How to Start a Podcast (That Actually Works for Your Brand)

Podcasts aren’t just for true crime obsessives and influential creators. They’ve become one of the most powerful tools in a brand marketer’s toolkit…when done right. 

And that’s the catch. It pays to know how to start a podcast that actually works for your brand. Launching a successful brand podcast takes more than a good mic, a nice voice, and a savvy intern. It takes strategy. Clarity. And a real understanding of what makes the right listeners tune in.

When you put in the effort, time, and resources, the return could be massive. Just consider:

• Brands with podcasts see an 89% lift in brand awareness

• A 60% jump in brand favorability

• And a 14% bump in purchase intent, according to the BBC

Putting it straight: a brand podcast builds long-term trust, curating an engaged and loyal customer community, and raises your thought leadership in your field. 

But we’ll be real with you: this isn’t a “build it and they will come” scenario.
If you want to make a podcast that works for your brand and brings insane value to your audience, you need a plan.

So, in this guide, we’re breaking down how to start a podcast the smart way. From goals to gear to guest lists—we’re giving you a peek into how we approach launching a winning show. Whether you’re a Head of Marketing at a fast-growing brand or just convincing the CMO to give you budget for audio, you’ll find what you need right here.

Step 1: Understanding and Setting Brand Goals

Before diving into podcast names, concepts, or even episode ideas, it's essential to first answer one critical question: Why are you starting this podcast? 

Your goals will define everything, from the tone of your show to the resources you’ll need to produce it. If you're wondering how to start a podcast that your audience is going to love, this is where the journey begins.

Define the Purpose Behind Your Podcast

Your motivation behind this brand podcast will influence its entire direction. Consider these two very different brand goals:

• Scenario 1: “We just launched and need to increase brand awareness and sales.”
  → This leads to a storytelling-style podcast, possibly offering tips and tricks relevant to your target market (e.g., navigating early parenthood).

• Scenario 2: “We need to raise funding and want to elevate our CEO as a savvy tech founder.”
  → This calls for an advice-driven podcast where your founder shares startup insights and leadership advice.

See how that may be a bit different when it comes to production, resources, and overall content? Same medium, two very different shows in tone, content, and production needs.

Ask the Right Questions

To pinpoint your goals, we’ve got a few questions you should ask yourself:

First up, what inspired you to consider a podcast? To kick off your brainstorm, here’s some potential considerations:

• Are existing content formats (blogs, reports) not getting engagement?

• Has your CEO or team been a guest on other podcasts with success?

• Are you inspired by a competitor’s podcast?

Once you’ve got your inspiration down, let’s look forward: what are your broader business objectives? Maybe they are:

• Grow brand awareness

• Engage your existing community or customers

• Align your brand with specific values or initiatives

Take your time thinking about these. These answers should begin to shape both your podcast’s strategy and its potential impact.

Concept ≠ Show: Define Your Brand Voice

Now, once you’ve got those answers, we should nail down your brand voice. And to get that down, we’ve got to divert just a second to explain: a podcast concept is not the same thing as a show. The concept sets the foundation, but your voice is what makes it all your own.

For example, consider this concept: A podcast from a travel brand featuring inspiring interviews with staff from around the world. Here’s how two brands approached it:

• Southwest Airlines' Execution: Is This Seat Open? — Celebrating 50 years of wild and memorable airline stories. This show features first-hand stories from employees who lived through the wildest and most memorable moments in the airline's history. 

• Hilton's Execution: The Hilton Effect — commemorating 100 years through inspiring team member stories across the world, reflecting the brand’s global elegance and people-first philosophy.

Both started with a similar concept but expressed it in ways unique to their brand DNA.

Your brand voice will guide how your podcast sounds, feels, and connects. To find it, brainstorm what makes your company stand out. Maybe it’s your product or service offering, maybe your company philosophy or internal team culture, or maybe it’s a very unique community. 

Understanding this will help ensure that when people listen to your podcast, they don’t just hear a message—they hear you.

And once you’ve got this down, it’s time to look at the big questions: “Who’s even going to listen?”

Step 2: Understanding Your Audience & Their Needs

Here’s the truth: a podcast for everyone is a podcast for no one.

If you're serious about learning how to start a podcast that actually lands, you need to zero in on who you're speaking to. That means getting crystal clear on your audience. Not the vague “millennials who like tech” kind of clarity—but honest, detailed understanding. Think: demographics, habits, lifestyle, values, interests, and, most importantly, their problems and pain points.

After all, you need to approach this podcast with the perspective, “How is this going to add value to my listeners?"

