Your company probably relies on audio more than you realize. Whether you’re creating a spoken text message to a colleague or giving a speech, you want your audio to shine. Otherwise, you could cause avoidable friction points and potentially hurt your brand reputation.

For example, let’s say you create a video as part of your social media content. If the sound quality is subpar, listeners won’t be impressed. They’ll tune out and might not be willing to watch other videos you produce. On the other hand, if your audio runs seamlessly, the experience is likely to be much more positive.

So how do you make sure your audio never fails you or anyone else at your organization? You can start by identifying where audio’s being used, and then figure out which tools and techniques to put in place. In many cases, you won’t have to spend a fortune to upgrade your audio, either. A few tweaks or modest investments can make a huge difference.

Though every business has unique processes and marketing endeavors, most use audio in a few common areas. The top five are listed here. Don’t be afraid to add more to your list, though. You may find that yours depends on audio in one-of-a-kind ways.

1. Virtual calls, presentations, and related events

With around nine out of 10 employees working remotely at least once a week, most companies leverage videoconferencing regularly. Whether you prefer Zoom, Teams, or another platform, you want your audio to sound great.

One tip to ensure that your audio has zero distortion on third-party video conferencing sites is to take test drives. Before big calls with clients or your next virtual info webinar session, run internal sessions. You’ll get a baseline idea of how your audio will sound to attendees. If you don’t like it, you have time to make adjustments. Be sure to check the various devices you use (e.g., your desktop versus laptop versus phone.)

What happens if you’re not satisfied with your sound? Many providers allow you to make minor changes using their software. However, you may wind up just purchasing an inexpensive microphone. A microphone can pay for itself over and over, particularly if you’re “always” online with customers, colleagues, partners, and vendors.

2. Corporate branded podcasts

Podcasting isn’t just for individuals and influencers. It’s for businesses, too. In fact, some organizations like Trader Joe’s and Slack have had terrific success with branded podcasts. But you can’t achieve great results if your podcasts have inadequate audio.

For the strongest podcasting audio, take three steps. First, order headphones and a microphone designed for studio use. Next, pick a platform that offers cloud-based recording software like SquadCast. Being able to record and save right into the cloud bypasses the need for a hefty in-person setup. It also makes sure that all audio is locally recorded, eliminating worries about drift.

Finally, make sure that wherever you or your employee’s record is as quiet as possible. Most people don’t have soundproofed rooms, but the fewer echoes and ambient noise, the better. For an added level of consistency, record your corporate podcast in the same location every time, or collaborate with podcast production companies that have their own professional studios.

3. Customer service and support exchanges

When buyers call your customer service personnel, 46% want responses and resolutions within a few hours per SuperOffice. That’s hard to do if your agents have to deal with bad audio and poor connections.

Purchasing high-quality wireless headsets can change everything for your agents. Wireless headsets allow them to hear and be heard clearly. However, even the greatest headsets can’t overcome scratchy connections. Consequently, consider moving to VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol.)

Phone VoIP gives people the capability to make and receive calls digitally. Why does this matter? In most cases, bypassing traditional analog phones can give your audio a serious lift. The one caveat is that VoIP can only work flawlessly if you have a strong, reliable, dedicated Internet connection. Therefore, if you have remote customer service agents, you may want to pay for a boost to their Internet speeds.

4. Video content

People love to watch videos so much that many would rather watch a YouTube channel than read a blog post. With this in mind, you should be creating and deploying video content as part of your marketing initiatives. That way, you’ll get the biggest impact out of this trend.

Though it’s fine to use everyday smartphones and tablets to generate marketing videos, pay attention to your sound. Sharp audio can mean the difference between viewers tuning in for an entire video or logging off prematurely. So be careful about where you record your video, especially if you’re going to be outside or in public.

Do you need video production-style equipment like a boom mic? Not really. Nevertheless, picking up a few wireless lapel mics is a reasonable way to avoid sound problems. Wireless lapel mics are relatively cheap and take away your reliance on your device’s audio capabilities. During the editing stages, you can use other software to fine-tune the sound quality of each content piece.

Your role as a business leader is to be sure you’re doing everything to make your brand voice heard. And that includes making sure your audio is always on point by focusing on the areas where audio matters most.