The Podcast as a Communication Tool: 4 Best Practices

Recording a podcast is an inexpensive way to tell a story. It’s a genuinely relevant, up-to-date approach that lets businesses and organizations communicate with their audience and get discovered — as long as they actually have something to say!

What is a podcast?

The word podcast is a contraction of iPod and broadcast: a broadcast for your listening device. In French it’s often translated as “balado,” from “baladeur” (portable player). Technically, “baladodiffusion” refers to the distribution method, while a “balado” (podcast) is the product being distributed. It’s a column, an article, a reflection, or a discussion in audio format, and it’s often recommended for listening on the go, during commutes or travel.

Why make a podcast in 2022?

Because it’s a fantastic marketing tool! It’s a chance to talk about you and your services in more detail, and this form of communication is growing fast: the Observatoire des technologies médias reported in January that one in five French speakers listens to podcasts, and that number has doubled since 2017. Plus, once a podcast is published, it can be listened to indefinitely — provided it’s well indexed.

Podcast best practices

1- Relevant content

Like any marketing element in 2022, a podcast needs to offer more substance than promotional pitch. Always keep the client in mind: talk about their problems and the solutions you bring them.

Ask yourself: “What does my client want to know?”

We’re sorry to burst your bubble, but very few (very, very few) people want to listen to you talk about “how wonderful you are” for 8 hours straight.

2- A clear, consistent structure

Choose an episode format as soon as you design the podcast, and stick to it for the whole season. Listeners like recurring elements that bring consistency — it’s reassuring. For example, if your podcast features expert interviews, consider setting a fixed length for each one, deciding on a number of guests per episode, adding transition segments, and so on. That way listeners will know what to expect, and whether they can afford a little break at the end of the interview!

3- A video podcast on the side… and a visually interesting one!

It’s fairly simple to offer a video format alongside a podcast. You don’t need a very complex video or an elaborate edit. You can generally shoot a conversation quite easily live-to-tape (almost no editing required). Video is mostly used to support the audio — it adds a human element to the interaction, a mood to the topic. While you don’t need an award-winning director to shoot a podcast, you also shouldn’t make a video just for the sake of it. In recent weeks we’ve seen podcasts on sensitive topics shot in garage-like settings, or showing shelves of beer behind the speakers. Let’s just say that changed the vibe a bit! Softer props like plants and books are easy to find. Also, watch that guests don’t have glare on their faces, aren’t hidden behind their mic, and that no cables are visible on the floor. This content needs to represent your brand and your expertise!

4- Available on multiple platforms

Beyond production, distributing a podcast is generally free, depending on the hosting platform you choose. That makes it an accessible and widely used communication tool. We recommend publishing your podcast on at least 3 platforms, to reach a broad audience without spreading yourself too thin managing 10 different channels. Apple, Spotify, and Google Podcasts are the major players. To those you can add YouTube for the video component, which is also free.

Feeling inspired? Had you already thought about making a podcast? — If you’re not sure where to start, we have a studio and a team ready for your project. Book a call so we can talk about it!

Also worth reading: Sparkling opens a filming studio in District Central