5 Reasons Your Branded Podcast Failed, and How To Revive It
First published in Puget Sound Business Journal Leadership Trust
By Joelle Nole , Managing Director at Larj Media
You tricked out a quiet conference room with the latest recording equipment and captured some great interviews, and you even had a launch party with branded podcast schwag for the team! But after a few published episodes, the show just isn’t delivering on its promise. What happened?
Starting a podcast shouldn’t be that hard for a marketing team well versed in producing volumes of content for multiple ad campaigns across myriad platforms… or so you may have thought. 44% of all podcasts have produced three or fewer episodes. Sad, but avoidable.
Here are a few common pitfalls to avoid when your organization is considering launching (or re-launching) a branded podcast.
1. You thought the biggest hurdle to podcasting was figuring out how to record and publish.
Many organizations, especially ones that have mastered video production, aren’t prepared for the long game that is podcasting. Yes, the technical production is far more flexible than video production, which gives it a low barrier to entry, but sustaining production over time is something you and your marketing team must prepare for.
Coming up with 25- to 45-minute stories over 10 to 20 episodes requires you to deeply understand your audience and what you want them to do, think or feel after they take out their earbuds. Be clear and intentional about what is going to keep them coming back to your podcast regularly. Your unique perspective and your ability to give them something they can’t get anywhere else will guide your content plan.
Being diligent here is the foundation that will serve and sustain your production for the long haul.
2. You had a list of rock star guests for your host to interview, but didn’t see the downloads you expected.
If your guests are well-known authors, thought leaders or celebrities, they may try to tell the exact same stories they tell every time they’re behind a microphone. If your host isn’t skilled at owning and driving the discussion to get somewhere new and unique, even a guest’s loyal fans probably aren’t going to listen to the same stories they’ve already heard on a more popular podcast.
Choosing the right host, meaning one who is skilled enough to keep digging for the story that aligns with the purpose of your podcast, and pairing that host with an experienced producer that supports them in the studio is worth it. Invest in both!
3. You made a podcast for your CEO, not your audience.
Knowing who your podcast is talking to, where they are and what they care about is so important in this medium because of the intimacy of the listening experience. People develop a relationship with your host that almost feels like a friendship. If your host is not relatable to the audience you’re trying to reach, they won’t stick around.
We recommend creating one or two personas that define your audience. Name them, get to know them and ask yourself “Why does care about this?” Then, when your podcast is in market, reach out and get audience feedback. What do they want to hear more of, less of? Is your show the right length and depth? How do your listeners engage with your brand in other marketing channels? Listen and make the necessary modifications to meet your audience where they are.
4. Your team didn’t have the bandwidth to sustain it, so publishing was infrequent or inconsistent.
Podcast listening is habit forming: The latest research indicates that podcast listeners consume an average of eight episodes per week. Listeners like to incorporate podcasts into their routine: 70% report listening while doing housework, while 80% listen while commuting. If your latest episode isn’t available when they head out to walk the dog, work out or take on a solo chore, they’ll find something else to replace it.
Feeding the content machine that is a podcast can be very time-consuming. It takes time to plot out the production workflow, from booking and scheduling to editing and audio mixdowns. Then there’s writing the copy for each episode and making sure you have all the social media assets you’ll need to promote it. And new episodes need to come out at least every other week to gain traction.
Ultimately, a successful podcast requires both skills and resources to make it happen. It’s an investment worth making in order to get it right.
5. That’s not actually a podcast.
Repurposing the audio from a video does not a podcast make. Neither does publishing a Zoom conversation to YouTube. Your podcast needs to be available across all platforms. Using a publishing platform like Libsyn, SoundCloud or Podbean (there are several others) will ensure your podcast appears across all players, including Spotify and Apple Podcast.
Podcasts are intimate experiences for listeners; 65% listen regularly on their smartphones, often using headphones or earbuds. Ensure high-quality audio that makes listening through earbuds a pleasant experience. Audio should be mixed and mastered to remove anomalies in the levels, background noises and pops. Your listeners are with you regularly for 20 to 40 minutes each time; honor that time by giving them the best listening experience possible.
Final thoughts
It may not be easy to convince your leadership to keep investing in a podcast if you’ve tried once and failed, but once you get your branded podcast right, it will become an incredibly powerful tool in your marketing mix. The number of podcast listeners in the U.S. is increasing by millions each year; the latest research reports that 177 million Americans listened to at least one podcast episode last year. Don’t let one failed attempt rob your business of the massive possibilities available in this medium. Get back at it! Your audience will be glad you did.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
Ready to jumpstart your podcast? Schedule a call with Larj Media today.