Content. Charisma. Connection.
The Ultimate Business Podcast FAQ
Creating, launching, and promoting your business podcast.
Do you have a question about podcasting, whether or not it will work for your business, tools and technology, launching or promotion? We might just have an answer!
Learn About:
The Basics
What is different about a business podcast?
How do I subscribe to a podcast?
How many people listen to podcasts?
What kinds of podcasts are there?
Do I need an editor for my podcast?
What is the difference between a podcast editor and a podcast producer?
What are show notes?
Do I need show notes?
Why does my voice sound so awful in a recording?
Anatomy of a Podcast
Tools and Technology
What is a podcast host?
What kind of microphone do I need?
What can I use to edit audio?
What makes a good recording environment?
How do I record guests remotely?
Launching a Podcast
The Basics
What is a podcast?
A podcast is a piece of audio content that is available online to stream or download – usually on a specific topic. It is similar to a radio broadcast in that the main way people will engage with it is by listening, but different in that you can play it on demand at any time you like.
What is different about a business podcast?
A business podcast is part of a broader content marketing strategy that has specific goals for your business, like networking, content generation, audience engagement, or establishing thought leadership. The first decision you should make about a business podcast is what your primary, and secondary business goals for it are. Learn more about goals (and the metrics you’ll use to track your progress towards them) in our blog post: Turning Business Goals into Content Metrics.
How do people find podcasts?
There are a couple of ways that people can find new podcasts to listen to. Sometimes, they’ll use a search engine like google to find a podcast on a particular topic they’re interested in. Sometimes they’ll get a personal recommendation from a friend, colleague, or family member. Other times they’ll hear an ad or a cross-promotion on a show they already listen to, and sometimes they’ll be recommended through the platform listening app they use. If you have an existing audience either on social media or through an email autoresponder, that will be your first big source of listeners, and after that promoting your show and gaining new listeners will be an ongoing activity.
How do I subscribe to a podcast?
Pick a podcast app, like Google Podcasts, Sticher, Apple Podcasts, Player FM, Spotify etc., search for the name of the show you are looking for and click or tap subscribe. Any podcast website should also have a variety of options for how to subscribe. On most apps, the most recent episode will be automatically downloaded to your device, so you can listen to it whether or not you’re on wifi, and you can easily stream others. If you’re not into using apps, most podcasters will also place players on their websites so you can listen to episodes individually.
How many people listen to podcasts?
Lots! And more every year. Just a hair over half of Americans have listened to one or more of the 850,000 active podcasts that exist in the last year. Most people who listen to podcasts listen to around 7 episodes weekly. Since they’re free, on a huge array of topics, and extremely convenient, there’s every reason to expect people will continue to listen to them.
What kinds of podcasts are there?
There are two ways to answer this question, the first has to do with show purpose, and the second has to do with show format. For a business podcast, the purposes have to do with your business goals: thought leadership podcasts, audience engagement podcasts, networking and leadgen podcasts – that kind of thing. From the format perspective, there are options like solo shows with a single host, interview shows where a host interviews a guest, conversational shows where two hosts talk to each other, panel shows where a moderator facilitates a discussion between several guests and more! When you get outside of professional podcasts, you may also find investigative journalism, fiction, and commentary podcasts as well. There is a lot of room to mix and match different purposes with different formats, and choosing the right mix is something that your podcast producer can help you with.
What makes a good podcast?
The same thing that makes a good meal! A good podcast is one where the person consuming it enjoys and gets value out of it. If you’re a passion or a hobby podcaster, that’s all you need to concern yourself with, but a business podcaster also needs to look at how well a podcast is meeting their business and marketing goals. For businesses, a good podcast is one that contributes to one or more business objectives and is more valuable than the time and resources it takes to create it. (Measuring this can be challenging because many of the benefits of podcasting are indirect, but it’s worth making the effort!)