It’s an exciting time to create content online. Social media, cohorts, ebooks, online courses, live streams, and more are channels with which brands and individuals have produced incredible income.
But when deciding which medium to start with, much of the discussion revolves around two channels: blogs and podcasts.
So today, I’m ending the debate. I’ll compare both channels in-depth, weigh the pros and cons of each, and deliver a verdict.
First, What’s a Blog Exactly?
In its purest form, a blog is a website that contains a series of articles, typically organized chronologically, on a single topic/set up topics.
But blogs can take many different forms.
For example, a corporate blog might feature curated articles from company leaders, while a personal blog might be more like an online diary of someone’s adventures.
Some blogs mix both, featuring a little bit of everything.
But in essence, a blog is an equitable platform that anyone can start and use to build an audience around a specific topic without spending any money.
It’s a digital soapbox that can be used to build a personal brand, drive traffic to a business, or simply share your thoughts with the world.
And What’s a Podcast?
Podcasts, on the other hand, are episodes of audio content distributed online. They’re usually around 30 minutes long and can be consumed while commuting, working out, or doing other activities.
Podcasts are typically episodic, meaning each episode covers a different topic with regular releases (most often every week),
Like blogs, anyone can start a podcast without spending any money. You only need a microphone, a digital recorder, and a hosting platform like Anchor.
Thinking About Your Needs and Wants
Ultimately, the choice between blogging and podcasting will come down to your personal needs and wants.
For instance, passionate writers prefer blogs, while skilled speakers prefer podcasts.
Of course, it gets more in-depth than that, so we’ll discuss the nitty-gritty next.
Why You Might Enjoy Blogging More
Here’s why blogging might resonate with you most:
1. You Love Writing
You might enjoy blogging more if you’re a gifted or experienced writer.
That’s not to say you can’t produce high-quality audio content, but if you have a knack for stringing words together, you might enjoy the written format more.
2. You Want More Control Over the Final Product
Blogging also gives you more control over the final product. For example, you can edit and format your words however you like before hitting “publish.”
Sure, you can edit your podcasts, but you can’t change your tone or rearrange your words.
3. You Want to Appear in Search Results
Blogging is the better option if you want your content to be found in search engines like Google.
That’s because Google can’t process audio content as efficiently and comprehensively as text. Sure, you can transcribe your podcast episodes, but it’s still not as competitive in search results as blog content.
4. You Want to Build a Writing Portfolio
Before I had my first freelance client, I had a blog. It showcased my writing abilities, content marketing skills, and technical ability to create a strong appeal for prospects.
And as a result, I got my first writing client, and the rest is history. So If you want to build your writing portfolio, I can’t recommend blogging highly enough.
5. You Want to Create Affiliate Revenue
If you want to monetize your content with affiliate revenue, blogging is the far superior choice.
While it’s not impossible to “affiliatize” your podcast,” it’s way easier (and more effective) to include affiliate links in your blog posts than in your audio content.
When your affiliate link is in your podcast description (and you have to issue a disclaimer), people will likely roll their eyes and ignore it.
But when you feature them in blogs, they appear as any other link (you still need to put a disclaimer on the page, but it doesn’t make much difference).
6. You Want to Produce Articles for Famous Publications
If you eventually want headlines with other notable publications as a thought leader, blogging will get you there far faster than podcasting.
That’s because most publishers prefer to work with bloggers over podcasters. Writing is clear, indisputable, flexible, researched, and easy to repurpose.
For example, Adam Enfroy (prominent blogger) secured headlines with Forbes and Business Insider within a year of starting his blog.
Think he could have done that with a podcast? No way.
7. You Want to Be a Recognized Authority in Your Field
Blogging also allows you to be the go-to expert in your field. You can write about your niche subject as much as you want and become known as the “authority” on that topic.
It’s much harder to become recognized as an expert through podcasting. Yes, you could be interviewed as an expert on other shows, but it’s harder to achieve organic growth and become a thought leader through audio content.
Blogging will get you there faster—it’s that simple.
8. You Want a More Academic Image
Blogging is the way to go if you want to be perceived as more academic/professional.
Sorry, podcasters, but it’s true. In general, people take the written word more seriously than they do audio content. That’s not to say you can’t be professional with a podcast, but a blog gives you a slight edge.
