Thousands of podcasts are released every year–and that’s not going to stop any time soon. 

Podcasts have been around since the early 2000s and, in the last decade, more than 150,000 new podcasts are available through podcast players. It’s forecasted to be a $94.88 billion industry in 2028 and, by then, there will be more publishers and technologies available to make the recording and editing process more manageable.

So it’s not too late to start a podcast and it’s crucial to ride this wave of growth as the industry continues to develop. Podcasting can be a valuable addition to your content marketing strategy and, if done effectively, it will allow you to build a distinct brand identity and reach a wider audience. The challenge is setting yourself apart in an industry that’s saturated with so much content.

Focusing on niche topics and themes within your industry ensures that you create unique content for your podcast, allowing you to establish yourself as a thought leader in the field. Another way to set yourself apart is by creating a live podcast, which is a fairly new type of content in the podcasting industry. 

Live podcasting is similar to radio shows, which means that you need to be ready to broadcast in real-time as soon as you hit record. It’s important to have everything you need before launching a live podcast, and this includes:

• Knowing your audience and niche
• Having the right equipment on hand
• Following the format for each episode
• Sharing valuable information with your audience

Live podcasting can be a huge undertaking, especially if you’re not used to a live broadcast, but it can also be a rewarding experience when you get it right, check out copywriting services for ensuring your podcast strategy.

What is live podcasting?

Live podcasting (or podcast streaming) is when you record and broadcast a podcast episode in real-time with a live virtual audience. This means that the published episodes are unedited and they may include participation from your listeners. You can also use software to edit the audio files after the episodes have been published if you’re planning to repurpose the podcast content.

Live podcasting can be much more challenging to produce compared to a regular podcast because you can’t re-do any aspect or element of the live podcast. Everything needs to be prepared beforehand, from the equipment to the content to be discussed. 

Reviewing the talking points for the upcoming episode and going through the format, whether it’s an interview or a panel discussion, can be a good way to prepare the host and guest speakers for the live podcast.

You might encounter technical issues during the recording process, either with the internet or the programs you’re using, so it’s important to have a backup plan in case of an outage. You can create a social media graphic beforehand as alternative content to engage your audience or you can prepare a program or software to use for recording your episode.

It’s best to partner with a podcasting consultant or content agency if you’re a podcast beginner so that you can maximise the benefits of making a live podcast. It will also help you outline a clear podcast content strategy that will increase your listenership and keep your audience engaged.

5 ways live podcasting can benefit your small business

Developing a live podcast allows you to diversify your content and adds value to your brand. 

Here are five advantages of using a live podcast for your content:

1. You can build an engaged audience

Live podcasting allows you to directly engage and connect with listeners that are already tuned in. You can encourage their participation in the episode by asking them questions and having them send in their answers. With their permission, you can read their submissions aloud during the episode, which can make them feel included and valued. 

Audience participation can also drum up discussions online amongst listeners, especially if you’re discussing a topic they’re personally interested in, allowing you to build a community with your podcast listeners. 

Learning what your listeners care about and building content around their interests is a good way of growing a loyal podcast audience. Just make sure your content aligns with your brand values and it’s relevant to what you offer in the market. You can link your content back to your brand by creating a call to action that encourage your listeners to visit your official channels or purchase your products.

2. You can share information more quickly

Because your episodes won’t be going through a post-production process, you can immediately share important information with your audience especially if it’s time-sensitive news, such as seasonal sales and daily promotions. Double-check the details of your announcement to make sure they’re correct before you share the information on a live podcast episode.

3. You can generate excitement about events and promotions

Live podcasting can be a great opportunity to introduce a new lineup of products or broadcast major events and promotions for special coverage. This can be a great opportunity to answer initial questions or queries from your listeners, which can create a buzz and generate excitement with your audience. 

A live podcast is unfiltered because it’s raw, unedited audio footage, and if your audience can hear your excitement and enthusiasm about an upcoming event or promotion, it will make them feel enthusiastic, especially your long-time listeners.

4. You can establish yourself as an industry expert

A live podcast can be a great opportunity to showcase your industry expertise while increasing your brand awareness and audience through your content. There are three ways you can establish yourself as an expert in your field through your podcast:

• Define your expertise – Make sure that your expertise is niche and specific, this will allow you to discuss topics you know by heart off the cuff confidently. It will also make it much easier to develop content ideas for your podcast, allowing you to build a backlog of podcast episodes with overarching themes.
• Add value through branding – While it’s important to discuss topics that your listeners care about, it’s also valuable to talk about topics that are important to you. This can increase brand awareness and recall as more listeners tune in to your podcast for certain types of content.
• Highlight your mastery – When your content is focused on educating or informing people about certain ideas, it’s important to use real-world examples. You can include your personal experiences to establish your credibility and mastery over specific topics you discuss.

Consistently creating informative and engaging content with your live podcast and interacting with your listeners can increase your credibility and build audience trust and loyalty.

5. You can repurpose your podcast content

Podcasting can take up a lot of resources, so it’s important to get the most value out of the content you produce. Repurposing your podcast will allow you to maximise and extend the shelf life of your content while increasing its SEO value, which can drive up the traffic to your official channels as more people discover your content. 

Repurposing your podcast with different types of content will also increase brand awareness and allow you to reach different audiences across multiple platforms. There are different ways you can repurpose your content, including:

• Blogs
• Behind-the-scenes video clips
• Social media graphics

Live podcasting is a fairly new concept in the podcast space, and it can give you a competitive edge if you do it effectively. Because you’re broadcasting to a live audience, it’s important to prepare beforehand. Live podcasts may seem challenging at first but, once you get the hang of it, you can build an active and engaged community from your listeners and increase brand awareness.

If you need guidance on creating a podcast, give us a call so we can help you launch a podcast that builds your authority in the industry.