So You Want to Make a Business Podcast?

One of my favorite reports came out last week… 🤓

It’s the NPR/Edison Research Spoken Word Audio report. The 2022 report shows that podcast listenership is growing, big time. The quick stats that stood out to me:

• Podcast listening hit an all-time high in 2022: 62% of the U.S. population has listened to a podcast
• 46% of the U.S. population aged 13+ listen to Spoken Word Audio daily
• Today, 26 million more people are listening to spoken word audio each day than eight years ago
• 11% of weekly podcast listeners (age 25+) say they listened to a business podcast in the past week.

It’s not surprising to me that more people are tuning into podcasts. There are so many good shows out there. And with the growing interest in business podcasts, I’ve found that a good chunk of my work is helping thought leaders tell stories about their work through audio.

What you need to know about making a business podcast

If you’re thinking about starting a podcast about your work, what should you know?

I help marketers and thought leaders produce podcasts about their big ideas. I’m also an avid podcast listener, and I care about making shows that people want to listen to as much as they want to listen to their favorite true crime show. I don’t want to make boring shows. I want to go toe-to-toe with NPR and other podcast networks.

Here’s what I’ve learned about making a business podcast that shines.

Know your why.

When someone wants to make a podcast, the first question I ask is: “What podcasts do you like to listen to? What do you like about them?” Instead of making a podcast to check a box, get in the mindset of a podcast listener. Think about WHY you want to use a podcast to connect with your audience.

Define your premise.

It’s not enough to just want to make a podcast. You need to define what your specific show will be about. What’s your premise? What’s the hook that will pique people’s interest and get them to listen to your show instead of the thousands of other options? (And hint: if your premise is “conversations with various business leaders about trends,” you need to get more specific.)

Who will your podcast speak to? What do they need? And what can you uniquely provide? Find the overlap between what your audience needs and what you can provide in order to create a specific podcast premise.

Understand the nuts and bolts of a podcast.

How does a podcast get made? Most shows use storyboards, scripts, tools like microphones and recording platforms, and rounds of edits after the recordings are through. (I help people with all of those pieces.) The more complex your show, and the more voices or stories on each episode, the more moving pieces you’ll find behind the scenes.

If you’ve never made a podcast, I recommend this behind-the-scenes look at making a new show from Crooked Media, “Work Appropriate” with my favorite culture writer, Anne Helen Peterson.

Think like a stage director.

Podcasts are different than white papers or research reports. Listeners expect to be entertained. How will you keep people listening? How will you make your show interesting, dramatic, or fun? What’s the vibe?

Consider how you’ll measure success.

One of my favorite business storytellers, Jay Acunzo, nails it when he says that podcasts are really about resonance, not reach. Podcasts are about going deep with your most loyal audience, not about generating a ton of new leads. Podcasts are also pretty tough to quantify. You’ll probably have limited data about your listeners. Generally, I work with companies that use podcasts to build relationships and deliver on their brand promise, not drive immediate sales. Keep your goal in mind.

I’ll leave you with this: Podcasts are a rich, engaging medium. They help people tell stories full of emotion and depth. We feel like we really know our favorite podcast hosts. So don’t record an audio version of your latest white paper and call it done. Think about podcasts as their own unique medium, a place to have fun and experiment, and I think you’ll be happier with the results.