9. You Want to Make Money
Blogging has an infinitely faster monetization vertical than podcasting. Sure, you can make money with podcasting, but blogging is:
- Create a functional website with WordPress
- Publish content (as fast as you want)
- Build links
Podcasting, on the other hand, is inherently limited in the speed of its scale.
You can’t publish more often than every few days. And unless you’re some insane overnight success (unlikely), you’re looking at years before producing any meaningful income.
Blogging, however, can land you a fantastic full-time income in months—I would know.
Why Podcasting Might Be More Your Speed
Here’s why many people pick podcasting over blogging:
1. You Want to Build a Personal Brand Around Your Voice
Podcasting gives you much more room to showcase your voice, personality, and unique perspective than blogging. This makes it ideal for charismatic types who can reliably charm people with their silver tongues.
And if you’re naturally charismatic, audio content might come more naturally to you than writing anyway.
2. You Want to Monetize Your Content With Sponsorships
If you want to monetize your content with sponsorships, podcasting is lightyears ahead of blogging. In fact, it’s the preferred medium for many advertisers.
Why? Because people generally have longer attention spans when listening to audio content than when reading text. They’re also more likely to remember the product or service being advertised.
3. You Want to Be a Thought Leader in Your Industry
If you want to be a thought leader in your industry, podcasting gives you a distinct advantage. That’s because podcasts have much higher production values than blogs.
They also typically feature interviews with other experts, boosting your clout. Speaking of which…
4. You Want to Secure Interviews as an Expert in Your Field
If becoming a thought leader is your goal, podcasting will help you get there faster than blogging.
That’s because, as a podcast host, you can instantly interview top experts in your field and get world-class advice and insight.
Collaborating with them gives you authority, and with every interview, you become more of an expert.
Podcasting also makes it easier to get featured in other podcasts—which will also position you as an expert in your field.
5. You Want to Build Rapport With Potential Customers
Webinars and other types of presentations are fantastic ways to rack up leads and/or sales—and if you want to do that, you might want to consider podcasting.
You see, audio content is incredibly engaging.
People can listen to podcasts in the car, at work, on their commutes, and at home. That gives you a large audience to capitalize on—an audience that’s way bigger than what you could capture with a blog.
And because podcasting is so engaging, it has a way of building rapport between you and your listeners.
This rapport makes you more likely to sell products or services to your audience later down the road if you go that route.
6. You Want to Be More Spontaneous
This might seem like an odd thing to put, but spontaneity is a massive advantage for podcasting over blogging.
Blogging is all about planning and preparation (you have to be able to write, after all).
But podcasting is more flexible and spontaneous, with room for freestyling, ad-libbing, and riffing off the top of your head.
So if you want a less rigid structure, podcasting’s your game.
7. You Want More Freedom in How You Produce Content
On a similar note, podcasting gives you more “room to breathe,” so to speak. You have the freedom to produce them however you want—they don’t have to be polished, formal, and extensive like blogs.
You can record your audio “off the cuff.” This flexibility is a huge advantage for podcasting over blogging.
In fact, it’s the main appeal of many mainstream podcasts.
8. You Want to Build a Community
Podcasting gives you more room to connect personally with your audience than blogging ever could. In other words, you can build a personal brand around yourself using podcasting—the way some bloggers do.
Yes, you can build a community with a blog, but podcasts are less “one-way”—you can hold conversations with your audience in a way that’s impossible with blog articles.
You can also create stronger bonds and do collaborations much easier.
9. You Want to Connect With New People
Conversational podcasts can lead to interesting new connections.
That’s another advantage podcasting has over blogging—in audio content, you create relationships.
For example, my first podcast feature was with Haydn Fleming’s Marketing 123s (go check it out).
I chatted with him for a while, but that was the first time I actually spoke with him. The connection was instant.
10. You Want to Develop Your Speaking Skills
Podcasting is a top choice for practicing your public speaking.
It helps you hone your voice, learn how to “posture” in your mind, and build confidence—essential skills for becoming an expert in your field.
For Me, It’s Blogging. But for You…
As I’ve hinted throughout this article, the choice between blogging and podcasting ultimately will come down to your personal situation.
I love blogging because it’s infinitely scalable, has a much faster vertical, and is, overall, far more lucrative (in most cases). But if you’re looking to brush up your speaking skills, interview experts, or connect with others, podcasting might be your top choice.
But you know the cool thing? You don’t ultimately have to choose.
We live in a world where you can do both. I’ll probably start a podcast one day, and you, after starting your podcast, might start a blog.
