How to set up a podcast for your business

We’ve talked before about podcasts and how they can help you connect with customers on a personal level, even when they’re on the go. As Google moves to index audio as well as the written word, it’s time to start thinking about whether podcasting could be added to your marketing plans. But how do you set-up a podcast for your business?

Why podcasting is the next marketing frontier

First, let’s recap on why podcasting is important today.

Podcasts are aimed at your brand or industry mega fans. They are people who don’t just want information delivered quickly. They want to deep-dive into topics that interest them. And they are actively seeking out experts, like you, to tell them what they want to know.

Listening to a podcast is a different experience to reading a webpage or blog post. It takes minimal effort and can be done while you are on the move. But people are still taking in what is being said. In fact, listening to the spoken word will give people a greater affinity with the broadcaster.

What business doesn’t want this kind of relationship with their customers?

Essential podcasting equipment

Starting a podcast needn’t be costly. All you need to begin with is a computer and a microphone. From here you can record audio and edit it using free software like Garageband.

Next, you need a host for your podcast. Again, you can get this set-up for free if you like, but the number of days your podcast content is available may be limited, or you might be restricted on your number of uploads each month. Buzzsprout comes highly recommended for usability and its free hosting options.

Add ons that will help professionalise the quality of your podcast include audio clips and background music. Take a look at a monthly subscription service like Epidemic Sound, which has a huge choice of regularly updated audio.

There are lots more gadgets for podcasting should you want to invest and take this marketing tactic further. Here’s a handy list of more podcasting equipment you might want to add to your shopping list.

Podcast content ideas

Once you are ready to record it’s good to have lots of ideas in the bag for podcast content. In fact, you should aim to record several podcast episodes before you publish your first one as people will be keen to hear more. Plus they’re more likely to subscribe if they can see your podcast channel is regularly updated.

What type of content should you share on a podcast:

• Behind the scenes snippets
• Interviews with your team and brand advocates
• Responses to news and topical discussions.

You can also repurpose old blog posts, how-to guides or case studies that are available on your website. Just because you’ve talked about a topic elsewhere doesn’t mean everyone will be aware of it.

Promote your podcast

Now you have recorded and uploaded your podcast to your host, it’s time to promote it. Here’s how:

• Submit your podcast to directories like iTunes and Google Play
• Share it on your social media
• Mention it in your customer newsletters and emails
• Write about it on your blog.

If you’d like to discuss how your business can create digital content that is accessible and engaging contact us to talk through our content marketing services.