How to produce a podcast in PR

Since it has been six months since the launch of Babel’s podcast, we thought it was a fitting time to reflect upon the success of the channel thus far.

The Digital Communicators podcast, produced by Babel’s PR and marketing manager Dan Parris, has aired six episodes since its release in February 2020, featuring a range of guest speakers including journalists, clients and the agency’s very own PRs. The benefits of the podcast for Babel have been multifaceted: not only does it promote the agency and add more strings to the Babel team’s bow, it has also become another service that we can offer to our clients. Furthermore, the podcast acts as a mouthpiece that allows the agency to discuss meaningful topics, positioning the Babel team as valid thought leaders and illustrating our wide expertise. These conversations with influencers and clients alike provide invaluable insight into the PR and tech industry.

I sat down with Dan to get his thoughts on the successes of the podcast, as well as what the future has in store.

What have you enjoyed most about creating the podcast?

“It is something I’ve been interested in doing for a few years – I’m constantly listening to podcasts in my free time and think it is quite a unique personal medium. I’ve really enjoyed learning on the job and getting stuck into every element of making a podcast. Learning how to use the recording equipment, how to edit and make it sound professional but most of all hosting. I’m a bit of a chatterbox (read – a lot of a chatterbox) and so really enjoyed getting to know the guests and learning more about them.”

Why, do you think, the podcast is useful for PRs?

“I think every agency and business should have a podcast. From an agency perspective, not only is it another arrow in your quiver that you can sell in to clients, it also gives the team the opportunity to learn different skills and find out what it is like to sit in front of a mic. If we’re putting forward clients for podcast opportunities, we should probably know what the experience feels like!”

How do you measure the podcast’s success?

“I think the number of downloads is an obvious metric to look at but I also think these figures can be misleading. Companies might think, we have several thousand followers on our various social media platforms, why do we only have podcast listeners in the tens or low hundreds? Just think about it, clicking follow on someone’s Twitter page is considerably easier than sitting down to listen to a twenty-minute to an hour long podcast.

“I’d say the main thing to look out for is the feedback you get from those who have listened – whether that be clients or anyone else. Do they think it sounds professional? Did they say they’d like to hear something else in there? Trust the views of those who have actually taken the time to listen.”

How do you choose guests for the podcast?

“Choosing guests is an interesting part of the process. Pick people who you think would be interesting but also those you (or someone else in your company) have a good enough relationship with to actually take the time out of their day. I also think it is important to push diversity – interview as many guests as possible from as wide a cross-section of society as possible.

“I’ve pushed our podcast towards mainly interviewing journalists as I feel this showcases our strong relationships we have with the media. In the early episodes I also interviewed other Babel team members as well as some clients.”

What is some advice you would give to an individual or company wanting to start a podcast?

“Just do it! Get some basic kit and go on a day-long training course and just have some fun with it. It’s easy to put off but I promise once you actually get to it, it is easier than you think!”

What would you like to see the future look like for the podcast?

“More great guests, especially in the form of journalists from increasingly high-profile publications.”

For more information on how exactly Babel produces the podcast, check out Dan’s blog for a technical how-to and his top tips. If you would like to produce a podcast for your business and would like our help, please get in touch with us at newbusiness@babelpr.com .

You can listen to our most recent podcast here, and also download from Spotify.

If you are enjoying the podcast, please give us a rating and review, and let us know what you would like to see next.

If you would like to feature as a guest on Babel’s Digital Communicators podcast, please email simon@babelpr.com .