7 Misconceptions About Business Podcasting

In my conversations with potential clients, I hear many misconceptions about business podcasting. And I realize it’s because people overthink it.

About a year ago, I was talking to a company’s internal marketing department about the podcast they wanted to start. They said, “We need a comprehensive strategy, workflow, and to-do list for everyone.”

And I responded, “Actually, you only need a topic to get started.”

It really is that simple!

So, let’s walk through the seven misconceptions about business podcasting I hear most often.

Myth 1: The podcast format needs to be complicated.

Sure, we could do a big documentary-style podcast that stitches together interviews, news bites, narration, and dozens of music tracks. But the most common podcast formats are interviews, which are really conversations among two to three people that last from 20-30 minutes.

With this kind of time restriction, you might find yourself abbreviating the content or just hitting on the highlights. But that’s okay! Give your audience enough information that they’re intrigued and want to learn more. Then leave a cliffhanger! And include a call-to-action that sends people to your website or social accounts to learn more and engage.

Myth 2: Podcast hosts and guests need public speaking experience.

A podcast is not a public speaking engagement. Like I said above, it’s a conversation. Your guests simply share their experiences and expertise.

Are guests sometimes nervous? Yes, definitely. And this is when hiring a professional podcast producer comes in handy.

We greet your guests, explain what to expect, answer their questions, and make sure they are comfortable before we start recording. We also advise our clients not to record video AND audio. Video podcasting is a surefire way to create anxiety among your guests.

Myth 3: You can produce a business podcast on your phone.

Mobile phones do not produce professional quality audio. Yes, there is a lot we can do in the studio to improve quality, but it will still sound like it was recorded on a phone.

Poor audio quality does not represent your brand well, and a DIY podcast will freak out your guests. They won’t feel comfortable, they won’t sound professional, and it will come across in the podcast. Remember, your guests are representing their brand too. You having a professional sounding podcast will make your guests feel good about their participation and in turn encourage future guests.

Our clients who have tried DIY podcast production say the same thing: It’s a frustrating process that costs a lot of time and money and yields unsatisfactory results.

Myth 4: Your IT department or video editor can record and edit your podcast.

Your IT people understand computer networks and systems, not audio production. Just like you wouldn’t trust me with programming your enterprise router, you wouldn’t want your IT guy to edit your audio. Our work involves computers, but vastly different skillsets.

Likewise, video editors are not audio engineers. They are great at editing video footage to tell a visual story, but they don’t know how to massage audio (especially when there’s no video involved) for clean edits and impactful storytelling.

We are audio producers, and we can do it faster and better than IT people and video editors.

Myth 5: You need to record your podcast in a studio.

Pre-COVID, we were a 100% in-studio operation. The pandemic forced us to shift to fully remote, and we are still.

We achieve in-studio recording quality two ways: a well-positioned, quality headset mic and modern audio processing techniques. Our clients and their guests can record remotely from anywhere in the world with minimal technical hurdles.

You do still need a human audio engineer, though. Do not leave editing to AI!

Myth 6: Podcast guests need a mic that costs hundreds of dollars.

We tested numerous headsets to find THE ONE. They are not expensive, and in fact, our headsets sound better than much more expensive ones on the market. We provide them free to our clients and their guests.

You can learn more about the podcast equipment, including microphones, we use to ensure your podcast sounds great in this blog post. 

Myth 7: Your podcast needs thousands of subscribers. 

In marketing, there is a frequently repeated adage: Quality over quantity.

Would you rather have 10,000 podcast subscribers, but only 10% of whom are in your target market – or 500 subscribers, all of whom are in your target market? It is far more important to reach more of the right people than just more of … whoever.

Years ago, I worked on a podcast for a law firm which focused on Federal Communication Commission (FCC) policy, and after a year of production only had a hundred subscribers. But a few of those subscribers were FCC board members. So, despite the numbers, they went from discussing policy to influencing policy.

Let us make it simple for you!

We handle all of the details – you just need to focus on your topics and guests. Schedule a free consultation to learn more.