Having a small business is all about being resourceful and taking advantage of every opportunity to reach your target market.
As a small business owner, this gives you a unique voice that others could benefit from hearing — but how do you get it out there?
Starting a business podcast is a great way to connect with potential and current customers in an engaging, informative way. Plus, it's affordable and easy to start, so there's no excuse not to give it a try.
However, before you enter the world of podcasting, there are a few things you should keep in mind.
Ensuring you understand the importance of preparation, recording equipment, audio content, what podcast platform to use and more will be vital to get your podcast off to a great start.
So, to ensure your podcast is successful and develops loyal listeners, take a closer look to find out everything you need to know before hitting the record.
With over 2 million podcasts worldwide, you might be wondering how these businesses set up their popular podcasts.
If you’re wondering how to start a business podcast of your own, we’d recommend starting with a podcast hosting provider.
Here are some best podcast hosting providers you can use to launch your podcast:
Buzzsprout was created to make podcasting easy without adding restrictions. They offer one of the finest dashboards in the market, allowing you to spend more time developing content rather than fiddling with uploads.
Captivate is an excellent podcast hosting platform. This site was created by the same company that operates Podcast Websites, so their expertise in the market is evident; they know exactly what podcasters need.
Castos provides several great features and works well with WordPress. If you want to integrate your podcast content into your WordPress website, this is the best option; it allows you to manage your feed and publish new episodes directly from WordPress.
These podcast platforms are great and all, but they’re just that — platforms. So how do you begin creating content to launch on these platforms and build a loyal audience of podcast listeners?
We’ve boiled it down to the essentials. Here’s what you need to know to lay the groundwork for a successful podcast:
Once you’ve figured all of this out, you’ll have a great start to your podcasting career. So, what are you waiting for? Pick up the mic!
If you’re still not sure whether this is the right move for you, we cover the benefits of starting a podcast for your business and answer common questions below.
More and more businesses are finding that they need a strong online presence in order to compete. This can be a daunting task, especially for small businesses that may not have the resources of larger companies, but don't despair! There are many ways to get your business noticed online, and one of them is starting a podcast.
Before entering the world of podcasting, it’s essential to understand what this type of content can do for your business so you know if it’s the right move for you. If you're on the fence about starting a podcast, consider the following benefits:
By including a link to your website in your show notes, you can encourage listeners to visit your site. You can also promote your website through social media accounts and any other marketing materials you create for your podcast.
By strategically using industry keywords and increasing your site’s backlinks, you can indirectly contribute to your SEO efforts, therefore boosting your ranking on SERPs and organically increasing your website traffic. We’ll touch more on the SEO side of things further down.
A business's lifeblood is its corporate culture. Without it, no one understands who you are, what you represent, or what to expect from you. Podcasts provide a glimpse into the individuals behind the business.
By hosting a podcast, you can reach a new audience that may be interested in your business but not familiar with your brand or you can build a deeper connection with your current customer base. Whether you talk about fascinating projects you're working on, highlight exciting new clients, or something entirely different, there are many opportunities to promote your business in a way that reaches a previously-untapped section of the market.
As a small business, you have to think about and monitor your market constantly, giving you a uniquely-informed perspective. If you want to be known as an authority in your field, one of the best ways to do this is by sharing your unique perspective through a podcast.
When you have a podcast, people can tune in to learn from you and hear what you have to say about your industry. This allows you to become a thought leader and a solution to people’s problems. If you make your podcast interesting enough, people will want to listen, and over time they'll come to see you as an expert in your field.
The necessity of a business license depends on your state and local laws. Check with your local chamber of commerce or city hall to find out the requirements in your area. However, you may want to consider registering your business as a limited liability company (LLC) if you broadcast and distribute a podcast. The LLC is popular for all types of organizations looking for asset protection.
If you’re starting a small business podcast, you’ll want to figure out how to monetize it. Do your homework first and make sure that you understand the business end of starting one. Get familiar with the tech side of things, understand what goes into production time, how much of an initial investment is required to get started and ensure that you understand copyright law and licensing as it applies to music and sound effects. By having a clear understanding of the business and legal side of podcasts, you can protect yourself and your show as you build an audience and monetize your podcast.
If you're worried about starting a podcast that's too similar to one that already exists, don't be. There are plenty of successful podcasts out there with very similar topics. The key is to find your unique angle and voice. You can also try reaching out to the hosts of similar podcasts and seeing if they'd be interested in having you on as a guest. This is a great way to get your foot in the door and start building an audience.
In the end, the most important thing is to just get started. It's easy to get caught up in planning and preparation, but it's much more rewarding to take the leap. You can adjust and course-correct as you go; no matter how perfect you think your plan is, there will always be room for improvement. The podcast industry is always evolving, so it's important to be flexible and open to change.
You may not believe it, but yes, absolutely! There are a lot of SEO benefits to doing a podcast. For starters, podcasts can help you generate organic traffic. Google and other search engines love fresh content, and a podcast is a great way to regularly provide new content.
Podcasts can also help you increase the amount of backlinks to your company website. When you include a podcast on your website, you’re allowing other websites and blogs to link back to your site. This can improve your website's ranking on search engine results pages.
Podcasts can also help you build relationships with influencers and thought leaders in your industry. When you interview these people on your podcast, you’re connecting with them, which can expand your reach and lead to other opportunities down the road.
Through podcasting, you can reach a wider audience and promote your small business to build a loyal customer base. If you're looking to generate organic traffic, build backlinks, and create relationships with influencers, then starting a podcast for your business is a great idea.
Getting your small business website found in the modern era is all about how many different streams of traffic you can generate. If you're generating social traffic, referral traffic, traffic from email marketing campaigns and utilizing small business SEO services to generate organic traffic from search engines, traffic as a result of your podcast getting found is another stream that contributes to your small business website's growth. Once more, if you really nail your presentation and grow, you'll be generating additional income streams for the business as well.
This question might start haunting you after you've worked tirelessly to get your first episode out to the world; when it hits you that you'll have to do it all over again, you might start to worry about how sustainable the entire process will be for you. Sure, you've put in good systems and developed valuable skills, but you may be exhausted. So the nagging question persists: how frequently should new podcast episodes be released?
There’s no set schedule for podcasting. Some producers release episodes weekly, some every two weeks, and others only once a month, which is typically preferred by small businesses. Others publish multiple times each week, or even daily. As with everything else in podcasting, there is no one-size-fits-all answer.
The "best" schedule is usually the one that you can consistently stick to so your audience knows when to expect new episodes. Release episodes on a schedule that you can maintain for the long term, because it takes time to develop an audience. As long as you’re consistent with your releases, your audience will grow over time. Consistency will pay off eventually, so try not to give up if things seem slow at first.
By ignoring the potential of a podcast, you’re essentially leaving money on the table by keeping your business hidden from a huge potential customer base. If you have something valuable to say and you’re passionate about your field, starting a podcast should be a no-brainer. It’s not as difficult or as expensive as you may think to get started, and if you commit to consistency, you’ll reap the rewards over time.
However, it takes time and effort to produce a quality podcast, so make sure that you have the time, money, and energy to do it right. If you can commit to all of that, then starting a podcast is a great way to take your small business to the next level.
Wondering how to start a business podcast? We’ve got more tips on how to make it successful. If you're curious about other digital marketing tips for small businesses, Agency Jet's blog is full of detailed guides, tutorials, and more. Read more here: https://www.agencyjet.com/blog.