So, you want to start a podcast?

Written by Gemma Walsh Woodcock

Podcasting has seen a surge in popularity, especially since the Covid 19 pandemic. The audio format offers an audience a more accessible way to stay connected with the subjects that matter to them. According to the Edison Research report  The Infinite Dial 2024 - 55% of Americans aged 35-54 and 59% of Americans aged 12 to 34 listen to podcasts monthly. Additionally podcasts help brands to engage a younger audience in a way that traditional media doesn't.

If you want to create narrative and storytelling around your customer success stories, case studies and lead the industry’s conversation then a podcast could help you to deliver thought leadership and speak directly to your audience.

135 million listeners

If you’re like me then you have a string of personal and professional podcasts that fit in around your day-to-day activities. According to the same Edison Research - 135 million Americans listen to podcasts each month and 98 milliion Americans listen to podcasts weekly.

As marketing professionals we need to ensure our brands, products, services and people are connecting with the right audience, across multiple platforms and with the right content. So how do you know if a podcast is the right direction for your team?

Do you want to start a podcast?

It’s important to do some ground work before you start ordering equipment and lining up guests. At VHM we have seen an increase in advanced manufacturing companies looking for support and services to produce their own podcast. And for good reason too, owning your audience is a powerful content marketing strategy. But like all marketing efforts it needs a plan.

The VHM approach to podcast marketing

We believe that you should take care to think about why you want to start a podcast before you jump in. We work with our clients to outline a clear and aligned podcast strategy right at the start. We encourage our clients to think about how their audience wants to engage with their content. Typically people want the option to listen, watch and read content so it’s no surprise to us that we see more and more advanced manufacturing marketing teams looking to use our podcast production services.

Before you buy a microphone 

Before we start production on any new podcast we work closely with our clients to understand why they want to start a podcast, what outcome they want from it and if they are creating content that aligns with the rest of their marketing efforts. This initial consultation is an important step because it allows you to build a podcast marketing strategy with a clear vision and plan.

If you are thinking about starting a podcast, here are some of the simple questions you can start to answer together as a team. Your answers can start to form part of your podcast strategy which should be a resource you share with everyone involved.

Why are we doing this? 

The why is crucial. We have seen companies gear up for podcast production, they have their topics, the equipment and a list of possible guests for the first series. But without a plan, mission creep sets in and the podcast loses direction. You have to work as a team to understand why you want to start a podcast. You need to be able to summarize your why in a simple sentence. This sentence acts as a mission for the rest of the journey and is located at the beginning of your podcast strategy document.

Who is going to be involved? 

Who is the audience, what do they want to know? Who is the host, what is their role? Who are your guests, why do they want to take part and what do you want from them? Working out who is involved in your podcast is a clarifying process. Together your team should develop an audience profile of three different people who would listen to your podcast. Get familiar with their challenges, think about their perspective and develop your content in response. Knowing who you are talking to helps to define the conversation style and structure.

Where does it fit into our wider marketing strategy?

Similar to the why, your podcast needs a simple internal statement that positions it within the existing marketing framework. This helps your team to see the purpose of the podcast in context with other marketing activities. Having all these details clearly outlined in your podcast strategy is essential for overall congruence.

What else, who else?

There will be stakeholders who have something to say about the direction of your podcast but who aren’t involved in the day-to-day work. Write down who they are, what their role is and why they are involved. It’s important to identify who is involved and at what stage they should be brought in. You don’t want steakholders making changes later in the process complicating your production schedule. Involve the right people at the right stage to keep things simple.

It’s just as important to think about wider details like a schedule, getting guest availability and having someone project manage the podcast. If you are working with VHM our podcast studio will take on the project management so you don’t have to.

What next?

These questions will help you to start your podcast strategy so that your efforts are geared for success from the beginning. It might be the case that answering these questions helps you to determine that you don’t want to make a podcast, in which case the process has helped you to avoid spending resources on the wrong type of content.

VHM studio helps advanced manufacturing marketing teams around the world to create the right content for their audience. If you want to find out more about working with us on written, audio and video content get in touch to book a call with a member of our friendly team.

Whatever stage you are at on your podcast journey we are here to help your team create content that’s fit for purpose.