Podcasts for business

We know not everyone wants to, or has time to, read a book.
One of the great ways to learn new things,  keep up to date and be exposed to different ideas is through podcasts.  The beauty of them is you can listen when commuting, exercising or just chilling.  Podcasts are increasing in popularity.

Recent American research found that :

  • Podcast listeners have grown almost 30% in the past three years.
  • Podcast listeners tune in an average of eight shows per week.

Here’s a few that will interest our business community.

Business is boring  
“Think business is boring? This podcast proves it’s anything but.  Join Simon Pound as he talks to everyone from accidental entrepreneurs to industry leaders about their business journeys and what propelled them to where they are today. Made in partnership with Spark Lab”.

Creative Couch
This podcast is brought to you by Creative HQ, an Innovation Hub based in Wellington.
“With our Creative Couch podcasts, we look to bring you insightful and inspiring conversations with thought leaders, world-class entrepreneurs who have accomplished amazing things and off course some of our outstanding Creative HQ team who are experts in many disciplines”.

The Female Career
“Kiwi women. Inspiring careers. Honest stories. We launched The Female Career Podcast in 2020 to inspire women and girls in Aotearoa in their careers. Over 90 women have openly shared the stories of their career journeys on our podcast”.

Imagine this
“Imagine This is a podcast about creative people who have started from their garages and kitchen tables, and built businesses that are making an impact. Right here in Wellington, in Aotearoa, and way beyond. Hear how they brought their wildest dreams to life, and what it’s like to do business in Wellington”.

NZ Sales & Marketing Insider
“All business owners and leaders know that achieving sales growth is crucial. However, it can often be hard knowing where to focus when it comes to marketing and sales. With so many options available, how do you know what might work for you? This podcast cuts through the noise and gets to the heart of what works and doesn’t, by hearing from individuals who have been there and done it.
In honest, frank discussions, you’ll benefit from the collective experience, successes and failures of Kiwis who have achieved what many aspire to. The focus here is delivering actionable inspiration; tips and ideas that you can put to use in your business”.

Sharesies : Shared Lunch
“A weekly conversation with experts, CEOs, and you. Get ready to tuck into fresh takes on the share market, companies you can invest in, and the future of business”.

Small Business & Entrepreneur Podcast 
“The SME&E podcast priority is to create content that is contextually relevant and easy to understand. We do not want to over complicate business learning, we want to help you achieve your potential”.

The Job is Easy, The People are Not!
“As one of the founding “nailers” behind Asia School of Business, Prof. Loredana Padurean has established herself as a disruptive and original thinker. In The Job Is Easy, The People Are Not! book that she published, she brings a series of ten refreshingly honest and candid conversations with everyday professionals in the Asia School of Business and MIT Sloan community, on the Top 10 Smart Skills for becoming better people and more effective managers, that include, among others: emotional maturity, validation, followership, cognitive readiness, multiple perspectives, productive inclusion, etc”.

The McKinsey Podcast
“The McKinsey Podcast … features conversations with experts on issues that matter most in business and management. McKinsey & Company is a management-consulting firm that helps businesses, governments, and not-for-profit realize their most important goals. Topics covered in this series include strategy, technology, leadership, marketing, operations, organization, and the role of business in society”.

Can’t find what you want amongst those, or think you could do something similar/better?

Then why not consider adding podcasts to your business website.

There’s some things you need to know and here’s a list than can help.

The art of the podcast pitch
Pitching a podcast isn’t like pitching traditional media.
Podcast pitching is still uncharted territory. Get started using these three steps and prepare to see great results!

In the Wellington City Library collections we have a large number of resources with some of the recent ones including :

Podcast : the ultimate guide to podcasting / Lewyn, George J
“Do you have something relevant to say or a skill you want to teach others? Have you wondered how you will get your message across? Have you considered creating your own podcasts? Podcasting has become one of the best and most economical ways of getting a message across to large audiences. The sky really is the limit when it comes down to it and there are podcasters who reach millions and have made millions into the bargain. Now, with Podcast: The Ultimate Guide to Podcasting, you can learn how to do the same.” (Catalogue)  (E-audio book format)

