5 Benefits of an Internal Podcast for Your Company (And Why It Matters)

Are you ready to take your business communication to the next level?  Internal podcasting is a game-changer—it can engage, inform, and inspire your team like never before.

In this article, we'll explore the many benefits of internal communications podcasts and show you why they're a tool you simply can't afford to ignore.

Get ready to discover the power of private podcasting and unlock a world of new possibilities for your company's internal comms strategy!

What Is an Internal Podcast?

An internal comms podcast is a unique and easily accessible way to deliver messages and updates to employees within a company. Unlike external podcasts,  internal podcasts are restricted to a specific audience, in this case, employees of the company. They're password-protected and can only be accessed by selected teams or all your employees within your company.

Private podcasts (as they're also called) are used by companies of all sizes, ranging from small startups to large corporations. Any organization that wants to keep remote or multi-office teams updated can benefit from a corporate podcast. Companies with lots of employees will find podcasts to be a highly effective way of communicating with them.

5 Benefits of Internal Podcasts for Companies

Internal podcasting is a versatile communication medium that comes with a variety of benefits for the business.

1. Onboarding New Employees

   Welcome new staff and help them get up to speed with an onboarding podcast full of evergreen content that dives into benefits, policies, team culture, and, of course, your company’s values, vision, and mission.

2. Keep Management and Employees Connected

   Make your CEO host or get them to take part in your show as a guest. This can help break down the walls of mystery surrounding leadership and make employees feel more connected to the top of the company. Keeping everyone involved and engaged can help employees feel valued and connected to the organization as a whole.

3. Learning and Development

   Cultivate a culture of continuous learning and growth by creating an educational podcast so employees can learn new skills. By regularly featuring guest speakers and subject matter experts, you can provide your team with valuable insights into the industry, as well as promote thought leadership within your company. 

4. Keep Your Team in the Know

   A regular podcast can be an effective tool to not only update your employees on the latest industry trends and developments but also to educate and engage them. You can use your podcast to share success stories, highlight achievements, and promote team collaboration.

5. Manage Changes in Your Company

   Regular updates through this medium ensure everyone is on the same page and understands the rationale behind any changes. It's a great tool for navigating leadership changes, new projects, or shifts in strategy, providing important information while keeping your team engaged and involved.

Why Your Business Needs an Internal Company Podcast

Along with the benefits mentioned above, there are several reasons why a company might consider launching an internal podcast.

• Delivering a Unique Message: With internal podcasts, only one person needs to deliver a unique and consistent message to the entire company. With deliberately presented, well-planned content, everyone gets the same story, and messages won’t get mixed. This ensures that every member of your team is on the same page and that vital information is communicated clearly and effectively.

• Schedule Flexibility: There’s no need to interrupt those priceless, sometimes elusive productivity bursts. With an internal podcast, your team can tune in when it works best for them.

• Culture Building: A company can build its culture by consistently telling great stories about its organization and building stronger relationships with its employees. This can help boost employees’ morale, productivity, and satisfaction in the workplace. An internal podcast can, for instance, feature interviews with executives, managers, and other team leaders. By having these leaders share their insights and perspectives on the company's mission, vision, and values, employees can gain a deeper understanding of what drives the organization and how their work contributes to its success.

• Employee Attraction and Retention: Your internal podcast should define what your company does, your values, and the vision you have for your business—all of which can help you retain your employees long-term. Building a strong sense of purpose and keeping your team clued in on decisions and changes will help promote a sense of unity, inclusion, and personal investment that will ensure your best hires stick.

Engaging Your Team with Private Podcast Content

Internal podcasts have shown the potential to drastically outperform other forms of internal communication with higher engagement rates. Lively, human episodes—with engaging podcast content—that team members can tune into at their preferred time has certainly shown promise to trump a wall-of-text email from your team’s CEO, which often ends up forgotten or lost in a sea of daily emails.

Outside of the corporate world, podcasting has taken the world by storm, with a whopping 163 million Americans expected to listen to podcasts in 2023. And with this number growing rapidly, it's clear that podcasts are becoming more popular than ever before. In fact, 38% of Americans now listen to podcasts at least once per month, and this number is only expected to increase.

Hiring a Production Agency to Create an Internal Podcast: Benefits and Considerations

While creating an internal podcast in-house might seem like a cost-effective solution, there are several reasons why it may not be the best option for your company.

• Expertise: A professional podcast production agency has the expertise and experience needed to create high-quality content that will engage your employees and effectively communicate your message.

• Equipment and Software: A production agency will have access to the best equipment and software needed to produce a high-quality podcast. Trying to purchase and learn how to use this equipment yourself can be time-consuming and costly.

• Consistency: Creating a podcast on a regular schedule can be challenging for an in-house team with other responsibilities. A production agency can help ensure consistency in your podcast schedule and quality.

• Time Savings: Creating an internal podcast can be time-consuming, especially for a team without experience in podcast production. A production agency can handle the entire process from planning to distribution, saving your team valuable time and resources.

Final Thoughts on Internal Company Podcasts

With remote work the norm nowadays, an internal podcast is a great way to communicate with a globally dispersed team. In the world of podcasting, an engaged listener is key. For a business, employee engagement is paramount.

As a full-service podcast production agency, Lower Street has successfully worked with companies of all sizes, including notable brands like PepsiCo, to create private podcasts that engage and inspire. Our team is equipped with the expertise and experience required to deliver truly outstanding results. Contact us today to get started!

FAQs

You’ve got questions, and we’ve got (some) answers. If you don’t see what you’re looking for below, feel free to get in touch and we’ll be more than happy to address your specific concerns.

What is the purpose of an internal business podcast?

It’s a platform for educating and engaging employees, sharing success stories, highlighting achievements, promoting team collaboration, and more.

How often should you release new episodes for your company’s podcast?

Like with external podcasts, how often and when you should publish new episodes depends on several factors, such as the amount of content you have to produce, guest availability, your audience needs, production resources, etc.

How do you measure the success and impact of your show?

Tracking and measuring the success of your podcast can be tackled by looking at engagement metrics, asking for feedback via surveys, gauging employee behavior, gathering anecdotal evidence, and so on.

Combining these approaches will give you a comprehensive understanding of how well your business podcast resonates with your audience and whether it drives positive outcomes within the company.

What are some best practices for creating and maintaining a podcast for internal consumption?

Like its external counterpart, best practices for an internal show revolve around clearly defined objectives, understanding your audience, a consistent publishing schedule, high-quality production, varied and engaging content, and a well-executed promotion strategy.

How can you involve your team in the creation of content for your podcast?

Involving your team in the content creation process can foster a sense of ownership and engagement. Try having idea generation sessions to brainstorm podcast topics, featuring team members on the show, hosting panel discussions with different departments, asking for employee story submissions, and so on.

Involving your team ensures that the content reflects the diverse expertise and experiences within your company, leading to a more engaging and relevant podcast for your internal audience.