Step_1 Define Your Podcast's Purpose and Goals

Before you start recording, it's important to define your podcast's purpose and goals.

What do you hope to achieve through your podcast?

Who is your target audience, and what topics are they interested in?

How will you measure success?

By answering these questions, you can create a laser-focused podcast refined to resonate with your target audience.

Step_2 Choose Your Equipment

The equipment you choose will impact the quality of your podcast.

At a minimum, you'll need a microphone, a recording device, and headphones. You may also need a mixer to adjust the levels of your audio.

There are a ton of setups available, so it's important to do your research and choose equipment that meets your specific needs.

Expect to invest around £2-3k minimum for a barebones audio-visual setup.

Step_3 Choose Your Podcast Format

There are several podcast formats to choose from, including solo, interview and panel shows. Consider what format will resonate best with your target audience and support the goals of your podcast.

In the B2B world, interviews and panel shows are often used to drive balanced, intellectual and engaging conversation.

Top Tip: For a really compelling podcast, home in on your niche. Listeners will be more inclined to tune in if they know what to expect. Make it too general and risk diluting your podcast’s potency. You can’t be everything to everyone.

Step_4 Develop Your Content Strategy

Your content strategy will determine the topics you cover in your podcast.

Consider the pain points and questions your target audience has and create content that addresses them.

Interview experts in your industry to provide valuable insights and perspectives. Conduct research to uncover what your target audience wants to hear.

Step_5 Record Your Test Episode

Choose a quiet space that's free from background noise.

Choose areas with plenty of soft furnishings to help dampen harsh audio interferences. Test your levels before you start recording to ensure that your audio quality is high.

Tip Tip: Create a script or episode outline to help guide the conversation, but don’t stick too rigidly to it. The best conversations flow candidly and organically.

Step_6 Edit Your Episodes

Editing your episodes is an important step to ensure that your podcast is polished and professional.

Use audio editing software such as Audacity or Adobe Audition to trim your episodes, remove mistakes and clean up any audio interferences.

Editing can be a tricky process for those with little to no prior experience. Fortunately, there are plenty of inexpensive freelancers and agencies who will happily support your podcasting endeavour.

Step _7 Choose Your Podcast Hosting Platform

A podcast hosting platform is where you'll upload and host your podcast episodes.

There are several options available, including RSS, Soundcloud, Buzzsprout and Podbean.

Choose a platform that meets your needs and budget. We’d recommend experimenting with a few before settling on any given platform.  

Step_8 Promote Your Podcast

Promotion is key to the success of your podcast.

Hammer your social media accounts, email marketing, and other channels to promote your podcast to your target audience.

Encourage your listeners to leave reviews and share your podcast with others. Invite well-known industry names to take part in your podcast to help increase the draw of your series.

Persuade employees to become advocates and affiliates for your podcast to increase its reach. Better still, invite them on!  

In Summary

Starting a business podcast requires careful planning, quality equipment, and a strategic approach to content and promotion.

What about building your army of listeners? Relax, like any new promotional venture, getting it just right will take time, patience and practice.

Our advice? Take the leap, record a few practice runs and send them out to your trusted internal network for feedback. Refine the format before unleashing your maiden episode upon the world.

So, what are you waiting for? Happy recording!