As a business, hosting your own podcast can grow your relevancy by increasing exposure and strengthening relationships with your existing and target audiences. A podcast can also help differentiate you from competitors, increase brand loyalty, and provide additional content that can be promoted across social channels. But there are important considerations to think about before taking the plunge into podcasting. Entering the podcast space strategically, with clear goals in mind, can help organizations fully realize the power of the podcast.
Initial Considerations for Entering the World of Podcasts
- Think about the big picture and ask yourself these key questions:
- What is the concept behind the podcast you want to create?
- How can a podcast align with and amplify your mission and goals?
- How can a podcast fit into your larger content strategy?
- Who are the audiences you plan to serve with the podcast?
- How will the podcast serve your audiences? Are you seeking to entertain, educate or inform?
- Think about the essential components that will make up your podcase and ask yourself:
- Who will host the podcast?
- What will you talk about? List out 10 topic ideas to get your wheels turning.
- What messages do you want to get across in the next six to nine months?
- What does your audience care about?
- Who does your audience want to hear from?
- How long will your podcasts be? 20-40 minutes is optimal.
- What is the frequency in which you can produce content?
- Do you have the resources (including people resources) to commit to a podcast long term?
- Can you develop an editorial calendar outlining what will be covered by the podcast and when?
What it Takes to Develop a Podcast and Drive Listenership
Similar to creating a social media account, creating a podcast can be done relatively easily. But creating a podcast alone is not enough to win big in the podcast world. Consider the tips below on the four pillars of podcast success: production, content, distribution, and promotion.
Production:
- Technology is needed to produce a podcast, which can be done in-house or with the help of a third-party production agency.
- If you are producing the podcast yourself, invest in quality audio equipment, and be sure to record in a quiet room or studio with good acoustics. While a professional studio offers the ideal environment in which to record, it isn’t absolutely necessary if on a budget or if studio production is inconvenient.
Content:
- Choose an original podcast name that will grab your target audience’s attention and accurately describe what listeners can expect to hear.
- Create podcast cover art that represents the brand and stands out from the crowd.
- Choose knowledgeable and influential guests that will offer value to your listeners.
- Make sure to prep guests with topics and potential questions.
- Create an episode template to follow. Keep it consistent so your listeners know what to expect as they continue to tune in. Consistency keeps listeners engaged.
- Choose a cadence (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly) and upload on a specific day of the week to stay consistent and keep your audience coming back for more.
Distribution:
- Host on a free/low-cost platform and distribute to major audio outlets (i.e., Apple Podcasts and Spotify) or opt out of distributing to major audio outlets and distribute internally.
Promotion:
- Creating a podcast is not going to guarantee listeners. Driving traffic to your podcast takes work.
- Use your social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, to alert followers when a new episode is available.
- Include podcast information in your existing marketing materials, as a banner on your website and/or as a link in your emails. Encourage people to “subscribe” to your podcast channel to avoid missing the latest podcast content.
- If budget allows, think about how you can incorporate your podcast into promotional channels you already use like paid social and advertising.
- Encourage audience feedback and reviews.
- Note: for some organizations, podcasts could have a limited audience and might be best suited for internal distribution. In this case, mass promotion is replaced by a highly targeted strategy to reach the right internal people with a focused invitation to the podcast.
Have More Questions or Need a Little Help?
NST is happy to assist! We offer pre-production and project management services. These services can include overarching strategy, episode planning, guest coordination, podcast marketing, and more.
For more information, contact us today!
