Podcasting has distinct advantages over other types of content:

Podcast marketing is not a one-size-fits-all medium — you’ll need to find what works for you.

We recommend posting more than one episode when you launch to help you gain and maintain momentum, boost your downloads, and give your listeners a better idea of what to expect.

Before your launch, you can promote your podcast by posting short snippets of the first episode on your social media accounts.

If you have an email newsletter, why not link a short teaser on YouTube to rally your subscribers?

Here’s what you’ll need to get started.

If you watch popular podcasters online, you may be intimidated by their extensive equipment and audio setup — but there’s no need!

The only equipment you need to start is:

When you start a website, you search for a web host — the same is necessary when starting a podcast.

You need to choose a hosting service that will store your MP3s and create your podcast’s feed without breaking the bank.

Here's a list of podcast hosting platforms that have free offers:

Smart content writers and marketers create buyer personas for better insights into their audience — smart podcasters do the same!

Creating a listener persona helps you decide what kind of content you should create to better target and satisfy your audience — keeping the show focused and your content will be fresh and relevant.

If you already have an audience, you can and ask these questions:

You’ll have to decide whether to have a specific topic of discussion for each episode or keep it free and unstructured.

Structured podcasts are recommended if:

Interviewing well-known figures in your niche is a great way to get started on a business podcast.

Here are some probing questions to ask your guests:

Doing it on your own means you’ll have complete creative control over your show, including the topics you’ll discuss and the guests you invite.

You’ll also have more freedom to develop your signature style without clashing with someone else.

The Brendan Show includes 2 episodes per week that give listeners practical, expert advice and recaps the host’s exciting life — establishing him as an authority figure

However, going solo does have its drawbacks — you might run out of things to say or your show might feel like one very long monologue.

Follow these tips to avoid falling into that trap:

Many co-hosted podcasts take the form of a debate on a specific subject.

These debates are often free-flowing, conversational, and without hard and fast rules.

As the host, you could debate the pros and cons of a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform with your co-host and use their affiliate program for your benefit.

On the other hand, there are podcasts like Intelligence Squared which are closer to a formal debate.

This show features some of today’s leading public intellectuals, using an Oxford-style debate structure in which everyone shares their opinions on a topic and responds to others’ viewpoints.

Instructional content is always popular because people love to be taught how to do something.

Since many people are aural learners, instructional podcasts serve the same function as how-to articles and blog posts.

This is an especially useful structure if you run online courses and webinars in your field of expertise.

They also help build brand awareness and establish thought leadership.

The Project Management Happy Hour podcast, for example, offers various tutorials that help with project management.

The hosts, Kim and Kate, also tackle topics such as bias in project management, project financials, and stress reduction.

The approach is practical and instructional, offering actionable takeaways to listeners.

Remember, format and structure do not need to remain rigid throughout all of your episodes — interviews include elements of debate, and solo podcasts can have co-hosted episodes.

What does need to remain consistent is your content — that’s what your listeners are after.

Once you’ve chosen your format and content, here’s some useful advice for planning and producing your podcast.

Planning your podcast goes beyond your content and audience — you need to have plans for the episodes themselves.

When planning your podcast, you need to decide on:

Your podcast may be good, but wouldn’t you rather it was great? That’s where post-production and editing tools come in.

In content creation, editing is about adding the icing on the cake.

Using post-production tools can help you:

You don’t necessarily have to insert your brand into the podcast itself!

The Trailblazers podcast is produced by Dell, but it doesn’t feature the brand at all.

Instead, it focuses on stories of entrepreneurial success and experience.

When your brand publishes content that inspires its audience, it can gain their trust.

You can use your podcast to build a community of like-minded listeners.

Even the most technical topics become more accessible to listeners when you combine them with a healthy dose of humor.

No matter what kind of business you’re in, a podcast will give you the freedom to explore different storytelling formats.

Don’t be afraid to throw some jokes in.

Humor is very helpful in converting your prospects into leads.

But remember, keep it tasteful — edgy or offensive humor might alienate more people than it will attract.

Crossovers are common in the podcasting community.

Podcast collaborations, including podcast takeovers or guest appearances, will expose your show to new audiences and introduce new people to your brand and content.

Choose your collaborators wisely though, because their values will become associated with you and your brand.

How I Built This with Guy Raz looks at the backstory behind renowned companies and startups — and has collaborated with leadership panels and its fellows.

The most engaged podcast consumers are called “super listeners” — they consume twice the content of other listeners.

To target these super listeners and have them hooked on your content, you need to build an engaging podcast that they’re itching to recommend.

A podcast is pre-recorded and is often considered a one-way outreach channel.

You can get around this by inviting your listeners to send in their questions or comments and respond to them on the show.

By engaging your audience and making them feel involved, you increase the likelihood that they’ll keep coming back — this is more effective than purely passive content.

As an added bonus, you can use the questions and comments you receive as part of customer behavior analysis.

Here’s a bonus pro-tip for you: Use SpeakPipe to collect visitor feedback or testimonials as audio content and mix this into your podcast.

You could even collect your listeners’ questions and comments as a video for your video podcast version.

Smart content marketers know that repurposing content is the key to getting the most mileage out of everything you produce.

This applies to audio content too — why not transform your podcast into a blog post by using a transcription tool like descript?

You could add a short looping video over the audio content of your podcast and upload it on Instagram, allowing even more people to find you.

Why not conduct the whole episode via Zoom and make the show available as a podcast but also as a youtube video?

As with other types of marketing, design matters.

Creating a beautiful podcast cover will make your show look professional and more inviting to prospective listeners.

Here are some top tips for creating a gorgeous cover:

Podcast marketing is a fantastic medium for promoting your brand.

They’re convenient, inexpensive, and relatively simple to produce.

Creating a fun, engaging podcast that showcases your knowledge should be part of your content marketing strategy.

Ready to start your own business podcast?

Hop onto systeme.io, and get your business and content marketing going!

Keep your eyes peeled for our very own systeme.io podcast — coming soon!