Every small-business owner should consider a few things before launching a brand podcast, as this type of marketing channel can be an effective and relatively affordable way to get their brand in front of new audiences and build credibility. Although it can be a low-cost endeavor to create a podcast, it does require a fair amount of time and effort to ensure success. It is important to establish firm goals for your podcast, decide on a format, set a realistic recording schedule and allocate resources to postproduction if needed.
Stella Guan, the founder of an online design school called Path Unbound, found that podcasting was affordable as she only needed a decent-quality computer and midrange microphones to get started. Jordan Schanda King, the founder of Easy Scaling, spent about $400 on equipment, plus $33 a month on recording and hosting software, to start her podcast.
If the goal of your podcast is to expand the reach of your brand, consider having guests on to increase the chances of your podcast getting shared on other channels. Alternatively, solo episodes can be a great way to share your expertise and nurture relationships with customers or partners. Experts recommend having a biweekly cadence for publishing episodes and hiring someone to support you on the podcast management. Mike Spangenberg, a cofounder of the apparel brand State Forty Eight, recommends having a good balance of highlighting current partners and prospecting people who have never done business with you by inviting them as guests.
To ensure you continue growing your podcast, it is important to create an expectation among your listeners and stick to a regular schedule. Jordan Schanda King suggested that small-business owners should choose a podcast format that is sustainable over time and consider releasing episodes on a less-frequent cadence if needed. Finally, consider creating a launch team of friends, family, clients and superfans who can help promote your podcast on its launch day.
The five entrepreneurs mentioned in the original article are Stella Guan, Jordan Schanda King, Mike Spangenberg, Tania Bhattacharya and Olivia Dreizen Howell. Stella Guan is the founder of an online design school, Path Unbound. Jordan Schanda King is the founder of Easy Scaling and runs the podcast ‘The Social Executive’. Mike Spangenberg is the co-founder of the apparel brand, State Forty Eight. Tania Bhattacharya is the founder of Lumos Marketing and runs the podcast, ‘Lumos Logic’. Olivia Dreizen Howell is a co-founder of Fresh Starts Registry and also runs the podcast, ‘A Fresh Story’.
