A different kind of guest for today - Pilar talks to Graham Brown, founder of the podcasting agency Pikkal & co.

Graham started podcasting before "podcasting" started (around 2014), recording conversations with guests, directly from the phone. At the time Graham was living in Lanzarote, and was missing having conversations with other people, in particular meeting other entrepreneurs. No matter how beautiful the surroundings, Graham missed the inspiration he got from talking to others.

He continued travelling, and eventually connected with other entrepreneurs in Asia, where he started living. Eventually, others started asking him how "how do I do this?" And without realising, it, he was running a podcast agency.

Podcast market fit happens when 2/3rds of your audience listen to at least 2/3 of your episode. So, if you look at the data and see for how long your audience listens to your show, you can see what kind of match you have. This can help you decide on your future content.  It's not all about having high download numbers. Graham has seen that there are these "pockets" where there are low audience numbers, but high engagement. This can point to a niche who are really into the subject - and you can let this drive your planning. eg Should you set up a new show about it? Or do a whole series around it?

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Graham has a specific example of being data driven, that of one of his recent clients who was creating episodes for one podcast in different languages. He also suggests a suitable cadence to help you grow your audience when you first start, but the most important thing is consistency.

So how should businesses approach podcasting, to connect as best as possible with their current and potential customers? The value of a podcast lies in "unlocking the human potential inside a company" ie reminding listeners that there are actual human beings within an organisation. And these people have stories, insights and values that are worth sharing.

This is the difference between traditional product advertising and true podcasting: unscripted conversations.

Regarding formats, that depends on the company and angle. But finding the right team is crucial, as is finding an "anchor", a regular host who is there as much as possible to connect with the audience. The host acts as the guide for the listener, asking the questions we want to know the answers. And talking directly to you, the listener.

To end the episode, Graham reminds us of the importance of understanding our intrinsic motivation for starting a podcast. And the fact that podcasting is a great medium to practice having conversations with others, a skill that will serve you for life.

To find out more about Graham, check out his website,  grahamdbrown.com

If you're thinking of starting your own podcasting adventure, I recommend Buzzsprout as host - click here for my affiliate link, which also gets you a little discount, and Riverside FM for recording, which you can access through this other affiliate link.