Podcasting marketing strategy : a complete guide to creating, publishing and monetizing a successful podcast / Rowles, Daniel
“Podcasting is a hugely persuasive yet under-utilized channel accessed by an affluent and influential demographic. In a crowded and noisy digital environment, it gives organizations, brand builders and marketers the unique opportunity to stand out and drive engagement with target audiences. It offers accurate and measurable levels of allegiance that can only be dreamed of on other digital channels. Podcasting Marketing Strategy is a complete guide to the podcast environment. It describes the importance of podcasting for businesses and explains why, uniquely, it has the highest level of consumer commitment than any other social media. Written by an award-winning author and his co-host of the global top ten iTunes podcast, The Digital Marketing Podcast, this book explains how podcasting can drive business results, advises on how to record, edit and advertise your content and provides a unique digital marketing toolkit. Supported by case studies from influential organizations around the globe, Podcasting Marketing Strategy is the definitive authority to making and publishing podcasts that deliver quantifiable results.” — Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

How to start and grow a successful podcast : tips, techniques and true stories from podcasting pioneers / Smith, Gilly
“From This American Life’s Ira Glass and George the Poet to the teams behind My Dad Wrote a Porno and Table Manners with Jessie Ware, this practical book is packed full of exclusive, behind-the-scenes advice and informative, inspiring stories that will teach you how to tell the greatest stories in the world. This is a comprehensive yet accessible and warmly written book for creatives who are striving to understand how their content could be successfully turned into a podcast, from conception through to execution, distribution, marketing and                                                     monetising.” (Catalogue)

So you want to start a podcast : finding your voice, telling your story, and building a community that will listen : 7 steps to take you from idea to hit show / Meinzer, Kristen
“A comprehensive step-by-step guide to creating a hit show, So You Want to Start a Podcast covers everything from hosting and guest booking to editing and marketing – while offering plenty of encouragement and insider stories along the way. Though they are the fastest-growing form of media, podcasts are actually difficult to create-and even harder to sustain. Few know the secrets of successfully creating a knockout podcast better than Kristen Meinzer… So You Want to Start a Podcast asks the tough questions to help budding podcasters define and achieve their goals, including: Why do you want to start a podcast? Think about specifically why you want to start a podcast versus a blog, zine, YouTube channel, Instagram feed, or other media outlet. Find out if a podcast is really the best way to tell your story…With this motivational how-to guide-the only one on the subject available-you’ll find the direction you need to produce an entertaining and informative podcast and promote it to the right audience. So You Want to Start a Podcast gives you the tools you need to start a podcast-and the insight to keep it thriving.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

If you want to give it a go, but are unsure about equipment or just need a quiet place, consider using the  resources we have on offer at the Hive studio, in Johnsonville.

Tūhura HIVE Studio

Here at Tūhura HIVE, we have contructed a studio for you to come in and record and edit your musical and video creations. We used the philosophy of ‘Your best home setup’, so everything you do in the studio you can conceivably do at home. This is something very new for us, and everytime the studio is used we are learning along with you. The studio is free for the first two hours of usage, then is $19p/hr after that. We have listed some of our gear below. Bookings are essential; to book please email us your name, and preferred date and time to: johnsonville.library@wcc.govt.nz

If you need more information please contact the Prosearch team at the library.  We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources.  All enquiries are treated in confidence.

Social media for business

Tik Tok, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Linkedin, Twitter.

They’re all social media platforms and if you are a business you need to be using at least one of these, maybe more, depending on your customer base and product being marketed.


Social media can get a bad rap but, if used properly, and well, it can be an effective way of advertising and promoting your business.

But how?

First you need to decide the best platform.  Then you need to create appropriate content. 

If you are new to these mediums, we have a range of books that can help you come to grips with the basics.  Check out some of these recent additions to the Wellington City Libraries network.

Social media marketing for business : scaling an integrated social media strategy across your organization / Jenkins, Andrew
“Social media has become an imperative for almost every business. Discover how to successfully implement an effective social media strategy that is supported and integrated throughout every part of your organization, with this essential handbook to enhancing your online presence and achieving the competitive edge. Social Media Marketing for Business provides a step-by-step roadmap to setting up effective workflows, team configurations, governance models and social media policies, alongside creating and measuring social media campaigns and content themselves. Featuring insights from leading industry experts, it covers areas such as balancing social media ownership, measuring success using analytics and conducting a social media audit. Containing an array of international case study examples from organizations such as Airbnb, Hyundai, Deloitte Digital and LVMH, Social Media Marketing for Business also explores how to build a supportive culture, get buy-in and common pitfalls to avoid. Supported by online presentation slides, content calendars, a content marketing framework and interactive tools for effective social media management, Social Media Marketing for Business is a one-stop-shop resource for developing social media marketing strategies and integrating them within your business to ensure their success”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

