Akta.ba is the leading business portal in Bosnia and Herzegovina, offering fresh insights into the country’s economic landscape and serving as a key source of information across all sectors. With a mission to track economic trends, support young and innovative startups, and share positive business stories, the portal connects business leaders, investors, and curious readers with the latest developments and opportunities.
The business idea focused on strengthening Akta.ba’s digital presence by redesigning the portal to be more SEO-friendly and launching a dynamic podcast channel, Akta Talk, to diversify content and expand audience reach. The primary goals included improving user engagement, increasing visibility among younger audiences, women, and marginalized groups, and establishing new tools for communication. This approach aimed to enhance brand awareness and attract a broader, business-oriented readership through innovative content formats.
Before the project began, Akta.ba was already recognised as a leading business portal in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a strong reputation and loyal audience. However, its digital infrastructure required modernisation – particularly in terms of SEO optimisation and user experience. The portal lacked multimedia formats such as podcasts, and its outreach to younger and marginalised audiences was limited, presenting an opportunity for strategic innovation and audience diversification.
Mentorship in action: Building skills and confidence
The mentoring process with Akta.ba focused on guiding a small but stable and dedicated team through the development of a new content format – Akta Talk, a video podcast series aimed at expanding their audience and modernizing their media offer. Although Akta.ba has operated for over 20 years with a strong business foundation rooted in professional services and access to a database of companies and tenders, its media division remained secondary and low-revenue-generating. The team had strong skills in traditional journalism but limited experience with multimedia production.
Mentoring involved hands-on support across several phases: shaping the podcast concept and visual identity, procuring essential equipment, training staff in recording and post-production workflows, and improving storytelling techniques. Early episodes were used as practical training, helping team members – many of whom had no prior experience in front of or behind the camera – build confidence and fluency in the format. Through regular sessions and guidance, the team overcame initial delays and uncertainty around roles, authorship, and hosting responsibilities.
As the first episodes launched, the mentoring shifted toward increasing impact – focusing on YouTube SEO, content packaging (titles, thumbnails, and descriptions), and understanding analytics to optimize publishing times and audience targeting.
Over time, podcast workflows became more structured, and the format was embraced not only by the media team but also integrated more broadly into Akta.ba’s communication strategy. Mentorship was characterised by open communication, trust, and a strong willingness from the team to adapt and improve.
Shifting mindsets and upgrading tools
To achieve the set goals, Akta.ba needed both strategic and operational changes.
Strategically, it required a shift in mindset – from viewing the media section as a side activity to seeing it as a potential driver of brand growth and engagement. Operationally, the team had to acquire new skills in video and audio production, invest in basic but essential equipment (such as cameras, microphones, and editing software), and adopt digital content best practices.
Most notably, a transition from traditional written journalism to a multimedia-first approach was essential. The adoption of podcasting as a scalable and trend-aligned format allowed the team to create consistent, engaging content suitable for web and social media – especially in the form of short-form vertical videos. Despite limited human and financial resources, the team adapted quickly, showing a high level of commitment to learning and innovation.
“The mentorship gave us the confidence and structure we needed to step into the world of multimedia production. With expert guidance, we not only launched our first podcast series but also developed the skills to sustain and grow this format as a meaningful part of our content strategy.” – Azra Atagić-Ćatović
Overcoming roadblocks along the way
One of the key challenges Akta.ba faced was the lack of prior experience with multimedia production, particularly in podcast creation. Team members came from traditional media backgrounds and needed time to adapt to new roles in front of the camera and behind the scenes. This was addressed through continuous mentoring, targeted training sessions, and hands-on practice during the production of early podcast episodes, which helped build confidence and skills gradually.
Another significant challenge was securing a reliable contractor for the redesign of their website. The initial developer failed to meet expectations, resulting in delays. Akta.ba resolved this by swiftly contracting a new provider and successfully launching the redesigned portal. Technical limitations in equipment also posed a barrier to producing high-quality video content; however, through budget reallocation and additional investment, they procured the necessary gear, including cameras and accessories, to meet production standards.
Finally, scheduling and maintaining a consistent production pace during the summer months proved difficult due to staff availability and external commitments. As the team settled into routines and received structured support, regular podcast production resumed, with improved consistency and quality.
Launching Akta Talk: Results that speak
As a result of the project, Akta.ba successfully launched Akta Talk, a new podcast channel that introduced a completely new content format to the outlet’s media offer. Twenty four episodes were produced and published within the first project cycle, covering topics such as entrepreneurship, social impact, education, and gender equality, featuring guests from diverse backgrounds.
The podcast series has not only expanded Akta.ba’s editorial scope but also opened the door to potential monetization opportunities. One episode (no. 20) was successfully sold to a real estate company (Stanpromet), demonstrating both market relevance and the potential for future commercial partnerships. Additionally, the skills developed through podcast production laid the foundation for possible service expansion, including on-site interviews, multimedia storytelling, and podcast production services for clients.
The team was approached by the television channel and agreed to share the podcast content, which is now also broadcast on Hayat TV’s Stil i život. Although the collaboration does not bring direct commercial revenue, it significantly enhances the visibility of both the podcast and the Akta.ba brand.
