How to Start a Podcast for Your Business. The Ultimate Guide

Podcasting is an effective strategy for building your brand, engaging your audience, and expanding your company. Whether you’re a corporate guru, small business owner, or solo entrepreneur, launching a business podcast has the potential to revolutionize your brand.

 This article will lead you through the process of developing, releasing, and managing an engaging business podcast that attracts listeners and promotes business growth. We can help you with everything from selecting the format and design of your podcast to making money off of it. So strap yourself in, take a seat, and prepare to press record on your journey to become a legendary podcaster!

What Is a Podcast?

A podcast is a recorded audio show that is made available online in the form of a series of episodes. While it is less common, some podcast hosts also capture their episodes on video and provide their listeners with a choice between the two media. 

Many music and podcast directories, such as Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts, offer podcasts. There is a wide range of subjects and styles covered in popular podcasts. They can cover a wide range of topics, from personal life to world news, and their formats might include scripted stories or live chats.

Why Start a Business Podcast?

Compared to other forms of content generation and digital marketing, podcasting is comparatively simple to get started. If you can record an audio and upload it to the internet, you can start a podcast. If your podcast takes off, there are various advantages, including:

1. Engaging with Your Audience: Suppose your social media updates are not generating many engagements. Podcasting provides a variety of live engagement opportunities. For example, you can organize guest speakers or live call-ins. Creating these connections with your clients demonstrates that there are actual people behind your company and this could motivate them to continue supporting you.
2. Sharing your expertise: As a business, you are already establishing yourself as an expert in a particular industry . As a professional, use your experience to create a podcast in which you teach, entertain, and inspire people about the industry. 
3. Making money: Successful podcast broadcasters can earn money. Some podcasters utilize subscription service to put some or all of their episodes behind a paywall. Others upload episodes for free but sign brand agreements, agreeing to include adverts for products and services on their shows.

How To Create a Business Podcast

Even though it’s relatively simple to start, podcasting still needs some preparation. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you get started.

1. Identify a Niche

By concentrating on a certain subject or sector, you can draw a devoted following and establish yourself as an authority in that field. Here are some steps to help you find your niche:

1. Determine Your Area of Expertise: What do you excel at? Regarding which subjects are you knowledgeable? Seek out places where your passion and area of competence meet.
2. Examine Your Competition : Examine your industry-related business podcasts to find out what subjects they cover, how they market themselves, and what niches they fill. 
3. Seek Out Patterns: Keep abreast of news and developments in the business. Seek out new subjects or fields where there is a need for information but a lack of available sources. You may set your podcast apart from the competitors by doing this.
4. Evaluate Your Audience : Who are your listeners? What kinds of interests do they have? You can better adapt your podcast to your audience’s preferences if you are aware of their needs, interests, and demographics.

2. Choose a Name and Podcast Format

After you’ve decided on a topic, you can begin organizing the specifics. The ideal name and podcast format can significantly impact your ability to draw in and keep listeners.

1. Podcast Name: Making your name distinctive and catchy will help your podcast stand out from the competition. When choosing keywords or phrases, think about how your target audience and niche are represented.
2. Podcast Format: Business podcasts come in a variety of formats. Choose a format based on your aims and personal style, as each has advantages and disadvantages.

Here’s a more in-depth look at the different types of business podcasts:

3. Interview Shows: These podcasts usually have an expert or prominent figure in your subject being interviewed. Introducing your audience to thoughtful leaders and providing them with insightful information can be accomplished through interview shows.

Pros

• Only minor edits will be required as the conversation progresses. 
• Because every visitor will offer a unique viewpoint on your genre or speciality, you will never run out of things to say on any given subject. 
• You can reach a wider audience if guests forward the podcast to their followers. 

Cons

•  It will take effort to send out emails, set up appointments for new visitors, while working according to their calendar.

Solo Shows:

If you’d rather do it alone, a solo show allows you impart your knowledge and viewpoints on a range of subjects linked to your speciality.

Pros 

• Since you alone are responsible for yourself, solo podcasts provide the advantage of allowing you to work at your own speed and accomplish anything you wish.

