Podcasts are becoming more popular, and businesses of all sizes are beginning to produce and distribute their own versions. But how exactly does one go about producing a profitable, long-lasting, and outcome-focused business podcast? Here are some helpful hints:

Along with other marketing channels like blogging, social media, video marketing, email campaigns, and so on, the production of a corporate podcast is becoming an increasingly significant tool that should be included in your overall marketing plan. The podcasting revolution is showing no signs of abating any time soon, which is good news for companies of all sizes. Big-name brands and small businesses alike are jumping on board the podcasting bandwagon.

Having said that, not every podcast produced by a company will end up being the next great smash. So, how exactly can businesses differentiate themselves from the rest of the pack and leave their imprint on the podcasting industry?

The following are ten suggestions that can help you create a successful corporate podcast, which will in turn increase brand recognition and offer value to your existing listener base:

1. Confirm your budget

Even while podcasting is a very inexpensive medium, the expenses may rapidly pile up if the majority of the work is outsourced or if you invest in high-quality recording equipment. Make sure that you and the other members of your leadership team have settled on a definite budget for the creation of a corporate podcast before you take any first steps in the process, and start keeping a record of the expenditures right away to prevent any confusion.

If you have a larger budget, you will have more freedom and flexibility to try new things with the podcast. However, it is important to keep in mind that if you are making the case for a higher investment, you need to have a breakdown of how precisely you will be tracking success metrics and KPIs.

2. Strategize

Before you set out on your content creation journey alongside any colleagues, freelancers, or agency partners you may be working with, be sure to align on a high-level strategy internally. This could mean putting together a deck including elements like the podcast theme and tone, or simply sitting down for a brainstorming session with your team. ‍

3. Select the right team

If you work for a big company that has a sizable number of employees, deciding in advance who will be on the podcast team will be an extremely crucial task for you to do. For instance, would the podcast be the entire duty of the marketing team, or would it be a project that involves other functional areas? If the purpose of your podcast is to cultivate industry contacts in order to boost sales, the sales department of your company may want to become involved and provide you with input about guests.

If you take the time to assign tasks and sort out roles in advance, it will save you a ton of time after you have the event up and running, and it will also help you stay organized while you are in the planning phases. Choose team members to assist you who have both the ability to think creatively and a strong interest in the art of narrative, if at all feasible.

4. Find the right partners

After you have chosen the members of the internal team who will work on the podcast, you should think about any outsourcing that may be required in order to create the episode. For instance, it could be beneficial to collaborate with a podcast firm that offers a broad range of services so that they can assist you with episode planning, writing, and social media, or it’s possible that all you need is a freelance sound engineer.

Regardless of the specifics of your requirements, you should take care to choose business partners and suppliers in whom you have complete faith and who have a demonstrated history of providing outstanding work to customers operating in the same industry as your company.

5. ‘Stay current’

Think about how you may bring your podcast into the present by drawing on current events or problems that are occurring in the world around you when you are building the general topic for your podcast as well as the plans for individual episodes.

What kinds of difficulties does your organization now need to work through? What is it that your audience is now concerned about? What are some of the most popular subjects of discussion around the water cooler?

When it comes to the development of content, it is essential to have your finger on the pulse of what is happening in your sector. After all, the last thing you want for your corporate podcast is to appear tone-deaf or out of touch with current trends. You may want to spend some time taking an inventory of what other creators are doing in your area so that you can have a better grasp on how the environment is currently functioning.

6. Raise your standards

In terms of both the sound quality and the editing, you’ll want to make sure that your business podcast sounds as good as it possibly can. People will expect companies that have been around for longer to produce content of a higher quality (no pressure! ), so you should try to think about how you can raise your standards and keep improving with each episode. This is something that is especially important if you plan to invite a well-known company to the show.

This might often come down to price and being able to invest in the correct partners, software, and resources in order to generate not just material of high quality but also sound of high quality.

7. Choose the right host

If the format you choose for your business podcast involves a host, it is imperative that you select an individual who will assist you in capturing the appropriate tone, voice, and connection with your target audience. You have the option of choosing someone from inside your firm who is knowledgeable about the topic area, such as the CEO or founder, or you have the option of outsourcing the position to a professional actor or TV presenter who can assist in pulling in listeners. Either way, you have the choice.

8. Determine your ideal listener profile

When you’re arranging the material for your channel, it’s a good idea to keep in mind who you’ll really be addressing when it’s time to push record on your recording device. In this manner, you will be able to customize your material to appeal to a certain demographic of audience members and, eventually, transform listeners into customers if that is the objective you want to achieve.

Creating a general sketch of your ideal listener profile may be an interesting exercise for you and your team as you navigate the process of content development. Of course, you don’t want to risk alienating particular groups as potential listeners, but you do want to avoid the danger of doing so. Include things like their age, gender, level of education, daily habits, interests, and more in this profile sketch so that you can begin to envision a real person listening on the other end of the microphone and what their reaction might be to your content. There is no such thing as too much detail when it comes to creating a profile sketch.

Once again, try not to take this advice too literally. Think of it as practice in having empathy for other people and gaining knowledge of what makes them tick.

9. Set some benchmark goals

When it comes to corporate podcasts, analytics play a very important role. In the majority of instances, you will be reporting on your work as well as the results of the podcast to higher-ups in order to provide them with an understanding of the return on investment (ROI). It is vital to come prepared with frequent analytics reports and, more significantly, insights into what the data is saying about your podcast. Being prepared is the key to success.

Set some benchmark objectives before you release any episodes, such as the number of downloads you want, the ratings you want, and the reviews you want, so that you can measure your success along the way. In this manner, if a specific strategy or format is working very well, you will be able to continue utilizing it in future episodes to build your audience. This is especially useful if you are producing a podcast.

10. Engage the whole organization.

Even though you will probably just be working with a few other coworkers on the podcast itself, it is crucial to involve the whole workplace in order to generate interest and increase your KPIs. If you come from a major business, it would be a mistake not to make use of your internal employee base by urging them to listen to the program, rate it, write a review of it, and share it with their networks. This would be a wasted opportunity.

Even if just thirty percent of workers support the podcast, this may soon mount up and help you acquire momentum from the very beginning of your endeavor. A simple method for engaging workers is to hold an internal giveaway contest with prizes consisting of tech equipment, gift cards, or other swag as an incentive for them to listen in.