The podcasting opportunity has indeed changed, but in this episode, you will hear why we believe Podcasting is still one of the best organic mediums for marketers and entrepreneurs (no matter what type of business you have).  Smart Marketer CEO (and veteran Podcaster) Molly Pittman talks with Darren Clarke (Executive Producer for HubSpot Original Podcasts) and Jessie Clarke (the producer of this show) about how far Podcasting has come and where it is going.  You'll hear about the impact of Podcasting on Molly's career (and how the medium continues to feed and grow their businesses), as well as the impact of AI, YouTube, and the value of Niche Podcasts. You Will Learn: The biggest reason to do a Podcast in 2024 How to fuel and improve your content distribution system How much should a Podcast be scripted? An episode planning tip that will remove 80% of the potential problems "Talking into the mic is probably 20 percent of what actually goes into making a really amazing show". Molly Pittman LINKS The Business Podcast Blueprint, https://smartmarketer.com/podcast-blueprint/ Connect With Darren and Jessie Clarke, https://www.clarkelane.com/ Molly Pittman, https://mollypittman.com/ More Episodes and Resources, https://smartmarketer.com/blog/?cat=podcasts Smart Marketer Courses, https://smartmarketer.com/courses/   YOUR ENGAGEMENT MATTERS  Thank you to our listeners for the 5-Star Reviews and meaningful messages! This podcast has surpassed our expectations, and we thank you for that! If you're enjoying the show, please be sure to follow us (and leave us a review) on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-smart-marketer-podcast/id1522629407) Also, please Follow and Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts! Please also share these episodes on social media and tag us on your next post #WeOutHere Instagram: @SmartMarketerIG, @mollypittmandigital, @johngrimmshawdigital, @pep_hufen. TIME STAMPS 00:00 "Once you have that subscriber and that person becomes a loyal listener - they will just keep coming back and coming back and coming back, and it's amazing - the idea that you can spend hours and hours with that person. And that's what happens if you have the right kind of podcast for the right kind of audience". Darren Clarke 04:01 Darren shares some back story (Perpetual Traffic) 06:58 Molly Introduces the Business Podcast Blueprint   11:38 Podcasting Is Perfect Source Material 16:08 Objectives, Goals, Strategies & Measures (Our new Business Planning Process)  18:04 "If you're considering starting a podcast, it's way more than just the benefits of the podcast. It can also feed your business's entire content or editorial system." Molly Pittman 20:14 Video First Podcasts 25:52 Don't underestimate the role of Chemistry 29:30 The Value of Niche Podcasts 30:17 "Thousands of people listen to our show every month. We don't have events that have thousands of people. I mean, that is substantial. So if you want to do this, do this now because the podcasting space is only getting more saturated every year". Molly Pittman