August 22, 2023

Make a Sound Decision: Navigating the Podcasting Wave

In this fast-paced digital era, podcasts have risen to prominence as a captivating and intimate medium for connecting with audiences. Does it make sense for your company to participate?

As a marketing agency that specializes in the supply chain industry, we’ve observed a surge of interest in starting podcasts. It’s not unusual to feel the pressure of hopping onto the latest communication trend, fearing you might miss out on valuable opportunities. However, it’s essential to make informed decisions and fully grasp the potential before investing your resources. Don’t worry; this blog is here to guide you through it all! We’ll help you weigh the pros and cons of podcasting, ensuring you’re equipped to make the best choice for your business.

The Benefits of Starting a Podcast

The growing popularity of podcasts presents a unique opportunity to reach a vast and diverse audience. CEOs recognize that by leveraging this medium, they can potentially amplify their brand’s voice, extend its reach to new markets, and cultivate a loyal following of engaged listeners. More specifically, a successful podcast can:

Reach a broader audience and foster stronger relationships with a more personal connection to your audience
Delve into in-depth discussions and exploration of complex topics for B2B audiences seeking detailed information about your supply chain business
Establish credibility and trust among your target audience and position your brand as a go-to resource for industry-related knowledge
Open doors to collaborate with industry experts, influencers, and complementary businesses
Multiply the reach and value of your content across different platforms by repurposing podcast content into blog posts, social media snippets, or transcriptions

The Challenges of Consistent and High-Quality Podcasting

For all of the reasons just stated, podcasting has emerged as a compelling tool for supply chain companies. However, behind the allure lies an array of challenges that demand careful consideration before embarking on the podcasting journey. Let’s explore the five significant hurdles faced in producing a consistent and high-quality podcast:

1. Time, Manpower, and Budget Constraints

Crafting a podcast that stands out requires time, effort, and a team of dedicated professionals. Unfortunately, the demand for consistent and engaging content can strain an already stretched marketing department.

Creating episodes, researching topics, recording, editing, and marketing episodes all demand considerable time and expertise. Additionally, finding the right balance between podcasting and other essential marketing initiatives poses a formidable challenge. Without adequate resources and a well-defined plan, sustaining a podcast can become a daunting task.

2. The Importance of Professional Sound and Content

In the vast sea of podcasts, listeners are discerning and gravitate towards those with polished production values and captivating content. Amateurish audio, inconsistent sound levels, and unrefined content can deter potential listeners and damage your brand’s reputation.

Achieving a professional-sounding podcast entails investing in high-quality recording equipment, audio editing software, and the expertise of skilled sound engineers.

For a start, you might consider:

A Shure microphone for remote-based conversations
A Webcam for in-person conversations
A lapel microphone or Rode mic for each guest
An iPhone tripod, and, of course, a laptop
Zoom meetings to record
Camtasia for intro editing
Descript as an all-in-one editing tool
Buzzsprout podcast hosting account

Crafting valuable content that resonates with your target audience is equally vital. Engaging topics, well-researched discussions, and captivating storytelling are essential elements that keep listeners coming back for more. The bottom line – prepare to pay for a quality product.

3. The Commitment Required to Produce Regular Episodes

Podcast listeners look forward to regular updates, and a sporadic publishing schedule can lead to decreased engagement and listener attrition. Yet, maintaining a consistent release schedule requires unwavering commitment and dedication.

Balancing regular podcast production with other internal responsibilities can be a delicate juggling act. Over time, without a clear plan and a team dedicated to podcast production, your podcast may fall apart and become ineffective.

4. The Difficulty of Building an Audience

Building a podcast audience poses significant challenges due to the crowded podcasting landscape, requiring creative marketing strategies to stand out. The host plays a pivotal role, and not many executives possess the requisite star power needed to captivate listeners through charisma and relatable content.

However, it’s crucial to temper expectations with reality. On average, a podcast episode sees about 141 downloads in its first 30 days, highlighting the competitive nature of the field.

