So You’re Thinking About Starting A Podcast?

Everyone’s doing it nowadays aren’t they? Podcasting is very much here to stay and there’s a podcast available on practically any subject you can think of, and even ones on things you dare not think about. But is a podcast right for you and your business?

Firstly, consider what it is your business actually does to make money. I’ve always maintained that something is usually interesting to someone somewhere; but how does making a podcast fit into your end goal as a business?

If you’re a manufacturer, shop owner or a labourer and are thinking about starting a podcast, I’d suggest that you need to think really creatively about why and how a podcast would benefit your audience, which leads me to asking you a bigger question - who do you think might actually take the time to listen to what you have to say and who is it that you’re aiming this podcast at?

A regular podcast with your latest deals could be of interest to both other business owners and potential customers, but a podcast is unlikely the first place they’re going to check for that sort of information. Mostly, podcasts are listened to by people for the entertainment value that they can offer anytime and anyplace. Which then leads me on to an EVEN bigger question of time and cost….

If you’re a start-up business I get it - you want to try and conquer the world all at once. You want to send things viral on the web, be on all the social media platforms, create a podcast, and try to make a success and start building a better life for yourself. While being on social media is typically free and in those early stages is something you can do yourself, making a podcast does have some costs associated with it; there’s the recording equipment if you haven’t got any already, the cost of a producer or editor who can help you mould the content and edit it to make you sound amazing, and then of course there’s the physical time aspect of actually writing the content of each episode and then finding the time to record it.

I’d never tell someone not to be creative, as someone that’s spent 15 years making radio programmes and online content, I’d firmly encourage it, but until you are absolutely sure that your business is up and running smoothly I would say hold off for now, because until you’ve built up the thing that’s going to be earning your living - what exactly are you going to talk about?

Chris Byland has been a radio and content producer for the last 15 years for national, international and local radio stations and audiences. He has worked with some of the world’s biggest names, brands and bands. He lives in Suffolk and you can contact Chris via his website - www.chrisbyland.co.uk