4 Major Challenges Agencies Face When Offering Podcast Production Services

…and how to overcome them

Agencies expanding their current service offerings to include podcast production often find themselves stuck and confused, and that can be frustrating. There is always a race to keep up with your competitors while balancing the timing of expanding services to meet the needs of clients. Starting anything new requires knowledge and a whole lot of patience as well as resources and the willingness to make mistakes along the way. Experiencing challenges in whichever part of the journey is necessary for growth and understanding.

Why offer podcast production?

The podcasting industry trends reflect consistent growth year after year, with over 424 million listeners worldwide. As per Statista, 60% of US consumers are podcast listeners. Tapping into this format not only expands reach to new audience segments but more importantly, adds another channel to convert consumers.

Agencies can leverage these opportunities to further level up services to their clients and achieve success – a win-win scenario. However, agencies must first get a good grasp on the intricacies of how the industry works so that they will be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to successfully develop podcasts that get results for their clients.

Current challenges

Not all agencies succeed in offering podcast production to their list of services because of four reasons:

1. Lack of general knowledge

Since podcasting is a different format than most channels (e.g. social media, email marketing, etc.), agencies have little to no knowledge of how it operates and functions, thus the lack of foundation leads to ineffective methods and processes, wasting time and effort.

2. No streamlined workflow process

Workflow processes enable operations to be seamless and effective. Since there’s a lack of knowledge in the industry, many agencies are quick to jump into developing untested frameworks. This can lead to expensive mistakes while exploring trial and error.

3. Limited resources for staffing

Adding a new and different service, like podcasting production, entails building a team dedicated to that service alone. Resources are needed to not only get the right people, but also provide the equipment and studios to make the podcasting experience professionally executed.

4. Reliance on Traditional Media

Agencies lack innovation that ensures podcasting production keeps up with the demand for audio branding and storytelling, since they often default to using traditional media since it is a known entity.

Overcoming the hurdles

Challenges become opportunities as they are overcome. Identifying the problems makes it easier to strategize ways to address them and move forward.

1. Consult with podcast experts

Agencies can leverage podcast experts. Their years of experience, niche skill set, and focused industry specific knowledge make them the best teachers to learn from. Podcast consultants can work with agencies to ensure they receive a detailed, tailor-fit approach to incorporating podcast production as a service offering. As a result, they get a more holistic understanding of how the services work, what strategies should be in place, and what training is needed to further elevate their opportunities for success..

2. Outsource manpower

Hiring a production agency focused on producing podcasts will speed up the process of setting up a podcasting team, acquiring the right equipment, and the nuances of setting up a dedicated studio to operate in. This saves the agency time and money on start-up costs while short cutting the learning curve.

3. Get familiar with trends

It is not enough to solely rely on podcasting experts, agencies need to be responsible in educating themselves with the current trends of the podcasting industry to stay relevant. Audience preferences are constantly evolving and their behaviors are too. If agencies fail to understand what their audience needs the most in a given period, then it becomes increasingly difficult to deliver a quality branded podcast on behalf of their client.

4. Attend podcasting events

Podcasting events are great for agencies that want to stay ahead of the curve. Another advantage is network-building, where agencies meet with more experts, enthusiasts, and other agencies.

Emerging innovations in the podcasting space are announced during these events. It is helpful to find out what these new developments are so agencies can research them to help determine how they add value to their business.

5. Train & educate the team

The operations of turn key podcasting services require a team of highly skilled individuals. However, if an agency is in the initial stages of adopting this service, it is best to start educating members internally before hiring new people. Providing access to consultants and resources to existing team members can be beneficial because they are already accustomed to the existing work processes and understand the culture inside the agency. The learning curves to absorbing these new concepts are reduced allowing for more seamless integrations. When the Management is confident and enthusiastic about podcasting, they are able to align team members and build out the department with more ease and efficiency.