It is common knowledge that podcasts are a kind of audio material that users may subscribe to, download, or listen to whenever they like on demand. Other than the fact that the latter was produced by a brand, there is no difference between a conventional podcast and a branded podcast.

There are a lot of popular examples, such as Trader Joe’s: Inside Trader Joe’s, Blue Apron’s: Why We Eat What We Eat, Sephora’s: #LIPSTORIES, Zendium’s: 2 Minutes of Zen, Gatorade’s: The Secret to Victory, and Slack’s: Slack Variety Pack. There are also a lot more examples.

You should consider adding a well-executed branded podcast to your arsenal of content marketing tools since it has the potential to provide significant value. The finest branded podcasts now available are not just 30-minute advertisements for the company or product being promoted. They are more like an episodic program that is often connected to the business sector that the brand operates in.

The most important thing for companies to keep in mind is that during the whole of the podcast, they should only make brief, incidental references to the business while instead focusing on a particular subject and presenting guests who are pertinent to that topic. Always consider how you can deliver the greatest value to your audience, and in most cases, that won’t be accomplished by promoting your brand for upwards of a quarter of an hour.

A listener would want to pay attention to a good brand podcast since it provides material that is not only captivating but also informative and valuable. You may boost your capacity to develop trust and real connections with listeners by putting an emphasis on the value that you provide to your audience. This is how you get the ball rolling on the process of building a loyal listener base, which means that your audience keeps coming back for more of your material, sometimes across media other than simply audio.

Continue reading to discover our top four recommendations for creating a successful branded podcast.

1. Be Original and Add Value

When it comes to the branded industry, there are perhaps too many podcasts that seem like they are simply another interview with someone who has successfully grown a company in the market. And don’t get us wrong, there are some excellent podcasts out there that follow this format. However, creating a distinct point of view on the topic matter or satisfying a need for an audience may help branded podcasts differentiate themselves from the rest of the pack.

It is important to keep in mind that you should not make a podcast with the sole intention of selling your product or service. A podcast advertisement that pretends to be real radio won’t be effective. Your audience will feel unappreciated, and it will be a terrible reflection on your brand.

The listener should always come first in a podcast, and the material should be captivating. For example, Ford has created a podcast titled “Bring Back Bronco: The Untold Story,” which focuses on one of the most well-known automobile companies and investigates the process by which a model that has been retired is brought back into production. It did not come across as a lengthy Ford commercial; rather, it was effective in speaking to the passions of those who like the brand and automobiles in general.

If a company is able to successfully build something that is genuinely unique, they will have the possibility of expanding their customer base much beyond the people who are currently familiar with their product or service. Produce something that is distinct, original, and adds value to set yourself apart from the competition. Over the course of time, you will amass the largest and most devoted audience.

Have an idea for a podcast that would include your brand? That is the topic that we like to discuss the most. Please get in touch with a member of our team to schedule a brain storming session.

2. Think Big Picture 

When it comes to your branded podcast, it is important to keep the overall picture in mind. To put it another way, what are your long-term plans for expanding both the size of your internal audience as well as the size of your audience that comes from outside your organization? Participation in the podcast is one of the greatest methods to guarantee that your audience develops along with you and continues to be engaged with you.

• Ask for opinions, POVs, and comments – but not only ask but actually later read them. If your listeners have valuable insights and advice consider implementing it. An engaged audience who cares about your success is invaluable.
• Respond to questions – there will always be fan questions. Find a way to respond to some of them. Some podcast formats will allow replying to some questions during the episode. If your format doesn’t allow it, consider having special episodes that are dedicated to listener questions or a section on your website. 
• Analyze – review how your podcast is performing. Find your best and worst episodes. Analyze the difference between them (episode format, length, sound quality, topic). Learn what your audience cares about and see if you can deliver more.

You are well on your way to having a great concert if you are able to take a step back and constantly concentrate on the big picture of creating an audience via an approach that is thoughtful and collaborative.

3. Augment the Product

A multitude of movies, television series, and streaming platforms are now using podcasts in order to broaden the audience for their original material. For example, Netflix will often broadcast what they call “companion podcasts” to accompany the premiere of one of their more prominent shows. This is a smart approach, taking into consideration the large number of podcast listeners who are also users of video streaming services.

A fantastic illustration of this can be found in The Crown: The Official Podcast, which is a companion to the successful program of the same name that can be found on Netflix. A brand may take a cue from Netflix’s business model and look for ways to improve their product or service, such as by producing a podcast that enhances the whole experience a customer has with the brand’s offering.

Spend some time thinking about the many alternative ways in which you may benefit from the content of your podcast. It’s possible that you’ll choose to increase your podcast’s SEO and exposure by beginning a blog series that provides an in-depth analysis of each episode. Alternatively, the podcast may evolve into a series of live events or even a stand-alone video series.

branding in its contemporary sense, as well as a strategy for using podcasts as an additional marketing tool.

4. Have Brand Alignment 

There are several instances of companies that have effectively matched their podcast with their brand and made it work to their benefit. One such example is Apple, which has a number of podcasts that are quite popular. There is a fantastic podcast produced by Nike called TRAINED. The show is all on, you guessed it, training utilizing Nike resources.

As was noted previously, Trader Joe’s also produces a podcast series that is quite popular and moves at a rapid speed. The realism of the series is enhanced by the fact that the podcast is presented by two workers who have been with the company for a significant amount of time. Every episode walks listeners behind the scenes of the well-known convenience store, discusses the business’s modest origins as a tiny chain in Southern California, brings listeners inside the shop itself, and provides recommendations on various things sold there.

The fact that it gives fans access to knowledge that they can put to good use contributes to the series’ ongoing success. In point of fact, episodes often lead to food bloggers and blogs covering what’s new in the world of food. Their popular podcast is just one more example of the astute marketing that has contributed to Trader Joe’s expansion into a national chain that now includes more than 500 locations in the United States.

You now know the answer! You are well on your way to creating a terrific podcast that will attract listeners if you can identify methods for your branded podcast to be innovative, offer value, think large, enhance your product or service, and have real brand alignment.