How to start a podcast for your business
Article topics
- Ten steps to getting started with your own podcast
- Are there any alternatives to starting my own podcast?
- Ready to get podcasting?
More and more people than ever are listening to podcasts, making them a powerful way to promote your brand, products, and services.
In fact, seven out of ten people in the UK say they are familiar with podcasts!
Podcasts are a great way to connect with your target audience, establish yourself as a trustworthy thought leader, and, of course, promote your products and services.
There’s only just one question… how do you get started?
We’ve put together an easy-to-follow ten-step guide to planning, launching, and promoting your very first podcast!
Ten steps to getting started with your own podcast
Creating a podcast doesn’t have to be hard. The trick is to be organised and methodical – while it might be tempting to jump right in, it pays to plan ahead
From finding the right topics to talk about to promoting your freshly launched podcast, here’s how to create your first episode!
1. Decide on what you want to talk about
The good news is that you can create a podcast about any industry and any topic.
For example, our clients Privatar (now Informatica), work in the data compliance sector. Their podcast, In:Confidence, is targeted at DataOps leaders and talks about how they can ensure data stays secure in an increasingly online world.
Here’s how to choose the perfect podcast topic:
- Identify your target audience . What are they interested in learning about, and what problems do they have that your podcast can help solve?
- What is your ultimate goal? For example, do you want to use your podcast to build brand awareness, forge closer bonds with your customers, or showcase your expertise?
- What are you passionate about? If you have a personal interest in a topic, it will show in your podcast. You also need something you can talk about at length – you don’t want to launch three episodes only to find you’ve run out of things to say!
- What are your competitors talking about? If they have podcasts, you don’t want to discuss an identical topic
With podcasts, it’s better to niche down rather than talk about something generic. This makes you stand out and gives your podcast a unique selling point.
2. Work out the finer details
Once you have your topic idea, it’s time to flesh out your podcast. Working out the small details early on can make things easier for you in the future.
Think of a name
You need to think of a name for your podcast. This needs to be unique but also clarifies what your podcast is about. Your podcast name shouldn’t be cryptic or vague.
Consider your tagline
A tagline is a short, catchy phrase summarising your podcast and why people should listen to it.
This will help steer your podcast development and ensure your podcast helps you achieve your goals. You can also use your tagline in your marketing and in your actual podcast.
For example, TED Talks Daily podcast’s tagline is ‘new ideas to spark your curiosity every day’.
Establish your format
Different podcasts have different formats. It’s vital to choose the optimal format, as this can help you appeal to the right target audience and achieve your goals.
It’s best to stick to one particular format across all your podcast episodes for consistency.
Some popular podcast formats include:
- Interview – where you interview a guest about a particular topic. We’ll talk about how to invite guests later in this article
- Solo – where one host discusses a topic
- Conversational – where two or more hosts discuss a topic
- Investigative – where you carry out in-depth research about a specific topic
- Educational – where you teach listeners about a specific topic
- Storytelling – where you tell a fictional or non-fictional story. You can dedicate your podcast to telling one story or multiple stories
Choose your frequency and cadence
You need to determine how frequently you’ll release episodes and what day and time you’ll release them. A consistent cadence is essential, as this helps viewers look forward to episodes.
Researching, recording, editing, and promoting a podcast can take time and effort, especially if your podcast is complex or you rely on guest appearances.
In 2023, 2.5 million podcasts were flagged as inactive because they stopped publishing episodes. It’s better to release a podcast once a month than try and release one once a week and get burnt out.
Decide on a length
Your podcast length will depend on your subject matter and the format of your podcast.
You also have to take your audience’s needs into consideration – you don’t want to publish an hour-long podcast if your audience will only listen for ten minutes.
Remember that your podcast episodes don’t have to be an exact length – it’s okay if one episode is ten minutes longer than the others.
How long will your podcast be? According to Buzzsprout, 18% of podcasts are less than ten minutes long, with most podcasts coming in around the 20 to 40 minute mark.
Pick your host
When you selected your podcast format, you’ll have decided if you want to work with one host or multiple hosts.