Yet, while you shouldn’t design your podcast for the masses, you’ll naturally attract more than just your core audience. But that’s not where your focus should be—not yet. Right now, the spotlight belongs on your primary audience: the group your podcast directly targets. Every creative, production, and marketing decision you make should serve them.

You’ll also notice a secondary audience—a slightly broader group with some overlap. They aren’t your bullseye, but you don’t want to alienate them either. It’s ok if content isn’t 100% relevant to them.

Then there’s the aspirational audience. These are the wildcard listeners—the unexpected fans who might tune in even though the show isn’t exactly tailored for them. They’re nice to have, but they’re not who you're building for right now.

When figuring out how to start a podcast that connects and builds trust, your next challenge is to answer this: 

Why will they listen? 

You’ve nailed your brand and defined your audience. Now it’s time to find your show’s unique selling point—your USP. What makes your podcast the one they’ll give their attention to?

Think about it like this: people who struggle to keep up with the news turn to The Daily because it fits into their morning routine and gives them the essentials fast. Fans of a hit TV show like Severance tune into The Severance Podcast because it offers behind-the-scenes access and deeper emotional connection with the show’s cast and creators. These shows know their audience, and they’re built specifically to meet their needs.

So what are your listeners looking for? What itch are they hoping your podcast will scratch? And why you?

The answer: your Value Proposition.

Map out and jot down a clear value proposition. 

You’ll get to this by asking yourself: What problems are your listeners struggling with? What do they crave from their media experiences that they’re not getting elsewhere?

Think of your show not as the solution, but as a response to a real, existing need. By focusing on the audience’s point of view, you’re building a podcast with long-term sustainability and authentic engagement.

Scope out the Landscape

This is also the perfect moment to scope out the podcasting competition. If you’re trying to carve out space in a crowded field, you need to know what’s already out there. 

Conducting a competitive landscape analysis means diving into a range of podcasts within your genre and targeting a similar listener base. Pay attention to who your ideal audience is listening to, what they enjoy about those shows, and how those podcasts are structured. 

Are they interview-based? Solo episodes? Narrative storytelling? What tone do they strike—casual, expert, funny, or heartfelt?

This process will give you a clearer picture of who you're competing with for attention and, more importantly, how you might capture it. By analyzing these podcasts, you’ll start to identify micro-genres, production styles, content gaps, and opportunities to differentiate. 

Tools like SparkToro can be incredibly helpful in understanding where your target audience already spends their listening time.

This exercise isn’t to have you mimic what is working. We want you to see where there’s room for something unique. Understanding the landscape helps you make informed decisions about your podcast’s format, tone, and release frequency. It also helps refine what makes your brand distinct in the mix. 

Don’t rush this process. It’s a crucial step in understanding your audience, and when it comes to how to start a podcast, this kind of insight lays the groundwork for everything that follows. Get it right, and you’re already ahead of the game. 

Don’t skimp on this whole process. When it comes to how to start a podcast, this kind of insight lays the groundwork for everything that follows. Understand your audience and the landscape, and you’re halfway to nailing a successful show.

Step 3: Bringing It All Together for a Great Show

So far, you've clarified your brand goals and gained a deep understanding of your target audience. Now comes the creative part—bringing it all together to shape a podcast concept that serves your business needs and listeners' love. This is where we get to bring strategy to storytelling.

Start by keeping your audience insights right on hand. Revisit the demographics, lifestyles, values, and pain points you've identified. From there, try to distill your research into three major insights about what your ideal listener wants or needs from a podcast. These insights should guide every creative and production decision moving forward.

It’s Brainstorm Time: Explore Concepts and Value

Once you understand your audience’s needs, what you want to achieve, and your unique value proposition, it’s time to brainstorm possible show ideas. Go ahead and have fun here, let it be a freeform creative session. 

Anything goes at this stage. Include multiple team members to gather diverse perspectives. A great exercise is to create a simple table where each row includes a potential idea, a short description, and the specific value or benefit it could deliver to your listener.

Take inspiration from a variety of sources—popular podcasts, TV shows, even social media formats. The “X meets Y” model is especially helpful here. For example, what if your podcast mixed the intimacy of a memoir podcast with the punchiness of a news roundup? Or combined a business interview format with the storytelling beats of a reality show?

The best podcast idea may be one that surprises you in this process. So feel free to jot down anything, as unconventional as it may sound. 

Developing the Show: Tone, Feel, and Format

Once you’ve got a few ideas, you and your marketing team will be able to pick one to go forward with. And then, it’s time to shape the actual experience of your podcast. 

What should this show sound like? What kind of tone will you carry—professional and polished, casual and friendly, humorous and offbeat, or deeply emotional? Not just the tone of the host, we want to consider music, editing style, and additional elements. 

