Podcasts are booming in popularity, and for good reason. They offer a unique way to connect with an audience, especially for busy executives at innovation-driven companies. Unlike written content or videos, podcasts let people listen and engage while they’re on the go. This makes podcasting an ideal medium for reaching out to your audience in a personal and impactful way.

Why Start a Company Podcast? 

Starting a company podcast offers a unique way to connect with your audience and boost your brand’s influence. Here’s why you should consider it:

• Build Personal Connections: A podcast lets you convey authenticity and passion through your voice, building trust and credibility with your listeners.
• Showcase Thought Leadership: Share insights, interview experts, and discuss trends to position yourself and your company as industry leaders.
• Reach a Broader Audience: Podcasts can be discovered worldwide, opening up new opportunities for networking, partnerships, and business growth.

Starting a podcast is more than just a marketing strategy; it’s a powerful tool for communication and connection. For executives at innovation-driven companies, it’s an opportunity to lead conversations, inspire change, and connect with a diverse and engaged audience.  

11 Tips to Start a Podcast That Gets Listeners

1. Foster Authenticity and Connection

Focus on authenticity and genuine conversation. While it’s tempting to prioritize polished production and scripted content, I’ve found that listeners are drawn to podcasts that feel authentic and relatable.

Instead of trying to sound overly professional or authoritative, embrace your unique voice and personality. Share personal anecdotes, insights, and even occasional mistakes or failures. Invite guests who bring diverse perspectives and engage in meaningful, unscripted conversations that delve into the real challenges and triumphs of the tech industry.

By fostering authenticity and connection, your podcast becomes a trusted source of insight and inspiration for listeners, driving engagement and loyalty in the competitive world of SaaS solutions and entrepreneurship.

Ashwin Ramesh, CEO, Synup

2. Optimize Your Podcast Content for Search

One essential tip for launching a successful tech industry podcast is to optimize your content for SEO. From the beginning, incorporate relevant keywords into your podcast title, description, and episode show notes. This strategy ensures that your podcast appears in search results when potential listeners are looking for tech topics you cover.

Additionally, consider transcribing episodes and publishing the transcripts online to enhance your SEO efforts. By making your podcast more discoverable, you significantly increase the chances of attracting a dedicated listener base interested in tech discussions.

Gosia Hytry, Head of Content, Spacelift

3. Invite Diverse Perspectives

Invite industry experts, thought leaders, and even engaging personalities with contrasting viewpoints. Diverse perspectives spark lively discussions and keep listeners hooked. Consider co-hosting with someone who complements your strengths and adds a new dimension to the show.

Scott Gabdullin, CEO and Founder, Learo

4. Consistency is Key

Serve up valuable, engaging content on a regular basis. Think high-quality episodes that inform, entertain, and captivate your target audience. Plan topics and top-notch guests well in advance, keeping a stockpile of episodes ready to go. Stick to a reliable publishing schedule. Remember, value delivery is everything. Hook your listeners, and they’ll keep coming back for more!

Dawn Lynn Lego, Director, Brand Engagement & Channel Marketing at OneCause

5. Optimize Content and Engage Online

From my background in digital marketing and SEO, one key tip for launching a successful tech industry podcast is to meticulously optimize your podcast content for search engines right from the start. At Raincross, we have leveraged SEO to significantly grow our online presence, and the same principles apply to podcast content. This includes embedding relevant keywords within your podcast titles, descriptions, and even in the content itself. For example, when we target specific keywords in our blog posts, we see a substantial increase in our visibility and engagement. Applying this tactic to your podcast can help attract listeners who are actively searching for tech topics you’re discussing.

Kevin Watts, President & Founder, Raincross

6. Provide Detailed Show Notes

My best advice for starting a successful tech podcast is to actually show notes. Tech podcasts are packed with a lot of information on different topics, so you need to include all your references in your show notes. I’ve generally found it really helpful to divide the show notes into sections based on time, with a brief description, the time code, and a link for each part. Detailed show notes also help casual listeners decide if they want to listen to your podcast. They’re also important for helping search engines find your content, as it’ll be some time before search engines can search audio directly. A lot of people have told me they listen to podcasts while commuting, and then when they get to their office, they look at the show notes for things they liked or want to learn more about.

Lucas Ochoa, Founder & CEO, Automat

7. Focus on Your Target Audience 

One of the most important things to remember when launching a company podcast is to create content that is tailored to your target audience. Before you start recording episodes, take the time to research your ideal listener persona. What are their pain points, interests, and needs? By answering these questions, you can create content that resonates with your audience and drives engagement.

Emily Finkelstein, Founder and CEO at VentureXpert Advisors

8. Address an Underserved Tech Topic

Starting a successful tech-industry podcast is akin to launching a startup. It’s all about finding your unique niche and delivering value to your target audience. While I don’t have personal podcasting experience, I can draw parallels from the startup world.

First, identify a specific problem or topic within the tech industry that you’re passionate about and that others are underserving. Your podcast should address this gap.

John Xie, Co-Founder and CEO, Taskade

9. Use Technology to Work Smarter

Put technology to work for you to find listeners, enlist reviews and receive referrals. Two startups worth watching in the podcast space with these goals are Casted and Podopolo.

Karen Mangia, President & Chief Strategy Officer at The Engineered Innovation Group

10. Build a Content Backlog

Don’t give up when you’re launching your tech podcast. On average, most podcasts only last for about seven episodes, and listeners are keen to that. They’re less likely to subscribe to or invest in a podcast that isn’t going to be around for long. It’s best to record a handful of episodes before launching so that you have a backlog. The process takes longer than you think, and that backlog may keep you from failing before you’ve created enough momentum.

Logan Mallory, Vice President of Marketing, Motivosity

11. Identify Your Ideal Podcast Listener

The most important question regarding listenership on a podcast that isn’t entertainment-based is to identify your ideal listener. For example, are you hoping to attract new customers, create B2B partnerships with fellow companies, or establish thought leadership and influence in your space? Then, determine your desired ROI for the podcast and how the ideal listener will help drive that. Thinking of a podcast as a further extension of your other marketing efforts will help you frame the content and put the podcast in a position to help you meet your overall company goals.

Cody Boyce, Founder, CEO, Crate Media

Conclusion: Embrace the Power of Podcasting

When done well, podcasting can be a powerful tool for communication and connection. For executives at innovation-driven companies, a podcast offers the unique opportunity to lead conversations, inspire change, and connect with a diverse and engaged audience.  

Embrace the power of podcasting and take the first step towards transforming how you engage with your audience. Your voice can be a beacon of innovation, guiding your listeners through the ever-evolving landscape of your industry. So, get ready to hit record and start your podcast journey today!