It's more than talking to your smartphone.
Gone are the days when a publisher could take out an ad, count on a few reviews, and have an author do a couple...
But they listen to podcasts and audiobooks. [ https://youtu.be/oyLdzCm0ZcE ] https://youtu.be/63g0iIyAQLk
If you have a podcast, you have some, well, power, authority, credibility. Just like if you have a book, you instantly have some leverage...