Podcasts are becoming increasingly popular and anyone who’s anyone in their industry now has a podcast of their own. From journalists and celebrities to interior designers and small businesses, people are beginning to realise the power of podcasts. It has been reported that 51% of the population has listened to a podcast and that 80% listen to all or most of each episode[1], providing a great opportunity to position your brand in front of thousands of potential customers.
Podcasts are a great way to build a genuine connection with audiences and are more convenient than blog posts as people can listen to them whilst driving, working out, commuting or just doing chores around the house. For our industry and clients, this is a great opportunity to reach a captive audience by either sponsoring a well-known series whose audiences are the same as your target market, or start one of your own to further cement your status as an industry leader.
Here are our top tips for starting your own podcast series:
WHAT’S THE GOAL?
Before starting a podcast, it is important to set out your goals. Why are you starting a podcast? Is it to:
- Generate leads
- Position yourself as an industry leader
- Have fun
- Share your expertise
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO TALK ABOUT?
It’s important to make sure that you’re passionate about what you’re speaking about. It should be something you’re excited to research and regularly discuss.
MARKET RESEARCH
As with any business plan market research is the key to success. Have a look on Spotify or Apple Podcast, is anyone else speaking about the topic you’re interested in? If there is then listen to them and work out how you can improve on what they are doing.
EPISODE LENGTH
There is no optimal length for a podcast, the most important thing to remember is that the content needs to be high quality and engaging – this will keep people listening!
PICK A NAME, JINGLE & CREATE ARTWORK
Now comes the fun part, pick a name – we recommend something short and catchy. Have a look at some royalty free music too, or even have a go at creating your own jingle for your into and outro. When you upload your podcast you’ll need some artwork so now is a good time start thinking and designing.
GET RECORDING
Once you have considered the above, it’s time to get recording! To begin with you can record on your phone, but we would recommend eventually investing in some proper mics and headsets. Don’t worry if you run over or if you stumble over words, as with anything you’ll need to edit your podcast before uploading.
UPLOAD!!
Once you’re happy with the edited episode it’s time to upload, there are many streaming services for podcasts such as Spotify, Acast, Podtail or Apple Podcasts.
Looking for inspiration, here are some of Team Oracle’s favourite podcasts.
[1] https://www.podcastinsights.com/podcast-statistics/