Entrepreneurship requires staying on your toes all the time. If you are an entrepreneur, you will be familiar with overnight changes in the market that will impact your entire product strategy. You need to constantly update your industry knowledge, technical advancements, market sentiments, and many other factors.
The best way for an entrepreneur to keep himself aware of the industry’s happenings is to listen to business podcasts. The best thing about podcasts is that you don’t have to spend dedicated time on them. You can listen to it daily while you are getting ready for the day, or jogging, or driving to the office. Out of a thirty-minute podcast, even if you get one solid idea or inspiration, the effect of listening to business podcasts daily over a year would be enormous.
You can find numerous podcasts that discuss business in general and individuals sectors in depth. Starting from how to secure funding for a startup to the minute details of designing a product and marketing it on various platforms, there are podcasts for everything.
Best business podcasts
Image taken from Strikingly website.
Strikingly has gone through the journey of a tech startup and we know what it takes to make a business successful. We have listed here 10 top entrepreneur podcasts that we think would be useful for budding startup founders.
- Y Combinator Podcast
Y Combinator is a renowned American startup accelerator that supports early-stage companies with seed money and guidance. Their podcasts host the best business people from around the world and are a great place to learn from those who made it to the top. Most of the podcasts are around tech businesses and their intricate details such as the tech architecture and design. Just like their selection committee, these business podcasts also have a no-nonsense approach and are known for hitting the nail on the head.
- a16z Podcast
A16z is a leading technology investment firm, co-founded by Ben Horowitz, author of the best-selling book ‘The hard thing about hard things’. The term ‘a16z’ stands for the last names of its founders Andreessen and Horowitz, as it starts with ‘A’, followed by 16 characters, and ‘z’ at the end. This is a widely used abbreviation style in computer science and hints that the firm invests in tech companies. Their podcasts bring to you experienced entrepreneurs and techno wizards hand-picked by the experienced team of a16z.
- HBR Ideacast
Harvard Business Review Ideacast is known for bringing out the human side of the business. Their podcasts deal with topics such as inclusivity, gender equality, pay parity, sustainability, and many more topics that are essential to make the workspace a level playing field for everyone. It also analyzes the effect of technology on the world and talks about responsible entrepreneurship. This podcast is a constant stream of motivation for founders who want to center their business around ethics.
- The Marketing Companion
This podcast is all about digital marketing. Be it SEO, social media promotions, or website copywriting, this is a treasure house of knowledge on all these topics. If you are a newbie, entering into a digital marketing space, then this podcast is a must-listen for you. True to their tagline ‘The World’s Most Entertaining Business Podcast’, they have plenty of fun elements in each episode. Tune into this podcast in the mornings and give your day a cheerful and inspiring start.
- Design Matters
This is the first-ever podcast dedicated to discussing website designing. The host Debbie Millman is a designer herself and makes every session exceptional by combining her wise inputs to what the guests are bringing to the table. This podcast goes beyond a business environment and inspires from other walks of life such as cartoons and image editing. This podcast has something for almost everyone involved in a SaaS business, be it the CEO, product managers, or designers.
Image taken from Design Matters website.
- Mixergy
Mixergy is the podcast you should listen to if you want to learn from experts from diverse domains. The host Andrew Warner brings in people who have succeeded in a vast range of niches. You can find top business people from clothing brands, automobiles, SaaS, insurance, and entertainment, all in one platform. It is a great podcast if you are someone who wants to apply learnings from different industries in your business. True to its name, this podcast is a mix of high-energy discussions from varied business domains.
- Creative empire
This is a unique podcast that is designed for entrepreneurs in the creative space. If you are someone who makes or sells artistic products then you can’t afford to miss this one. Artists, actors, chefs, wedding planners, cartoonists, authors, and so on. If you find yourself on this list, then make sure you listen to this one regularly. You can gain some really useful tips on how to promote your art business through various channels like websites, youtube, social media, etc., and market your products to make handsome revenue.
- eCommerce MasterPlan Podcast
If you are running an online retail business, then this ecommerce podcast is for you. You can expect everything that you need to build an online store and run it profitably. It deals with both the technical and management side of the retail business. You will get ideas to make your online store better using the latest technology advancements, and also some marketing strategies to boost your sales. Bringing traffic to the website, converting visitors into buyers, building loyalty are also discussed regularly in these business podcasts and will benefit every e-commerce entrepreneur.
- The Goal Digger Podcast
This one is particularly for women entrepreneurs. It is styled more like a workshop rather than a podcast. A lot of women who balance family and business simultaneously, find this podcast their dose of inspiration. It also provides strategies and tricks that come in handy while running an online business, such as SEO and Instagram marketing.
- The $100 MBA
This podcast was started by Omar Zenhom, who dropped out of the prestigious B-school Wharton School of Business. His podcasts are very short when compared to others, mostly taking around 15 minutes. They are aimed at teaching the practical aspects of running a business successfully, rather than what is taught in colleges. This podcast is renowned for its actionable advice and insider tricks of the trade. If you are looking for new ways to promote your business, then this podcast is a must for you.
How to start a business podcast
Image taken from Unsplash website.
While listening to podcasts can benefit your business in one way, starting your own business podcast can give your business a strategic edge. Through business podcasts, you can increase your follower base, and eventually convert them into your loyal customers. Follow these steps to launch your own online business podcast.
- Select your niche. It is wise to choose a sector that you know well, and people want to know about. Your niche has to be narrow enough to target a specific audience, but also wide enough to explore multiple aspects of it in each of your podcast episodes.
- Name your podcast. This name is going to be the center of all your promotions and it should strike a bell immediately with your target audience. Make sure it is related to the niche you selected.
- Decide the format. Some popular formats of business podcasts are solo, co-hosted, and interviews. You can have a consistent format for all your episodes, or you can experiment with different formats in each show and figure out what works best for you, and what brings more listeners.
- Keep the length variable. It is wise to keep the podcast’s length flexible according to what each episode demands. This way you don’t have to stretch a discussion just for the sake of it while having the liberty to touch upon all necessary details.
- Fix the frequency. While length should vary, the frequency of podcasts should be fixed. If you are using your podcast as a marketing tool, then it is ideal to release an episode every week.
- Make the style engaging. Talk in a casual tone like you talk to your friends over a cup of coffee. People look for friendly voices in podcasts rather than lectures.
- Buy necessary equipment. Unlike youtube, podcasts don’t require costly equipment. All you need are a voice recorder and sound editing software on your laptop.
- Promote your podcast. The purpose of your podcast may be to promote your other products. But, to bring traffic to your podcast, you need to promote it first. Design a catchy cover art, launch the podcast on your business website and promote it on social media.
- Connect with interviewees. Attend both physical and digital networking events, and get in touch with experts in your niche. Invite them to your podcasts, and the good news is that most people are willing to participate in a podcast these days.
- Host your podcast. This is so simple with a free website builder platform like Strikingly.
Podcast with Strikingly
Image taken from Strikingly website.
Strikingly offers hundreds of ready-made templates for business podcasts that you can select from, and launch your podcast in a matter of minutes. We offer you a simple platform that will allow you to do everything by yourself starting from buying a domain name to regularly updating episodes on the website. As your podcast gains popularity, you can start monetizing it too, through memberships contents. Sign up for Strikingly today, and leverage the power of business podcasts.
