Although podcasting is an audio-first platform, it’s also given rise to an abundance of great reading material including books, articles and blogs. Many podcasters supplement their regular episodes with accompanying articles or blog posts to drive their message home and draw in new listeners through improved SEO.

Some podcasters will simply repurpose the transcripts from each new episode into a long-form Q&A post, while others may do a little more editing to create an informative article with actionable tips and tricks. Still others may create content that’s entirely separate from the podcast to keep things fresh and interesting. 

All formats are beneficial in their own way, but it’s up to you and your team to decide the type of content that will be the best fit for your particular brand, voice and podcast theme. If you’re looking for some inspiration or just some interesting reading material for your morning commute, here are four podcasting blogs that are making great use of the platform: 

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1. The Audacity to Podcast

The Audacity to Podcast blog provides helpful content about building an audience, developing a podcast strategy and marketing tactics, all geared towards other podcasters. Written by Daniel J. Lewis, a top tech podcaster, the blog is aimed at making life easier for people who are hoping to amplify their message through a podcast.

“Since my podcast is about podcasting, I want to help my listeners change the world for the better, even if they can change the world for only one person at a time,” Daniel says.

He also uses his podcast’s blog as an outlet to share his funny stories, continue educating his listeners and banish common misconceptions, like the idea that you have to have sponsors to monetize, or that you have to interview people to succeed.

“The Audacity to Podcast is about giving you the guts and teaching you the tools to start and grow your own podcast for passion and profit, so my favorite topic is really whatever I can discuss that gets from the tools to the guts and then makes podcasting better,” Daniel says. “Sometimes, that could be a tool I'm excited about because of how much time it can save or how much it can improve processes. Sometimes, it's a concept that inspires courage among my audience. So, in a single word, audacity!”

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2. The Buzzsprout Blog

Buzzsprout has been creating podcast content since 2015, when blogs were just starting to emerge on the subject. They started writing regular blogs to help other podcasters and simplify the process for readers, whether they’re using Buzzsprout as their hosting platform or another service.

The team at Buzzsprout believes the biggest obstacles faced by podcasters today aren’t about getting the right gear, editing software and recording techniques, but about the mental challenges and mindset hurdles we all experience during the creative process.

What do you think is key when it comes to educating people about podcasting?

“A lot of new podcasters are looking for new gear, editing software, and recording techniques,” says Alban Brooke, the Head of Marketing at Buzzsprout. “But the biggest roadblock is often the mental blocks they have around producing content. It was incredibly difficult for me to start releasing content because I always had the idea it had to be better before I was comfortable hitting ‘publish.’”

The Buzzsprout blog is all about honesty and telling it like it is, which is why the team focuses on producing content that provides no-nonsense advice for podcasters like the kind you’d get from a best friend or close confidant.

“If you come to the Buzzsprout blog, I want to be honest about the pros and cons of podcasting, I want to help you weigh Buzzsprout against our competitors, and ultimately make the best decision for you,” Alban says.

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3. Audry 

The Audry blog is all about helping podcasters grow their audience, stay up-to-date on community news and gain access to valuable podcasting resources. The team is focused on making life easier for podcasters, and helping them tackle common issues they face along the way.

“After looking below the surface, we noticed that podcasters are confronted with many challenges that are hard to tackle and lack the tools to solve them,” Niklas Hildebrand, the Co-Founder of Audry says. “With Audry, we want to help the global podcasting community and make their lives a bit easier.”

Audry’s ultimate goal is to provide helpful examples, actionable insights and current trends in the podcasting space to make the entire journey simpler and less stressful for podcasters. 

“Creating a podcast can be complicated, confusing, and downright overwhelming,” Niklas says. “We want to take some of the guesswork out of it and make the learning experience more fun!”

4. Podcast Magazine

Podcast Magazine is all about merging education and entertainment for podcasters to draw in and retain readers. Their ultimate goal is to stand out in the crowded space of podcasting, while bringing valuable insights to people who are hoping to make a big impact with their podcast.

“There's a lot of noise in the podcast arena. Few shows however are both entertaining and educational,” says Steve Olsher, the Editor in Chief of Podcast Magazine and the creator of ClubPod on Clubhouse. “Our goal is to help our audience become smarter, more informed and able to make better decisions about their life and/or their business as a result of the conversations put forth.”

Olsher believes that in order to be successful in the podcasting space, creators need to find a way to capture the hearts and minds of listeners, which is no easy feat today.

“In today's competitive environment for securing attention, one needs to capture the hearts and minds of people who have little interest in having their hearts and minds captured,” he says. “Once you have their attention, you can teach them about literally any subject at hand.”

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5. Captivate.fm

Captivate.fm offers unlimited podcast hosting, analytics and marketing services to brands hoping to grow their audience and establish their podcast as one of the top in their industry. CEO and co-founder Mark Asquith has two simple goals he’s hoping to achieve through his content: honesty and providing clients with the valuable expertise he’s earned over the years while owning a digital agency.

