A podcast is simply an audio show or program that listeners subscribe to on the internet.
Most podcasts are audio only, though video podcasts also exist.
Podcasts are typically centred around one specific theme or niche. It consists of a series of episodes where a host or hosts discuss something specific within that theme.
There are three common types of podcasts: Branded storytelling, narrative and interview/panel discussions. The type needed depends on the intention of your podcast series.
A lot of today’s podcasts rely on simplicity and spontaneity. They keep things as free-flowing and casual as much as possible. It’s like listening to a few friends chatting about something they’re passionate about.
Topics vary across the millions of podcasts available. Some discuss movies and media. Others provide business advice. Some tackle more serious subjects like current events and politics.
No matter what they discuss, what makes a podcast stand out is how they deliver the content.
For small businesses, podcasting is a great way to increase brand awareness and build trust. But as with any form of content, the right strategy is needed for it to succeed.
There are several elements we put in place to ensure the podcasts we create get results.
These include:
Development: When conceptualising your podcast series, we’ll begin with identifying your overarching theme. The theme is vital as each episode developed thereafter will need to be relevant to it.
Some brands require a bit more creativity in the development phase. You don’t want to get too specific about your theme that it only targets a limited market. You want to be able to discuss relevant topics to as many listeners as possible.
One way to do this is to check if there’s enough for you to talk about. Before committing to a theme, we’ll help you come up with a list of at least 10-15 episodes.
The next important component is giving it a name that can easily be remembered as well as creating the podcast cover art. These are elements that will help associate your podcast with your brand.
Then, we’ll finalise the length of each episode. Podcast length depends solely on content. Making sure we don’t cut down good content, but ensuring it doesn’t drag and become boring.
Production: We’ll create briefs for hosts, interviewees and editing production notes so everybody involved is working towards the same goals.
When needed, we’ll provide podcast scripting. Some hosts like broadcasting their show word-for-word based on what’s written. Others like having an outline to refer to. This helps ensure they don’t drift too far off topic.
For recording the episodes specifically, we can set aside monthly one-offs and ensure there’s enough lead time for post-production or block out a half-day or full-day to record back-to-back episodes.
Consistency is important when releasing new episodes, because you’re in the business of creating regular listeners. So, they’ll need to know when to expect a new episode to drop on streaming platforms.
Post production: This is the point in the process where we’ll edit out any mistakes, stitch together different audio clips, add music, and incorporate ads (if any) to make your episode great. We’ll also key in on the more technical aspects like levelling and compression. Post production is what separates an amateur podcast from a professional one.
Client review: Once the episode is edited, we’ll send it over for client review, and can make select changes to the podcast to address any suggestions.
Marketing material: We’ll write podcast descriptions and include as many relevant keywords as possible. This will help with SEO and enable you stand out among millions of podcast listings.
Finalisation: With all changes applied, we’ll handover edited podcasts with all the necessary marketing material to engage your audiences online.
Story League is a content creation agency that creates strategic and targeted podcasts that builds your audience and converts them into customers.
We want to work with you to develop meaningful stories that represent your brand and contribute to elevating your industry. We believe that content must be engaging, educational, and relevant to capture the attention of your target audience.
Story League offers monthly podcast creation packages that can include each of these three podcast types to enable you to generate leads by publishing consistent and powerful podcasts that expand your audience and grow your business.