Podcasts are a smart way for brands to stand out and gain trust and authority from their audience.
Brands looking to build trust and differentiate themselves from their audience can create a podcast.
Podcasts are available for all topics: music, movies, fashion, beauty and news, culture, and gaming. True crime, cooking, real crime, podcasts, marketing, the environment, Fiction, self-help. education, finance, comedy, and many more. Podcasts can be created about any industry or subject matter.
Let's explore podcast meaning and how to create a podcast.
What Is A Podcast?
A podcast is an audio program that focuses on one topic and then splits it into multiple episodes.
- Podcasts can be downloaded or streamed at any time via their preferred podcast channel like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts & Stitcher.
- Podcasts are also a great way to hear people talk - whether it's people sharing stories, experts sharing their knowledge, or hosts interviewing interesting guests.
Podcasts can be as simple as two people having a conversation every episode. Some podcasts feature only one person speaking directly to the listener. Some podcasts feature a scripted story, but only audio and dialogue convey the fictional plot.
Why Start A Podcast?
A podcast can be created by -- Anyone. 🤓
- No matter how small or large your brand is, start-up costs and equipment are minimal.
- Podcasts are gaining popularity.
- Podcasts are listened to by 50% of Americans aged 12-34 and 43% of those 35-54.
- To build a deeper relationship with your listeners.
- To communicate with your listeners and show your expertise more directly.
- Podcast listeners tend to pay more attention to podcasts than to written articles.
- A podcast may hold your attention for 30 minutes. While the User can leave a blog post in 90 seconds.
- Podcasts are more personal than written content and can build brand awareness and trust faster.
- Only 4 million podcasts are currently available. You'll be amazed at how much less competition there is compared to the number of 600 million blogs.
Finally, podcast episodes that are published on your website with helpful note transcriptions or show notes can rank higher in search engines for the queries that your audience is looking for.
🤓👉 Podcasts are great for SEO and branding.
What Are The 7 Tips For Starting A Podcast?
Are you interested in starting your podcast? Start here with the help of these tips.
1. Start Small And Then Start To Invest
👉 Don't rush to buy expensive equipment the second you decide to start your podcast.
👉 Instead, start small. Record your first episode using your smartphone and a microphone.
👉 Then you can gradually invest in better recording equipment:
- such as a smart microphone that can pick up your voice and filter out background sounds,
- and audio editing software),
- creative support (such as a sound mixer,
- editor,
- fancy graphics for cover artwork,
- and creative help (such as a sound mixer).
2. Select A Topic And A Format
The first step in creating a podcast is choosing a topic and format.
Topic - What's your podcast about? What topics will your podcast cover?
Format -
- How will you present your podcast?
- Do you want one host?
- Do you prefer two or three hosts?
- Will you tell stories?
- Do interviews?
- Do you want to share your knowledge?
Research is the best way to discover your topic and format.
Audience Research
- What are they looking for? What are their interests?
- Which of their problems or pain points could you address in your podcast?
Topic Research
- You should find a broad topic that is both relevant to your business and ties in with your expertise.
- Consider publishing other content like blogs to be a topic for your podcast. This helps your podcast stay connected to other content.
- Podcast episodes can be made from blog content, or vice versa provided they are thematically and topically related.
Competitor Research
- Are your competitors using podcasts? Are there podcasts that cover your topic?
- Take a look at the work of your competition, their format, and how they share information. What can you do to differentiate yourself?
3. Episode Outline Or Script
👍 Before you start recording, it's important to have a rough idea about what you will cover and how you'll do that.
- Begin by brainstorming topics for your first 10 episodes. This will help you get an idea of how much mileage your podcast topic/theme will bring and keep each episode relevant.
- If you have trouble coming up with topics for podcast episodes after 10 episodes, it might be an indication that your theme needs to be expanded or modified.
- After you have established the topics for your first episode, you can create a short outline of key points to discuss in episode 1.
- You don't need to write every word that you speak (unless it helps). However, you can make a plan to ensure you don't get lost in the recording process.
Each episode must have a topic and a goal. Listeners should have a reason for you to keep them listening. Talking for 20 minutes will not provide any value.
4. Do Not Be Afraid To Push Through The Initial Discomfort.
- Once you have your first episode written or outlined press record.
- You may experience some stumbling blocks if you have never podcasted before. You may find it strange or alien.
- It's best to just keep going and get the recording done. You'll become more comfortable over time. Do not give up if things don't work out the first time. You will improve at this the more you practice it!
5. Include An Intro And An Outro
- Almost all professional-sounding podcasts include a short introduction, where listeners may hear a snippet of music and the host welcoming them to the podcast and introducing the episode topic.
- To give listeners a sense of satisfaction, you can include an outro (also known as a conclusion) that mirrors your intro, but instead signs off, and sets expectations for the next episode.
These bookends make your podcast more professional and well-organized, which is what listeners love.
6. Optimize
Optimizing your podcast will give it the best chance to be found by listeners. Here are some key areas you should focus on when optimizing your podcast:
Podcast Title - Keep it short and sweet and relevant to your brand.
Podcast Category - Choose the category that best suits the content of your podcast.
Podcast Description- This is the description potential listeners will see to find out more about your podcast and decide if they would like to listen. This description should be user-focused. Make sure you include relevant keywords.
Podcast Cover Artwork: Keep your design simple, clean, and attractive. Do not try to include too much text in your cover art. You can hire a graphic designer to do this job for you if you are able. You can use templates from Canva if you don't currently have the funds.
7. Choose A Podcast Hosting Platform
- When you are ready to submit your podcast on platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts, be aware that you will need a separate host to store your audio files.
- Your podcast hosting service stores podcast episodes and generates an RSS Feed. This feed is what you will submit to podcast platforms.
- This will only be necessary once as your RSS feed will automatically update when new episodes are uploaded to your host service.
👉 You can check out Podbean and Buzzsprout hosting services.
What Are The 5 Great Podcast Examples?
Once you have a basic understanding of how to start a podcast, it is time to find inspiration. These are just a few examples of how brands, creatives, and journalists have done this medium justice.
Branded Podcast: Inside Trader Joe’s
- Trader Joe's grocery chain is known for its unique products, seasonal items, and other specialties.
- Its podcast hosts take you inside shops and behind the scenes to show you what cult products are and how they work.
Advice Podcast: Not Another Anxiety Show
- Kelli Walker, the host, is a registered nurse and certified coach in health and well-being. She was also an agoraphobe.
- This podcast is focused on anxiety and offers tips and guidance from Kelli and other experts to help you work through your disorder.
Fictional Podcast: LimeTown
- This podcast is a fictionalized story about the disappearance of more than 300 people in a small town in Tennessee. 😮
- The podcast is immersive and plays like a real investigative podcast. The podcast became so popular that it was made into a TV series.
Finance podcast: Money Girl
- Laura D. Adams hosts the Money Girl podcast.
- She breaks down complicated financial and small-business topics and makes them easy to understand.
Investigative Podcast: In The Dark
- The Podcast is an award-winning podcast that features investigative journalism about true crime stories gone wrong.
- Each season focuses only on one case and delves into every detail.
- The second season, as it turned out, was crucial in releasing a prisoner.
Conclusion! Are You Ready To Launch Your Podcasts?
It's a good sign if you are excited about starting your podcast. It is the best thing to do because your passion will show in your final product. A podcast can be started by any person, brand, or creator.
Remember to start small and research. Then plan your topic based on what your audience wants to hear. Finally, outline the content of each episode and then take the time to optimize.
That’s all in this blog. I hope you find it helpful and insightful you can suggest it in the comment section below.
Happy podcasting!🤓