So, you’re fascinated by launching a podcast. Perhaps you’re main a advertising and marketing crew at a growth-stage SMB, otherwise you’re simply in search of a solution to punch above your weight.
The excellent news is that podcasts are an unbelievable solution to develop your model’s voice, construct authority, and attain new audiences. The unhealthy information? It’s not as straightforward as hitting document and ready for the listeners and downloads to roll in.
On this weblog I’ll give you a information that’s primarily based on actual methods which have helped SMBs navigate challenges, stretch tight budgets, and hit targets they by no means thought potential.
Desk of contents
- Who’s Writing This and Why Ought to You Hear?
- The Problem: Small Group, Large Ambition
- The Journey: Constructing the Podcast Brick by Brick
- 1. Outline Your Why: Begin with Objective, Not Simply Content material
- 2. Establish and Perceive Your Viewers
- 3. Craft Your Distinctive Positioning: Stand Out or Fade Away
- 4. Tools & Software program: Good Sufficient is Good Sufficient
- 5. Content material Technique: Plan, however Keep Versatile
- 6. The Energy of Visitors: Content material + Constructed-in Promotion
- 7. The Launch: Make a Splash
- 8. Promotion: It Doesn’t Cease After Launch
- 9. Measure & Iterate
- The Backside Line: Podcasts as Your Secret Weapon
- Get scale-up progress methods in your inbox.
Who’s Writing This and Why Ought to You Hear?
My identify’s Tom Hunt. I’ve spent the higher a part of the final decade within the podcasting trenches, launching, rising, and monetizing exhibits for purchasers and myself. I’ve seen podcasts go from zero listeners to 1000’s, all with the right combination of technique, creativity, and a little bit of elbow grease.
I do know firsthand the wrestle of operating a advertising and marketing crew at an SMB, the place budgets are slim, however expectations are sky-high. The problem? Utilizing a podcast to face out in a crowded area with out throwing buckets of cash at adverts.
The Problem: Small Group, Large Ambition
Let me paint you an image. You’re operating a growth-stage SMB, startup or scale-up, pulling in about $5 million in income. Your advertising and marketing crew is lean—5 folks making an attempt to handle website positioning, social, lead gen, paid adverts, and every little thing else beneath the solar. You’ve heard podcasts is usually a game-changer for constructing model authority and producing leads, however you don’t have the assets of an enormous enterprise to pour into manufacturing. Rising a podcast may really feel like a luxurious you possibly can’t afford. Assume once more. With the precise method, a podcast can change into probably the most cost-effective instruments to drive engagement, construct authority, and generate leads—even should you’re competing with greater gamers.
The Journey: Constructing the Podcast Brick by Brick
1. Outline Your Why: Begin with Objective, Not Simply Content material
Earlier than you hit document, ask your self why you’re beginning this podcast. What’s the endgame? Perhaps it’s to:
- Generate leads
- Set up thought management
- Nurture trade relationships
- Construct model consciousness
That is not a step to skip. Your ‘why’ will form every little thing, from the content material you create to the friends you invite and the way in which you put it on the market.
💡Motion Tip: Outline a transparent objective for the podcast and align it with your corporation objectives. Whether or not you wish to construct relationships with potential purchasers or be seen as a go-to supply in your trade, write down your objective. Preserve it seen and confer with it all through the podcast’s growth.
2. Establish and Perceive Your Viewers
For SMBs, readability is tremendous essential. You don’t have the luxurious of throwing cash at obscure concepts. Your viewers must be clearly outlined from the beginning. Who’re you speaking to? Is it mid-level advertising and marketing managers? Startup founders? Progress-stage SMBs making an attempt to scale? Get granular. Nail down your goal persona and design your content material to serve their wants.
💡 Motion Step: Ask your self these questions earlier than you even hit document:
- What downside does this podcast resolve for my listeners?
- What sort of content material will hold them coming again?
- Who do I would like to achieve as a way to drive actual enterprise worth?
Create listener personas. Get clear on:
- Who they’re: Job titles, trade, decision-making energy.
- What challenges they face: Progress hurdles, tech confusion, scaling points.
- What they care about: Progress, innovation, cost-cutting options.
Deal with your podcast like a product. The extra you already know about your viewers, the higher you possibly can tailor your content material to resonate with them.
3. Craft Your Distinctive Positioning: Stand Out or Fade Away
Beginning a podcast is straightforward. Standing out is the exhausting half. In case your podcast appears like everybody else’s, it would get misplaced within the crowd. You want a novel angle or format that units you other than the competitors. That is very true for SMBs, the place assets are restricted, and also you want each episode to ship worth.
To be totally different, concentrate on what units you aside. What distinctive perspective or perception are you able to carry to the dialog that nobody else is masking?
Search for gaps in your market. What aren’t your rivals speaking about? What conversations are lacking? These gaps characterize alternatives so that you can place your podcast as the go-to useful resource.
💡Motion Step: Analysis the highest 3-5 podcasts in your area of interest. What matters are they masking? Extra importantly, what matters are they not masking? Are you able to carry a contemporary perspective to the desk?
For instance, as an alternative of a common “B2B Advertising and marketing Ideas” podcast, you would focus particularly on scaling B2B SaaS startups via content material advertising and marketing. The extra particular, the higher.
4. Tools & Software program: Good Sufficient is Good Sufficient
One of many largest misconceptions is that you just want top-tier tools to start out. Don’t fall into the perfection entice—ok is sweet sufficient.
💡 Professional Tip: Begin easy however efficient:
- Microphone: Go for a stable, budget-friendly choice just like the Blue Yeti or ATR2100.
- Recording software program: Free choices like Audacity or Riverside.fm will work simply tremendous.
- Recording area: You don’t want knowledgeable studio. Discover a quiet room, use blankets or pillows to soak up sound, and also you’re good to go.
