Financial markets publication Opto have a podcast that features in-depth interviews with the best minds in finance, uncovering their secrets to success. Since its launch in March 2020 the show has gone on to become one of the UK's top 100 investment podcasts
The impetus for starting a podcast was the outbreak of Covid-19. Opto were keen to leverage their position as thought leaders in the financial world and attract more subscribers to their daily newsletter.
The pandemic meant the live events they had scheduled with finance experts couldn't go ahead in person. As arrangements were made to make the events virtual, it was only natural to use the recordings as the basis for starting a podcast...
The Opto brand is already strong. Their network of financial experts already contribute to their articles and magazine, and as such, booking guests isn't an issue
The main constraint is time. The key has been to establish a light touch system where the hosts, Ed (Head of Growth) and Haydn (Head of Marketing), can interview guests and "leave the rest to us"
We developed a set up where the Opto team upload a recorded interview, enter some information on a spreadsheet, and a few days later the fully produced episode (+ promotional assets) are published
With the strategic foundation that has been set, there have been a few areas where Cofruition has just needed to give guidance. For example, Opto's in house design team have been best placed to ensure that any graphics are consistent with the rest of the visual identity. The same goes with booking guests and the actual interviews that Ed and Haydn do.
Cofruition's makes sure that everything runs smoothly. We coordinate our own team (producer, audio editor, video editor, administrator) and make sure that they have the time and headspace to do everything to a high quality. We're on call to troubleshoot any issues and ensure that we're always pushing the standards for the show.
Each week the Cofruition and Opto teams have a call to review the latest episodes, ensure the guest pipeline is full, and develop ideas that will ultimately grow the show.
There are two important factors for Opto: growth and engagement.
As well as listeners tuning in each week, the main growth metric is newsletter subscriptions. In the first twelve months, it grew from 15,000 to 75,000 subscribers.
For a service like Opto's, it's also important to appreciate the value in audience engagement. People are rightfully careful who they get financial advice from, but after hours of different episodes being created, Opto have signalled trust and reliability for their listeners which ultimately translates into a more loyal customer base.
Be in touch below so we can discuss how to help you with your podcast project