Podcasting as a Business Engine: Why Branding Matters
- Apr 7
- 2 min read
By Gillian Wachtel
Director of Operations, Custom Woven Labels
I’ve spent nearly a decade helping creators and artists find their identity by building up a brand. Over the years, I’ve had many clients come to me unsure if merchandise is a step they’re ready to take. What I’ve learned is this: the podcasters who make real money and expand successfully are the ones who treat their show as a brand.
Relying only on sponsorships and ad revenue limits their income potential. They might start to see some success with ads, but they’re often unsure of how to put the money they earn back into their craft, which really means building their brand and investing in their success.
I understand why that feels daunting, especially in the beginning. When you’re just starting out, it’s hard to know what kind of merchandise makes sense. I often see people come to me for advice after they’ve already launched a small run on their own.
They sell a few units here and there, and when it doesn’t take off immediately, they assume it didn’t work. So they back away from it entirely — until they see someone else doing it well and profiting from it.
The podcasters who build successful merchandise know their audience. They don’t just sell something to sell it. It has to be thoughtful. Slapping your logo on a hoodie might work in some cases, but with rising production costs and consumers being more selective about what they spend money on, the product has to mean something to them.
You need to ask yourself this:
What does my audience connect with?
What moments from my show resonate?
What would make them feel like they’re part of my community when they wear it or use it?
That emotional connection is what drives sales.
For example, one of my personal favorite podcast duos releases a “pin of the month” every month. I ran out of room on my pin board a long time ago but yet I still buy the pins. Why? Because I feel connected to them. Each design brings me back to a specific episode or inside joke. It sparks a memory. It makes me smile.
I don’t buy the pins because I need another accessory. I buy them because it feels like I’m participating in something bigger than just listening.
When a podcast is clear about its identity — visually, tonally, and emotionally — merchandise stops feeling like a sales tactic and starts feeling like a natural extension of the show. And when that happens, revenue and loyalty grow alongside each other.
At the end of the day, the shows that scale are the ones that stop thinking episode-to-episode and start thinking about long-term branding. The microphone is the starting point, but the brand is what builds the business.
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