This blog was written by Tash Jobson, Media Specialist at Elevate Communication.
Many businesses love the idea of creating a podcast. It’s something to tell customers about, evangelise in a board paper, brag about on LinkedIn. But before you head off to soundproof some office cubicle walls and press record, it’s vital you take a step back and ask yourself ‘why’?
Articulating the purpose of your podcast is vital. What do you want your podcast to do? If you answered ‘boost sales leads’, ‘share product information’, or ‘make me/my brand famous’, then that podcast is doomed to become the bottom of a 6 million strong pile. The best podcasts in the world make a group of people feel something when they listen.
Here are five things to consider before you put a podcast on your meeting agenda:
1. It’s nice to meet you.
The best podcasts are made with a specific audience in mind. Keep in mind these people could be your customers, your clients, your team or beyond. Be proudly specific about your audience, as it gives you a unique opportunity to develop an authentic relationship with them. There’s literally a podcast available for train enthusiasts to triathletes – so zeroing in on ‘your people’ is vital.
2. All gear no idea.
Podcasts can be made with thousands of dollars’ worth of gear in hi-tech studios and still sound terrible. Some of the most listened to podcasts feature people recording in their wardrobes. And they sound awesome. Why? Because sometimes what you’re talking about, beats studio quality. Consider what you want to say, and how you want your audience to feel – before spending a dollar on equipment.
3. What’s your story?
The best podcasts are rarely a loose conversation between subject matter experts. It’s important each episode is structured, researched, and fact checked. Opinions are great, but don’t try and swindle your audience. Spend more time preparing for your podcast, than recording it.
4. Don’t be a Commercial Creep.
Someone may come to your podcast for the subject matter or the guest – but rarely do they come to hear about your brand. (Sorry). That said, audiences are okay with hearing a host read ad, or a quick mid roll commercial. Keep a bit of distance between your brand and the podcast discussion.
5. “I heard on this podcast the other day…”
At the heart of each podcast should be some takeaways. What advice, insight, understanding or feeling can someone carry with them once they’ve finished each episode? Ensure you gift your audience something, and they’ll be waiting for the next episode to drop.
If you’d like more help to create a successful podcast for your business, Elevate Communication is here to help. We offer podcast ideation and strategy, distribution channel planning and recording.