Social media marketing all-in-one / Krasniak, Michelle
“Get social with the bestselling social media marketing book. No person can ignore social media these days–and no business can afford to ignore it either. Our lives are mediated through the flicker of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram–and brands are increasingly interwoven with our online identities. Even for the 90% of marketers who interact with social media regularly, its pace and scale can be confusing to the point of distraction. Social Media Marketing All-in-One For Dummies helps you take a step back, make sense of the noise, and get your brand voice heard over the babble–in the way you want it to be. These nine mini-books in one give you essential, straightforward, and friendly guidance on how to use the major social platforms to promote your business, engage your customers, and use feedback to make your product or service the best that it can be. From evaluating the right social mix and planning your strategy to the really fun stuff–like creating videos on Snapchat and TikTok, diving deep on a podcast, or looking pretty on Pinterest–you’ll find everything you need to get your social ducks in a row and say the right things. And once the campaign is over, you can follow the guidance here to evaluate success and iterate on your approach, before getting right back out there for an even bigger second bite.” (Catalogue)

Social media for small business : marketing strategies for business owners / Iseli, Franziska
“Discover how social media can transform your business and help you attract more customers Social Media For Small Business delivers a step-by-step guide to unlocking the potential of social media to grow your business. Award-winning author and entrepreneur Franziska Iseli walks you through how to use Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and Pinterest to market your small-to medium-sized business. The book provides you with: Effective marketing strategies to get more out of your social media efforts. Systems to bring structure into your entire marketing approach. Tools to make your brand irresistible across your customer touchpoints. Case studies to highlight the application of the book’s principles to the real-world. Practical strategies you can put in place immediately to see a rapid return on investment Perfect for busy business owners, business managers and marketing teams wanting to find new and effective marketing tools to attract more customers, Social Media For Small Business also belongs on the bookshelves of anyone who has difficulty with or wants to learn more about how social media can have a positive impact on their business and brand.” (Catalogue)

Social media strategy : a practical guide to social media marketing and customer engagement / Atherton, Julie
“Social Media Strategy provides a simple, structured way to create integrated customer engagement and social media campaigns that work. Organizations often talk of digital planning but struggle to know which channels to invest in, how to integrate them with content marketing activity, or fail to develop measurable outputs that align with business objectives. This book provides a clear road map for efficient planning, deliverance and financial accountability of social media’s contribution to the business. Social Media Strategy delivers practical guidance such as identifying and targeting audience segments, methods of two-way community engagement, reputation management, being present on the right channels, and driving action through influencers. It also identifies the relevant tools and platforms to audit, track and measure business impact and customer engagement. With example templates, interviews and global case studies including National Geographic, TUI, Dreams Beds and Tiny Giant, this professional guide delivers a long-term solution for maximizing social media led business development”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

The social CEO : how social media can make you a stronger leader / Corbet, Damian
“The Social CEO sets out to educate and inspire senior leaders to embrace the Social Age, teaching them the hows and whys of utilising social media in order to make them stronger leaders. Social CEOs can effectively encourage engagement from their employees as well as other stakeholders and customers; they’re better able to communicate their organisation’s objectives and values, gauge the climate in which they operate and improve their brand image. Offering invaluable contributions from industry-recognised experts in social business, The Social CEO explores the many aspects of leading in the Social Age, such as storytelling, personal branding, managing risk and public relations. With chapters also written by practising ‘social CEOs’ working across a variety of sectors, from healthcare to sport, the book provides a wealth of insight into how social media can be used to gain a competitive advantage.” (Catalogue)

If you need more information please contact the Prosearch team at the library.  We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources.  All enquiries are treated in confidence.

Wellington Business Success Stories Get The Podcast Treatment

WellingtonNZ has launched its first ever series of podcasts – Imagine this with Jehan Casinader – featuring industry leaders, maverick minds and change makers.

Series-host Jehan Casinader, a leading New Zealand journalist, teases out the respective journeys of business leaders, innovators and creatives. The result is a deeper insight into the ups and downs of growing a business, and why these people have chosen to do so from Wellington.

Access the podcasts here