To Cast, or Not to Cast: The Pros and Cons of Company Podcasts

Are you thinking of starting a company podcast? It seems it’s harder to find a company that doesn’t have a podcast than one that does nowadays. The question arises for those that haven’t jumped on the opportunity, whether to cast or not to cast.

You need to think about your goals and what you want to achieve before you dive headfirst into producing a podcast. If you’re creating one just for the sake of it, it might end up being a lot of effort with little reward. Producing a podcast takes time so make sure you go into it with a clear aim.

There are plenty of benefits that can come from making a company podcast, but equally, there are some drawbacks too.

So, let’s explore the pros and cons of company podcasts. Below are some pros.

They can help build your brand awareness

Podcasts can help build your brand while forming a personal connection with your audience. You should be researching your audience and putting out content they want to hear. This can increase engagement and build stronger customer/audience relationships.

Your company podcast will allow you to tell the story of your business and share your expertise. The goal is to educate your audience, and this can help build brand awareness. Your audience will then start to associate you as a credible source of information.

Increase traffic and drive sales

Doing a podcast may allow you to increase traffic, like any form of content. It can help you reach new audiences that you otherwise might not be able to. The beauty of podcasts, compared to any other form of content is that you can reach new audiences while they’re doing other activities such as cleaning, cooking, commuting or exercising. Not everyone has the time to read a 3,000-word blog or scroll through your social media or website.

You can also consistently plug your product or services by recommending that your listeners check out your website to find out more. Like any form of content production though, it works best if you’re consistent. Release regular episodes at the same time on the same day each week or month.

You can repurpose the content

When starting your company podcast, it may seem like a lot of extra work generating the content, but that hard work will pay off. You’ll be able to repurpose your content in the form of blogs, social media or even videos. The possibilities are endless – particularly with evergreen content. When discussing a topic, it may also allow you to generate some new ideas that you otherwise wouldn’t have thought of. This can diversify your content creation process.

Now onto the cons…

It’s a crowded marketplace

At the time of writing, there are over 48 million podcast episodes available to download according to Podcast Insights. It can be hard to break through the noise and make yours a hit. It’ll take some time and dedication to gain loyal listeners. So If you’re thinking of getting into the podcast space purely because others have, it might not be right for you.

It takes time

Producing a company podcast takes time. You have to consider:

• Choosing an idea/theme
• Researching and deciding on topics
• Podcast duration
• Finding guests
• Getting quality sound recording equipment
• Setting up the podcast equipment
• Sound editing
• Uploading and hosting
• Promoting on different channels
• Working on a long-term strategy

If you’re brand new to this, it will take time and it’s a lot more time than your average Instagram post. As we’ve highlighted, it’s important to stay consistent with your podcast posts. If you’re short on time, it’s unlikely that you’ll release regular posts.

If you have episode ideas and a strategy, but simply can’t dedicate time to editing and distributing, you could consider working with a marketing firm.

You won’t get rich quick

If you’re planning for your podcast to significantly increase your sales and income, I hate to break it to you, but this probably won’t happen. Many podcasts fail to make it past 7 episodes, but it’s worth a try. Podcasts are slow burners. If you enjoy it and think the effort is worthwhile compared to the engagement, then go for it.

In conclusion

So, now you have both sides of the story, It’s now up to you whether you choose to make a podcast. We can’t tell you what to do. But just think about what you want to achieve before you start, and don’t just start a podcast because everyone else has.

If you do ahead with it, try to keep your podcast to a theme that’s relevant where possible, but avoid being scripted as that can sound forced and unnatural.

Do you need support with your podcast plans?

Get in touch, we’d be happy to chat about your options and what we can do to support you and your wider marketing strategy.