There’s not much difference between starting a regular podcast and how to start a branded podcast. To get started, let’s give you a heads up by reading Disctopia’s How to Start a Podcast Guide.
May we remind you that branded podcasts are a great way to build relationships with your customers and clients. We won’t be drooling about the millions of Americans that listen to podcasts every month; our focus will be on how to start a branded podcast and achieve your goals with it. We’ve earlier dealt with this in our piece on Why Your Company Should Start a Branded Podcast in 2022.
Look at how Johnson & Johnson is expanding the frontiers of new healthcare solutions through their Innovation Podcast, or at how McAfee uses the Hackable Podcast to expose the places hackers hit the most and steal information. The Sauce by McDonald is another branded podcast we cannot ignore. McDonald retold a negative story in just three episodes, nipping a PR nightmare in the bud.
We are implying that regardless of the industry or niche you operate, there’s a lot you are leaving on the table without a branded podcast to your business. At the end of this piece, you should have a clear picture of what it takes to start a branded podcast that can promote your brand and foster strategic relationships.
Let’s give you five foolproof steps we’ve seen successful branded podcasts followed in achieving their set goals;
1. Start a Branded Podcast With a Purpose
Arguably, this is the most important of the steps, and getting it right with establishing a purpose will shoot your branded podcast into the stars. Before anything, identify why you should have a branded podcast. You should not have one because your competitors do. It’s not enough reason or not a reason at all.
When Trader Joe started the Inside Trader Joe podcast in 2018, the mission was to share Trader Joe’s story of the chain and culture. That’s why the show was hosted by Trader Joe’s marketing director and the VP of marketing.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, when every other store and supermarket was out of touch with their customers, Trader Joe kept their customers in the know about how they abide by safety measures while delivering all of the needed necessities.
Remember that the success of a branded podcast isn’t measured by the number of listeners but also by how far you’re achieving the original purpose for which it was intended.
2. Build Credibility with Audio Quality
A study established that audio quality influences whether people believe what they hear and the source of information. For a branded podcast, bad sound quality will be detrimental to your brand.
As you are about to start your branded podcast journey, ensure that you are not creating any form of distraction for your audience. Allow them to focus on your brand message rather than battling with annoying background noise.
It will do you no good by creating any form of sonic confusion; your sound needs to be purposeful and impactful. One thing about audio quality is that your listeners will not be forgiving if they are made to listen to bad audio in your branded podcast.
The takeaway here is that you have to do all possible to create flawless audio; your credibility depends on it.
3. Great Guest and Host Makes a Good Podcast Show
If you’ve listened to Command Line Heroes by Redhat, you’ll know that this branded podcast got it right with both the host and the arrays of egg-heads brought to the interviews. It’s a case of two people having a sound understanding of the topic they are discussing.
You’ll see the host adopt the best storytelling in discussing topics that only nerds would have understood. The show is not just giving root access to the developers, programmers, or geeks, but anyone that stumbles on the show.
For your branded podcast to hit and not miss, you’ll need to master the art of finding guests that your listeners will find engaging, exciting, and articulate.
You’ll need to ensure that both the host and their guests have ample time to prepare before hitting the record button.
4. Do Something Different
Use your branded podcast to share new insights, engage your audience, and challenge the status quo. People are listening, and they want to hear from your brand, but your voice has to be unique.
There’s no better way to establish your brand as an industry leader than via the podcast. That’s how you can cement your authority in your industry. Over time, everyone will see you as an expert, not just another person trying to shove a product or service in their throat.
More importantly, you will be building trust with your audience. Your voice is a reflection of your humanity, a person behind a soulless brand.
5. Go All Out To Market Your Branded Podcast
The primary goal behind every branded podcast is growing interest in your brand. That’s why you have to be aggressive and unapologetic in marketing your podcast show. Don’t worry; the ROI will be massive if everything is in place.
Start your marketing by ensuring that your potential listeners know that podcasting exists, know that your podcast show exists and that your podcast show content caters to their needs.
That’s why you may have to divert your marketing budget into solving these three issues. Don’t worry; the ROI will be surprising.
Wrap Up on How to Start a Branded Podcast
You’ve come this far, and we hope that you get it right with how to start a branded podcast for your business. Focus on creating a high-quality podcast; listeners will care about the content before caring about your brand name.
