Thinking of a new way to raise brand awareness? Starting a podcast might be what you’re looking for.

This form of content marketing first popped up ten years ago and is continuing to grow. In fact, podcast listeners have grown by 37.5% in 3 Years [Source: The Infinite Dial, 2020]. Podcasts are consumed at the listener’s leisure — you can listen to a podcast while driving, eating, cooking, exercising and more! Unlike social media, where a user needs to be online to see your content, podcasts listeners can hear about your brand wherever they are. Before we show you how to start a podcast, here’s reasons why your business needs one.

Reasons why your business needs a podcast

Podcasts are huge and growing

• Podcast listeners have grown by 37.5% in 3 Years. [Source: Edison Research, 2020].
• 74% of podcast users listen to podcasts to learn something new. [Source: Edison Research, 2020]
• 67% of listeners are between 18 and 44 years old. [Source: Music Oomph, 2020]
• Podcasts embody 10% off all content that millennials listen to. [Source: Billboard, 2020]

Low Requirements

Podcasting is something everyone can do! You don’t need to have a fancy studio with equipment that costs six figures; rather, all you need is a quality microphone like this Rode lav mic from Amazon. As a matter of fact, Khloe Kardashian and Scott Disick made a podcast in the bathtub not long ago. 

One benefit of starting a podcast is that you don’t have to face the issue of your guests getting nervous in front of a camera, elongating the shooting process for maybe hours. As podcasts are voice based and everyone knows how to keep a conversation going, you never have the trouble of having no content. And addedbonus is that the editing software is low cost as well.. 

They are highly engaging

Sometimes people feel stressed out or go blank when we convey too much information. Podcasts are a great way to avoid that as you can make the content engaging through interactive conversations where you get enough room to convey the message while keeping the conversation going.

In fact, many podcasts even have not so subtle commercials weaved into the conversation. 

A survey conducted on around 300,000 podcast listeners found that 63 percent of them have considered purchasing products promoted via podcast commercials. 

They’re a great way to reach new audiences

Podcasts do not have borders or boundaries and thanks to this little fact, you get to capture your own audience from the 177 million people across the world who listen to podcasts. Once you start getting into your own niche whether it be health, technology , finance or many others out there, you will slowly develop a loyal following and these followers are there for the long term as studies show that 80% of listeners listen to a full episode of the podcast.

Now, let’s have a look at some of the popular podcasts that have been hosted by brands.

Brands who have started podcasts

#LIPSTORIES by Sephora

Guided by host Kristina Zias, the podcast has a cast of guests coming in for some fun but honest chats about their own experiences and past. The chats which talk about self-image end with positive messages about how we can be a little more confident in life. This podcast gives you an intimate feeling as you get to experience how they overcame their lows in life to the present, where they feel beautiful and powerful.   

 RISE AND GRIND by ZipRecruiter

This business podcast of ZipRecruiter, hosted by ABC’s Shark tank member and CEO of FUBU Daymon John, conducts interview format conversations with a rotating guest cast of people ( entrepreneurs, musicians, athletes) who made it to the top and achieved what we call “success” in life. The podcast, which has a focus on learning about their secrets to success in their fields, lets you know how to work your way up the social ladder through your efforts.

Open for Business by eBay

While most business podcasts focus on growing your business, this podcast features a twist. This podcast focuses on beginning your ideas to life and discusses how to turn your idea on paper into a viable and profitable running business. 

If you remember, this goes along with eBay’s origin of being a startup in the 1990s.

 J&J Innovation Podcast by Johnson & Johnson

Based on Johnson & Johnson’s focus on health and “innovation” as an organization, this podcast explores new healthcare concepts with the host Caroline Baratz as a guide. This podcast is a popular one as listeners get to listen to experts while giving listeners the impression that the company is working to advance in those particular fields in healthcare.

.future by Microsoft

The future is based on the choices we make in the present. This technology-based podcast from Microsoft brings you talks about technologies and industries that might be the next decade’s defining features.

Hosted by Cristina Quinn, a science and technology reporter, you get to dive into everything from gaming to health and data in this futuristic show that will let you know what lies ahead of the curve.

Feel like starting your own podcast to spread your ideas around but not sure how to get started? Here are some tips on how to create a podcast of your own.

How to start a Podcast        

The Basics

You must have a plan in mind before you start working on a podcast. Some basic things to cover before starting your work are:

1. Name: Think of a name that is catchy but also represents your brand. The name, if catchy, might make the audience curious enough to go through your podcast. After all, the first impression is the best impression
2. Design Artwork: As podcasts are audio files, the only way the audience can visualize your podcast is through the cover page’s design artwork. An attractive design artwork can make the audience curious about your podcast, giving you access to a larger audience. In fact, iTunes considers your design artwork when deciding whether to host your podcast on their platform.
3. Description: A brief but persuasive description makes sure that the audience gets hooked to your podcast as it is the description that gives them a sneak peek into what your podcast is, inciting their curiosity.
4. Format: The podcast format is how you give a structure to your content. It helps create a consistent look and feel to your podcast, making the audience feel interested as they know what to expect from your podcast. Interview and conversational formats are amongst the most popular podcast formats.
5. Topic: You always have to make sure that you have a consistent topic that matches your podcast’s theme. It helps provide a consistent feel to your audience as they know what kind of content they are getting, helping them associate your podcast to their interest.
6. Target Length: You also have to decide on how long an episode will be but be careful of the fact that the length of your audio clip depends on your content as if it’s too short or too long; you tend to lose your followers. According to Cision, an average podcast has a length of 43 minutes.

 Recording and editing your podcast

While there are many different ways to record your podcast, it is important to make sure that you have a professional mic that is reliable as you need to make sure that your audio track is clear and does not have any disturbances. It is also recommended that you record your audio clip in the mp.4 format as it is the format used by podcasts. 

 You must invest in some good editing software as well, considering how podcasts are voice tracks, and the audience can catch any small mistake in the voice track as their complete focus is on your voice. It is not that costly as there are apps on your app stores which work as well as any high cost recording software available for your PC’s. For a low cost hosting and editing package, you can choose Podbean which offers users the ability to do basic trim edits while also offering the ability to monetize your podcasts  with the premium packages starting from as low as S9/ month while if you are looking for the best in editing software used by professionals for making podcasts, your best choice would be Adobe Audition for $20.99/ month.

Hosting Platform and RSS Feed

After you have your track ready, you will have to find a hosting platform to create your podcast. You need a hosting platform to store your files because only then can they be shared using streaming platforms and be downloaded by your listeners. It is mostly free, with the popular hosting platforms being like Libsyn and Podbean.

Once you have your file hosted, all you need to do is syndicate these audio files into an RSS feed to be distributed through Apple Podcasts and downloaded or streamed on any device on-demand. A popular freemium service provider to consider is Spotify.

Convinced but don’t have the time to produce or edit your podcasts? Don’t fret, Soar is here. Contact us for a free quote.