The proof is in the data. More than 57 million Americans listen to podcasts regularly. 67% of podcasts are consumed on a smartphone.

It is clearly an effective way to market your business, as this is where users' attention is.

You know it. As a consumer, you can multitask. You can drive, workout, read, watch TV, play with your kids, do chores - ALL while also listening to a podcast.

It's easier than reading. It's even easier than consuming Instagram or Facebook content.

You can take a shower while listening. 🙂

We're recommending that all of our clients start podcasts.

We started our own back in August. And it's WAY easier than you think.

I love my boy Chance The Dev (pictured above with me in his Podcast set-up - WAY fancier than mine), but I don't do my podcast that way. I do mine using a tool called "Anchor.fm."

Thanks to CEO Mike Mignano's vision, and his team's execution, we all now have a free app, and NO EXCUSES not to start a podcast.

It's as easy as downloading Anchor from the app store, creating a profile, and tapping "record."

You just start talking about what it is that you do, and publish your episodes live to Apple Podcasts, Google Play and more.

You can call a guest and record the phone conversation as an interview segment, and Anchor even just announced a new "co-hosts" feature, where you can actually get hooked up with other podcasts hosts like you that are talking about similar topics.

This is genius. A phenomenal way to execute audience crossover and put your brand in front of larger audiences with bigger listenership. Something I definitely need to try soon.

Just to keep things straight, we're talking about an app giving you the ability to have a podcast that is fully recorded and published all on your mobile device.

You can record and publish content with nothing but your mobile device.

You can also upload audio from any format recorded outside the app and upload it to your dashboard, using it as an editing and publishing tool in the browser.

I've recorded podcasts while driving, while in meetings, while on phone calls, over phone interviews with guests in other states, and face-to-face.

Voice is growing, and we are participating. We recommend you do as well. Anchor is your entry level.

Starting a podcast has never been easier. It doesn't need to be fancy. Just download the app and get to talking about what you do best.

Thanks for reading, and have a great day!

Paul Hickey, Founder / CEO / Lead Strategist at Data Driven Design, LLC has created and grown businesses via digital strategy and internet marketing for more than 10 years. His sweet spot is using analytics to design and build websites and grow the audience and revenue of businesses via SEO/Blogging, Google Adwords, Bing Ads, Facebook and Instagram Ads, Social Media Content Marketing and Email Marketing. The part that he’s most passionate about is quantifying next marketing actions based on real data.