Mongoose Group’s Guide to a Successful Podcast

How to Make a Podcast that Lasts 

In an era where everyone (and their cousin) wants to make a podcast, it’s hard to acquire a voice and a message that grips a listener for more than a minute, let alone an episode or a series. 

So what are the colours of paint that stick?

A lot goes into making a successful podcast which can be a daunting space to navigate and you may not know where to start. Fortunately, we have some great tips on how to create and promote a podcast with key insights from the Mongoose Group team, who have produced a range of successful podcasts

Podcast production: Setting the scene

 Setting is just as important as conversation. Despite being audio-first, many podcasts are now produced as video too but even in marketing a  picture still needs to be painted for the listener. On creating the UK Top 5 charting Health Podcast ‘The Doctor Will Hear You Now’ (which was an expansion of the Mongoose-created Inside Health Series for Bupa), Mongoose’s Becky Bairstow says: ‘You need to make sure the look and feel fits. For our shows with Bupa we produce a lot of content in a sofa style/1-1 conversation style format so it made sense when embarking on the first series of Bupa’s exclusive sponsorship of the Dr Will Hear You Now to have a similar aesthetic to keep a red thread for viewers’. 

Promoting your podcast 

‘How are you going to get your podcast seen? This is a key question,’ says Populate founder Dan Simmons.. 

‘Leveraging the network of your guests is a great way to build visibility. If you can get their buy-in to share and cross-post the content on their channels this will help to drive listeners’.

From a monetising perspective, take some time to reach out to the types of brands who’s messaging aligns with yours: ‘If you can build a community and the brand is a genuine fit, you don't need to sell the products, it should fit into yours or the audience's lifestyle’.

The costs of podcast production

It doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Throwing money at something doesn’t promise quality. You can be cost-effective and still make an impact if you are resourceful. A self-proclaimed one-man-band, and founder of his own podcast about Catflap Chats (https://www.catflapchats.com/), Mikey Rowe says when he produces his podcast, he uses tools that he already has; ‘I use Zoom if not in person, and the best iPhone camera to record in person’.

If you are looking for entry level product,  Mikey recommends wireless Rode go II mic's and to use relevant podcast distribution tools like Acast, Buzzsprout and Anchor to get your podcast on key listening platforms.

Thinking Long and Short

Full length podcasts are… well, full length. We all know this. But repurposing this long form content by taking snippets and creating short form content can be a game changer for promotion. ‘The full episode can be on YouTube with social cutdowns added in the relevant sizes to the social platforms,’ explains Dan. ‘This can be utilised for both paid and organic social campaigns to garner a wider reach.’

Don’t Overthink it

Your listener wants to feel a part of the conversation. Allow yourself the freedom to be creative and to permit your guests to bring their authentic selves to the table. A balance between structure and fluidity is vital for creating any engaging (and authentic) content. A key part of making sure this happens is to use relevant guests who can make a genuine contribution to the subject matter. As Becky says, ‘it was really important to us all to have a guest who joined Dr Zoe on the sofa for the series they had real life experience on the health issue. 

You can tune into The Doctor Will Hear You Now & Cat Flap Chat wherever you listen to your podcasts.