It’s essential to choose the right host for your podcast. You want someone who is knowledgeable about your chosen podcast subject, has good time management skills, can stay on topic, and is a skilled researcher.
You also need to pick a host that your target audience likes – some people prefer big personalities, while others prefer hosts that are quiet and softly spoken.
Determine if you will monetise
Some businesses use podcasts as an additional revenue stream. They do this by:
- Asking for donations
- Selling sponsorship and ads
- Offering a premium tier with additional features (for example, exclusive episodes)
Bear in mind that you generally can’t monetise a podcast when you start – you need to have episodes and followers first. It typically takes two years and over 100 episodes before you can monetise.
However, it’s worth considering how you can earn money in the future so you can scale with monetisation in mind.
Create your assets
You’ll need artwork to upload to your podcast hosting software of choice – rather than just use your company logo, create something unique and memorable.
We also recommend intro and outro music – this makes your podcast more memorable to listeners. You can use royalty-free music clips for this or hire a creator to record something bespoke.
3. Get your equipment together
While you can record a podcast on your phone, the quality won’t be great. The good news is that you don’t need a studio of high-tech, expensive equipment to record a podcast.
The number one thing you need to record a podcast is a good microphone. This will ensure your voice is clear and distinct and reduce background noise.
Other pieces of equipment that you don’t necessarily need but are nice to have include:
- A pop filter for reducing plosive sounds that can be distracting
- A microphone stand for reducing vibrations
- A boom arm for positioning your microphone
- Headphones for removing distractions and hearing guests better
You may choose to create a video podcast – this is when you record video alongside your podcast recording. This makes your podcast stand out more and makes it easier to repurpose it across social media. Plus, as it’s harder for people to multitask when watching videos, people are more likely to remember what you say over an audio podcast.
13% of UK podcast fans prefer watching video podcasts, with educational, entertainment, and news-based video podcasts most popular.
If you opt for a video podcast, you’ll also need good lighting and a high-quality camera or webcam.
Many co-working spaces and recording studios have their own podcast studios you can hire if you don’t have the budget for podcasting equipment or a quiet space to record episodes.
4. Create a content calendar
Earlier in this article, we explained the benefits of establishing a regular cadence for your podcast. Creating a content calendar can help you stick to a consistent publishing frequency, understand who needs to be involved, and what marketing platforms you can promote your latest episode on.
Your content calendar might look a little like this:
Podcast #3: The rise of 3D printing in manufacturing
Google Docs and Microsoft Excel are simple, cost-effective ways of planning your podcasting schedule. You can also use Trello and Notion.
5. Pick a hosting platform
A podcast hosting platform provides a place for you to upload your podcasts.
There are many benefits to using a podcast platform than say, hosting your podcasts on your own website.
Podcasts use a lot of space and bandwidth, so using a podcast hosting platform means your website doesn’t end up running at slow speeds.
Podcast hosting platforms offer detailed analytics so you can see which podcast episodes are most popular, where your listeners are based, and the total time listened.
Plus, many podcast hosting platforms automatically push your podcasts to podcast distributors like Spotify and Apple Podcasts, saving you valuable time.
The right hosting platform for you will depend on your budget and the features you’re interested in. For example, some hosting platforms will automatically transcribe your podcast or offer AI features to optimise your podcasts.
Most platforms offer free trials so you can see if they’re right for you before you commit.
Some popular podcast hosting platforms include:
6. Invite your guests
You don’t have to invite guests to your podcasts – some podcasts work well with just one or two hosts.
However, inviting credible guests can help your podcast reach a wider audience and establish trust with your listeners. Plus, as you can interview them over video recording software, you can invite guests from anywhere in the world.
If you plan to invite guests, you need to do your research. You need to ensure prospective guests are a good fit for your podcast, are available, and are knowledgeable about your chosen topic.
Think of questions you want to ask them – they can submit their answers in advance so you can plan ahead.
Finally, be sure to fact-check any claims made by guests, both before and after recording your podcast.
