Podcasts: From content trend to growth engine for brands

Source: © 123rf 123rf Sam Swaine, founder of Audibly, says podcasts have moved beyond a content trend to become a necessary growth engine for brands

While this is in line with the international trend - podcast ad revenue topped $4bn in 2024, with projections aiming well beyond $5.5bn by 2027, according to the IAB – despite these numbers, many South African brands still treat podcasting like a nice-to-have - a content side hustle. It isn’t.

A podcast isn’t just a container for conversation. It’s a strategic asset. A growth engine. A trust builder.

In the right hands, a podcast becomes something very few other formats can achieve: influence through intimacy.

Why podcasts work - and why now

Podcasts convert where traditional channels can’t - because they don’t interrupt, they invite.

There’s something quietly radical about a medium that asks a listener to lean in, not scroll past.

That kind of attention creates deep opportunity: for connection, education, brand loyalty, and story-led influence.

A well-crafted series builds community while a founder-led voice builds trust, and then a high-performing season becomes a long-tail PR, SEO, and storytelling asset.

This is not just for lifestyle brands or media-savvy influencers.

The podcast format is agile enough for startups, legacy institutions, social impact orgs, and scale-ups with a story to tell and a need to be remembered.

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Strategy first. Then sound

But there’s a catch: the success of a podcast has very little to do with a fancy mic or snappy artwork.

If the story isn’t clear, the voice isn’t anchored, and the series lacks purpose, it will fade into the noise.

The most powerful podcasts are rooted in clarity: clear tone, structure, narrative arc, guest strategy, and brand integration.

That’s what turns an audio project into an audience platform.

It’s also why the DIY days are thinning.

Smart founders and brand leads are partnering with strategy-first studios - not just to produce podcasts, but to shape them with intention and long-game relevance.

From episodes to ecosystems

The ripple effect of a podcast doesn’t stop at the episode.

A single season can fuel your brand’s media exposure, SEO growth, content marketing pipeline, internal comms, and social thought-leadership.
One guest interview can spark a PR pitch, a repurposed article, or a keynote.

It’s not about volume, it’s about strategic reuse. Podcasting done right becomes a content ecosystem.

Platforms like Spotify report a 273% rise in listenership of woman-hosted podcasts in South Africa since 2019. The data points to something deeper: listeners want voice, a real voice that is a human-first, value-rich voice.

Meaningful media that connects

We don’t need more content; we need meaningful media that connects.

Podcasts, when crafted with clarity and purpose, offer a rare combination: attention, intimacy, and authority.

Whether you're a founder who wants to connect directly with your audience, a CMO looking for smarter media ROI, or a strategist rethinking client storytelling, this is the format to take seriously. Not because it’s trendy. Because it works.