When it comes to musical tone, music and full soundscape should be used strategically to build emotion or signal transitions. Think about the creative tools you can use to add energy or emotion: field recordings, personal stories, recurring segments, sound design.

But speaking of the host, this is the moment to choose your fighter. You’ll want to choose a host who embodies the values and tone of your show, and think carefully about the kinds of guests you’ll feature. 

Big note: this doesn’t always have to be your CEO, nor does it even have to be someone internal! Sometimes the best host for a show may be found outside of your company. 

As you refine the concept, consider also the overall format—will it be a narrative show, an interview series, a solo expert talk, or a mix? How long will episodes be? How often will they release?

Above all, build for sustainability. Can you realistically keep producing this content on a weekly basis? Will it still feel fresh six months or a year from now? A great concept is only as strong as your ability to execute it consistently.

Evolution: Adapting Over Time

We may be getting ahead of things, but it’s always good to have an eye on the future. Podcasts evolve, and they should. Stay close to your audience—read the reviews, track the data, listen to the feedback. Is your original value proposition still serving your listeners? Have your brand goals shifted?

You don’t need to overhaul your show every month, but small adjustments can make a big difference. Maybe it’s a tighter intro, a more focused theme, or different guest types. The key is responsiveness: your podcast should grow as your audience and brand evolve.

Step 4: Mapping Out Your Show 

Once you’ve nailed your concept, it’s time to map out what your show will actually look—and sound—like. Right now, we’re getting in architect mode and structuring out this brand podcast: planning your release cadence, writing a great (and discoverable) description, and laying the foundation by mapping those first few episodes.

Seasonal or Ongoing? Choose Your Structure

First, let’s decide whether your show will be seasonal, a limited mini-series, or an ongoing production. This choice sets the pace for your production.

A seasonal show gives you a natural break and time to reflect, refresh, and adjust. A mini-series works well if you’re covering a specific topic with a clear beginning and end. An ongoing show requires more sustained energy, but allows you to build deeper relationships with listeners over time.

Set Your Cadence

Next, determine how often and how long your episodes will be. The sweet spot for most podcasts tends to be under 45 minutes—roughly the length of a daily commute—but that’s not a hard rule. Long-form episodes are absolutely great if the content justifies it. (Consider The Cost of Glory, whose episodes run over 90 minutes, yet see a 90 %+ consumption rate, audiences love it!)

More important than length is consistency. A weekly cadence helps maintain momentum and listener habit. Biweekly or monthly gives you more breathing room, especially if your team or budget is limited. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer here—it’s about finding a rhythm that’s realistic and sustainable.

Write Your Podcast Description

Whew, things are getting serious. We’re putting all this work down on paper and ready to share.

So here is the deal: this is your elevator pitch to the world. Your podcast description should quickly and clearly communicate what your show is about and why someone should listen. Keep the opening paragraph under 500 characters and make it engaging—highlight the value your listener will get right away.

Once you’ve got that hook in place, use the rest of the description for SEO-friendly keywords (up to 10) that naturally align with your show’s content and themes. A strong description helps people find your show and decide to hit “play.”
Have a read through of this blog to see how to write the perfect description.

Map Out Your First Episodes

Ready? Now it’s time to plan your starting lineup. We recommend sketching out the first 3 to 5 episodes in advance so you have a solid launch base and know exactly where the show is going. Start by defining the goal of each episode—what do you want the listener to walk away with? Then, think about the structure, possible guests, and segment flow.

You don’t need a full script (unless that suits your style), but you do need an episode outline—a roadmap to keep you focused and flowing. “Winging it” might seem tempting, but without prep, it’s easy to lose focus or miss key messages.

Laying this groundwork makes sure those early episodes set the right tone, deliver value, and build trust with your audience from day one.

Further Reading: How to Write a Podcast Intro, and How to Write an Outro

Step 5: Get Ready for Launch (Equipment, RSS, and the Technical Stuff)

We’ve covered how to start a podcast, but now let’s talk about how to launch it.

You’ve done the strategy work. Your concept’s locked in. You’ve mapped out your first few episodes. Now comes the technical steps: getting your gear and setup in order so your show actually sounds as good as it is.

This is where a lot of branded podcasts go sideways. Great content deserves great audio. You don’t need a studio with red velvet panels and a Neumann mic—but you do need to sound professional.

Choose the Right Equipment (Without Overthinking It)

The gear you need depends on your format and your setup. A solo host recording from a quiet office won’t need the same equipment as a remote panel show or an in-person roundtable.

