(This is part 3 in a 6-part series on podcasts – if you’ve ever considered starting your own podcast, or know someone who has, let’s explore together!)
New to the podcast world and don’t know where to begin? Most podcasts fizzle out because they don’t have a clear and consistent plan for how to create meaningful content that listeners want to hear on a consistent basis. Today we want to look at three pillars that every podcast should have to get the podcast started, maintained, and have meaningful content that listeners will enjoy.
Where should I post my podcast?
Starting a podcast begins with the technical component of getting episodes online and finding avenues to promote it so that people will find you. Luckily, it’s become easier than ever to get your new podcast up and running online. There are also a ton of ways to grow your podcast through social media.
Finding a hosting company
Choosing a hosting company is an important step in starting a new podcast. Podcast hosting companies store all of your episodes and deliver them to all of the various places that people go to listen to podcasts (ie. Apple, Google, Spotify, Audible, etc.) Finding the right podcast host will allow you a secure place to store your episodes that will be disseminated to the world to be heard. If you’re looking for options for various hosting services, check out this article from WPBeginner.
Social Media
After you’ve added your episodes to your hosting service, it’s now time to help people find you! Social media is a great way to create buzz with your existing audience and get them to connect with your podcast. One amazing way to get people interested in your podcast is by repurposing your podcast on social media. In this article (link to repurposing article) we talk more about how to repurpose your podcast in a variety of ways to engage your audience.
On your website
Your website should also talk about your podcast. Let people know about your new offering so that they can engage more with your brand. Create clear calls to action on your site that show people how to get to your podcast and how it will be of value to them. If they are already on your website, they at least know who you are and what you offer to them. Help them connect in a greater way with your brand by connecting them to your podcast!
What should I talk about?
If content is king, then what should you talk about on your podcast? For many business owners, this can be the biggest stumbling block to starting a podcast. You know that you have something to say, but you just aren’t certain of what it is. We’ve all been there! Staring at a blank page thinking about what to write or talk about is intimidating. Here are a few tips on how to think through what you should talk about on your podcast.
What does my ideal customer want to learn?
Think through who your ideal customer is and what they want to learn. People will not listen to a podcast if it does not bring value to their life or business. As you think about your customer, what will bring them the most value? This will definitely be specific to the industry you are in and who you’d like to reach, but it’s a question that must be answered. If you stay focused on helping learn and grow, you’ll have a podcast that people come back to regularly.
Have conversations with your team and future listeners
If you have a team, talk with them and see what it is that they are going through and areas where they are trying to grow. If you don’t have a team, leverage your network in your industry to learn about felt needs and areas of growth. As we said earlier, your goal is to bring value. Sometimes the best way to bring value to others is by listening. Create intentional brainstorming sessions with your team and network to jot down ideas for episodes that will grow your audience personally and professionally.
Find out what content you want to release
It’s also a good idea to think through your business objectives and how your podcast can help you further your business through a strategic content release. Are you offering a new product or service? Are you trying to reach a new vertical in your business? If so, it makes sense to target these new audiences in your podcast as well. Set aside a chunk of episodes to work through these specific topics. Chunking will allow you to reach these target audiences effectively. It will also have the added benefit of creating a rhythm in your podcast where the episodes build on each other rather than simply being one-offs at each release.
How do I find Guests?
The last thing to think about as you grow your podcast is how you will utilize guests in your show. Many podcasts are simply a collection of guests week after week that speak to their area of expertise. In other podcasts, guests serve as a “special” change from the norm of a one or two person show. Either way, guests are helpful to continue the growth of the podcast by introducing different thoughts and ideas to the show. If you are interested in finding and adding guests to your podcast, here are three types of guest to add to your podcast.
Current Clients
Bring your current clients onto your show to talk more about their experiences. Your current clients are an indicator of who your future clients will be, so it’s great to hear from them. They may even speak to how working with you has made an impact on them which creates social proof for your business. Be careful not to make this a sales pitch. Make it a conversation more about the client than yourself.
Your Ideal Client
Add new people to your show that represent the people that you are trying to attract. This will not only provide great content for your podcast, but it will allow you to better understand your target demographic which will push your business forward. Find these types of people through reaching out to your network. Social media sites like LinkedIn are a great place to find ideal customers that you can talk to.
Network Connections
Your network is an amazing place to find new podcast guests. First, you know them, so you know who would make a great guest. You also know that there shouldn’t be any surprises in the content that they will talk about, so you can rest assured that they will stay on topic (for the most part). Utilizing network connections will also help you to build stronger relationships for the future. Who knows? They may have their own podcast that they invite you on as a result of being a guest on your show.
As you think through your podcast strategy, remember to have fun and bring value to your audience. People won’t listen for long if they aren’t learning and growing as a result of your content. Just remember to have fun and bring value to your audience!
Chris LaFay