Small business owners have many opportunities to use digital marketing to their advantage through several formats. Some choose visual content; others choose audio platforms to spread their message and attract customers.
If you’re interested in breaking into these mediums, you have a difficult decision to make: Whether you’ll start to create podcasts or a YouTube channel for online promotions.
These platforms have been popular for creative individuals since their inception, but both YouTube and Podcast are growing in popularity for businesses to use. Whether you want to create video content or start share stories that users enjoy on their commute, there’s no better time to get started with YouTube or podcasts. It doesn’t matter if you’re completely new to episode formatting and video creation; we can help you start a podcast or create great video content today. However, we believe it’s better to pick one medium and master it.
Below, we’ll explore the YouTube vs Podcast dilemma. We’ll break down the pros and cons of both platforms and how they can help you promote your business.
Key Differences: Podcast Vs YouTube
Here are the key differences between YouTube and Podcasts:
- Format: YouTube is a video platform that allows for visual and auditory content. Podcasts are primarily audio-only, although there are video podcast options on some platforms.
- Accessibility: YouTube requires internet access to stream content (unless the video is downloaded for offline use, a feature available with YouTube Premium). Podcasts can be downloaded for offline listening, which allows users to consume content without internet access.
- Engagement: YouTube allows users to like, comment, share, and subscribe to channels directly on the platform, which encourages viewer interaction. Podcasts generally have less direct interaction, although listeners can rate and review on platforms like Apple Podcasts.
- Content Consumption: YouTube content typically requires the user’s full visual attention, whereas podcasts can be consumed passively while performing other tasks, like driving, exercising, or doing housework.
- SEO: YouTube has strong search engine optimization benefits because it’s owned by Google and is the second largest search engine in the world. Podcasts also have SEO benefits, but they’re generally not as strong as YouTube’s.
- Monetization: YouTube provides various direct ways to monetize like ad revenue, channel memberships, and YouTube Premium revenue. Podcasts often rely on sponsorships, listener donations, and ad revenue for monetization.
- Discovery: YouTube’s recommended videos and algorithmic suggestions can make content discovery more straightforward. Podcast discovery is often based on word of mouth, social media promotion, and recommendations from podcast apps.
- Production Requirements: YouTube videos require camera equipment, lighting, and potentially more complex editing for a high-quality result. Podcasts mainly require good audio equipment and software, which can be less costly and less technically demanding to use.
Reasons to use YouTube instead of a Podcast
There are several reasons why you might want to use YouTube instead of podcasts:
- Visual Content: YouTube offers a platform for visual content, which allows creators to use images, videos, infographics, slides, or live demonstrations to enhance their messages. This is particularly useful for tutorials, product reviews, demonstrations, and vlogs.
- Monetization: YouTube provides more direct ways to monetize content, including ad revenue, channel memberships, super chat, merchandise shelf, and YouTube Premium revenue. While podcasting also has monetization options, such as sponsorships, ads, and Patreon, they may not be as readily accessible or scalable for some creators.
- SEO Benefits: YouTube is owned by Google and is the second largest search engine in the world. Properly optimized YouTube videos can appear in Google search results, increasing the potential for your content to be discovered.
- Community Engagement: YouTube offers more community engagement tools like comments, likes, shares, and community tabs. These can help create an interactive community around your content.
- YouTube’s Reach: YouTube has over 2 billion logged-in monthly users, making it one of the most visited websites globally. This large user base increases the potential reach of your content.
- Live Streaming: YouTube provides a robust platform for live streaming events, interviews, Q&A sessions, and more. Podcasts typically do not offer this real-time interactive option.
- Analytic Tools: YouTube offers comprehensive analytics, which help you understand your audience better. This can help you refine your content strategy to improve viewer engagement and retention.
Reasons to use Podcast instead of Youtube
There are also numerous reasons why you might choose to use a podcast instead of YouTube:
- Accessibility and Convenience: Podcasts can be consumed anywhere and anytime, even when doing other activities like driving, walking, cleaning, or working out. Unlike videos, they don’t require a viewer’s full attention or screen time.
- Less Production Effort: Podcasts generally require less effort in terms of production compared to videos. You won’t need to worry about visual aesthetics, lighting, camera angles, etc. This makes the content creation process less complex and time-consuming.
- Intimate Connection: The audio format can create a more personal and intimate connection with listeners. The listener can hear the host’s voice directly in their ear, which can help create a sense of closeness and build a strong rapport over time.