Let’s keep it simple. Here’s the essential gear to launch a professional-sounding podcast:

Microphone:
Your mic is the most important piece of gear. USB mics are plug-and-play and perfect for solo or remote recording. But, if you’re working with guests, co-hosts, or plan to scale up, XLR mics give you better quality—but they require a mixer or interface.

Here’s our top choices for you to consider:

• Samson Q2U (USB/XLR hybrid—great starter mic)

• Shure MV7+ (higher-end USB with solid sound)

• Shure SM7dB (XLR—studio-quality, pro-level sound)

Pop Filter or Windscreen:
This tiny tool blocks the harsh “P” and “B” sounds that wreck audio quality. If your mic doesn’t come with one, spend the $15 and grab one.

Headphones:
You should opt for wired, soundproof headphones. They let you monitor your sound in real time and avoid feedback or echo. Bluetooth is a no-go. It lags.

Good options:

• Audio-Technica ATH-M20X

• Sennheiser HD280Pro

Mic Stand or Boom Arm:
Holding your mic = noise. A stand keeps everything stable and clean. If you want adjustability and fewer desk thumps, go for a boom arm.

Audio Interface or Mixer:
These are needed when you’ve got multiple inputs, especially when juggling multiple guests through XLR mics. If you need one, here is what we recommend: 

• Scarlett Solo is a solid beginner option

• RODECaster Pro gives more control for multi-mic or remote setups

Picking Your Recording Space

Your gear won’t save you if you record in an echoey office. The best recording spaces are small, quiet, and soft—think carpet, curtains, and couches. Avoid rooms with glass, tile, or open space. It’s not a lie that often podcasters will record from their closets– the clothes offer great recording acoustics.

But if you can’t escape a bad space, you can add foam panels and use a mic shield. Run a few tests way before your official recordings are underway to make sure the space offers great raw audio. 

Choose Software That Fits Your Workflow

If you’ll be handling production in-house and not working with a production agency, then you’ll need software to record, edit, or both. There are plenty of options—some made for podcasters, others more general. When you’re looking for what to work with, ask yourself:

• Are you recording solo or remotely?

• How much editing do you plan to do?

• What’s your budget and comfort level with software?

Overall, here are some recording and editing tools worth checking out:

• Beginner-friendly: Descript

• More control: Adobe Audition

• Remote recording: Riverside, Squadcast (avoid Zoom if quality matters)

Hosting: Where Your Podcast Lives

Before your show hits Apple or Spotify, it needs a home base—a podcast host. This is where your episodes live through an RSS feed.

The RSS feed is what pushes your show to directories like Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It’s automatic, but you need a host to set it up.

Popular podcast hosts include:

• Podbean – Easy and beginner-friendly

• Transistor – Scalable with great analytics (our most recommended)

Once you upload an episode, your host will walk you through submitting to major platforms. Most hosts offer one-click submission tools, others will provide instructions on how to do it. You’ll of course want to distribute your show to Apple and Spotify, but it can be beneficial to distribute to other platforms too, like iHeart, Stitcher, PocketCasts, and more. 

And don’t skip on YouTube! YouTube is the second-largest search engine out there, and it’s a great discovery tool. You can connect your RSS feed to it for audio-only, static image videos, or you can start your own channel to upload video episodes. If you believe your audience is here, and that they would go for video, it can be worth it to invest in video production for full episodes.

Create a Trailer

You don’t need a full season ready to launch, but you definitely should have a short trailer. This lets you claim your spot on listening apps, gives early listeners something to check out, and gives you a simple promo asset to share.

A good trailer is under 2 minutes and introduces what your podcast is, who it’s for, and what to expect.

Taking the time to get these fundamentals right will set you up for a smoother launch—and better listener loyalty down the line.

Now, you’re ready to record and launch. We hope this guide has helped you so far, but there is one last note we want to touch on. Anyone can consider how to start a podcast, but if you want to see a return and find long-term success, you need to think about sustaining and growing your show.

Keeping Up with Your Show: Sustaining and Growing 

Launching a podcast is just the beginning. If you want to see real results, you’ve got to stay in it for the long run. That means showing up consistently, evolving your content, and keeping your audience front and center. Here’s how you can sustain and grow your show.

Finding the Right Guests

This is relevant only if your show format involves guests. But if it does, when you’re thinking about how to start a podcast, one of the biggest questions is: who’s going to be on the mic with you?

Great guests can really bring something to your show and connect you with more and better audiences. They can help deepen trust, build credibility, and shape your podcast into a go-to source in your niche.

But great guests aren’t necessarily big names. They're the people with something worth saying—experts with sharp perspectives, storytellers who connect, and thought leaders your audience wants to hear from. 

