242. Why Podcasting Beats Social Media for Business Owners Over 50

Have you been told that growing your business means chasing algorithms, posting every single day, and dancing on camera? In this episode, I'm breaking down 3 ways podcasting works differently than social media... and why those differences matter so much for business owners over 50. Plus, I'll share my absolute favorite growth strategy, the one that's grown my show every month while I've barely touched social media in 2 years. 

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This episode was produced by me, The Podcast Teacher! Contact me at Hello@ThePodcastTeacher.com.

Transcript

"If you want clients, you have to be on social media."

You've probably heard that a million times. From the so called marketing "gurus", from well-meaning friends, maybe even from your own kids.

But I'm here to tell you... that it's actually a myth.

Today, I'm breaking down 3 ways podcasting works differently than social media, and why I think it's a MUCH better fit for business owners over 50. And stick around, because difference #3 is my favorite... it's the reason I've barely touched social media in 2 years and my show STILL grows every single month.

In case we're meeting for the first time, Hi, I'm Julia Levine, aka The Podcast Teacher. // You're listening to Podcasting Over 50... the show that helps business owners in their 50s, 60s, and beyond to start and grow a podcast.

Before we dive in, I want to take a quick moment to celebrate the fact that this show just surpassed 75,000 downloads. That's because of YOU, and I'm so grateful. Whether you've been with me for 200 episodes or you found this show 5 minutes ago, I'm so, so glad you're here. //

Before we dive into the 3 differences, we need to talk about why any of this matters in the first place.

You are REALLY good at what you do. You've spent decades building your expertise, and your clients get real results.

But... expertise alone doesn't bring in clients. People have to be able to FIND you first.

Think of a little restaurant that makes the best croissants in town. If that restaurant is tucked away on a side street with no sign out front and no word of mouth... nobody's eating those croissants. And it doesn't matter how amazing they are, that business is not going to last very long. They need some way of letting people know they exist.

Your business works the same way. You need a way for new people to discover you.

And for years, the gurus have insisted that social media is THE way to make that happen. So you dutifully post. You comment. You try to keep up with trends that change every 20 minutes. You hop on the social media hamster wheel and you run, and run, and run...

Sound familiar? It's exhausting. I know, because I've been there, too.

So let's talk about how podcasting is different.

DIFFERENCE #1 IS THE SHELF LIFE.

The typical social media post has a lifespan of about 24 to 48 hours. After that, it's buried in the feed, never to be seen again. All that work... for 2 days of visibility. Yikes!

A podcast episode, on the other hand, keeps working for you for YEARS.

I still get downloads every single week from episodes I published 2 years ago. And that's because when somebody discovers your show today, they don't just listen to the newest episode... they scroll back through your catalog and binge.

So every episode you publish becomes part of a library that keeps growing in value. Pretty amazing, right?

Alright, DIFFERENCE #2 IS THE ALGORITHM. OR ACTUALLY... THE LACK OF ONE.

On social media, an algorithm decides who sees your posts. And here's the kicker: most of your own followers, the people who CHOSE to follow you, never even see what you post. That just stinks!

Podcast apps don't work that way. When someone follows your show, every new episode lands right in their feed. There's no algorithm in the middle deciding whether your followers "deserve" to see your content this week.

Your listener presses follow, and from that moment on, you have a direct line to them. Easy peasy.

Now, before I reveal difference #3, my favorite one... if you're listening to this and starting to think, "Hmm, maybe a podcast really IS the right move for my business," I made something for you.

It's my free Podcast Roadmap, and it walks you through 5 simple steps to go from idea to launched show. So if you're even a little bit curious, grab it at ThePodcastTeacher.com/roadmap, so that you can see the entire path laid out for you, step by step.

Again, that's ThePodcastTeacher.com/roadmap.

Ok, that brings us to...

DIFFERENCE #3: WITH A PODCAST, LISTENERS COME TO YOU.

About 50% of podcast listeners discover new shows by searching right inside their podcast app.

Think about that. Right now, someone is opening Apple Podcasts or Spotify and typing in "retirement planning" or "marketing" or "weight loss" or whatever it is that YOU talk about. And the shows that are optimized for those searches are the ones that get found.

This is called podcast SEO. SEO stands for search engine optimization, and it simply means setting up your show so that it appears when listeners search for your topics.

Podcast SEO is my absolute favorite growth strategy, because once you dial it in, it's largely a set-it-and-forget-it system. We work smarter, not harder around here.

I attribute most of my own podcast's growth to SEO. My show routinely ranks on the Apple Podcasts charts and I get new followers every week... but I've barely used social media to promote it in 2 years. New listeners find me while I'm lounging in the pool, making dinner, or when I'm fast asleep. No social media hamster wheel required.

Now, if you LIKE posting on social media, I'm not telling you to stop. It can absolutely help with your business visibility and if you like it, go ahead and keep doing it.

But, MOST people I talk to are tired of the social media hamster wheel and are looking for another option. Podcasting is that other option, and I honestly think that it's the better option, especially for business owners over 50.

The internet is overflowing with AI-generated content these days. And when everything starts sounding the same, do you know what people crave? A real human with real experience and a real point of view.

You have decades of stories, client conversations, lessons learned, and hard-won wisdom that no AI can replicate. And podcasting puts your actual voice at the center of your marketing. As I always say... listeners come for the information, and they stay for the host. They'll stay for YOU.

So if you've been running on that social media hamster wheel, wondering why growing your business feels so hard... you're allowed to step off.

A podcast episode keeps working for years, while a social media post disappears in about 48 hours. Podcast apps deliver every episode straight to your followers, with no algorithm in the way. And thanks to podcast SEO, new listeners search for your topics and find YOU.

If you've got a little "mayyyyybe I could do this" feeling, follow it! Grab the free Podcast Roadmap at ThePodcastTeacher.com/roadmap and take the very first step. I'd love to help you get started.

Until next time, happy podcasting!