The Power of Podcasting | Cercone Consulting

Jason Cercone, Owner, Cercone Consulting

Jason Cercone was running Breaking Brews as a craft beer advocacy blog and that eventually evolved into a full-blown business that had him handling brand management for bars and breweries. Business was really taking off and Jason was focused on helping breweries get their beers into the right bars in their market. Things were going well - very well.  Then came March 2020 and the pandemic.

Because of the shutdown, Jason had to get creative on how he worked with these businesses. He quickly realized that he needed to pivot, so he began working with businesses outside of the beer industry. That's when he began to think about how he could help with something he knew quite well --- podcasting. “I've been doing it since 2015. And podcasting was - and still is - exploding, because it's a great opportunity for brands to engage with their audience.”

He’s seen a lot of companies max out on what they can do with social media and video channels, but feels there's still a lot of opportunity for podcasting.  So I talked with Jason about how he helps brands get their podcast off the ground, and how he shows his clients just how powerful of a medium it can be:


Let’s start with the basics. Tell me about what you do for would-be podcasters and industry veterans that could use some help.

My main focus is helping companies develop their brand experience through their podcasting. I host my own podcast Pod Theory, with tips, strategies, and commentary about various aspects of the art and business of podcasting.  My goal with Pod Theory is to educate as much as possible. I'll continue to build on that with some other video-based resources.

As far as services, I offer consulting on all aspects of podcasting. If customers want to take it a step further, I offer full production capabilities, which includes helping them coordinate with guests, record and edit the podcast, and manage the hosting site to make sure it gets dispersed to all of the podcast directories. I also help with marketing and social media posts, as well as adding different layers to their podcast, such as live video. If someone is looking for advice on how podcasting can bolster their brand...that's what I'm here for!

What are the barriers to entry when creating a podcast? And what should people consider when deciding if a podcast is right for them?

As far as barriers, they're pretty low and easy to overcome. In terms of equipment, you can get everything you'd need off of Amazon. You can also download great editing software and find someone to host the podcast for minimal (or even no) cost. The one thing you can't get from Amazon is time. That's usually the biggest pitfall for anybody that starts a podcast.  It can take a lot more time than people expect.

The basic timeline is a) choosing your topic, b) finding your guest, c) communicating with that guest, d) finding a time that’s convenient for them to record with you, e) preparing questions and content for the interview, f) recording the actual podcast, g) executing the editing process, h) writing the show notes, i.) promoting the show, j) publishing it, then k) then marketing it after you publish it. Then after that's all done... lather, rinse, repeat! There's definitely a lot to it.

And that's the number one piece of advice I give to people. Podcasting is a powerful medium - but consider your schedule and decide if you can dedicate the time it requires to succeed. If you can, go for it! If you can't but still want to do it, that's where someone like me comes in.


Is there a big learning curve in figuring out how to do all of this - the editing, the uploading, the distribution?

There's definitely a lot of information online, so you'll be able to find what you need to help get started, and plenty of information to guide you once you get going. I've been doing this for over six years and still find new things, new nuances, every day. The industry is constantly evolving and has nowhere to go but up.

“It's still relatively new.
so for brands that are
looking for an innovative
content strategy and way
to reach their audience
podcasting is the iron to strike.”

It's a good time to get involved and begin learning. Even though there are over 1 million active podcasts, and plenty more inactive ones, it's a small fraction compared to the number of video channels, blogs, and websites. It's still relatively new. For brands that are looking for an innovative content strategy and way to reach their audience, podcasting is the iron to strike.


Are there certain types of businesses that would benefit most from podcasting?

Any brand or business can benefit from the medium, it's just a question of determining how. That's something we talk about in my client strategy sessions - asking the why and then figuring out how.


How do you promote the Pod Theory podcast and your consulting business?

As we sit and talk, the podcast has just kicked off its fourth week, so it's still relatively new. To promote it, I've run ads on Facebook and shared it on all social media platforms in a couple of different ways. I've shot supplemental videos to help promote the podcast, taken sound clips from episodes and posted those on LinkedIn, Instagram Stories, and in the Instagram feed. Plus, every episode is on YouTube, and those videos will be supplemented by additional educational videos in the near future.

Eventually, I'll be adding graphics and pulling a tip from each show and using those as an Instagram post. Those images will be shared in my Instagram Highlights and then spread out again over social media platforms. I'll also be producing videos based on the content found within each Pod Theory episode. Because those episodes are typically less than 10 minutes long, the videos will continue to teach in a very short-form format. My goal is to try and do one interview per month, and it may even be less than that. I really want to find people that can add value to the content that already exists.

I have a Podcast Primer, which is a nine-page PDF that covers the basics and breaks down the most important things to think about before someone gets started in podcasting. You can pick that up for free at www.jasoncercone.com/podcastprimer.


Do you have a general recommendations for podcasting in general, and/or specific hardware or software for newbies?

The first thing to do is develop your plan, and that's why people should look at my Podcast Primer. Answer those questions, determine what you want to accomplish, and lay out your strategy.

Plan on things like ‘batching your content’ so you're not putting yourself in a position where you have to force content and subsequently compromise the content that you already have out there. People will be able to tell if there's a drop off. If you try to rush something, it'll stand out.

Once you get your plan in place, start looking at equipment. And with equipment, it's really about how much you want to invest. As we talked about earlier, the barriers to entry are easily overcome, and that's especially true with equipment. Type in "podcast equipment" into Amazon and you can find packages with literally everything you need to get started.

I started with some equipment on the lower end, but in my research I found most experienced podcasters recommended the Zoom H6 Handy Recorder. The one I bought was under $400 and without question, it's the best investment I've ever made for podcasting. The sound quality is outstanding, it's portable, takes up no space, fits in the palm of your hand, and you don't need to worry about being near an electrical outlet. It's fantastic. I also have a list of things that people can look at in the Podcast Primer.


Do you have any tips or recommendations for veterans looking to gain traction?

If you're not gaining traction, then you need to evaluate what you've been doing up to this point. Believe me, I speak from experience...everything that I teach has been gained from the knowledge I've received from screwing it up myself!

For me, when my first podcast wasn't working, I took a step back and took some time off. I studied. I listened to other podcasts, radio hosts, and television hosts. I figured out what I liked and didn't like. You need to focus on your delivery and create your own "voice.” That was my path. Before I released another podcast, I learned. And then when I started my new podcast, I applied what I learned…and it was successful.

But I'm also starting a new one now. So I'm not expecting huge numbers from the get-go and neither should anyone else...unless they have a large audience already built-in.

If you're a brand with an existing audience, you'll be on better footing because you have a good following. If that's the case, it’s easy to let people know, “We're starting a podcast, here's what it's all about, and here's what you're going to get from it.” It's basically an extension of everything that people know about your brand. And that's a pretty strong way to reach people. Especially when they've already bought-in to what you're doing and they want to know more about you.


Do you need to differentiate your podcast or is the podcaster the differentiator?

You need to determine the Unique Value Proposition for your podcast, and that can be an extension of the UVP for your brand. If you can define that, combine it with good personality, and have a theme for your show that's more than bragging about your company, then you can make some serious noise with a podcast. 

People are looking for solutions to their problems. If they can get that in a way where they can engage with a local brand and they can get to know that brand so they know who they're doing business with, they're going to be more prone to do business with that company than another one that they don't have that kind of access to.

There's a lot to be gained by being the differentiator yourself, but you still need to attack it with a strategy. You need to have industry-specific knowledge and relate to the people that are going to listen to the podcast. That's what makes you the authority. Then listeners are going to turn to you to learn more about the subject and learn more about your company.

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