And yes, a well-chosen guest can also help grow your show by tapping into their own audience and network—but only if your conversation is worth sharing. Which is why guest preparation and episode outlining is so important.

So, where do you find these great guests? 

Start close to home: look through your network, your industry contacts, even your own team. Explore who’s showing up on competitor podcasts, but give them a chance to tell a different story with you. Get specific with your outreach—explain why they’re a great fit and what conversation you want to have. And don’t skip a prep call. It’s not just about logistics—it’s where you shape the angle, discover the story, and make sure you’re both aligned before recording.

Keep Evolving: Look to Analytics

A podcast shouldn’t be static. You should keep evolving to hold your audience's attention. With a close eye on analytics and metrics tracking, you’ll be able to see what is working and what isn’t and know where to adjust to keep your audience hooked. 

Our first rule for metrics tracking is don’t focus on vanity metrics.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of chasing downloads and rankings, especially when they’re front and center in every podcast dashboard. But if your ultimate goal is to build brand awareness, generate leads, or strengthen relationships with your audience, downloads alone won’t tell you what you need to know.

A high download number doesn’t necessarily mean your podcast is effective. It just means someone hit play (or it auto-downloaded). What really matters is what happens after the download.

A niche B2B podcast might only get 150 downloads per episode — and still be a major success if it’s reaching the right 150 people. On the flip side, a viral episode that gets thousands of downloads but no follow-up engagement might not bring any return to your brand.

Instead of fixating on how many people download your podcast, dig into whether your content is actually resonating. Are people listening all the way through? Are specific topics generating more engagement? Are you seeing results tied back to your original goals — whether that’s website traffic, email sign-ups, or lead conversions?

To truly understand podcast performance, you need to zoom out and look at consumption trends and listener behavior across platforms. Here's what that means in practice:

• Consumption Rates: Tools like Apple Podcasts Connect and Spotify for Podcasters give you episode-by-episode breakdowns of how long people are sticking around. Are listeners dropping off after five minutes? Are they skipping intros or ads? This data tells you more about content quality than download numbers ever could.

• Listener Drop-Off: Identifying where and why it happens can help you shape stronger content and retain more of your audience.

• Engagement by Platform: Are more people listening via Spotify vs. Apple? What regions are tuning in most? These trends can inform where to focus your marketing efforts and how to tailor future content.

Success isn't about volume. It’s about value.

Most importantly, look at how podcasting supports your broader content strategy. Are people who listen to your podcast more likely to engage with your brand elsewhere? Are you seeing compounding value over time?

Growing Your Podcast

The biggest hurdle to podcast growth isn’t visibility, it’s having something worth listening to. If you’ve followed along this far, you’ve already laid the foundation with valuable, well-structured content that connects with your audience. That’s what creates momentum. Great content naturally grows because it resonates. Listeners become advocates, and they’ll spread the word.

That’s the kind of growth that lasts.

At this stage, it’s tempting to try to accelerate growth by throwing money at paid ads. And while ads can drive awareness and impressions, they don’t build the kind of trust or loyalty that fuels long-term success. Sustainable growth comes from reaching the right people in the right way. And building meaningful relationships once you do.

Growth That Actually Works

Here’s what we’ve seen work for brands that want lasting podcast growth:

• Cross-Promotion
  Partner with podcasts that share your audience and your values. Swapping promos, guesting on each other’s shows, or sharing resources can unlock new listeners who are already primed to care.

• Targeted PR
  Find the publications, newsletters, and communities where your audience already spends time, and work to get your show featured there.

• Internal Advocacy
  Your team can be your biggest growth engine. When employees are excited and involved, they’ll share episodes, quote them, and integrate them into other touchpoints (sales, hiring, internal culture, etc.).

• Podcast SEO
  Make your podcast easy to find. Optimize titles, episode descriptions, and show notes for search, both within podcast platforms and on Google. Think like your listener: what are they searching for?

• Leverage Video
  Turn episodes into short video clips or behind-the-scenes content. Video increases discoverability on social platforms and helps bring your podcast to life in new ways.

Growth doesn’t have to be flashy to be effective. In fact, slow and steady often wins the race. Especially when you’re building something designed to last.

There’s more to cover here, but we think we’ve already given you a lot to think about. When you're ready to look more at growth strategies, our Evergreen Success Guide walks through everything you need to grow your podcast organically, with intention and impact.

How to Start A Podcast: Our Final Thoughts

Starting a podcast may seem overwhelming at first, but with the right approach, tools, and mindset, it’s entirely within reach. Now, you’ve got a clear guide on how to start a podcast, the world is ready for your brand's message and great content. Show us what you’ve got.