Guest: Sadaf Beynon
If you’ve ever opened your podcast dashboard, seen a spike in downloads, and thought finally, it’s working — you’re not alone.
But here’s the truth: in 2025, those numbers don’t tell the full story.
According to The Podcast Host and Descript, the median podcast gets around 420 downloads per episode.
That’s not a failure — that’s the new normal.
The metric that really matters is completion rate — how long people stay, not how many start. A 60% or higher completion rate is now the gold standard.
So if downloads don’t define success anymore, what does?
1️⃣ Relationships: The Foundation of Trust
Podcasting is one of the best relationship-building tools you’ll ever have.
Kevin Bupp (Real Estate Investing for Cashflow) built genuine client connections simply by using each episode as a networking opportunity.
When you treat interviews as relationships, not transactions, the ROI compounds naturally.
2️⃣ Authority: Credibility That Compounds
Authority happens when people trust you before you even speak.
Michelle Thames built her consulting business partly through consistent, insight-driven solo episodes.
Every episode you publish is proof of your expertise — and the more consistent you are, the faster authority grows.
3️⃣ Engagement: Impact That Lasts
Engagement is about depth, not reach.
Gary Arndt (Everything Everywhere Daily) says, “The right 200 downloads beat 2,000 every time.”
When people spend 30 minutes with your voice, that’s 30 minutes of focused attention — and that’s where trust, and conversion, are built.
The Real ROI
Podcast ROI doesn’t show up in one viral episode. It’s in the relationships you form, the authority you build, and the engagement you sustain.
So before you check your analytics again, try this instead:
Write down three wins your podcast has created this month — one new connection, one opportunity, and one reminder of why you started.
Those are the metrics that truly matter.