Why Podcasting is Different from Other Mediums

In a world where everything is competing for our attention, podcasting has an unfair advantage over every other medium. In the book Zero to One, Peter Theil discusses this idea of the “Scale of Competition.” It’s how entrepreneurs are biased and they underestimate their competition. I would argue this is true of marketers and content developers as well. Newsletters, videos, blogs, and social media are all competing for people’s visual attention. But those aren’t the only things vying for our attention - want to know what else? Driving, making dinner and playing with your children in the backyard. All of it demands attention from our eyes.  Podcasting is different because it demands attention from our ears. It’s the one medium we can do while doing something else. In that way, it’s unique. The only real competitors are audiobooks, radio, and other podcasts. To me, that’s a huge unfair advantage for reaching and staying with your audience.