Cons 

• Solo podcasts just have one voice and no other audio components. Because of this, if you lack the charisma to make things interesting, your listeners could quickly become disinterested.

Panel Discussions: 

A podcast featuring a panel of speakers is like an interview podcast, only bigger. Every episode features a group of guests and a single host.

Pros

• Every episode is jam-packed with insightful, original viewpoints.
• Since the panel of guests speaks for the most part, the host is under very little pressure.

Cons

• It takes a lot of work to get everyone on the panel. You’ll need to arrange for everyone’s schedules. Finding even one guest is difficult for a novice podcaster.
•  Recording audio from several sources could lead to some technical difficulties.

Conversational/co-hosted podcast format

This is another common podcast format. It entails a direct chat between two people who typically get along well. But unlike a podcast interview format, these two individuals are also hosts. 

Pros 

• It’s easy to listen to an organic conversation rather than a prepared script
• Fans feel like they’re part of a club or organization, especially when the hosts create an enjoyable, friendly environment. 

Cons

•  If there’s disagreement over the main point of the message, there may be a dispute. • Editing two voices is more difficult than editing one track. 
• The subjects you chose must be ones that you both understand, at least to some degree.

3. Source Podcast Equipment

Your smartphone can be used as a recording and uploading device. But the ideal arrangement might consist of:

1. Audio software: You should look for software that can edit and record episodes. Adobe Audition is a well-liked audio programme, however it can be expensive. An alternative that is also reasonably priced is GarageBand. 
2. Computer: In order to use the software, you need a computer. A desktop or laptop is perfect. 
3. Microphone: Although microphones are incorporated into computers, the quality of the sound they record isn’t the best. We advise getting an external microphone instead. You can get them On Amazon at a reasonable price. 
4. Pop filter: A tiny piece of material called a pop filter is placed on the mic stand to serve as a barrier between your mouth and the microphone. Its goal is to mellow plosives, which are strong p or b sounds that seem harsh in audio recordings.
5. Editing programmes: After recording audio to a digital file, you must edit it. This could entail cutting jokes during an interview or mixing in a soundbite from a different recording.
6. Headsets: Similar to the microphone, you want your headphones to allow you to hear the audio during both recording and editing as clearly as your listeners will.

5. Record an Episode

The magic happens during the recording of an episode! It’s time to hit record after you have your idea and your gear. It’s not a terrible idea to do a test run or two to make sure your equipment is operating properly and to help you relax.

Here are some tips to help you create a high-quality podcast episode:

1. Record in a Quiet Area: Pick a place where there isn’t much background noise. This will assist you in producing audio that sounds clear and polished.
2. Have a Clear and Confident Voice: Talk clearly, pronounce your words correctly, and try to keep your “ums” and “uhs” to a minimum. Speaking with assurance and passion will help you keep your audience interested and engaged. 
3. Pay Attention to Room Acoustics: The way your recording room sounds can impact the quality of your audio. If there are too many hard surfaces in your space, you might want to use acoustic panels or blankets to block out echo and reverberation.

6. Edit Your Episode

You can edit out any audio problems by playing back the audio for your first episode in your software once you have it. Eliminate any lengthy or unpleasant pauses, distracting background noise, or other elements from the audio. Additional content that was recorded separately, royalty-free music, and an intro and outro can all be added. Remember to change the audio’s volume levels to make sure everything is clear and at a constant level.

7. Publish Your Episode

Plan out how you want to publish your first episode once it’s finished and you’re ready to share it with the world. Since the majority of podcast hosting platforms are free, a lot of podcasters decide to post to several at once in order to increase their audience. Each platform has a slightly different upload procedure, but generally speaking, you need a title, cover art, and description. Links to your social media profiles, website, and other content can be added to the description.

8. Promote Your Podcast 

It could be difficult for new listeners to discover your podcast on their own when you’re first getting started. Growing your podcast’s audience and expanding your business depend on it being promoted:

1. Establish a Website: Having a website for your podcast will assist you in creating a central location for your content and give prospective listeners a way to find out more about it. 
2. Share on Social Media: To share and advertise your episodes, make use of social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is another way to get your podcast to show up in Google searches. Make a webpage for your website that is optimized for search engines.

