There are over six million podcasts sitting in your favorite podcast app right now—and that number keeps climbing. Listenership is at an all-time high and growing every year. In fact, one in three Americans listens to podcasts daily. Think about it—where else do you get an audience willing to spend 30 minutes, even an hour, fully tuned into your content? Aside from books, nothing else even comes close.

Not only are podcasts pulling in massive audiences, but they’re attracting highly educated, high-income listeners. Studies show podcast hosts are now considered the most trusted voices in media.

So… why doesn’t your brand have one?

In this workshop, Doug Downs of Stories and Strategies will dive into what’s really happening in the podcasting world. You’ll learn why so many brands are turning to podcasts to grow their influence, and why so many fail before they even get off the ground. Doug leads a podcast agency with clients across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, and the U.K. Whether you’re looking to launch your own podcast or improve the one you already have, this session will equip you with real-world strategies to create a show that actually works.

Podcasting is hard. It’s a ton of work to keep up, and tracking ROI can feel impossible since podcasts sit awkwardly in the middle of the marketing funnel. It’s no wonder that 90% of new podcasters quit by episode 7. Yep, your local gym has a better success rate with New Year’s sign-ups. Out of the six million podcasts floating around, only about 400,000 have been updated in the last 30 days. The rest? They’re digital zombies—still out there, but they aren’t breathing.

The opportunity is huge—but only if you do it right. Learn how to build an audience, keep them engaged, and avoid becoming just another podcast statistic.

IABC DC: Why Most Podcasts Fail (And How Yours Can Succeed)