Podcasts have become an increasingly popular way for people to consume media, whether they’re listening to content for entertainment purposes or for education and advice. There are a number of publications and organizations in our industry putting out podcasts (listen to JCK’s, The Jewelry District, here!), and there’s certainly room for more.

The team at Business Financing.co.uk, a website that publishes business finance and lending research and information, recently shared an infographic, targeted specifically at small businesses, that features tips on how to start your own podcast.

Why do it? According to a survey conducted by market research company Edison Research in 2020, 37% of people in the United States had listened to a podcast in the past month—and that number is expected to grow. Plus, a podcast is a great opportunity to promote your brand and plug your product to a captive audience.

You can view the infographic in its entirety here, but here are some of its best tips.

Pick your specialty. People aren’t going to tune in to listen to someone they don’t know talk about new jewelry—there are already plenty of others doing that. So what would make your podcast stand out from the rest? Does your store have a unique history? Do you have good stories to tell, of an antique jewel’s journey, inspiring engagements, or out-of-the-box design details? There’s a reason customers come to your stores over others, so hone in on that specialty and put it into words.

Get the right equipment. An external microphone will help improve the sound quality of your podcast, because a garbled recording from your iPhone probably won’t capture much attention. Business Financing.co.uk’s graphic shares a range of different microphones to suit your style.

In addition to mics, the infographic also suggests different free audio editing tools that can be used to piece together your segments beautifully. It might take some time, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be putting together a great show!

Film your podcast. You could opt to go voice-only and show up to the mic in bedhead and sweats if you’d like (it’s a look these days). But making your podcast available as a video will boost its reach, and when it comes to jewelry, it’s a good idea to have some visual aids. Of course, with that comes the need for more equipment—a camera, a tripod, and editing software.

Find a host. With the rise in podcasts’ popularity, there’s a number of hosts able to upload and relay your content (even some with free options, for those just dipping your toes). The infographic cautions against hosting those mp3 files on your own website, as it could cause issues with bandwidth and speed.

There are a ton of pro tips included on the infographic, like how specifically to introduce each new episode, how long your intro and closing music should be, and how much time you should spend on each topic. These are all important things to consider when putting together your show plan.

If you feel like you want to take a swing at a podcast-esque experience but are wary of wading too deep into starting your own, see if you can get access to the new Clubhouse app. You can start your own rooms there and host conversations about all sorts of interests (you can read more about Clubhouse on JCK here). I think it’s actually a great jumping off point; should you be able to amass a good number of followers there, you could then bring them off the app to subscribe to your full-fledged, well-produced podcast—when you’re ready.

(Photo: Getty Images)

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