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Research Outline

Prepared for Rachel | Delivered March 17, 2020

Best Practices - Podcasts

Goals

To explore 2-3 best practices related to conducting podcasts. For each best practice, 1) describe what it is, 2) explain why it is relevant, and 3) provide any available success metrics. Research will be used to help two NYC-based cosmetic surgeons launch a podcast.

Early Findings

During this hour of research, we were able to identify two best practices related to conducting a podcast: 1) developing valuable content, and 2) using several marketing channels to promote the podcast.

Develop Valuable Content

  • According to Forbes, developing valuable content is the first and most important step in conducting a podcast. A podcast's content should "capture [the] audience and still respect [its] time."
  •  Examples of ways that a podcast can achieve this is through storytelling (via both the podcaster and listeners), trust building, consistency, testimonials, sincerity, and expert commentary.
  • Inc. suggests that podcasters opt for "compelling, engaging content" over brand promotion to build a passionate audience.
  • One way to measure the success of this best practice is to observe audience engagement levels. Possible metrics include how many influencers are promoting a podcast's content, how listeners are responding via comments or call-in opportunities, and how many "ideal client relationships" have been created by inviting listeners to appear on the show.

Use Several Marketing Channels

  • According to Forbes, podcasters should consider a varied approach to marketing that includes using platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify, promoting on social media, showcasing audience ratings, and asking other podcasters for help with word-of-mouth promotions.
  • Other valuable podcast platforms to consider include PodBean, SoundCloud, and Buzzsprout. Several publications also recommend uploading a podcast on YouTube and using "podcast aggregators" to assist with sharing.
  • Podcasters can measure the success of different marketing channels by embedding tracking codes in URL links to see how many audience members click through to listen to the podcast.
  • Other ways to measure a podcast's marketing success include its number of unique downloads and its subscriber count.

Summary of Findings

  • We spent this hour identifying two best practices related to conducting a podcast. Each best practice that we included is corroborated by at least three reputable publications.
  • Since our findings indicate that there are additional best practices in this area, we recommend continuing with our current research path.
  • It might also be useful to explore what podcasters need to consider in terms of practicality when developing or launching a podcast. For example, is there anything related to equipment that they need to take into account? Are there reasons they might choose one platform over another?