Raise your hand if you’ve listened to a podcast in the past month.
OK, full disclosure, we can’t see if you’re holding up your hand or not, but we’re going to take an educated guess that almost half of you are.
Data from 2021 suggests as much: 41% of the U.S. population surveyed had listened to a podcast in the preceding month, and over the year, an estimated 82.7 million people listened to a podcast. And with genres and series running the gamut, from true crime deep dives to comedians jiving on bad movies, there’s something for everyone — and an opportunity for every business.
A podcast can be the perfect way to share your organization’s story and thought leadership and connect with current clients, client prospects and other experts in your industry. For example, a law firm may find potential clients by breaking down complicated issues in the news, or perhaps a local chain of hardware stores can answer DIY home improvement questions to enhance its brand recognition.
A few tips to get started:
Identify the idea and a format: What are you discussing? Who’s the audience? Will it be a discussion between the hosts? Based around interviews? What’s the recording and release frequency? How long will episodes run? Decide it all before you start recording.
Find your host: Who are the top storytellers in your organization? Remember, it doesn’t have to be a CEO.
Get your equipment: You’ll want good audio quality, so check out this equipment list to start your studio.
Draft scripts: Even if you plan on ad-libbing and having a more conversational tone during a recording, using a script during certain segments or, at minimum, following an outline will give the podcast structure and direction.
Be consistent: When you’re building a podcast from scratch, providing a regular flow of new episodes will help your storytellers grow from novices into podcasting pros.
Appearing as a podcast guest can be just as worthwhile. Platforms are rife with industry-specific shows, and many of those are seeking interesting figures to interview about their careers, organizations and expertise. The more podcasts your storytellers appear on, the more other podcasts will want to host them.
Whether you’re the one doing the hosting or being hosted, podcasts are yet another excellent avenue to share your authentic business story. Rest assured — prospects are listening.