While Ofcom doesn’t regulate podcasts in the same way as television and radio shows, some podcasts have recently come under fire for spreading misinformation.
7. Record your first podcast
You’ve researched your topic, found your perfect guest, and found a quiet place … it’s time to record your podcast!
Before recording your podcast, do a test recording to make sure the sound quality (and video quality if you’re creating a video podcast) is right. You may need to move your microphone around so you get the best sound.
It’s important to relax when recording a podcast. Don’t worry about tripping over your words or getting something wrong; you can use editing to create a high-quality final version.
8. Edit and polish
Unless you’re recording a live podcast, editing is essential for ensuring your podcast is clear, punchy and concise.
Some podcast hosting platforms offer AI editing services, or you can do this yourself with good-quality editing software. This doesn’t have to be expensive – Audacity is open source and free of charge to use.
With editing, you’ll want to:
- Remove background noise
- Remove pauses, filler, and any content you’d prefer not to use
- Make volume consistent
- Add music and sound effects
- Compress your recording so it’s optimised for uploading
Alternatively, if you don’t want to edit your podcast yourself, you can hire a producer to do it for you.
9. Launch, list, and go live!
Once you’ve edited your podcast, it’s time to upload it to your podcasting platform of choice!
If you’re starting out, we recommend launching two or three episodes to begin with. This can help you get good listener numbers, encourages people to get a feel for your podcast, and increases the chances of getting featured on your hosting platform.
If your podcasting hosting platform doesn’t push your podcast to podcast directories automatically, it will generate an RSS feed you can submit.
Here is a list of podcast directories to get you started.
10. Promote your podcast
You could have the most insightful podcast in the world… but if you don’t promote it, people won’t be able to find it.
While using podcast directories can put your podcast in front of some people, you still need to proactively push it to your target audience to get the best results.
Here are some ways you can market your podcast to prospective listeners:
- Clip interesting and insightful parts of your podcast and upload them to your social media channels
- Work with relevant influencers and content creators to promote your podcast to their followers
- Send emails to your email mailing list letting them know when you release new episodes
- Write blog articles about certain aspects of your podcast
- Include a nudge at the end of each episode asking listeners to share your podcast with friends or to leave a five-star review
- Use paid search and paid social ads to promote your podcast to new audiences. Social media is good for this as you can target your ads so they appear in front of people who like similar podcasts to yours
- Create an SEO-optimised central hub for your podcast on your website where you can provide more information about your podcast, links to relevant sources, and transcripts. Most hosting platforms offer code so you can embed podcasts onto your website
You can also go on other podcasts to promote your podcast – keep reading to find out how to do this.
Are there any alternatives to starting my own podcast?
If you’ve done the research and found that launching your own podcast isn’t the best option, why not consider becoming a guest on someone else’s podcast?
This can be a fantastic way to raise brand awareness, introduce your business to new customers, and showcase your expertise as a voice of authority in your industry.
You may even get backlinks to your website as thanks for appearing, boosting your SEO efforts.
Here’s how to find potential podcasts to appear on and pitch yourself as a prospective guest.
- Connect with content creators on social media platforms – LinkedIn, X, and Facebook are great places to start
- Sign up for podcast outreach tools like Rephonic, PodMatch, and JustReachOut
- Identify top podcasts in your niche on Google and podcast platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts and see if they’re accepting guests
- Create a high-quality pitch detailing how you can provide value and examples of your experience – this is a fantastic opportunity to link to any previous podcasting appearances
If you have a product or service to sell, you can also apply to sponsor a podcast. 63% of people say they’ve bought something a host has promoted on their show.
Ready to get podcasting?
Good podcasting takes time – you need to do your research, plan your episodes, and promote them to the right audience. But the results are well worth the effort.
Here’s one final tip – listen to as many podcasts in your niche as possible. This will help you understand which podcast formats work best, which types of guests are most engaging, and how to market your podcast to the masses!
Want to discover more great ways to get your digital marketing in check and promote your business? Check out the Xigen Insights blog.
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