Podcast Tips & Tricks We Learned From Making Our Own

March 2024

With Insticator’s PathUp podcast returning to the virtual airwaves this year, we wanted to share some of what we learned in the process. In this blog post, we explain how to get your own podcast off the ground — and why.

Recently, after a hiatus, we decided to relaunch Insticator’s “PathUp” podcast, where our company’s best and brightest sit down with industry leaders and trailblazers so they can share the wisdom that helped them get ahead — and hopefully do the same for our audience. After such a long break, however, relaunching PathUp was a lot like starting from scratch.

So in the spirit of our podcast, and to celebrate our upcoming first new episode, we decided to pull back the curtain and share what we learned in the process so that you can decide whether a podcast is right for you or your business — and so you can have a leg up in the process.

Why Start A Company Podcast?

Originally launched back in the early days of the Apple iPod (you did know that’s where “podcasting” originally got its name, right?) podcasting has been enjoying a major renaissance in recent years. From juggernauts like Joe Rogan’s 15-million-subscriber “Experience,” to cross-platform NPR hits like “This American Life,” people are taking in podcasts everywhere they go. Listeners tune in while they’re driving, at the gym, or even for the background noise as they do their jobs and work around the house.

With that kind of insatiable hunger for content, lots of companies should be looking into whether a podcast is right for them. And many companies have thrown their hat into the ring: Netflix, Spotify, and Penguin Random House are all in the ranks of company podcasters — and when giants like that make a move, the rest of us should all take note.

More-specifically to Insticator, however: 39% of small-to-medium business owners count themselves as dedicated podcast listeners. As a B2B enterprise specializing in audience engagement, Insticator knows all about meeting your audience where they are.

While we want to create content that’s engaging for our own customers, we also relish the opportunity to show the wider community exactly who and what Insticator is, so that additional potential customers sit up and take note. If all they get out of our podcast is an entertaining time and some words of wisdom, that’s great. If they also decide that Insticator might just be their next engagement partner, so much the better.

Staying in the conversation, providing our clientele with valuable insights, and potentially reaching new audiences — where’s the downside?

Choosing Our Structure

There are a lot of different kinds of podcasts out there, so choosing the structure that works for you and your business is key to success. There’s the conversational podcast style that’s become almost a stereotype these days, often called the “two guys talking” podcast. There are your “narrative” podcasts, which can be either fiction or nonfiction — some of the top-rated “true crime” podcasts are told in a narrative fashion.

We opted for an “interview” style podcast because it allows us to bring something new to the table each installment. New guests mean new information and a fresh perspective every time. Our guest is at the forefront of how we market each episode, as they’re the ones getting their brains picked.

Investing In Equipment

Whether you’re taking up an interest in camping, brewing your own beer, or learning to play an instrument, the best part of any new venture is getting to buy all that fun new stuff. In the case of a podcast, it’s also pretty crucial for success.

Whenever possible, you want to avoid poor audio compression, barking dogs, and rattling air conditioners in the background of your podcast. They’re a distraction as a best-case scenario, an irritant in a worse case, and a total dealbreaker for some listeners as a worst-case.

A good-quality USB microphone will do the trick in most cases without needing to invest in the more-expensive XLR cables you’d see on a microphone at a music venue or the like. Investing in a solid pair of noise-canceling headphones is key for eliminating distractions during your podcast.

Of course, if you’re contemplating shooting video during your podcast that can introduce a whole new level of gear-buying to the proceedings, with ring lights, backdrops, and cameras to consider. So we’d suggest you get the audio portion figured out before delving too deeply into that. After all, if your podcast takes off you can always introduce the video options later.

Finding Guests

When you’re a B2B enterprise, you’ve got no shortage of interesting people to interact with and, potentially, to interview. But it’s important to consider the podcast when making your selections. Hopefully, you’ve got a pool of satisfied customers (like we do) who’re willing to go on the air with you — but if all they’re doing is talking about how great you are, then what you’re actually recording is a commercial. You want to select people who are bringing a value-add to the airwaves through their own insights.

So in addition to happy customers, also consider those luminaries you’ve encountered on the road at conferences, interviewers who’ve had you on their podcast, business leaders you respect, and more.

Another principle to consider (especially in the early, audience-building phase) is the strategy known as “OPA” – short for “Other People’s Audiences.” While you can obviously make a great podcast calling attention to the little-known and unsung members of your industry, it’s not going to move the needle much for growing your audience.

If, on the other hand, you pull in a guest who is respected in their own right, with an audience of their own, then you get your listeners and theirs tuning in for your podcast. If even a small percentage of those listeners become loyal consumers of your podcast, then you’re looking at steady incremental growth.

Final Thoughts

Though starting a podcast for your business does require forethought and planning, the associated costs are actually incredibly low — meaning there’s very little barrier to entry. So get started! Brainstorm a plan, and try to have fun with it, because your audience can hear it in your voice. It’s a great way to stake a claim in your industry and carve out a spot for your own, unique voice.

Stay tuned for our first new episode, coming soon. And if you’re a client looking for advice on other ways to boost your engagement, reach out to our team today.