Podcasting to sell: The ultimate guide to launching a podcast

Bruno Zagorščak is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) and one of the founders of Neuralab and Transmeet Television. He specializes in video and audio production, directing live broadcasts, creating interactive media, and writing various types of content for the web.

You might be asking yourself: “Really? Another article about podcasts?” But before you bounce, hear me out!

There are more than three million active podcasts worldwide. I’m aware of that. Many of them are not worth listening to. A majority of subpar podcasters lack passion: Passion for their ideas, business, products, and beliefs. They pump out new episodes because of FOMO. They use the medium as their personal psychotherapy. And that’s a one-way street to failure. If you create content for the wrong reasons, you’ll never succeed.

And frankly, the three-million-podcasts number is misleading. People fail to remember one significant detail: Nine out of ten podcasts don’t get past the third episode!

• Ninety percent of podcasts don’t publish past episode three. That’s 2.7 million who quit.
• Of the 300,000 left, 90% will quit after 20 episodes. That’s another 270,000 gone.
• To be in the top 1% of podcasts in the world, you only need to publish 21 episodes of your podcast.
• Your competition is not the three million podcasts. It’s the 30,000 podcasters who didn’t quit.

And this is precisely where your opportunity lies — don’t be just another podcaster! Focus on crafting content that genuinely connects with your audience and adds value to their lives. Great content naturally finds its listeners. In this guide, we’ll delve into the essentials of becoming a master ecommerce podcaster. You’ll learn how to create content that’s not just listened to: It’s being heard and being remembered.

This is part one of our Podcasting to Sell series. Be sure to return to the Woo blog for parts two and three!

Establishing yourself as a credible and authoritative voice is crucial in the bustling world of ecommerce podcasting. This whole endeavor is far more than just building your brand — it’s about creating a thriving community, sharing knowledge, and expanding your network of collaborators. Your podcast can become a dynamic platform for learning new things and exploring groundbreaking concepts. People tend to flock to this type of content because they recognize your effort in contributing to shape the industry.

The journey to becoming a respected voice in this space often starts with overcoming one’s own doubts — the notorious imposter syndrome. This challenge isn’t unique to you! Many podcasters, both rookies and veterans, grapple with self-doubt and a fear of not being expert enough. I’ve been a content creator for more than 15 years and to this day I suffer from it. The key is to confront these uncertainties head-on and find opportunities to step out of your comfort zone. Remember, your unique experiences and perspectives are invaluable, and they enrich the broader conversation in ecommerce.

Identifying your niche

Specialization isn’t just a trendy term — it’s essential to stand out in the digital noise. Use various market research tools to determine a unique position that aligns your podcast’s focus with the unmet needs and desires of your target market. Utilize the almighty Google and its Think with Google research tools to learn whether there is demand for your product, which markets are ideal for launching, and which retail sectors see growth as the seasons and months change. Use Survey Monkey to create and deploy brief surveys to gather immediate feedback on current trends or gather responses directly relevant to your product or service. Hubspot has a great tool called Make My Persona, which allows you to create a buyer persona and identify their characteristics and challenges. 

Ubersuggest is an easy-to-use tool for keyword and content research. Enter a phrase, and it generates a list of suggested keywords. It also displays high-performing articles and pages, giving you a basic idea of the kind of content that ranks well for those keywords.

Start pitching your podcast idea to friends or colleagues to get feedback and hone your positioning. The worst thing you can do is make your podcast too broad. It’s better to niche down and become the go-to person in a specific area. And when I say niche, you can really go deep down the rabbit hole! Explore the minutiae of carpentry, or all the nooks and crannies in the field of pop-up books, or even which mushroom will not kill you upon ingestion. Moreover, you can say that open source ecommerce is a niche, and in this realm the Do The Woo podcast is the one to follow.

Understanding your target audience

Hit that record button with a plan! Knowing your audience is like having a GPS for relevance. Who’s tuning in? What’s their itch? Don’t just skim the surface — map out the psychographics and habits of your target listeners. Dive into the deep end with audience research tools. 