5. Effectively Measuring Success

Building a successful podcast involves more than just captivating content; it requires a clear understanding of the podcast’s performance. However, obtaining accurate data can be challenging due to the diverse platforms and algorithms used by podcast apps. Here are some ideas and considerations as you seek to measure your podcasting success:

Audience Numbers: Gathering listener data can be complex, as each app provides varying insights. Apple, Spotify, and other apps provide limited data, necessitating direct communication with producers for precise numbers.
Chart Rankings: Podcast apps feature charts to showcase popular shows, but the criteria for ranking remain undisclosed. Apple considers follows, listener intent, and completion rates, while Spotify prioritizes subscriber numbers and growth.
Google and YouTube Search Trends: Google Trends offers insight into a podcast’s popularity through search interest trends over time.
Reviews and Ratings: Assessing audience feedback through reviews and ratings can provide valuable insights into listener preferences.
Social Media Followers and Engagement: A vocal and engaged audience can be a measure of success. Monitoring social media discussions and interactions can gauge how well the audience connects with the podcast’s message.
Paid Tools: Through podcast aggregation tools like Rephonic, users can subscribe to access demographics, audience engagement, download statistics, and more.

Use Podcasting To Your Advantage Without Recreating the Wheel

If starting your own podcast sounds daunting, have you considered alternative strategies to amplify your brand and thought leadership?

One powerful option is leveraging guest appearances on established podcasts within the supply chain industry. Let’s delve into the advantages of being featured on relevant shows, strategies for securing guest spots, and how to make the most of these opportunities for exposure.

1. Advantages of Being Featured on Relevant Shows

Appearing as a guest on established podcasts offers a plethora of benefits:

Targeted Audience Reach: Established podcasts have already cultivated a loyal and engaged audience within your industry. Being featured as a guest allows you to tap into this existing listener base and connect with potential clients and industry peers who are genuinely interested in your expertise.
Instant Credibility and Authority: When you share valuable insights and knowledge as a guest, you position yourself as an authority in your field.
Networking Opportunities: Guest appearances can lead to valuable connections and collaborations with other industry experts and thought leaders, opening doors to new opportunities and synergistic partnerships.

2. Strategies for Securing Guest Spots

Securing guest spots on relevant podcasts requires a thoughtful and strategic approach:

Research the Podcasts: Identify podcasts that cater to your target audience and align with your brand values. Thoroughly research their content, format, and the types of guests they typically feature. We’ve compiled a list of industry-specific podcasts for you to consider here.
Craft Compelling Pitches: Tailor your pitch to showcase the value you bring to their audience. Highlight unique topics, insights, and experiences that will resonate with the podcast’s listeners.
Personalized Outreach: Avoid generic emails and messages. Take the time to understand the host’s style and demonstrate genuine interest in their podcast. Personalized outreach is more likely to capture their attention.

3. How to Make the Most of Guest Appearances for Exposure

Making the most of guest appearances goes beyond the podcast episode itself:

Promote Your Appearance: Once the episode becomes available, actively promote it across your own marketing channels, including social media, email newsletters, and your website to amplify its reach and attract more listeners to the podcast.
Create Shareable Content: Extract key insights from your guest appearance and repurpose them into bite-sized, shareable content to share on social media and drive traffic back to the full episode.

As podcasting gains prominence, your marketing team should definitely evaluate the opportunity and decide to what extent they can participate. If you’re unsure how to approach your marketing strategy, an agency can help give a recommendation with a fresh set of eyes, expand your department’s resources, or facilitate pitching your experts to established podcasts.

If you decide to go the route of securing guest appearances on established podcasts, we’ve done the work of identifying industry-specific podcasts for you. Access our list here.

Let's Talk.

Armed with a strategic approach and the assistance of a reliable agency, you can successfully navigate the intricacies of podcasting, drive brand expansion, and stand out in the competitive supply chain realm. We’re here to help.