How to Determine If a Podcast Fits Your Brand

In pretty much all cases, a podcast will fit your brand as a content strategy. The key is brainstorming and determining how.

Of course, that isn’t a blanket statement. Brands whose sole purpose is to teach online and physically show students what they need to do with a visual component may not have a need for a podcast. For example, my brother-in-law teaches computer science and coding and we discussed the possibility of a podcast, but we concluded it would be tough to grasp the material he’s teaching without a video for students to see.

But…could a podcast be used as a supplement to the videos? Absolutely. If students like to reinforce their online studies with audible knowledge, a podcast featuring repurposed content from the videos could serve as an excellent resource. They could listen to the information in a number of different scenarios.

So…how can you determine if a podcast fits your brand? It starts with research.

First, pull up your podcast app of choice and search for podcasts in your industry.

Are they active and producing new episodes?
Are there many to choose from or just a handful?
Would you be the first to create a podcast in your industry?

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If you find other successful podcasts in your industry, check them out. Listen to some episodes. Check on their social media presence. Visit their website. Discover how they’re leveraging this powerful medium and determine how you can emulate their efforts without copying. What is the unique value proposition of YOUR podcast? Clearly, podcasting works in your industry. Now you have to find a way to present your content so it stands out.

What if you’d be the first in your industry to do a podcast? First off, the likelihood of this is very slim. BUT…if you are, it doesn’t necessarily mean that a podcast in your niche or industry won’t fly. It just means that no one has gone after it yet. Consider yourself a trailblazer!

Next, you want to determine if your ideal customer is listening to podcasts or, if you started one, would they tune in. This is where your initial research will come into play. If you’ve found podcasts in your industry already being produced, chances are yours will get over, too.

But, ask your audience. Put out feelers on social media and email newsletters to see if they’re listening to podcasts. This can be done as simply as asking “What’s your favorite podcast?” If you get a lot of responses, you’ll know your audience is familiar with the medium and using it.

From there, start teasing ideas that you want to use in your brand podcast and gauge responses. Set up polls with your potential content ideas and let your existing audience vote on what they’d like to hear. This will help shape the direction of your show.

Listening to your audience is a fundamental strategy that you’ll want to leverage throughout the life of your podcast. The more you give them what they want, the more they’ll spread the word, and the larger your podcast will become.

Finally, determine how you can build a community with your podcast. You may find that your industry doesn’t just need another podcast. It needs an active community where people can learn more, communicate, and become more entrenched in whatever industry you’re in. These communities will feature active conversations almost daily (many that you’ll start, but some that members of the community will start) and your podcast can be a catalyst for the growth and development of the community.

If you’re looking for a sound content strategy that amplifies your message, helps people solve problems, and connects with an audience on an increasingly popular platform, podcasting is your ticket.

Don’t delay. Start building your podcast today and watch your brand message explode.

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