Podcasting is an online way of distributing your brand’s message and story, or establishing you and your company as a thought leader in your field, in audio form. As the world gets busier, the format of podcasting has become increasingly popular. It gives the listener an opportunity to multitask, or dive into topics without having to set time aside to read or watch a video. Content in bite-size chunks are great for individuals with busy routines or to be listened to on morning commutes. 

Creating a podcast is also a great way to get your voice heard on a variety of subjects, including business. If you want to put your expertise and opinions out there in audio form then starting a podcast is easy. The difficult part is letting people know about it and building up a listener base. Here are a few tips to get you started in the field of podcasting:

1. Launch strong

Launch your podcast strong with multiple episodes at the start and multiple episodes each week afterward and maintain this pace for a few weeks. This will build up your library early on and give listeners more episodes to binge, which will boost your downloads.

More attention early on will make it more likely to catch the attention of podcast players such as iTunes or Google Play Music. You could be featured on their front pages where potential listeners can see new and interesting podcasts.

Encourage your listeners to give your podcast ratings, especially on iTunes where 70% of podcast listening happens, according to Nieman Lab. Getting a spot on these pages can be difficult, but if you get there then it will be a major boom to your listenership.

Treat the launch of your podcast as an event and build up as much buzz as you can leading up to it through social media, email newsletters, or any relevant platform. Remind people when it gets closer and make sure they know how to listen when the time comes.

2. Partner with other podcasts

Connecting with your contemporaries is essential for gaining new listeners so contact podcasts you think would be a good fit to partner with. Agreeing to mention each other’s podcasts will direct their listeners to your programme in exchange for informing your followers of theirs. 

Guest-starring on each other’s podcasts is another, and even better, way of sharing listeners. It’s always a good idea to make connections and friends in the industry for support. Competition is important but so is forming strong bonds.

3. Take on guest stars

If you show plans on interviewing guests then take advantage of your guests’ followings. Make announcements about your upcoming guests, and work with them to promote their episode as much as possible.

Just one social media post from your guest star’s account about the episode has the potential to bring in plenty of downloads, depending on their following. Remember to send guest stars a reminder email with a link to the episode once it launches so they can share it easily. Your guest’s audience has the potential to become your listeners if they like what they hear.

4. Post on multiple platforms

Although iTunes and Google Play are the most popular places to download podcasts, don’t forget to promote your podcast on other platforms such as Stitcher, Overcast, SoundCloud, and PocketCasts. A lot of listeners use these apps to explore and discover new podcasts.

First, you need to create an RSS feed of your podcast. To get your podcast on iTunes you’ll need to go through Podcasts Connect, which allows Apple to validate your submissions. You’ll need to have an iTunes Store Account and an Apple ID.

All podcast content must be original and cannot contain password protections, explicit language, or racist, misogynistic or homophobic content. You can’t reference illegal drugs, profanity, violence, or graphic sex. Google Play Music has similar restrictions.

Another platform to put your podcast on is YouTube. Converting your audio podcast to video format, even with a still image, has several benefits. YouTube makes it easy to share videos on social media as it automatically provides closed captioning and transcripts, which benefits your SEO since YouTube is owned by Google. In your video’s description, provide a link to where listeners can download the audio-only version of your podcast.

5. Engage your audience

You need to build a reputation as an engaging podcast with a community, which is key to earning and keeping listeners over time. One of the most important steps to growing your audience comes from being social with your current audience and building a community.

Make sure to communicate with your loyal audience members via social media and comment sections. Remember to listen to your audience and respond to them in a timely manner. This shows them that you’re engaged with them and open to constructive criticism.

Keep listeners engaged with a call to action in your podcast and let them know what they can do next such as visit your website, leave a comment, send in email questions, or share the podcast. Your podcast’s audience won’t come about overnight and growth can be slow. But if you produce content consistently and continue to promote it and engage with listeners then you’ll see growth.

6. Release at least three episodes on launch day

One of the top ways to promote your business podcast is to release a minimum of three episodes on launch day. If your audience enjoys your content then they may not like the fact that there’s only one episode. By releasing multiple episodes you’ll give enough content to satisfy your audience until you record more episodes.

7. Convert to YouTube

An amazing way to grow your business podcast audience is by converting your podcast to YouTube videos. This is because many people find their favourite podcasts on YouTube before subscribing to the podcast on other apps. Additionally, unlike your podcasts, you can share your YouTube videos on various social networks.