Starting a podcast could be a great idea if you want some valuable, high quality content to accompany your business. Podcasts are becoming more and more popular, as people like to listen to them while they are driving, doing chores, and other things.

For this reason, many people have considered starting a podcast – but just because anybody can do it, doesn’t mean you should dive in headfirst. Here’s what you should know if you’re thinking of launching a business podcast:

Knowing Your Audience and Define Your Niche

If you’re starting a podcast to accompany your business, then it makes sense to ensure it relates closely to your business, services, products, and your industry. However, making it too promotional is a huge mistake – it should be valuable and helpful, providing information to people that they would not have had otherwise. You could also discuss similar topics and things that your audience might have an interest in. However, before you start, you should have a very clear idea of what your focus is.

Now you think you’ve got your focus, but wait a minute before you proceed. Is this a topic you will be able to continue producing content on, over and over again? Certain topics can seem exciting, but they might not actually have enough substance. When you can make your podcast topic as niche as possible, your listeners will actually feel like you’re talking to them. You may be able to expand later on when your podcast has grown, but in the beginning, you will need to keep things as niche as possible to grow your audience.

Becoming Absolutely Clear on Who Your Ideal Listener Is

Think about who exactly you are talking to and why. If you have a business, then you have hopefully already worked this out and gone through it in great detail. Knowing the perfect person to share your message with will make a big difference to your results – are they male or female? How old are they? What does their life look like? What challenges do they face? The more questions you can answer, the better.

Coming up With Episode Subjects

Once you have narrowed down your focus, you can come up with subjects to talk about at length. Brainstorm episode subjects so that you know there’s enough to say on the topic. What do you think your ideal listener will want to know about your business/product/industry?

Things to Remember Before Interviewing People in Your Industry

Interviewing people in your industry can be a great way to nail the interview format and provide your audience with plenty of useful information. However, you will first need to have a podcast guest release form for each guest that is due to appear on your show. Asking the people you interview if they will help to market the show for you can be a good idea, too. Most people should be willing, but asking ahead of time will help them to keep it at the forefront of their minds.

If you do decide to go the interview route, practicing and figuring out what to say beforehand will be best. Having a few dry rehearsals with friends and family will ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible.

Buying the Right Equipment

Sound quality is absolutely crucial in a podcast. You can’t have background noise – if the sound is not as clear as possible, they will leave. There are so many podcasts out there that you simply can’t give your audience a reason like this to leave you. A computer, pop filter, and boom/microphone stand will also ensure you can produce the best quality imaginable. Purchasing podcast hosting should also not be neglected so that you can get your podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, and other platforms.

It’s also wise to practice recording with all of your software beforehand so you get the hang of it. Do some real test runs so that when the day comes to record your actual podcast, you are more than ready and confident. You’ll have an easier time editing it, too.

What to Do About Recording Your First Episode

Once it’s time to record your first episode, you’ll need to make sure you have set up in the quietest place in your home. Some people soundproof a room especially for this. Bear in mind that a regular empty room may not be the best idea, as sound can bounce off the walls and hard surfaces. It should be somewhat soundproofed before you film. Some podcasters record in their closets, under blankets, or in other places with minimal background noise.

Bear in mind that you might feel a bit strange at first. It’ll take time before you feel super confident being a podcast host. Focus more on getting it right in the beginning, and always go for quality rather than quantity. As you get used to what you’re doing, you’ll be able to record and edit each episode much faster. Just don’t feel like you need to rush at the start.

Be realistic, too – there will be hiccups at the start. Even pro podcasters have trouble from time to time. You may have a guest cancel at the last minute, record an episode with your microphone off, or delete episodes by accident. All kinds of things can go wrong. Just keep going no matter what.

Creating Your Intro and Outro

Your intro/outro should be a quick 15-30 second opening to your show. It should say the host name, your show name, and what your show is about. Some like to use a new intro every episode, others change it with the seasons, and others use the same one again and again. Make your ending statement a call to action. Give out your website, social handles, and make sure listeners have the knowledge to learn more about you. You might want to build a membership site so that you can shout it out and encourage people to find more of your content.

Picking Your Music

Always, always, always do your research on any music you want to use before you add it to your podcast. It must not be copyright protected so that you avoid hefty fines and lawsuits. You could have your podcast shut down if you don’t comply. It will take time to find suitable music, and you should not cut corners.

Transforming Your Recording Into a Podcast

Now that you have recorded your show, find a host that can store your audio and make it available to your audience. The hosting service will literally walk you through the process, so then you can place your audio files on their website. It will then be possible for you to submit your podcast to directories like iTunes, Google Play, and so on. Don’t forget there are a few other things that you’ll want to have in place before you launch:

• A description of your show outlining your niche for your listeners. You will use this when you share it on any platform.
• Podcast cover art and images for other social platforms that you would like to promote on.
• A schedule that you can stick to. Consistency is a must if you want to grow your fanbase, so figure out how often you are going to release episodes. Will you release everything you have recorded at once, or release one episode at a time?
• Marketing plans will help you to promote your show more effectively. Having a few ideas before you launch will be a huge help.

Managing Your Transcripts

Knowing how to manage your transcripts can help you to grow your podcast and improve your SEO in a plethora of ways. Let’s say you have recorded and edited your podcast episodes – by now, you may have even uploaded some of your episodes. In order to make your podcasts more accessible, add your transcripts and any show highlights to a dedicated website or page. Sharing the transcripts will boost SEO, and will encourage people to share. It also gives people a place to share their thoughts and comments, and gives you the opportunity to share links to things you may have discussed in the podcast.

Marketing Your Podcast

As a good entrepreneur, you need to capitalize on every effort you make in the business, especially in terms of budget allocation for marketing. If you don’t have the money, then free promotion is good but if you do have the money, then it’s time to invest in a little marketing and this includes SEO. An SEO Marketing Agency can greatly assist you. If you have a website, those links should be firmly in place.

Social media is an important communication channel between your brand and the community and should be treated as a separate area of ​​marketing on its own, working closely with the other members of your digital team and managed efficiently by a social media specialist. Make sure you have a website that is optimized for mobile users and also that you have mastered  local SEO strategies. Social adoption goes beyond having profiles on the main social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Google +, but must include an active social presence to make your business more pleasant and generate engagement. These platforms will be great for your podcast promotion! Word of mouth is also great.

To maximize results, your business must learn to implement a multi-channel digital marketing strategy to be more effective and generate favorable responses from your target audience in whatever channel they are on. Connecting and engaging with your target audience is crucial to the success and survival of your podcast and its future growth, which is why it is vital to start a multichannel campaign now.

Conclusion: Time to Get Started on Your Podcast!

Just like with your business, you need to keep your audience in mind as you go about creating your new podcast. How can you make this experience as valuable as possible to them? Figure out a way you can gather feedback from them too, as this can help you to improve tenfold and is extremely helpful.

All you can do then is continue learning and developing your podcast. Record more episodes, promote them, plan more interviews, and do as much as you possibly can to get your work off the ground. The more effort you put into your new venture, the more you will get out of it. You could make your show stand out and make a huge difference to your business by using the advice here!