There are a plethora of such tools lurking on the web with the most obvious one being Google Trends. With Google processing a mind-boggling 40,000 searches every second, Trends is the ultimate treasure trove of search data. It does all the heavy lifting while offering neat graphs and scores for any trend you fancy.

And while Google Trends offers low-hanging fruit, I want to steer your focus to another free market research tool — Reddit. Before you drop an eye-roll emoji in the comments, hear me out! Reddit isn’t called the front page of the internet for nothing. It has over 57 million daily active users across 200+ countries. Chances are, your audience is already there, mingling and sharing. Navigate your inquiries through subreddits — just plug your keywords into the subreddit search. Let’s say you’re in the F&B game, type ”craft beer” and watch the subreddit buffet unfold. The top results are where the action’s at, so start combing through them and keep an eye on upvotes. Let’s say you find a buzz around hazy IPA — that’s your cue! Use these insights to whip up content that will engage your audience. 

If free tools are beneath you, then fork up 40 bucks each month and enter the trends data gold mine that is Statista. It’s a hub for market research, where data from top sources is transformed into user-friendly charts and graphs. The data is always up-to-date, allowing you to track trends over time with ease.

Remember, it’s about the value you spin, not just your story. Craft a podcast that’s like a treasure chest of goodies for your audience. When you’re all about giving, the universe listens!

Crafting your unique value proposition

You always need to ask yourself, “What makes my podcast stand out in the bustling ecommerce arena? What’s the secret sauce?” The answer is simple: your unique value proposition! Mix it with your expertise and voilà — you’ve got a recipe for real connection with your audience. Keep your message and mission crystal clear, and always, always create buzz-worthy content. Kick off your podcast journey with a bang in your first episode. Introduce your business, spill your story, and set those goals. Building trust is the name of the game before you even think of selling. Let them know you and let them love you!

Episode topics and structure

Podcasts that lack a clear focus or have a random mix of topics are likely to lose listeners. A thoughtful approach to topic selection ensures relevance and engagement. Come up with 20 to 30 killer episode ideas before you even start recording. Stick to your area of expertise, structuring episodes to offer a rich blend of insights, entertainment, and practical nuggets. Don’t worry about nobody listening at first! It’s normal for new podcasts to have a small audience at the beginning. Keep the episodes rolling, and watch your fan base blossom. It’s crucial to keep delivering quality content. Consistency is key in building your listener base. 

Episode formats

The format — whether it’s interviews, solo narrations, or panel discussions — significantly influences the listener experience. Evaluate the pros and cons of each format to find what aligns perfectly with your brand’s narrative and audience expectations. Statistics show that 55% of podcasts are over 30 minutes long, and an average duration of a podcast is 45 minutes. But in my opinion, this means nothing! The best length for your podcast is exactly how long it needs to be to provide value. There are shows like Joe Rogan’s, whose episodes can last over three hours and still amass ten million views. On the other side of the spectrum, The Daily from The New York Times has an average duration of 20 minutes and brings in an audience of millions.

Creating a content calendar

Consistency is king in the podcast realm! Think of it as your brand’s heartbeat — regular, reliable, and always there. Tap into scheduling tools to keep your episodes dropping like clockwork. And while there are many paid tools you can utilize such as SavvyCal or Monday, you shouldn’t steer away from good old Google Calendar. It’s a familiar user interface (UI) and it’s free. The only thing it needs is your time to set everything up and the diligence to execute

Remember — you’re not just publishing content! You’re cultivating a community of eager beavers, waiting for their next podcast fix. Podcast listeners are creatures of habit. Every third American will listen to a podcast on a weekly basis. Miss a beat, and they might just dance to someone else’s tune. So, mark your territory in their playlists, and hey, why not throw in a surprise episode now and then? Keep them guessing, keep them tuned in!

