Podcasts are an engaging and cost-effective way of communicating your brand messages to key audiences.
At Shout! Communications we offer all elements of corporate podcast production: from creative ideas and scripting, to professional recording and editing. We create engaging content, tailored to the people you want to hear it.
This can include music, sound effects, voiceovers, the design of the podcast thumbnails and any graphics.
Corporate podcasts can be produced in a studio in London or beyond, or we can bring one of our portable, pop-up studios to you.
WHY A BRANDED PODCAST?
Corporate podcasts have achieved global popularity and have proved highly effective for companies and brands looking to engage with their target market.
A well-produced podcast series allows a business to build a personal connection with their customers. You can develop the opportunity to show people who you are, building up their trust in you so that they turn into potential customers and clients. They can also be effectively used for internal communications.
Note we talk about podcasts plural. A one-off, stand alone podcast is not going to work. You need a series (we recommend at least six episodes) in order to reap the benefits.
Corporate podcasts for companies help build brand awareness. They don’t only target the businesses’ customers but employees too and are a great way to boost internal comms.
Need help with corporate podcast production?
KEY BENEFITS OF CORPORATE PODCASTS
We believe there are two main reasons for considering corporate podcast production for your company.
The first is about claiming space in your world. Podcasts are a great way of putting your brand in the spot-light, positioning it as a market leader.
The second reason is about building networks, in order to increase brand awareness. Having produced a series of podcasts they can be distributed on platforms such as iTunes, Apple or Stitcher.
But they can also be woven into other marketing activities such as a link in a newsletter, or placed on social media channels.
For more on podcast distribution click here.
TYPES OF PODCASTS THAT SHOUT! COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALISES IN
A podcast can really be as broad as your imagination or budget but there some formats which are tried and tested and work well for a business and consumer audience.
Host led interview podcasts – typically this would be one or two hosts who chat with one or more guests each episode. This is akin to a radio show.
Round table – We can accommodate as many speakers as required but typically up to four works well
On location – Shout! has a pop up studio which we can bring to your location – this can make the show more dynamic
Re-purposing – we can take content from for example a video and re purpose it into podcast episodes.
WHO ARE PODCASTS SUITABLE FOR
- Brands wanting to target younger people. 40% of people who listen to podcasts in the UK are aged between 26-35.
- Brands searching for a mass audience. Latest figures by Statista claim 50% of Brits have listened to a podcast and 25% listen regularly.
- Brands talking about sensitive issues. A bit like radio, podcasts come across as an intimate medium. They might have the potential to reach a mass audience but they don’t feel like that when you’re listening to one. For that reason listeners are more receptive to engaging about sensitive subjects that might not be so accessible on mainstream radio and/or TV.
AVOID OVERLY COMMERCIAL CONTENT
Content should reflect a business’ core values and is likely to relate to the company’s products or services, but it should not be an advert. Every listener thinks their time is precious and in order to give up any of that time to listen to your podcast they need to be entertained.
The skill in podcast production is to combine key messages with engaging content. The commercial element of a podcast needs to be subtle; even the most loyal customer will stop listening if the podcast is one long sales pitch.
Experts in your field, case studies and celebrities if your budget stretches that far, can all make effective interviewees.
HOW WE CAN HELP YOU
We have great knowledge and experience in producing audio to a high standard. Bring us in at an early stage and we can guide you with the creative treatment, suggestions of contributors and much more.
Feeling inspired? Have a look at our Pre-production tips, to ensure you get the best ROI from any podcast series. Click here.
Or ready to start on your podcast journey? Contact us today to find out more about our corporate podcast production service for companies.
Email hello@shoutcommunications.co.uk or call us on 020 7240 7373
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CORPORATE PODCAST PRODUCTION - THE LIKELY TIMELINE
PREPARATION
This, in our view, is the most crucial part of the corporate podcast production process. That’s because this is when we work out what you are trying to achieve by producing a company podcast series.
Who is it aimed at? What sort of effect do you want your corporate podcasts to have on them? Is there a call to action? Any production, audio or video, creates an impression and the most important part of our role is ensuring your podcasts truly represent you, in the way you want to be seen and heard.
Presenters, interview guests, music styles, even the image and font on the podcast thumbnail all play a part in this. At the same time, a podcast series needs to engage so that listeners keep listening. There’s no point ticking all your corporate boxes if the content is as dull as ditch water!
PRE-PRODUCTION
Arguably this takes the longest – deciding on, contacting and liasing with possible interview guests.
It depends on the content of your podcast, but it is possible to record several episodes in one go. This is a cost-effective way of producing a lot of content in one go, but it can be a challenge, getting everyone to agree to the same date!
If your podcast is based on current affairs for example, this won’t work. But we do offer studio recording sessions in half day bites and do work flexibly. So, for instance, one or two interviews could take place on Zoom.
Going in with a planned schedule is a good way of making sure the session runs to time. This keeps studio and editing costs down. You may want us to script some of the introductions and make a note of key points that should be included in particular interviews. Really the running order is a framework on which to build, once you’re in the studio.
RECORDING
Let the fun begin! Having climbed over all the logistical hurdles you should have access to all your guests. We always record more than you need, just in case , and our producer is there to oversee the session. That means ensuring there is enough suitable content to achieve what you set out to do.
Our recording sessions are structured, so that no one starts to flag. You want contributors to sound energised and enthused – not weary from being in a studio for too long.
EDITING
Because you signed off a running order prior to the recording session, you already have a good idea of what the final podcast should sound like. For that reason you might want us to edit down the podcast for you. Or you could opt to listen to the material in its entirety, before instructing us about what to lose. Either way we’re flexible.
Typically we allow for two full rounds of editing, so even if you change your mind about something, we can make amends accordingly.
FAQs
Q Podcasts sound expensive, are they?
For what they can achieve and how long they stick around, really no. The biggest cost is time – for the pre-production, the recording and then the editing. Having a plan, developed in the preparation and pre-production stage, should help you stick to budget.
You don’t want one podcast, you want a series of podcasts and the most cost effective way of producing a series is to do it in bulk. As mentioned above, this takes some organisation, getting lots of people to a studio on a given day, but all is possible.