Podcasts play a key role in modern PR, which isn’t surprising when you consider there are more than 3.5 million podcasts globally with over 175 million episodes to choose from.
This vast ecosystem leverages storytelling to connect with audiences at a time, a place, and on a platform that suits them. Their accessibility is largely why they’ve become so integral to modern PR strategies. And with the global number of podcast listeners expected to surpass 600 million in 2026, PR pros that don’t include them in their strategies are going to be left behind. Fact.
Incorporating podcasts into PR strategies isn’t just about generating publicity. The medium enables brands to showcase thought leadership and create meaningful conversations. Don’t just take our word for it though. A study by the BBC found branded podcasts achieve 89% higher awareness, 57% greater brand consideration and 24% increased brand recall compared to traditional advertising.
Podcasts: The numbers
In the UK, 98% of people listen to some form of audio-only media across an average week, spending around 28 hours and 6 minutes in total, research from RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research), revealed. And for podcasts specifically, weekly reach soared to 25%, up from just 8% in 2015.
Digital audio ad spend in the UK was around £175 million in 2024. And podcast advertising accounted for £90 million of that, with the remaining £85 million attributed to streaming ads, research from Statista revealed.
The figures differ across the pond, with 79% of Americans aged 12 and above listening to online audio monthly, which is equivalent to an estimated 228 million people, according to Edison Research. When it comes to podcasts, a whopping 55% of people in the US aged 12 and over, listen on a monthly basis.
The benefits of podcasts in PR
There are multiple benefits to integrating podcasting into PR strategies including:
Amplifying brand reach: Guests spots on podcasts help to deliver earned media to new, engaged audiences globally.
Boosted online visibility: Long-form discussions allow experts to really go into detail with an already engaged audience. Whereas, in radio, experts typically only get between 15 and 18 seconds to provide short soundbites.
Content generation: PR and marketing teams can repurpose podcasts into blog posts, audio clips, and so on. Not only does this reduce workloads, but also helps to create long-lasting brand stickiness.
Loyalty and trust: Podcast appearances with well-respected hosts can act as third-party endorsement, which in turn boosts credibility.
Opportunity to boost backlinks: A lot of podcasts include links to the websites of their guests in their show notes, which of course, boosts SEO and GEO (generative engine optimisation, which is the process of structuring content to be easily discovered, synthesised and featured by modern AI-powered search engines and large language models).
3 tips to secure podcast spots
#1 Research is key
Ensure your initial research focuses on the audience rather than shows. Consider the listeners and which sector, pain points and seniority they are. And then search for the podcasts they actually listen to. You can do this using the most well-known platforms like Apple and Spotify, and there are PR tools designed specifically for this as well.
#2 Relevance matters more than audience size
Podcasts with smaller, niche audiences are best for B2B guests. This is similar to how a lower Domain Authority (DA) website is sometimes more favourable for B2B SEO due to niche focus. In the same way, smaller, niche podcasts are best for B2B guests as audiences tend to be more engaged as they’re actively choosing to listen.
#3 Check which podcasts competitors feature on
Look at which shows competitors (or client competitors if you work agency side) have appeared on, as this will make pitching easier as the pod host and producers will have some knowledge of the industry already. Also, this can help PR pros spot potential gaps.
Bonus tip: PR pros that secure podcast opportunities for clients (or senior stakeholders if in-house), should make it clear that podcasts are conversational, discussions, not scripted press conferences.
Measuring the impact of podcasts
There are multiple ways that podcast impact in PR can be measured. Aside from listener and download figures, PR pros should track spikes in web traffic (using Google Analytics), social media mentions and engagement (including engagement through private channels like messaging apps, known as dark social). Include audio clips in your PR reports too so that client stakeholders and C-suite members can see the results and also have a listen!
The role dark social plays in PR
Podcasts in PR strategy: The undeniable PR must-have
Podcasts are no longer a nice-to-have in PR. They’re an essential component of modern PR strategies. With listenership projected to surpass 600 million globally, the opportunity to leverage this channel for tangible business impact has never been greater.
More than just a means of brand awareness, podcasts drive authentic engagement, boost credibility and generate measurable outcomes that directly contribute to both growth and reputation. Podcasts really are a powerful tool in a PR professional’s arsenal.
Find out how to easily showcase and measure podcast and radio clips with the Releasd Audio Widget. Watch our video below.
