Podcast for business

Before you begin to plan your business podcast series, you need to find your ‘niche’, which includes choosing an overall theme. Think about whether you know enough about this theme so you can produce more than one episode that will focus on a topic within that theme.

For example, your theme might be about digital marketing and each episode will deep-dive into a topic within this area, such as search engine optimisation, social media or email marketing. 

Podcasting offers the opportunity to try different formats including solo, co-host, panel and storytelling. You should pick a format that will work best for your business.

You need to consider what kind of content you think your audience and customer base will respond to and listen to.

Who is your podcast target audience?

It’s best practice to identify a particular group as your target audience instead of aiming to reach everyone. Good quality content targeted to a specific group of people will help you find your ‘voice’ and start growing your audience.

Choosing a name for your podcast

Your podcast name should be instantly recognisable to listeners searching for your theme. You can have a descriptive title or something clever and catchy, but ensure it captures your product or service.

How often should I release new episodes?

There is no standard release schedule you should stick to. Many businesses release a new podcast episode daily, weekly or monthly. 

However, it’s best practice to ensure your episodes are released regularly and at a particular time. Consider how much time and effort it will take to record each podcast episode and how resource intensive it will be before picking a release schedule.

For example, you might want to record a podcast theme with ten episodes in one batch and release one per week or month. Planning your podcast this way will allow you to stick to a schedule and build a loyal audience.

When considering if a podcast is right for your business, think about 'why’ you are choosing this channel, ‘what’ actions you want listeners to take and ‘how’ you will measure success. 

Also, consider how using a podcast as a communications method will fit into your overall digital marketing strategy.

How long should a podcast episode be?

There is no ideal length - you should make each episode the length it needs to be. Developing a structure or rough script will help give you an understanding of the length and whether you need to cut some elements.

When your podcast is up and running and gains momentum, you could consider polling your listeners to ask what they would prefer going forward.

Each episode should also reflect how much time and resources you can invest in the recording and production. 

Video podcast

You can also consider recording a video podcast if you think this is right for your business and have products you wish to highlight. The video can be as complex or as simple as you want. You could record it live or simply add static images over the audio. 

Creating a video podcast will give you social media content and can increase your online engagement.