“I have a dual goal with my content: provide an honest outlook on what indie creators should focus on, AKA calling out any BS and making sure the industry stays accessible to everyone,” Mark says. “Plus bringing my adjacent skills from business (marketing, positioning, growth and scaling) into the podcaster's psyche so that they can benefit from the transferable skills that come with learning how to build anything.”

Mark says he sees the most success with the content that provides the reader with tangible advice and actionable steps they can apply to their own podcasting journey.

“People thrive on clear, actionable steps not ‘here are some options, it's still on you to choose,’ and as long as you present options with clarity but deliver a clear ‘start here, try this and then this, etc.’ approach, you'll help more people, faster,” Mark says. 

As the industry progresses, podcasting is only going to become a more deeply entrenched part of our lives in the future. However, Mark is quick to point out that this doesn’t guarantee a creator’s success, nor does it mean podcasting is easy or effortless. 

“A new creator is at risk of believing that it's easy to succeed in podcasting because of this perceived gold-rush when actually, podcasting requires consistency, dedication and focus and above all, quality content and driven marketing wins out every time,” Mark says. 

Mark is passionate about giving podcasters a no-BS look at what it truly takes to grow a business. He believes that podcasters who learn the fundamentals of business success like positioning, sales and marketing, product and community, will succeed long-term.

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6. Transom

Transom is a performance space, an open editorial session, an audition stage, a library, and a hangout that’s been providing valuable resources for creators since 2001. The team seeks to channel new voices and ideas into the public media discourse through online programs and workshops, which provide creators with the tools they need to succeed.

Wondering where the organization got its name? At magazine and newspaper offices, unsolicited manuscripts were submitted “over the transom,” which is a small hinged window above a door, allowing light and ventilation into hallways of older buildings.

Jennifer Jerrett, Transom’s managing editor, says the goal of the organization has always been to provide educational resources in audio storytelling to support and showcase creative, experimental approaches to program production. She says that at Transom, the process of great audio storytelling begins with deep listening and asking the right questions.

“New producers should learn by doing—how to go from the beginning to the end of the production process, with each new skill building on the one that came before it,” she says. “Here at Transom, that process starts with listening: What makes one story or podcast more interesting to listen to than another? What works? What doesn’t? What kind of journey did we just go on as listeners and how did the producer take us there?”

She also recommends bringing diverse voices and perspectives to the industry, which applies to producers, the kinds of stories we hear, editorial decisions and how we engage with listeners. For anyone interested in moving into the podcast space, Jennifer suggests asking yourself the tough questions about your motivation, your overall goals and how you will ultimately be of service to listeners. 

The team at Transom believes there’s an art behind great podcasting which can be honed over time, but first you need to understand your overarching “why.”

“Really good audio storytelling is more than a couple of people sitting around a microphone having a chat. And that’s not to say that an interview-style show can’t be utterly absorbing,” Jennifer says. “But doing it artfully takes some planning and requires a skillful hand to elevate a simple conversation to something of substance, a story that connects us to our humanity in a helpful, reflective, authentic way.”

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7. The Podcast Host

The Podcast Host helps people and brands build, launch and grow their podcasts. The company’s founder, Colin Gray, says he fell in love with podcasting after his boss asked him to look into the medium back in 2008. 

He loved how podcasting fused personal engagement with technology and endless learning opportunities, and he couldn’t wait to create his own show. He began teaching others how to launch a podcast while he worked on building his own first podcast, Podcraft, which is still the company’s flagship show today.

Colin says the goal the Podcast Host is aiming to achieve through its content is to make podcasting as easy as possible for anyone and everyone. 

“We want everyone to have their chance to share their voice, their message, their personality, and that means simplifying the planning, the tech and the workflows,” he says. “So, we write in a way that's back-to-basics, assuming nothing, and fully how-to, breaking it all down into easy steps.” 

To help them reach this goal, the Podcast Host also created Alitu, its podcast maker app. They want to help podcasters have a chance to focus on the fun parts of podcasting by simplifying the technical process.  

“There's still a core of gadget geeks like me in there—we hear from them every day. But the much larger group are those who just want to share their voice, their message, and the tools are just a means to do that,” Colin says.

One of Colin’s favorite podcasting topics to discuss is the benefit of using seasons in podcasting. 

“First, they're so much easier to plan, and then batch record, when you take a big topic and break it down into, say, eight to 12 episodes (a two or three month run),” Colin explains. “Second, they allow you to take a break in a structured way: deliver that three-month season, then take a month off to refresh, and it makes sense to the audience. Third, the listener benefits massively, because every episode builds on the last, teaching a little more every time, and generally leading to way more action and more success as a result.”