- Less Competitive: While the podcast market is growing, it is still less saturated than YouTube. This might offer you a better chance to stand out and build an audience in your niche.
- Long-Form Content: Podcasts are well-suited to longer, in-depth conversations and discussions. This can be ideal for certain topics and formats that don’t lend themselves to shorter, more visual content.
- Less Distractions: Without visuals, listeners are more likely to focus on the content and message being conveyed, which can lead to better understanding and retention of the information.
- Monetization Opportunities: Although YouTube has various monetization methods, podcasts also offer opportunities such as sponsorships, crowd-funded donations, merchandise sales, and subscriptions.
- Ease of Syndication: Podcasts can be easily distributed across multiple platforms (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, etc.) simultaneously, increasing the potential reach.
A Brief Overview of YouTube Vs Podcasts
These two platforms offer many unique benefits. Neither one has yet been said to rank indefinitely above the other.
At the end of the day, the decision is yours. These two broadcasting platforms will bring you results, but how successful your account is will depend on these factors:
- The type of business you own
- How much time you have
- How good the production is (Camera, sound, editing, performance, etc.)
You need to choose one that you think will best help your business: which platform is the right one for you, and how can you get the right people to see what you’re offering?
Here are a few more questions you should focus on when choosing between these platforms:
- Which platform will be more profitable for your business?
- Which platform is best suited for your skills?
- Will YouTube videos or podcast episodes help you grow your audience?
What Does Podcasting Offer?
Podcasting is a great way to share your expertise through storytelling and interview-based conversations. You may find that auditory storytelling is the most efficient way to start recording your business growth and marketing your business. You don’t need a camera and video editor; you just need strong presentation skills, interesting guests, and a quality microphone and recording software.
Keep in mind that podcast listeners can bring your show on the go as they travel to work, so you have more freedom to host a longer show that users don’t have to worry about watching on a screen.
Before you start podcasting, you need to consider what your business is offering and how you can get your target audience to like your new episodes. People crave content they can relate to, so use your time wisely when brainstorming what your show will be like and how you can make it unique.
When you start a podcast, you need to remember that podcasting reaches people who love stories. If you talk about relevant topics, you will attract people that want to listen to similar stories.
Several podcasting hosting platforms can help you to get started. The top two include Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts because they offer great business Podcasting tools and are accessible for beginners.
Whether you choose Google Podcasts, Apple, or an affiliate channel to create your podcast episodes, focus on making them sound professional. People listen to high-quality podcasts, not muffled voices with abrupt cuts and no structure. Show your audience what makes your business great, and you may attract a substantial audience with your podcast.
What Does YouTube Offer?
A YouTube channel can be an effective platform for any online business looking to show off their features. If you really want to show customers what you can do, make good YouTube videos with engaging visuals and powerful music they’ll associate with your brand.
Many businesses prefer YouTube videos because they’re more effective at generating interest than written content. People prefer to see a creative representation of what you offer rather than concentrating on a text block that explains the same information.
YouTube has more than 2 million worldwide users and way more videos. It’s the top video sharing platform, kept active all the time by users worldwide, and it’s popular that any video can go viral and lead people to your website. This makes it a competitive online market. Millions of new YouTube videos are uploaded every day, many of which promote individuals or businesses.
To stay ahead of the game, it’s up to you to create a good YouTube channel packed with high-quality videos that show viewers what makes your business special. You’ll need to focus on how you want customers to see your brand and prepare to direct them to a new browser so they can click through to your website.
If you choose to get started with a YouTube channel, think about your target audience:
- What content do they already like?
- What will make them return to your channel?
- What are competitors doing, and what can you bring to the table?
Be prepared to commit to production equipment necessary to record high-quality audio and video (Camera gear, microphones, lighting, editing software, etc.).
Skills Required
Whether you’re working on a YouTube channel or a podcast audio project, you’ll want to apply several skills for quality production. You need to use an interesting subject matter, but you’ll also need to do the following: to engage your audience effectively
Podcasting:
- Attract guests that your audience will like and really relate to
- Ask guests questions that listeners will like to hear
- Create regular audio content — listeners like consistency
- Edit audio software correctly — this is something listeners want
- Know how to market Podcasting episodes and which platforms are best for distribution
- Get a rights reserved label
YouTube Creations:
- Create a professional YouTube channel and show viewers what you’re made of
- Get hosts that are charismatic and engaging
- Edit YouTube video content properly -people like to see professional editing on camera
- Make sure you know how to market YouTube videos and become good at ranking on YouTube search results
- Network with guests and negotiate business rates for their appearance
The Benefits of Podcasting
Podcast Production is Easier Than YouTube
Podcast content is simple to produce. Recording may take time, but that said, you don’t need much equipment to get started. Even just one podcast episode creates an authoritative presence for your business. You’ll start to build relationships with people who like your podcasts.
