Starting Your Own Podcast

• pod·cast   /ˈpädˌkast/   noun

1. a digital audio file made available on the Internet for downloading to a computer or mobile device, typically available as a series, new installments of which can be received by subscribers automatically.

Starting a podcast is a great asset in building your business. Not only are you creating content that you can use to build a wider audience for your brand, it’s a great way to establish yourself as an expert in your industry.

A 2019 survey conducted by Edison Research showed that 70% of consumers are familiar with the term podcast and 51% have listened to a podcast¹.

There are a lot of things that make podcasts unique compared to other programs. First, they are available on a variety of devices. Second, listeners can subscribe to a podcast and automatically receive new episodes on their preferred listening device. Third, podcasts are typically dedicated to a specific topic of category.

Consumers are seeking podcasts that cover an area of expertise they enjoy. While the top topic for podcasts is music, news and information are the second most popular; followed by entertainment and celebrity gossip; history; sports; and food. The three biggest reasons consumers listen to podcasts is to learn something new, to be entertained and to stay up to date in areas of interest to them.

Your podcast could entertain, inspire, inform and educate your listeners while giving them the convenience of listening when it best fits their life, while growing your brand’s awareness with an increasing audience.

Overall, podcasts have some impressive numbers when it comes to audience engagement. 78% of podcast subscribers listen to a new episode within 48 hours of downloading with 58% of subscribers listening to at least 76% of the episode. Even more impressive, 54% of consumers said they would be somewhat or much more likely to consider brands advertised in a podcast.

If you’re thinking of starting your own podcast, here are some tips to help you get started:

• Choose your topic: Before anything, sit down and consider what you want your podcast to focus on. This is a great opportunity to expand on your existing content such as blogs. If you’re already producing regular blogs and newsletters, build them on each other to complement what you write, bringing your expertise to a broader audience.
• Choose the right equipment: Recording a podcast requires a good microphone and audio interface for recording with your computer. As for software, we recommend using Audacity for recording. It’s easy to use, it’s free and it works with PC, Mac and Linux computers. Before you start recording your podcast, take the time to learn how to record the best quality audio, it makes for far less editing later.
• Make your podcast easy to download: While there are plenty of great options for where to have your podcast hosted, you want to make sure your podcast is available in the most popular places listeners can download podcasts. At the very least, your podcast should be available on your website, in the iTunes store and on Google Music.
• Share your podcast with your existing audience: If you already have an email list, let them know about your podcast. If you build on the content you’re already producing, you already have a strong foundation of listeners.
• Be consistent: Give your listeners a good quality episode every time. It’s okay if you’re not publishing new episodes as often as other podcasts, your focus should be on providing high quality content for your audience.

Once you start your podcast, don’t be discouraged by how long it can take grow listenership. Like any great content marketing strategy, the emphasis is building consistency in quality information in each update. The added benefit is that once you’ve published your content, blog or podcast, it is always out there, ready to reach new audiences.

Starting your podcast is a great way to build a highly engaged audience and position yourself as an expert in your industry, while entertaining listeners. If you’re ready to start your podcast, schedule your one-to-one Technology Consultation to get started.

References & Further Reading

1. Edison Research. (2019, April 15). The Podcast Consumer 2019. Retrieved May 14, 2019, from https://www.edisonresearch.com/the-podcast-consumer-2019/
2. Podcast Statistics (2019) – Newest Available Data Infographic. (2019, May 11). Retrieved May 11, 2019, from https://musicoomph.com/podcast-statistics/
3. MACADAM, A. (2018). Want to start a podcast? Read this first. Retrieved May 14, 2019, from https://training.npr.org/audio/so-you-want-to-start-a-podcast-read-this-first/
4. Hall, T. (2017, August 10). 5 Reasons You Should Start a Podcast. Retrieved May 14, 2019, from https://www.inc.com/tanya-hall/5-reasons-it-might-be-time-to-start-a-podcast.html