Did you know that there are over 2 million podcasts in the world and more than 48 million podcast episodes? And these figures are only increasing.  When there’s that much of something, chances are there’s a good reason. In this case, it’s pretty simple: people like podcasts!

There are over 19.1 million Brits who listen to podcasts and 48% of those say they tune in specifically to learn new things. Still need convincing? Thought not. Podcasts are a golden opportunity to share your stories and messaging directly with an audience. But how does it work, and how do you get started? And how can podcasts boost your PR efforts? Read on for our top tips.

How can a podcast work for your business?
You can make a podcast about absolutely anything you want. No matter how niche a market your business may be operating in, there’s an audience out there interested in a podcast all about it.

In fact, we find that the more niche, the better! It’s much harder to make a dent in the market for a broad topic – because there are likely already hundreds and thousands of popular shows already established in that arena. But chances are your business is a market leader in a particular area, and once you start honing in on that, it becomes much easier to become a market leader in your podcast sector, too.

The flexibility of the medium means that you can easily find a way to make a podcast work for you. Pressed for time? No worries! You might find short, snappy 10-minute episodes fit into your schedule with ease. Nervous about recording with a guest? That’s fine! Your subject matter might be perfectly suited to a solo show, where you can personally engage with your audience and share your expertise directly with them, without ever having to record with someone else.

Of course, if you can secure some quality guests, that’s a great way for your business to network and meet new contacts. Needless to say, that could be a real win for your company. And, when your guests invite you to feature on their podcasts in return, you’ll start reaching a whole new audience, introducing them to your business without having to do anything. It’s a no-brainerner.

Our top 5 tips for launching successful podcasts

1. Know your audience  

Before you get started, you have to understand exactly who you’re aiming your podcast at, and that the type of content you’re producing is appropriate for that audience. It can be really helpful to build what we call an audience persona, to give you a very specific idea of the sort of person your podcast is targeting.

For example, a podcast themed around logistics could build an audience persona of a 45-year-old male who has worked in logistics for 20+ years, is married with children, spends a lot of time on the road, and is motivated by his career and learning more about his sector. Once you know who you’re producing your podcast for, it becomes much easier to craft your content, and directly engage with the people you want to reach.

 2. Tell the stories only you can

There are an awful lot of podcasts out there – so how can you stand out? It’s surprisingly simple. Everyone is unique – so embrace that. Lean into the experiences and knowledge that only you have, and share it. It’s much better to be the best podcast in a niche field than the 100th-best in a broad one.

 3. Use analytics to inform your moves 

There’s so much to say about podcast analytics, we could do a whole blog on them alone. But in a nutshell, the analytics provided by your podcast hosting service will tell you a lot about what your listeners like, and dislike, about your show. For instance, if you notice a big dip in your listener retention figures, listen back through the episode in question and skip to the moment the drop-off happens. Maybe there’s a technical glitch or an editing mistake, or perhaps it’s just a particularly long and rambly part of a conversation. Whatever it is that’s causing your viewers to turn off, make sure you don’t repeat it in future episodes. Don’t fear analytics: embrace them, learn from what they’re telling you and make them a big part of your strategy.

 4. Incorporate as part of your wider marketing strategy  

The beauty of podcasting lies in how wide-ranging and flexible a medium it is. Of course, primarily it’s a long-form audio recording – we all know this. But, you can repackage that content in so many different ways, and incorporate it across your whole digital marketing strategy.

For example, if you film your podcast, you can make and share video clips across social media platforms, and reach people who wouldn’t have discovered you otherwise with snippets of your most engaging moments. You can also create an SEO-rich website for your podcast, loaded with key terms and search queries, driving considerable traffic to your content that again would have been unlikely to find it any other way. Finally, you can then use the website to publish each episode as a written transcript – yet another way to repackage the same content and gain further mileage from it. Podcasts really are the gift that keeps on giving, and if you plan smart, you can make them go far.

 5. Book the right guests   

Having guests on your podcast feels like a no-brainer. But it’s important to get the right one – otherwise, you’re potentially wasting everyone’s time. Your listeners won’t be interested in an episode featuring a guest outside of their comfort zone or who has no relevance to the topic, and the guest, in turn, won’t be keen to return or invest in any future cross-promotional exercises if they know there’s no market for them on your channels. The opposite is true if you get the right guests, however. Work with someone with an existing audience, who’s of interest to your listeners or who they might follow already. Not only will this help your podcast to gain traction and further promotion to your target audience, but you’re also increasing the relevance of your podcast and giving them something engaging to get stuck into.