It’s higher to get began with fundamental tools and enhance as you go than to delay the launch ready for perfection. Your precedence is content material consistency, not over-polished manufacturing.
5. Content material Technique: Plan, however Keep Versatile
Profitable podcasts aren’t constructed on one-off episodes. You want a content material technique that focuses on common, high-quality releases that talk to your viewers’s ache factors and pursuits. This might embrace interviews with trade specialists, deep dives into particular matters, and even case research showcasing your individual journey as an SMB.
Ensure you plan your content material at the very least a month or two forward. Determine on the frequency of your episodes (weekly, biweekly) and stick with it. Consistency breeds belief, and belief turns listeners into loyal followers.
💡 Motion Step: Create a content material calendar for the following three months, mapping out matters, friends, and potential launch dates. Purpose for at the very least 4-6 episodes earlier than you launch so that you’re not scrambling to supply content material every week. Undecided the place to start out? Have a look at the questions your gross sales crew will get requested probably the most or the largest trade ache factors.
And bear in mind: It’s not about you—it’s about your viewers. Every episode ought to present worth, not simply promote your model.
6. The Energy of Visitors: Content material + Constructed-in Promotion
Visitors are probably the most highly effective methods to develop your podcast. Why? They bring about each their experience and their viewers.
Select friends who can present invaluable insights and align along with your viewers’s pursuits. However right here’s the trick: Ensure that they’re prepared to advertise the episode to their very own networks. That is how one can faucet into new audiences with out spending a fortune.
💡 Motion Tip: Create a visitor outreach technique. Make a listing of 10-15 trade leaders, companions, and even clients you possibly can invite. Personalize your outreach, highlighting why you assume they’d be an excellent match for the present. Oh, and don’t be afraid to intention excessive—many individuals will say sure simply because they like being requested! Prioritize these with massive, engaged followings in your area of interest who can assist amplify your podcast’s attain.
7. The Launch: Make a Splash
The primary 48 hours of your podcast’s launch are essential. That’s when platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify are paying probably the most consideration. Promote your launch in all places—and I imply in all places. Create an enormous splash to maximise visibility.
💡 Motion Tip: Have a launch plan prepared. Right here’s what you must concentrate on:
- Electronic mail checklist: Blast your present subscribers, encouraging them to hear, subscribe, and evaluate.
- Social media: Create teaser content material main as much as launch day—use quick clips, quotes, or key takeaways from the primary episodes.
- Leverage your friends: Ask your friends to share the episodes with their viewers. Offering them with ready-made social posts and graphics could make this simpler.
Along with natural promotion, contemplate investing a small quantity in paid promoting on platforms like Spotify or Castbox, which permit for inexpensive, extremely focused adverts to podcast listeners. Social media platforms like Fb and LinkedIn can be efficient should you goal particular pursuits associated to your podcast.
💡Motion Step: Develop a launch technique that features social media posts, e mail campaigns, and guest-driven promotions. For further attain, allocate a small price range ($100–$200) for focused podcast adverts.
Actual-Life Win: After we launched “Confessions of a B2B Marketer,” we hit the bottom operating by leveraging early opinions and shares from our friends. The consequence? A robust preliminary increase in subscriptions.
8. Promotion: It Doesn’t Cease After Launch
Podcast progress doesn’t occur in a single day. Constant promotion is essential to long-term success. Listed below are just a few methods which have confirmed to work:
- Repurpose content material: Flip every episode into a number of codecs. Write a weblog put up recap, create quick video snippets for social, and even pull key quotes for LinkedIn.
- Leverage area of interest podcast directories: Platforms like Castbox, Overcast, or Podcast Addict will let you promote your present on to podcast listeners who’re already engaged in your area of interest.
- website positioning: Optimize your podcast titles, descriptions, and present notes with key phrases. This helps folks discover you once they’re trying to find matters associated to your episodes.
9. Measure & Iterate
How are you aware in case your podcast is working? Easy: observe the metrics that matter. Pay shut consideration to listener information. Use analytics from podcast platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts to trace downloads, engagement, and retention charges. Which episodes are performing greatest? The place are listeners dropping off?
This information will information your future episodes, serving to you create extra of what works and fewer of what doesn’t.
💡Motion Tip: Use analytics instruments like Chartable or your podcast host’s dashboard to trace:
- Listener progress
- Episode efficiency
- Engagement ranges (e.g., time spent listening)
Evaluate your podcast analytics each month. Alter your content material, format, and promotional technique primarily based on what the info tells you. Take note of what content material resonates along with your viewers.
Key Takeaways: What You Must Know to Begin & Develop a Podcast
- Begin with a transparent objective: Know why you’re podcasting and who you’re making an attempt to achieve.
- Differentiate your present: Deal with distinctive positioning in a crowded market.
- Preserve your setup easy: Spend money on fundamental audio tools however prioritize consistency over perfection.
- Plan your content material: Construct a content material calendar and hold episodes flowing often.
- Leverage friends for progress: Use visitor interviews to faucet into new audiences.
- Promote exhausting: The primary few episodes are essential—push them throughout all channels.
- Iterate primarily based on information: Frequently evaluate and regulate your podcast primarily based on listener insights.
The Backside Line: Podcasts as Your Secret Weapon
Constructing and scaling a podcast isn’t magic—it’s hustle, technique, and a complete lot of trial and error. However for an SMB seeking to punch above its weight, podcasts may be your secret weapon. By following these steps, SMB advertising and marketing groups can flip podcasts into highly effective instruments for driving progress, constructing model authority, and connecting with goal audiences—with out blowing the price range. Begin small, keep constant, and hold refining your method primarily based on what works.
Now, it’s time to hit that document button.
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// @pawel 2023.05.08
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