefit more from a blog than a podcast, and vice versa. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what works best for your business and audience.
Consider a few factors when trying to determine whether a blog or podcast is the right move for your business.
Your audience is the recipient of your blog or podcast. Which one will they respond to better? The answer to that question lies within your audience.
Is your target audience younger or older? While older generations do listen to podcasts, it’s much more common for younger generations to prefer listening to podcasts over reading online blogs.
If your ideal customer is an on-the-go individual, podcasting could be a great avenue to explore because they’re easy to engage with while doing things or traveling, whereas blogs are better for people who find themselves scrolling through content during their downtime.
Both blogging and podcasting are long-term commitments that require time and effort to maintain. The big difference that could make or break your decision is the cost.
For the most part, blogging is cost-effective, especially if you already have your website established and just need to add another page to it for your blog. Podcasts, on the other hand, require equipment and audio software that can range in price. If you’re operating on a strict or tight budget, you may lean toward blogging rather than podcasting.
If budgeting isn’t an issue for you and you’re still unsure of whether to choose blogs or podcasts, think about your team’s capabilities. Do you have tech-savvy people on your team who can navigate podcasting equipment and audio editing software? If so, podcasting could be the way to go. If not, check out blogging.
As previously discussed, blogs have a significant impact on your SEO, so if one of your business goals is to perform better on search engines, starting a business blog could be an incredibly smart move for you and your team.
While your business might also benefit from having a podcast, it’s worth considering which option is going to help you attract more ideal customers (and retain them).
If you believe your business is a great fit for a blog, check out three tips for starting a business blog to help you get started.
Before diving into the details of your new business blog, like setting up the page and designing it, it’s important to take some time to consider your goals for it. What are you hoping to accomplish with your blog?
Goal setting is crucial for any digital marketing effort, but it’s especially important when starting a business blog because it keeps your content focused and, most importantly, successful.
Having the goals for your blog in place can help you build the framework for what you want to talk about in your blog and serve as a great starting point when brainstorming content. Once you have foundational content in place, you can begin to expand and branch out with topics.
Successful blogs are updated consistently to keep readers coming back for more and avoid them getting bored waiting for new content. To keep up with consistent publishing, we highly recommend that you plan content well ahead of time.
Planning your content helps you get a firm grasp on what you’re publishing and takes pressure off your content team to produce something quickly. It leaves your team more time to edit and perfect your posts and avoids any last-minute scrambles to post something.
Many businesses use their blog to help their customers by answering common questions about their industry, products, and services. Others use it to keep their audience informed about industry trends and news about your company.
Whatever you decide to do with your business blog, ensure that you’re providing value for your audience and including some kind of incentive to keep returning to your page. Whether that’s keeping them informed about the industry or providing helpful information about your product or service, give readers a reason to read your blog.
Think your business and audience could greatly benefit from a podcast? Check out these three tips for starting a business podcast to help you get started on your podcasting journey.
Before you start the excitement of creating a podcast, take a second to think about your goals for the show and build your podcast around those ideas. What are you trying to accomplish with your podcast?
Identify and establish what you want to cover in your podcast and find your niche. Having your goals in place will positively set the tone for your podcast and make it more enjoyable for your audience, creating consistency and a sense of direction in your show.
Every podcast is unique—some host 10-20-minute episodes, while others can reach over an hour long. Choose an average episode length that works for your content and stick with it to create a sense of consistency in your podcast.
In addition to length, think about the style in which you want your podcast to go and your cadence. Is your show going to be very informal, or will it be a bit more rigid and structured?