9. Grow Your Show 

Developing an interested audience and winning them over as devoted followers is the key to growing your show: 

1. Request Feedback: Utilize the input you receive from your listeners to enhance both the content and overall listening experience of your episodes. 
2. Work with others: You can expand your audience and position yourself as an authority in your field by collaborating with other podcasters or influencers in your domain. 
3. Make use of SEO: To improve their discoverability on sites like Google, optimize your podcast episodes for search engines.

How To Make Money Podcasting

Your podcast doesn’t have to be profitable. Podcasts can simply be a branding opportunity for a lot of companies and entrepreneurs. Alternatively, it might be enough for you if you’re seeing listeners to your podcast become clients. If you decide to pursue that path, it’s beneficial to understand how your podcast might bring in money.

1. Sponsorships

Podcast programmes and shows are occasionally sponsored by brands. Podcasts that connect with their target audiences usually attract sponsors since they can help them expand their customer base.

 Every sponsorship agreement is unique. Perhaps there will be a pre-recorded advertisement that plays in between scenes. Alternatively, you can receive a script to read. In certain situations, you could be permitted to work together on the script or deviate from it to make the advertisement more unique.

2. Affiliate Links

Sponsorship agreements are linked to affiliate links. You may receive a discount code from some sponsors to present to listeners. After that, you will receive a portion of the profits from any sales made with this code. A link without a code would be the substitute. You will receive a portion of the transaction if you direct listeners to the sponsor’s website through the provided link and they make a purchase.

3. Advertising Networks

One option to get money for your podcast from advertising without having to manage sponsorship negotiations directly is to sign up for a podcast network. Certain aspects of production, promotion, and monetization are handled by networks such as Gimlet and Radiotopia, which serve as distribution centers. These networks typically accept programming that has a target audience size and covers specific subjects. You will probably receive generic advertisements to play in between portions if you work with one of these networks. 

4. Donations

Some shows rely solely on listener donations to receive revenue. 

5. Memberships

As was previously noted, a lot of podcasters build a subscription-based business model. You have the option to charge for exclusive supplementary content and keep your episodes free. Alternatively, you might make all content subscription-only. Most podcasters offer a few tiers at varying prices, with the lowest tier costing a few dollars per month. 

6. Merchandise

Popular podcasts often sell merchandise or “merch” to the audience. Theseitems include:

1. Shirts/hoodies
2. Bags 
3. Stickers/buttons
4. Phone case
5. Mugs/cups

Challenges of Creating a Podcast

It’s normal to encounter certain difficulties when you first start out. The following are some possible problems that novice podcasters may encounter: 

1. Topics for the Week: Take a survey to find out what topics your audience would like to hear about next in order to generate fresh ideas.
2. Additional obligations: If you don’t podcast full-time, you have to juggle your content on top of other obligations in your life and at work. If your employer uses podcasts for marketing and customer acquisition, discuss with your supervisor the possibility of reducing other work responsibilities so that podcasting can receive the attention it requires.
3. Audience growth: It can be challenging to connect with your ideal audience in the crowded field of podcasts. It takes more than just producing high-quality episodes to increase your listenership. You must invest time in advertising and marketing your content. 
4. Costs of Equipment: Although you may launch a podcast with very little gear, high-end audio gear can be costly, particularly when you’re first starting out.
5. Revenue Generation: Creating a podcast doesn’t always translate into money, even if you have a big following. You have to be proactive about reaching out to brands for potential deals.  

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Final Thoughts 

A simple method to build your brand and share your knowledge is through podcasting. There is little cost involved in beginning a podcast, and it can be started quickly. Expanding your podcast, however, is another matter. It can be challenging to stand out in the millions of podcasts that are available.

 To (hopefully) start seeing your audience expand, practise patience, consistency, and promotion. Consider getting in touch with Foundeck, a company with experience in digital marketing and podcasting, for help and direction in starting and expanding your business podcast. Your commercial goals can be achieved with the assistance of our team, who can also help you optimize your content, create a loyal following, and create a podcasting strategy. Regards and happy podcasting! Thank you for your time!