You’ve decided it’s time your team gets in on all the podcasting fun – so, what now?

The short answer is: a whole lot of planning.

Laying the blueprint for your podcast is no easy feat – especially when you’re coming from more of a niche angle. With more than 2.4 million podcasts out there in the world, you must be prepared to offer audiences something valuable enough to make them choose you out of an endless array of options.

So don’t rush the pre-launch phase – give your podcast a worthy foundation to build from by considering the following tips before you make your podcasting debut.

Who are you trying to reach?

A crucial first step to content creation is understanding your audience, and that is perhaps truer than ever before when it comes to podcasts. Saying you’re talking to “the manufacturing industry” or “OEMs” is not enough.

Do your due diligence and scope out exactly which types of personas will benefit the most from hearing your insights on your new podcast.

Be thoughtful about setting the right agenda for each episode so you’re speaking to a particular persona at a time, giving yourself the room to adequately cater your industry knowledge to their unique needs and interests.

Narrow down your format

Now that your audience is identified and your agenda is mapped out, how will you deliver your content? Will you be recording one-on-one interviews with experts in the field? What about a roundtable of experts? Or will your host be tackling things solo with their own commentary?

When Airfoil client EOS decided to launch its own podcast, we pursued a guest interview format, persuaded by the room it gave us not only to platform experts within the company who could speak to specific topics, but also to invite external industry figures to get in on the conversation. This format began to build a foundation of credibility for the company.

On the other hand, it may seem unrealistic to invite a new guest each week as you are building your following. A sustainable starting point could be multiple hosts discussing industry trends and insights amongst themselves – a roundtable made up of your own team.

Finally, determine your episode length. How much time does your ideal audience have to listen to a podcast? 25-35 minutes is generally a good window to give adequate, thorough discussion to a trending topic or interesting guest.

Iron out the production kinks

While the premise of recording a conversation sounds straightforward, it can be tricky in practice.

Before you go live with your first episode, consider batch recording 2 – 3 episodes at a time to allow for a smooth posting cadence. If over-achievement is your forte, consider pre-recording all of season one before it airs. This way, you can stay several steps ahead and guarantee consistency with your audience.

When it comes to editing your content, some creators opt to outsource – but that might not be necessary just yet. For those just starting out, finding a solid mic and quiet recording space that protects you from elaborate editing may be a better investment.

Is launching a podcast the next item on your team’s agenda? Don’t do it alone – give Airfoil a shout today to find out how we can help bring your vision to life.