The Rise of Podcasting as a Marketing Powerhouse — and the Insight Gained From Behind the Mic

Over the past decade, podcasting has evolved into one of the most influential channels for modern marketing, becoming a trusted medium for brands, thought leaders, and organizations to connect with audiences on a deeper level, and a growing opportunity for advertisers. The medium has experienced explosive growth. In 2025, an estimated 158 million Americans listened to podcasts monthly—a 23 million increase year-over-year. And according to Statista, 73% of all U.S. consumers have watched or listened to a podcast. 

There are an estimated 3.55 million podcast shows, and each year, there are new entrants into the market, with the greatest growth during COVID. In 2024, according to Listen Notes there were 193,000 new podcasts published.  

The power of this platform lies not only in its in its reach but in its authenticity and engagement. Podcast users display a high level of engagement compared to other forms of content, which is critical for creating an online community and a strong brand.

With stats that compelling, the allure of starting a podcast is easy to understand. However, it is commonly known that the vast majority of all podcasts die within one year, because creators get burned out, discouraged from lack of audience growth, or quit because they underestimated the time and effort required for a successful show. 

As a marketing services firm, Kasari Consulting helps companies develop compelling strategies to break through the noise and drive business objectives. This requires understanding trends and opportunities in an ever-changing landscape. We do this, not from the ivory tower of theory, but from diving into the trenches to learn first-hand at the ground level. Here’s what we learned from nearly two years of creating and publishing our own podcast. 

Creating Feed Your Fire

Launching the Feed Your Fire Podcast provided us with a front-row seat to the podcasting revolution. We’ve seen how authentic storytelling and insights can spark audience loyalty and drive organic growth. Though the Feed Your Fire Podcast is still in its relative infancy having launched at the start of 2024, we are on track to nearly double our downloads in our second year without any advertising—simply from creating valuable, relatable content that drives customer loyalty and word of mouth referrals. We have reached listeners in 7 countries and across 13 U.S. states. 

Creating a podcast opens a pathway to connection with your customers, but it a significant commitment and is a masterclass in communications and strategy

• Crafting episodes teaches you how to distill complex ideas into engaging narratives
• Vulnerable and honest dialogue builds trust; this is not a medium for promotion – save that for the ads
• Generating frequent interesting, original, and authentic content on a consistent schedule is an enormous task and should not be underestimated

Then of course, there’s the production and distribution process

• This requires access to recording equipment and editing software, which is time consuming to do independently even with all the AI software on the market today and can be expensive to outsource
• Most successful podcasts offer both audio and video content, increasing production demands

Building an audience requires patience

• You have to love your topic; this is a marathon, not a sprint, so plan for the long-term and keep learning throughout the process
• Building an audience from scratch is hard; podcasts work best if you already have a brand or platform that people are familiar with
• Guest appearances tend to be the most efficient way to grow listenership by tapping into both your network as well as theirs 

Podcasting is a rich medium that offers a meaningful platform to educate, entertain, and engage. As it continues to grow and expands its demographic reach, it is becoming an increasingly essential component of the modern digital ecosystem.

For more information about enhancing your marketing strategy, contact us.