Let’s talk shop about audio-video (A/V) equipment. For an audio podcast, all that’s needed is a reliable microphone, a recording device, and editing software. For a video podcast, you’ll need a couple of cameras and a lighting setup. When it comes to this type of equipment it’s alarmingly easy to spend a fortune. The dizzying prices often stem from the cutting-edge technology packed into modern gear along with the quality of construction. My recommendation will always be to sidestep the bargain bin and invest in quality. There’s nothing more cringe-worthy than your equipment failing mid-project — it’s not just a setback and a time sink, it’s a professional ego bruise. High-quality gear isn’t just durable and dependable; it’s also a pleasure to use. It’s an investment in your podcast’s future, ensuring each episode sounds as professional as your content deserves.

Microphones

Quality audio is pivotal if you want to retain your audience. Crackly, noisy, quiet, tinny, muddy, and inconsistent are all adjectives you want to avoid with your audio message sent to the world. When choosing a good mic you’ll most likely encounter a decision to either buy a dynamic or a condenser. Those are terms that describe two distinct construction and operational methods, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages.

Dynamic microphones are typically more robust and excel at capturing high volumes without distorting the sound. Meanwhile, condenser microphones are usually better at picking up clear and detailed audio.

Top microphones for your level of experience

Below are our recommendations for which microphone to look into based on your needs and level of experience. Prices are listed in USD and are accurate at the time of writing. Pricing and availability may vary based on your location. 

Noob: Shure SM58 

Coming in at $99, this workhorse of a microphone is nearly indestructible and will also capture great vocals. Its design hasn’t changed for nearly 50 years! It is my go-to mic for a plethora of situations, and indeed I still use it for our own podcast — Nominis. Some folks might complain about its appearance because it has more of a “musician’s mic” look (that’s because it is!), so if you are interested in aesthetics and trendy looks — skip this one.

Best bang for your buck: Rode NT1 

A super-low noise dynamic microphone you can pick up for $249 delivers a notably rich sound. If you’re in the condenser camp, then I recommend one of the most popular USB podcast microphones in the world, the Blue Yeti. For less than $100 it offers great quality audio thanks to its condenser capsules. One significant benefit of the Blue Yeti is its variety of polar patterns. It provides options for recording solo, with two people facing each other or in a group setting. This makes it versatile and suitable for nearly any recording scenario.

Unlimited budget: Shure SM7b 

The industry standard. If you’ve ever been in a recording studio or watched podcasts on YouTube, chances are you’ve seen this microphone. It is designed to deliver clean and clear audio. Known for its flat frequency response (meaning that it doesn’t accentuate any of the frequencies it captures) it gives you flexibility when processing the audio because it sounds as natural as a live show. And while it is a top-tier microphone in every respect (including the cost of $399), there is one downside: it needs a lot of gain (the amount of audio signal increased by an amp, expressed in decibels) to sound good. This can be resolved with preamps, which will skyrocket its output. Or, you can buy the new Shure SM7db, which has a built-in preamp — but that little gem will set you back $499.

Audio recorders

When it comes to recorders, generally you have two options: field recorders and audio interfaces. Audio interfaces are the most basic recording system that you can have. They are designed for music recording and must be connected to a computer. In a nutshell, you connect your mic to the audio interface, which is then connected to the computer via USB, and then you can record your audio on any digital audio workstation (DAW) software, such as Adobe Audition, Audacity, or Ableton Live. 

For an affordable interface, I recommend the PreSonus AudioBox 96 ($99), a sturdy and small solution with two inputs and good preamps. As an industry standard, I can’t overlook the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 ($180), which provides a potent mix of superior sound quality and ease of use, all packaged in a small, portable design.

Field recorders on the other hand are designed to be more mobile and to capture sounds outside of the studio. They are battery-powered, have internal storage so you don’t have to be tethered to a computer, and are generally considered to be a more versatile option that you can use for other non-podcasting projects. For a quality all-rounder, I would recommend the Zoom H6 ($229.99), which lets you quickly record up to six simultaneous input signals. If money is no object then go for the daddy of all field recorders, the Sound Devices MixPre-3 II ($895), which provides pristine 32-bit float audio recordings for up to three inputs.