If you run consistent podcasts, sharing episodes simultaneously each week or month, customers will begin to recognize your brand.
Podcasts Feel Personal to Listeners
A podcast is a personal way to reach people and get them to like what you’re offering. A website and blog posts don’t build the same level of trust. However, your website, blog posts, and even social media content should work to support your podcasting rather than replace it.
Podcasting will really help your online business grow because listeners will get attached to your hosts, and therefore your brand. The more new content you record, the greater the number of people will type your podcast into search engines. If listeners enjoy what you’re saying during an episode, they will want to return.
Podcasts are Still Popular
Podcasts really aren’t a trend that’s going away anytime soon. You can generate money by tracking audience engagement. Use marketing data and earnings to calculate the amount of listens per episode. You can also make money through affiliate links and affiliate commissions.
The Benefits of YouTube
Podcast Production is Easier Than YouTube
People are far more likely to click on YouTube videos than text-based links. Video content tells a story. It packs a lot of information into one small space to create the best online video show. Because YouTube is visually based, it’s easy to encourage users to click on a link in your description and check out your website. They’ll already be looking at your video of the podcast, and then they’ll start looking at all your offerings.
YouTube Attracts Hungry Content Searchers
Businesses join YouTube’s highly trafficked platform because they know users are searching for content they’ll love and don’t have to commit to. YouTube attracts users looking for short content that fulfills their free time, whereas podcast platforms attract people looking for a series to spend hours enjoying.
You can take advantage of YouTube’s algorithm to make your videos more searchable, and then encourage users to click through to your website.
You’ll Boost Google Search Results
YouTube video marketing boosts Google search rankings. YouTube channels use cookies to save content and record browsing activity per day. Videos often appear in Google search terms, making them easy to find.
YouTube data processes can be used to work out how much you can earn per view and per video. As with podcasting, you can also make money through affiliate links embedded into your videos. These links allow you to earn affiliate commissions.
YouTube also allows you to associate your domain name with your videos and to share social media accounts and links. The more content you post, the better your chance of your videos appearing on search engines.
The Drawbacks of Podcasting
Podcast consumption is lower than that for videos. It takes a lot of time to create even one podcast, which can be a challenge. That said, if you have a plan from the start, your podcast can still be a success.
Unless people have already seen your website, it isn’t easy to create engagement. Podcasts don’t appear in search results, so you can’t use SEO tools to your advantage. This is something that could hold you back.
When running a podcast, legal issues can also be problematic. You need to know what copyright laws are attached to any external content you include in your podcast.
The Drawbacks of YouTube
Your viewers will expect regular video posts as this is something YouTube marketing requires. You need to ensure you take the time to commit to this. Otherwise, your audience may lose interest.
It can take a lot of time to create a video. That being said, if you have the right equipment, you shouldn’t find it too irksome.
Having YouTube video equipment is more important than that needed for a podcast. You rely on good video and sound quality, so you need to invest in a quality camera and audio equipment.
Which Platform is Better?
Overall, there isn’t one platform that’s better than the other. You should take time to learn the pros and cons of these two options so you can choose one that’s best for your business needs.
Podcasts
Pros
- You don’t need a lot of equipment or knowledge to get started
- It’s ideal for business owners that don’t feel comfortable in front of a camera
- Podcasts can be uploaded to YouTube
- People can listen wherever they are, accessing your podcast episodes via phone or computer
Cons
- Listeners can get distracted and lose interest
- Podcasts require excellent storytelling to stay ahead of the competition
- It isn’t easy to rank podcasts on search engines
YouTube
Pros
- Online video is a popular format for sharing ideas
- Videos build trust through visuals
- Live streaming to engage with your audience
- Video make dull topics engaging
- YouTube is its own search engine
Cons
- Videos require the right equipment to create a good show
- It’s time-consuming to create a video that’s professional and ready for an audience
The Verdict – YouTube vs Podcast
Both platforms allow you to show and tell users why your business stands out. They can each help your business to grow and may become a money earner through adverts and affiliate commissions.
The main difference between YouTube and Podcast is the camera and sound divide. Both may work well and create great results, but it’s completely up to you which type you want to work with.
You need to compare one vs the other and decide which platform may be best for your business!
