It feels like everyone is starting their own podcast now, doesn’t it? With audio equipment and production tech more accessible and affordable than ever, plus in the time of lockdowns and home entertainment, the medium has reached new heights in terms of popularity.
This is certainly the case for the agency world too. We’ve invited Rahoul Naik, MD of Jetpack Marketing, to tell us about his experience of starting a podcast – and his advice to other agencies thinking of doing the same.
Here at Jetpack Marketing, we kicked off October with a bang! We launched our brand new podcast, ‘Jetcast’ (now streaming on all major podcast platforms – got to get that plug in!), and it’s been a very exciting time for us.
As a team, we are avid podcast listeners so producing our own has been on the cards for some time. But it can be a daunting task. Equipment, editing, production; this wasn’t necessarily our forte but something we really wanted to try.
Podcasting as a medium felt like the perfect fit for us. We had a goal to create brand awareness while sharing (and showing off) our knowledge and expertise. The central idea was around creating ‘infotainment’ – information plus entertainment – in order to educate other small businesses, but in a more fun and conversational way. We’re always having these kinds of discussions internally so thought why not take that and put it out into the world to help others.
The birth of Jetcast has taught us many things, the first being the practicality of getting started!
”As a team, we are avid podcast listeners so producing our own has been on the cards for some time. But it can be a daunting task. Equipment, editing, production; this wasn’t necessarily our forte but something we really wanted to try.
Here are some tips to help you prepare:
1) Decide on the right kit to buy
We looked at all the usual places like Amazon, but instead found good deals on auction websites like John Pye. We ended up going with Logitech Yeti microphones, they are a simple plug and play microphone and the quality is great. Look for reviews from those you know already produce great podcasts.
2) Work out your production process & tech
We went with Adobe Audition – which was a little complex at first, although its podcast setting makes editing with multiple mics a breeze. Figure out what software you’ll need to actually produce the podcast, and also what you’ll need for distribution. We use a tool called Anchor (now owned by Spotify), which allowed us to distribute out to all major streaming platforms. It’s a completely free service and has proved to be very useful.
3) You’ll need good time management skills
This journey has been really eye opening. One thing it’s highlighted is how useful it is to plan ahead – with this on top of running the business it is ever so easy to spread yourself too thin. If it starts to fall behind and you drop out any kind of schedule, that’s when your subscriber and listener figures will suffer.
We also found that recording a podcast can be a lot more time consuming than it seems. Sometimes, recording just 20 minutes of audio can take up to an hour or more. You need to be well prepared – do some research about what content and news to include, as well as what you want to discuss. We had to choose topics which were current and relevant but also topics we can create a good amount of discussion on. There’s also the matter of scheduling guests, making time in our own schedules to record and co-ordinating internal diaries, which can be quite the task sometimes!
4) Podcasting is a great form of marketing
Getting behind the mic and having that intimate chat directly with your listeners is the most organic and authentic way to market yourself and your brand. We’ve loved it and had some fantastic feedback, plus our clients have enjoyed it too!
”Getting behind the mic and having that intimate chat directly with your listeners is the most organic and authentic way to market yourself and your brand.
5) Enjoy the self reflection
As strange as it sounds, the process of producing the podcast has given us a fantastic opportunity for self-reflection. We discuss our experiences, how we differ from each other, and what we can learn. It’s been incredibly rewarding and we’ve loved every minute.
Checklist for starting your own podcast…
- A reliable microphone
- Easy-to-use recording/editing software
- A means of distribution
- Amazing time management
- Confidence to put yourself out there
So to conclude, Jetcast has taught us many lessons in the short time since its launch. Putting ourselves out there in front of our audience and clients was well worth the effort – and the brand awareness rewards, the ability to self-reflect so often, and the chance to support other businesses is something we hope to keep doing for a long time yet!
This article was written by Agency Collective member Rahoul Naik, Founder & MD of Jetpack Marketing – a branding and campaigns agency which specialises in the world of SMEs. You can check out the Jetcast podcast here!
