How Do You Make a Business Podcast That Stands Out?

Podcasting continues to be a growing medium. Every day, new shows are launched. And as of this recording, there are now well over 2,000,000 podcasts available in Apple Podcasts. 

The motivations and ambitions of those who get into podcasting vary from person to person. But for those who put the time and work in, the rewards can be huge.

Business and industry podcasting is where you'll find many who are reaping the benefits of their content. This ranges from individuals working on side ventures outside of their day job, the side hustles, to multinational companies.

As more businesses move towards podcasting, people are looking at ways to stand out. To do something a bit more differently.

So, if you want to make a show for your own company or brand, what sorts of things should you do to avoid becoming just another one of the pack?

Let’s go over some ideas and suggestions that will help you make a business podcast that stands out, and attract your current and potential clients or customers to listen. 

Let’s take a look at the most common business podcast format

• Intro music
• The host introduces show
• Interview 
• Host summarizes and closes show, adds call(s) to action
• Outro music

There's absolutely nothing wrong with this format. In fact, this is the perfect structure for a majority of podcasters. Listeners are very used to it, it's practical. And it doesn't require a big investment of time or money with additional production elements.

But if you really want to stand out, it's going to be very hard to do that following this format. It's very common.

What's the alternative? Let’s go over an idea.

Are you the authority, or your guest?

There are many benefits of running an interview show. The big downside is that you're never the true authority on your own show – your guests are.  An interview-style podcast, at its core, is a networking tool for you and your business.

You don’t need to stop having guests in order to stand out. But make sure it's a conscious decision rather than something you've been led to believe is a necessity. Understand what this style podcast is going to accomplish for you and your guest.

How about...

Reworking the Conversations

If you will be having guests on your show, consider throwing out the common intro, interview, outro cadence approach.

Let’s say you do want to make a business podcast, and you’re going to start with a season of 15 episodes.

And, you’ll be lining up 15 guests.

The “conventional” way of doing this is that each episode will be an interview with 1 of these 15 guests.

The conversation takes the usual approach. You ask them how they got started in what they do, what problems they overcame, how they became successful, and what advice they have for others. The typical flow of this interview format.

But, this doesn't really stand out. Especially if your guests are often interviewed on other podcasts. Where they’ll probably cover exactly the same ground, talking about their latest book, or their latest TED Talk.

Let’s consider an alternative.

A Season of Topics, Not Guests

Come up with 15 topics.

Each topic is basically a question, or themed set of questions. These will be similar to the questions asked in that common interview style, so you've got things like “problems you overcame,” and “advice for others.”

Then you can throw in things that are a bit different from the norm. 

“Which talent would you most like to have?”, and “What technology do you wish existed?”, for two examples.

In each interview, you ask the 15 guests your 15 questions, along with any follow-up questions.

Then, produce your 15 episodes. Each will focus on answering 1 question, and feature the answer from all 15 of your guests.

This can make a better listener experience. Your show will become easy to navigate. It will have an appeal to a younger target audience who may not have the patience for the full traditional interview experience. And offers better searchable and shareable content because it is designed around one question, from all of your guests.

Work with us to create your podcast

Let’s talk about what podcasting can do for your business in the next 12-months. Whether you’re B2C or B2B, we can create a content marketing strategy that will work for you.

Connect with me if you would like to talk more about this. My calendar is available on my Circle270Media Podcast Consultants business website at circle270media.com

Subscribe to my free daily Open The Mic Newsletter. It’s chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast.

Recorded in conjunction with Channel 511, in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH.

Brett Johnson is the owner and lead consultant at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants. With over 35+ years of experience in Marketing, Content Creation, Audio Production/Recording and Broadcasting, the podcast consultants at Circle270Media strategically bring these strengths together for their business Podcast clients.

Email us at podcasts@circle270media.com to set up time to talk more about your new or established business podcast.

This is a Note To Future Me.

Hi, this is Brett Johnson, your host and the owner of Circle270Media Podcast

Consultants. In Studio C in the 511 Studios in downtown Columbus.

How do you make a business podcast that

stands out? We have to answer that question a lot with

the podcast consultants and the clients that we work with.

Podcasting continues to be a growing medium.

Every day new shows are launched and as of this recording, there are now a well over

two million podcasts available in Apple podcasts.

The motivations and ambitions of those who

get into podcasting vary from person to person, from business to business.

But for those who put the time in work in

the rewards can be huge business and industry.

Podcasting is where you're going to find

many who are reaping the benefits of their content.

This ranges from individuals working on side ventures outside of their day job,

a.k.a. the side hustles, to multinational companies.

As more businesses move towards

podcasting, people are looking at ways to stand out to do something a bit more

differently. So if you want to make a show for your own

company or brand, what sorts of things should you do to

avoid becoming just another one of the pack?

Let's go over some ideas and suggestions

that will help you make a business podcast that stands out and attract your current

and potential clients or customers to listen.

Let's take a look at the most common business podcast format.

You have the intro music.

The host introduces the show, that interview, the presenter summarizes

and closes the show, adds their call or calls to action and the outro music.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with this format.

In fact, this is the perfect structure for majority of podcasters.

Listeners are very used to that format.

It's practical and it doesn't require a

big investment of time or money with additional production elements.

But if you really want to stand out, it's going to be very hard to do that.

Following this format.

It's very common.

What's the alternative?

Let's go over an idea or two.

Are you the authority or is your guest the

authority? There are many benefits of running an interview show.

The big downside is that you're never the true authority on your own show.

Your guests are an interview style podcast.

At its core is a networking tool for you and your business.

You don't need to stop having guests in order to stand out, but make sure it's a

conscious decision rather than something you've been led to believe is a necessity.

Understand what this style podcast is

going to accomplish for you and your guest.

How about reworking the conversations?

If you will be having guests on your show,

consider throwing out the common intro interview Altro kadence approach.

Let's say you do want to make a business podcast and you're going to start with a

season of fifteen episodes and you'll be lining up fifteen guests.

The conventional way of doing that is that

each episode will be an interview with one of these fifteen guests.

The conversation takes the usual approach.

You ask them how they got started and what they do, what problems they overcame, how

they became successful and what advice they have for others.

The typical flow of this interview format, and it does work, but this doesn't really

stand out, especially if your guests are often interviewed on other podcasts

where they'll probably cover exactly the same ground.

Talking about their latest book or their latest TED talk, consider an alternative.

A season of topics, not guests come up with fifteen topics.

Each topic is basically a question or themed set of questions.

These will be similar to the questions asked in that common interview style.

So you've got things like problems you overcame and advice for others.

Then you can throw in things that are a bit different from the norm.

Here are a couple of examples.

Which talent would you most like to have or what technology do you wish existed?

In each interview you asked the fifteen

guests your fifteen questions, along with any follow up questions.

Then produce your 15 episodes.

Each will focus on answering one question

and feature the answer from all fifteen of your guests.

This can make a better listener experience.

Your show will become easy to navigate.

It will have an appeal to a younger target audience who may not have the patience for

the full traditional interview experience and offers better searchable and shareable

content because it's designed around one question from all of your guests.

We'd love to work with you to create your podcast.

Don't hesitate to get in touch to discuss your plans and your project.

We'd love to hear from you.

Go to my podcast guy dot com and schedule a time with us.

And do you want to learn more?

Be sure to sign up for my.

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