For a Successful Podcast, Do These Five Things

Here’s what you need to know to host a successful podcast!

If it seems like everyone is making and listening to podcasts these days, it’s because everyone is. Podcasts have around 68 million active listeners, and there are about two million podcasts in production. So if you want to raise brand awareness, spread a message, or just have fun recording with your friends, there is a lot more data on what works in terms of having a successful podcast.

Consider Your Target Audience

It’s easy to get sucked into the trap of wanting to make a podcast everyone likes, but it will pay off for you, in the long run, to think about what your target audience is like and tailor your choices to them. If you understand your target demographic, you can refine your business and content plans according to their tastes.

Be sure to avoid swinging too far in that direction, though–jargon or in-group language can be a turn-off, even for people in the group. You want to be sure your language is accessible so that new listeners don’t feel immediately alienated.

Stay On Schedule

Timing is everything, including hosting a successful podcast. Listeners like consistency, so be sure that your podcast comes out on time, whether it’s every Monday, every second and fourth Wednesday, or whatever works best for you and your audience. Once weekly podcasts can be difficult to maintain for newbies, so many choose to put their podcasts out every other week, at least at the beginning. Sometimes the promise of moving to a weekly schedule can incentivize listeners to sign up for a Patreon or other membership program.

Similarly, you’ll want listeners to know what to expect when they are tuning in to each episode. A basic format and recurring segments help keep the episode moving along and give the listeners something to look forward to. Again, don’t be too rigid with it, but plot out the structure before each recording so you’ll avoid rambling and keep listeners engaged to the end.

Sound (and Look?) Great

It should go without saying, but if you want people to listen to your podcast, it needs to sound good. That means either investing in quality recording equipment or renting a podcast studio. You don’t need fancy editing–sometimes that can even be a turn-off to listeners–but your hosts and guests need to sound excellent. With so many podcasts on the market, no one will listen to a podcast with subpar audio quality, even if the content is excellent. Some podcasts also feature videos of the recording, whether as a Patreon incentive or just an add-on for all the fans, so in that case, you’ll also want to ensure that the lighting and video quality is top-notch. If you want your listeners to trust you, you’ll want to show them that you understand good quality.

Successful Podcasts Keep It Bite-Sized

Listeners prefer podcasts between 20-45 minutes in length. Aim to keep your podcasts at 30 minutes or less, especially when you’re starting. If you’re doing your editing and are new to it, you’ll be thankful only to have 30 minutes or so of audio to perfect while you’re learning. If your audience wants more content, you can incentivize them to increase their financial support for your endeavor.

Have a Marketing Plan

Even if your goal is not to get rich from your podcast, having a marketing plan in place will help you reach your audience. Before you even drop your first episode, start looking out for opportunities like appearing on other podcasts in your niche, guest blogging, effective social media strategies, and more. You may benefit from building a website for your podcast where you can engage listeners and gather their email addresses so you can take advantage of email marketing automation.

If a new or upgraded podcast is in your plans, let us know. We can help with studio space. Or help you design and equip a studio at your facility to make your podcast a success. Contact us to learn more!