Summary: “Will Podcasting Hit It Big? (And What Is It?)” – This was the news headline back in 2005, at the peak of “podcasting”.<br> Since, awareness for this “new” medium has been on the rise. In 2013 Apple announced that the iTunes Store had exceeded market expectations topping <a style="color: #3366ff;" href="https://www.apple.com/pr/library/2013/02/28iTunes-U-Content-Tops-One-Billion-Downloads.html" target="_blank">one billion podcast subscriptions</a>.<br> OK, so 1 billion is definitely a convincing number, but what about perception? Do people still ask that obnoxious question that causes high blood pressure symptoms amongst podcast freaks?<br> Obviously, I’m referring to the question — “What is a podcast?”<br> I guess the only people who know exactly what podcasting is, are those who produce podcast shows and the ones who consume them.<br> Hm, maybe I wrong…<br> Let’s have a look into the numbers first.<br> The most recent data from <a style="color: #3366ff;" href="http://www.edisonresearch.com/" target="_blank">Edison Research</a> on the Podcast Consumer reveals some interesting insights. In 2015, 49% of the US population is “aware” of the term “podcasting”, but this percentage has been unchanged for the past six years. Only 33% say they have “ever” listened to a podcast, while 17% say they have listened to a podcast in the past month. No major changes over the last couple of years here either.<br> Check out this Slideshare presentation on The Podcast Consumer 2015.<br><br> <br> Why Does This Matter?<br> OK, so now you’ve gone through the slide deck with all these amazing charts and graphs, and you’re wondering, “How is this relevant to me? What are the benefits of podcasting after all?”<br> Let me point out three main benefits of podcasting — from a producer point of view.<br> 1. Podcast consumers are Affluent. Three in ten podcast consumers have a household income of $75,000 and more.<br> 2. Podcast consumers are Highly Educated. Great audience to be exposed to.<br> 3. Podcast consumers are Loyal Listeners. They exhibit strong social and brand-following behavior.<br> By now, some of you might be thinking:<br> WOW, nice audience to reach out and market to… Podcasting seems to be a great vehicle to boost brand awareness and attract customers who actually have a high ability to buy.<br> That’s true.<br> <a style="color: #3366ff;" href="http://www.strengthinbusiness.com/reasons-why-podcasting-is-important/" target="_blank">Podcasting is a fantastic marketing weapon</a>. If used properly it can help you not only build your brand and a community of loyal fans and followers, but also position yourself as an expert authority while maximizing your influence in the industry.<br> So, for all of you who after reading the above are eager to start their own podcast, I’ve put together a short list of podcasting tools that will help you make the most out of your Podcast strategy while reducing stress and maximizing your outcomes.<br> Obviously, there are a ton of awesome podcasting tools out there and if you like to test several things out for yourself, go for it. However, if you decide to shortcut the learning curve and actually avoid some <a style="color: #3366ff;" href="http://www.strengthinbusiness.com/how-to-generate-revenue-from-podcasting/" target="_blank">common podcasting mistakes</a> (yeah, I’m guilty of doing some of these mistakes too…) — these tips will come in handy.<br> Essential Podcasting Tools<br> 1. Spice Up Your Audio Podcast With Professional Quality Sound: <a style="color: #3366ff;" href="http://www.bluemic.com/desktop/" target="_blank">Blue Yeti USB Microphone</a><br> When I first started podcasting, I used the built-in microphone on my Mac. And the quality of my audios was… well,
