You already know how critical content is to your awareness and engagement strategies. If you’re doing this well, it’s likely that you are already shaping your calendar to mix the media: video, editorial and blog. At MLive Media Group, we work with hundreds of clients to support these initiatives, and one that is growing in popularity is the podcast.

It’s possible that your podcast appearance is a simple “brought to you by” message, inserting a pre-recorded or live read content about your brand, in support of the podcast, its host, or topic. You might simply be aligning with the material because the audience is one that has a propensity to purchase your product or connect with your brand. This is the simplest way to align with a podcast and is similar to traditional advertising albeit an iteration on the channel.

You may be a guest on a podcast. It’s an honor to be asked to be part of a series of content. It means, first and foremost, that you have something of value to offer the audience. In this case, you’ll want to do a little preparation. Talk to the host or organizers in advance, if you can. They’ll want you to do well, so it’s in their best interest to ensure you are prepared. Consider having a few notes on a card in front of you—a compelling statistic you don’t want to misquote, or a reminder to share a particular story should the conversation guide you there.

Lastly, it’s possible that you want to build a podcast for your own brand, featuring members of your team as guests, with a common host throughout the episodes. This is the best way to deliver consistent content to your audience, using your own voice and brand as the catalyst. If this is your course of action, you’ll want to consider embedding the podcast in other content channels (like within a blog entry, for instance) as you begin to gain followers. You’ll start with a small audience, but your existing and prospective clients should know about your podcast and be invited to follow. You’ll want to promote the podcast consistently, using impressions or other means. But if your team has the bandwidth for the development and release of a podcast exclusive to your brand, it will serve you well.