Why businesses should start a podcast in 2023 – five things to know

Podcasts have immense potential for companies to position themselves as thought leaders, helping to boost their brand and attract potential customers who want to engage with the company behind the podcast.

​​Podcasting in 2023 will be about offering genuine value to listeners through more focused content – this is different from previous years, when celebrity talk shows and podcasts with a broad subject matter gained a lot of traction.

Here are five things to know from the team at Flow Communications if you’re thinking of entering the world of podcasting …

South African podcasting service provider iono.fm allows you to host 50 podcasts for free, on platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts, enabling you to reach many potential customers.

Once you reach 50 episodes, you pay a small fee of R90 per month for an extra 100 episodes. If you produce your podcasts in-house, the start-up cost is extremely low, as all you need to invest in is some basic audio recording equipment, and if the podcast goes well, the ability to continue hosting your podcasts. This makes podcasting an excellent, cost-effective way to promote your business.

People are on the search for informative content that appeals to their interests or offers solutions to the problems they face. There is still a place for broader chat shows hosted by celebrities, but this isn’t the way to go for businesses looking to enter the podcasting world.

Instead, they should focus on a niche subject matter, where their company’s expertise can be showcased in an engaging way. This might be an educational show, a historical show, or a show on a specific sport. Be sure that there is a particular focus to your show, though, so you attract a specific audience who are there because they are genuinely interested.

There has been a shift in social media towards a desire for more authentic content, as evidenced by the rise of BeReal. People are growing tired of corporate-washed images and videos, and want content that accurately reflects people’s lives.

The podcast market is no different – there is great value to be found in providing content that adds genuine value to listeners’ lives. This is an excellent opportunity for businesses to position themselves as industry leaders by producing podcasts that provide interesting and enriching content to listeners.

These podcasts don’t have to be directly aligned with your brand – but if you’re an engineering firm, for example, it won’t make much sense to create a podcast on cooking. Hosting a podcast with engaging subject matter can humanise your business and inspire listeners, helping to elevate your company as a thought leader.

If you can nail points two and three and create a podcast that offers engaging niche content, it’ll go a long way to building a community. Creating a community of listeners for your podcast is a great way to make listeners feel involved and will help develop an attachment to the podcast.

The idea behind building a community is that listeners feel valued, which helps improve the image of your company. You need to see your podcast not as a direct marketing tool, but as a way to enhance brand awareness and sentiment – and community building is a significant part of that.

At Flow Communications, we’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: TikTok is on the rise and is predicted to continue on its current trajectory in the coming years. Its growth indicates that there is a demand for short, to-the-point content.

This means there is a gap in the market for short, snappy podcasts. Many established podcast listeners agree that most podcasts are too long anyway, so there is clearly a need for short, 10- to 15-minute podcasts.

This doesn’t mean there isn’t a market for longer podcasts with thorough analysis, but be aware that in a market where longer is the norm, there is value to be found in bucking the status quo.