The Power of Podcasting for Your Personal Brand
Podcasting is the new business card. Add your point of view to industry conversation and show passion for your profession.
Picture this, two candidates, both alike on paper. Both share similar work experience, skills, achievements and qualifications, which they tout on their resumes and LinkedIn profiles. Which personal brand will differentiate themselves stronger in their bid to secure their dream job?
Take a similar scenario, but this time picture two service providers. Maybe they are two coaches, consultants, writers or designers. Both vying for the same client’s attention and budget. Which personal brand will win out this time?
What if the answer lay not just in their skills, work history and qualifications, but something more - the passion and expertise they project on their podcast. With the rise of podcasting taking over media and professional personal brands, your podcast is your new resume. Your new bio. Your new business card or personal brand website. It shows a relentless passion for your profession and the depth of your expertise, that is almost impossible for others to imitate.
The rapid rise of podcasting
Globally, the podcast audience is expanding quickly. In 2025, an estimated 504.9 million people worldwide are said to listen to podcasts, increasing from 464.7 million in 2023.
The podcast creator community continues to thrive too. As of early 2025, it’s estimated that there are 3.5-4.4 million podcasts worldwide. This represents a significant increase from the approximate 550,000 in 2018.
Podcasting has also become a significant revenue stream for some creators. In the United States, creator revenue from podcasts is projected to surpass $1 billion by next year, marking a 21.7% year-over-year growth.
So, why is podcasting so powerful for your professional personal brand?
1. Showcase the depth of your expertise
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant quotes Ravikant as saying:
“Code and media are permissionless leverage. They’re the leverage behind the newly rich. You can create software and media that works for you while you sleep… If you can’t code, write books and blogs, record videos and podcasts.”
Your podcast positions your professional personal brand as a problem solver:
“You are waiting for your moment when something emerges in the world, they need a skill set, and you’re uniquely qualified. You build your brand in the meantime on Twitter, on YouTube, and by giving away free work. You make a name for yourself, and you take some risks in the process. When it is time to move on the opportunity, you can do so with leverage—the maximum leverage possible.”
Whether you share weekly bite-size or long-form videos, your podcast communicates your personal brand’s unique expertise with a depth and breadth that your resume, bio or LinkedIn profile in its traditional conventions can’t quite achieve. A podcast for your personal brand showcases your professional value in a way that stands out in the marketplace.
2. Build deeper relationships
Your listener won’t always stumble upon your personal brand podcast right at the point of making a decision. Right when they need to hire new staff or engage a service provider. But rather, they might tune in and over time build a connection to your personal brand.
As long-form content, podcasts take longer to consume. Meaning, your listener deepens their relationship with you. For example, you likely feel closer to your favourite podcaster than you do the social media maverick whose posts you quickly skim over.
Eventually, your listener might need you for something more than your weekly podcast episode, or know someone who does.
When your audience becomes aware of the “problem”, you’re ready with the solution. This can be linked to the awareness ladder in marketing, which describes the decision-making process stages of consumers:
No problem (they don’t know there is a problem)
Problem-aware (become conscious of a problem)
Solutions exist (become aware of possible solutions to the problem)
Your solution (become aware of you as a solution provider)
Benefits of your solution (learn more about the quality of your solution)
Convinced (ready to buy what you’re selling)
3. Project your passion for your profession
You don’t have to be a podcaster to understand to some degree that it takes significant effort. It involves original idea generation, planning, research, scripting, recording, editing and publishing. This requires time, energy and, depending on your budget, some resources.
While you’re making podcasts, your counterparts might be out at after-work drinks and relaxing with Netflix after a long day's work. This isn’t wrong, but podcasting shows a passion for going the extra mile outside of your 9-5 to contribute to your industry. To add to the conversation and generously give away free work in the hopes of sharing value with others.
4. Show your work and increase the value of your ‘stock’
In his book, Show Your Work, Austin Kleon highlights the idea of Stock and Flow.
‘Stock and flow’ is the economic concept adopted by Robin Sloan as a media metaphor.
When it comes to your media…
‘Flow’ is the feed. It’s the posts and tweets. It’s the stream of daily and sub-daily updates that remind people you exist. Stock is the durable stuff.
‘Stock’ is what lasts months, even years into the future. It’s the long-form evergreen content. The key is to grow your stock in the background, while you maintain your flow.
Don’t just tell and sell your personal brand through your resume and profiles. Use podcasting to show and tell. Your listeners and the market may not always agree with your ideas, but your podcast is a place to show your clarity of thought and present your argument. If it were a high school maths test, it’s like getting points for showing your workings even if you didn’t quite nail the answer.
5. Supercharge your personal brand SEO
Let’s go back to our original comparison. Two candidates fight for the one dream job. Two service providers compete for one customer’s share of wallet. You could have the most qualified personal brand in the world, but it won’t matter if your ideal audience can’t find you. By podcasting, you increase your personal brand’s discoverability. You can update your LinkedIn profile and post a few achievements annually, or you can share your podcast content, aligned with keywords, week in and week out. Which do you think will likely perform better in search engine optimisation? The right ranking might just be what lands you the job.
Don’t watch on from the sidelines as the power of podcasting continues to take over the professional landscape and the future of careers. Join the conversation.
