A podcast can be a useful part of a business’s marketing, but starting one because “we should probably have a podcast” is rarely enough.
The format asks for time, consistency and a clear reason for someone to listen. Before you think about microphones, artwork or guest lists, it is worth working through a few more basic questions.
1. What should the podcast help the business do?
Start with the business objective, not the format. Are you trying to build authority in a particular area? Create stronger relationships with customers? Give experts in the business a platform? Support a wider campaign? Reach a specialist audience that is difficult to engage elsewhere?
A podcast does not need to produce a direct sales lead from every episode. But it should have a role. If you cannot explain what that role is, it becomes much harder to make good decisions about everything that follows.
2. Who exactly is it for?
“Our customers” is usually too broad.
Think about the person you want to reach. What job do they do? What problems are they dealing with? What do they already know? What would make them choose to spend 20 or 30 minutes listening to you?
The clearer the audience is, the easier it becomes to choose useful subjects, guests and formats.
3. What will listeners get from it?
A business may have plenty it wants to say. That does not automatically mean an audience wants to hear it.
Try finishing this sentence: “People will listen because…”
The answer might be access to useful expertise, a clearer understanding of a complicated subject, practical ideas they can use, or conversations they cannot hear elsewhere. The important thing is that the value is obvious from the listener’s side.
4. Does a podcast suit the subject?
Audio works particularly well when the value comes from explanation, personality, experience and conversation. It gives people room to explore an idea rather than squeeze it into a short social post.
But not every subject needs a podcast. If the information is better delivered as a checklist, a short video, a diagram or a web page, use that instead.
The aim is not to force content into a podcast. It is to choose the format that helps the audience most.
5. Can you make it consistently?
Consistency does not have to mean a weekly episode forever.
A focused six-part series can be more useful than an open-ended show that quickly becomes difficult to sustain. Think realistically about the people, preparation and approval process involved. Who will host it? Who finds guests? Who signs off subjects? Who handles production and promotion?
A format that fits the resources you actually have is much more likely to work.
6. Who should host it?
The most senior person in the business is not automatically the best host.
A good host needs curiosity, the confidence to listen properly, and the ability to make a conversation useful for the audience rather than simply work through a list of prepared questions.
That can be developed. Podcast coaching can help someone find a more natural way of presenting, prepare better and become more confident in interviews.
7. How will the podcast connect with everything else?
A podcast should not have to live on an island.
One good conversation can create ideas for articles, social posts, clips, newsletters and follow-up content. More importantly, the podcast itself can support a wider marketing theme or give customers another way to spend time with your expertise.
Think about that role before launch, rather than asking afterwards how you are going to promote each episode.
The question is not “Should we have a podcast?”
A better question is: “Is there a podcast worth making for the people we want to reach?”
If the answer is yes, the next step is to define its purpose, audience and format before you start recording. Our guide to planning a business podcast takes that next step in more detail.
That is where good podcast strategy begins.
Find out more about Headphone Digital’s podcast strategy support.