How Marketing Agencies Can Help Their Clients Launch a Podcast
Your client wants to launch a podcast, but your marketing agency doesn’t specialize in podcasting. That’s OK! You can pull your strategy expertise together with these tips to help your client plan and launch a new podcast.
Choose a sustainable podcast format
It’s one thing to launch a new marketing project or campaign; it’s another to sustain it. More than anything, the podcast format must feel natural and be fun for your client, or they may not stick with it.
The four most common types of formats include:
Interview (one-on-one or roundtable style)
Solo (one person does all the talking)
Conversational (two people discuss a topic or three)
Documentary (these focus on real-life events)
If your client isn’t sure which format they’d enjoy the most, suggest they do a test run with a couple of different formats. Interview formats are the most common choice, and the most cost-effective, for our clients. Documentary podcasts (which we also produce) could be more engaging for the audience, but they tend to be a heavier lift and therefore are much more expensive to produce.
You also need to consider which format your client’s audience would enjoy most. If you haven’t already, do your research on popular podcasts in your client’s industry to see if one format stands out.
Nail down the content
Because there are so many podcasts out there, it is likely that your client will need to fine-tune their podcast’s angle to ensure it offers a unique perspective.
For example, an interior design firm may want to tap into the founder’s love of interior design history instead of providing interior design advice. A family law firm may want to team up with a family therapist to discuss how divorce, custody battles, guardianship, elder care, and more affect the entire family.
In my experience, the vast majority of organizations start podcasts to build thought leadership, both for the organization as a whole and for individual leaders. Therefore, the content and topics should be driven by, or come straight from, these experts.
Discuss the podcast’s focus during a meeting or two with the leadership team. What are their specific areas of expertise? And what about the people in their network? Do they know enough people with overlapping areas of expertise who could be great podcast guests? Looking at both internal and external sources of content can help you uncover the podcast’s angle.
Your goal is to help your client find that sweet spot where the content’s focus overlaps with audience preferences and your client’s time and availability.
Create a marketing plan
You’re a marketer, so I don’t need to tell you that a detailed marketing plan will put your client’s podcast on the map and set them up for long-term success and longevity. Based on my experience, I do know that a few important details can slip through the cracks.
First, figure out the podcast’s brand and online presence. Will the podcast be a standalone brand with its own website and social media accounts? Or will it be positioned as a product within their existing brand? Likewise, will the podcast content be integrated into your client’s current content marketing strategy?
Second, consider distribution channels. Where can people find and listen to the podcast? Will you create a separate email marketing campaign for it? Will the podcast be exclusive to one platform or on all of them? (We always recommend distributing podcasts to as many outlets as possible unless your agency or your client’s organization has an exclusive deal with one in particular.) Will the podcast be free, or behind a paywall?
Work with a professional podcast production company
Choosing a format and focus and creating a marketing plan are essential to a successful podcast – and so is working with a professional podcast production company. Your client will be in excellent hands with us. We will provide guidance as the podcast prepares to launch, and our years of audio production expertise will ensure your client’s podcast sounds top-notch. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
