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Get SMART With Your Podcast in 2025

Many brands and businesses are turning to podcasts as a marketing channel. Plenty of branded podcasts are raising the bar by consistently releasing high-quality content. However, there are many more companies that aren't quite hitting the mark.
Which is why we have created a list of podcast best practices—we want to help you create successful podcasts for your audience so you can enter this growing market. Before we dive in, let's look at why your company should consider starting a podcast show in the first place.
Get SMART
Brands looking to podcasts as a marketing channel should always have a solid set of podcasting goals. Without clear goals for your podcast and its content, your show will lack direction and purpose for your podcast listeners.
A big part of identifying your objectives is getting clear on your SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely) goals. During your initial podcast brainstorming session, ask yourself what you want your podcast to achieve? What is the end goal? Read More
Article originally written by Claire Gould and published on Lower Street.


This is your shot to speak at one of the biggest stages in podcasting, where indie creators, experts, and innovators gather to learn, grow, and build real community.
If you’ve got a story to tell, a strategy to share, or a unique angle that helps podcasters stand out, this is the moment to throw your hat in the ring.
Podfest isn’t about big egos or polished pitches. It’s about people who show up with real value. So if you’ve been thinking, “Maybe next year…” stop. Make it this year. Apply Here
The new PodMatch Industry Report breaks down what’s really happening in independent podcasting, and here’s the key takeaway: the top 10 percent of shows, those that are consistent, branded, and past the 100-episode mark are dominating listener attention. We're talking millions of listeners across just a fraction of the shows. That means there’s a massive opportunity for creators who are serious about building something sustainable. Most hosts quit too early, so if you’re in this for real, the window is wide open.
The report also lays out what separates the pros from the hobbyists. It takes about two years and 100 episodes to get real traction, but you don’t have to wait that long to start seeing wins. Things like consistent scheduling, a dialed-in guest strategy, and using the right tools can accelerate growth early. They even rank the podcast hosting platforms by how well they actually support independent creators. If you’ve been waiting to level up your show, now’s the time. Read More
According to the latest YouTube Culture & Trends Report, the platform is quickly becoming the global hub of entertainment, outpacing Netflix and TV in watch time. In the next 5 to 10 years, your YouTube channel could be more important than your company website. The key shift? Interest now drives discovery more than subscribers. This means creators can go viral from scratch if they focus on specificity, solve real problems, and tap into niche communities. YouTube’s algorithm now prioritizes watch history, viewer engagement, and topic relevance, making it possible for new voices to break through faster than ever.
Today’s most successful creators are using a combination of Shorts for reach and long-form content for depth and retention. Shorts are generating over 200 billion daily views, and long-form videos continue to build lasting relationships. Whether you're a brand or solo creator, now’s the time to treat your YouTube presence like a digital headquarters. From searchable content to content that sparks conversation, staying ahead means embracing both formats and thinking strategically about how you serve your audience’s interests, not just their attention. Watch Here
MowPod is thrilled to announce a powerful new upgrade to MowPod Charts, the go-to destination for tracking the world’s top-performing podcasts.
We’ve expanded our coverage to include Spotify chart positions—giving podcast creators and fans a fuller picture of where shows rank across platforms. Just hit the little toggle button at the top of the page.
We’ve also dramatically improved site speed and caching so you get the freshest chart updates in even less time.
Additionally, podcasters can now instantly share their chart positions with new, beautiful chart cards tailored for X, Facebook, and Linkedin. Show off your success with a few clicks. Read More


🎤 🎧 What Worked for You discusses the ways to success are numerous between well worn paths and new pathways that are more recently created. Across different businesses, entrepreneurs can study different ways to accomplish their goals OR they can study the paths of people that came before them. Frank Iglesias interviews different business owners that have 'made it' to learn how they did it and ultimately what it was that worked for them to achieve success.
🎤 🎧 Welcome to Couple O’ Nukes, a self-improvement podcast dedicated to mentoring young adults, rebuilding broken dreams, and combatting trauma. This show is an abundant network of experts and resources that you can utilize to improve your life. We're all on our own journey, and we're all at different parts in our journey. Hosted by Mr. Whiskey, a U.S. Navy veteran, author, and speaker, this show is designed as a place where you can get connections and information to improve your mental health, fitness, career, finances, faith, and whatever else you want to focus on, wherever you are in your journey.
🎤🎧 Welcome to Kultivation with Kevie, a self-empowerment podcast where self-love, mindset, creativity, and mental health take center stage. Hosted by Kevie, a Black queer creative and seasoned registered nurse, this show invites you to grow through what you go through with courage, confidence, and consistency. Each episode blends candid storytelling, nostalgic reflections, and empowering conversations that celebrate healing, identity, purpose, and the messy magic of becoming.
🎤🎧 Embodied Wisdom is a transformative podcast that brings you into intimate conversations with the world’s most insightful healers, coaches, and spiritual guides. Each episode explores the lived experiences, healing modalities, and soul-aligned practices that support deep emotional, physical, and energetic transformation.

Morgan James Publishing has revolutionized book publishing—from the author’s standpoint.
Morgan James teaches authors strategies to leverage their books and grow their businesses—adding value while staying out of the way.
Ranked by Publishers Weekly as one of the fastest-growing publishers in the nation ten times in our short history. Morgan James is reported to be “the future of publishing.”