It’s worth mentioning an all-in-one solution called Rodecaster Pro 2 ($699) from Rode. It combines a mixer, sound effects player, and a recorder into a single unit. This integration saves both time and effort in setting up individual components and is more cost effective than purchasing them separately. It provides a robust platform for immediate use, enabling the recording of advanced podcasts.

Cameras and lighting

The video aspect is often secondary in the podcasting universe but shouldn’t be ignored. The ability to upload your show on YouTube and gain additional traction is worth the extra money and time to learn videography basics. You can also use short video snippets as hooks on social media to attract a larger audience (I will talk about leveraging social media for eyeballs in part three of this series).

My advice to beginner podcasters is to use video gear already at their disposal. If you have a DSLR camera, great, if you have a mirrorless camera even better. If you have a camcorder or a webcam with a decent sensor size — use it. If you don’t have any of those you can always use your smartphone (chances are they will have a superior image quality to your decade-old camera). It will add to the overall viewing experience if you have multiple cameras (one for each talking head) so you can switch them in post-production and choose angles depending on who’s talking and what’s being said. If you’re stuck with one camera, get a wide lens so you can frame everyone inside that one shot.

More important than the camera’s quality is lighting. You should avoid hard light which will produce harsh shadows and unflattering looks for your guests. Use soft boxes or diffusers to soften the light. These will give you a better aesthetic for your shots and a more professional look. Lighting can (of course) be super expensive, but there are numerous DIY hacks you can utilize to get the results you want. 

You can buy cheap working lights and put a shower curtain in front of them to get a soft light — just beware of the massive amount of heat those lights emit. The other route is to buy a round paper lantern and put a fairly strong LED bulb inside of it. You can mount that setup on the ceiling and get a fairly even distribution of light without any heat or flickering.

Naturally, if you have the budget, go for the strong LED lights with modifiers to light your subjects properly with key light and fill light, and add some ambient light to the mix to achieve the maximum effect.

Setting up your studio

Considerations of location, acoustics, and visuals are crucial in creating a conducive environment for recording. Tailor your studio to minimize distractions and optimize the audio-visual quality.  

If you can only change one thing in your studio setup, make it the acoustics! The importance of acoustic treatment lies in its ability to tame the liveliness of your recording space and enhance the room’s sound response. Without it, your recordings can suffer from the unruly reflections and reverberations of the room. This treatment isn’t just nice to have; it’s a necessity for accurately recording, editing, mixing, or monitoring sound. In layman’s terms: when you speak in a room, your voice bounces off the walls, which causes an echo. Battle this with acoustic foam, which absorbs those soundwaves and results in much crisper vocals for you and your guest. 

And there you have it, folks — the grand tour of podcast pre-production. But don’t hit the pause button just yet! In part two of this no-nonsense guide, we’re going to roll up our sleeves and dive headfirst into the production arena. Think of it as your backstage pass to the podcasting world, where we’ll be spilling the beans on turning your visionary ideas into audio gold. Expect lots of insider tips and tech talk. So, keep your headphones close and your notepad closer — we’re about to turn up the volume on your ecommerce podcasting journey.

For over 15 years, Neuralab has been conceiving, designing, and programming web applications for medium and large organizations. Within this niche, they focus primarily on crafting exceptional ecommerce solutions as well as internal applications, large web portals, and online platforms. Neuralab currently boasts a robust team of 25 selected designers, developers, content creators, and product managers, ensuring that they produce the full scope of projects entirely in-house, without outsourcing any part of the process.

Take your store and brand experience to the next level with the help of a certified WooExpert. Neuralab is a Platinum-certified team of creatives and engineers who manage all aspects of ecommerce projects.

About

Bruno Zagorščak, Neuralab