What are the different corporate podcast formats?

Producing a corporate podcast comes with a unique set of challenges and considerations.

Once you have decided that a podcast is a practical addition to your marketing strategy, the next step is planning the content of your show. Along with choosing themes and topics, you must decide on your podcast format, for which there are myriad options. 

Think about what’s already out there: American Airlines’ internal podcast Tell Me Why, Trader Joe’s consumer-facing show Inside Trader Joe’s, Hubspot’s digital marketing how-to SkillUp, and General Electric’s sci-fi series, LifeAfter.

Before exploring these options, you must first be able to identify what your ultimate goal is for the podcast. Is it to build trust among your customers? To make leadership more accessible? To build your company’s thought leadership?

If your goal is clear, then aligning your podcast format to best deliver it becomes easier. Check out the following formats to see what suits your needs:

Interview

Host interviews an expert on a particular topic. This style follows the more familiar, traditional broadcast journalistic format where the host asks a series of questions and the guest provides their insights and perspectives. It could even have multiple guests in a sequence. This format is great for showcasing others’ voices, whether industry leaders, internal leaders, or even customer spotlights. It can also showcase the host’s authentic self and insights to foster a relationship with listeners.

Examples: Going Through It by Mailchimp and  Traction and Trapped Value by Wildcat Venture Partners 

Panel

Host speaks with several guests together. In this format, you get several points of view with the exchange of ideas. Pan3ls ar3 great for dissecting an important topic wherein each voice contributes to the overall understanding of that topic. 

Example: The Beancast by The Cool Beans Group

Individual/Monologue/Solo

Host (or even different individuals in each episode) speaks directly to the audience. This could be for a CEO speaking to employees, a CFO speaking to investors, or a company “personality” speaking to customers. This format would also support employee onboarding goals with one or more managers covering specific subjects for new-hires. 

Example: Side Hustle School by Chris Guillebeau

Co-Hosts

Two people, who generally have great chemistry together, have a straightforward conversation.This is another common podcast format. This format could also be combined with the interview style where two hosts conduct the interview together. The format is ideal for both informative and entertainment-focused podcasts, and often is best suited for thought-leadership and topic-based episodes where the two hosts can share their thoughts around a new topic each week. 

Example: Marketing School by Neil Patel and Eric Siu

Repurposed Content 

Existing content is repurposed for a podcast. Whether it’s taking audio from past interviews, videos, recorded speaking gigs, workshops, or seminars, you can craft a narrative that aligns to the objective you are trying to accomplish. The content is flexible.

Example: The GaryVee Audio Experience by VaynerMedia

You can also create a hybrid of any of these formats for your corporate podcast. That’s the benefit of a podcast, it’s crafting the right form of storytelling in audio to address your goals and objectives. What’s best to do is to collect feedback from your target audience as you go, and adapt to the formats that suit them best. With a corporate podcast, you have complete creative control.

To learn more or get help starting your corporate podcast, get in touch with us here!