How to start a podcast
Have your competitors started their own podcast? Are you ready to add another string to your business bow? Is starting a podcast something, you are wanting to do but you have no idea where on earth to start?
If so, this blog is for you!
Starting a podcast takes a bit of planning, a bit of knowledge and a bit of confidence but it doesn’t need to be overwhelming.
Let’s break it down into manageable steps.
Step One - Development
The first stage of starting your podcast is to work out why – why do you want to start a podcast? How does it fit in with your business and particularly, your marketing strategy?
Here are some questions to help you work out what the purpose of your podcast might be:
What do you want to talk about? What topics or themes will you focus on? Don’t forget to keep your listeners at the heart of what you’re doing.
How will you structure it? Will you feature guests? If so, work out who your dream guests might be.
How will you promote it?
How often will you release it? Will it be seasonal or continuous?
How long will each episode be?
What should you call it?
There are lots of things to think about but the clearer you can be about what the purpose of your podcast is, the more successful it is likely to be.
Step Two – Pre-Production
So, you know exactly what your podcast is going to be about, what it’s going to be called and how often it is going to be released, now what?
Pre-production is the second stage of setting up your podcast and again, it requires a bit of thought and planning before you skip to the next steps of recording and releasing your podcast.
Here are some things to think about:
Kit set up – spend a bit of time working out what kit you need and where’s the best place for you to position it to do recordings?
How will you record it? Do you have a particularly software in mind that you are going to use?
Do you want music to go with it? Perhaps a jingle or background sounds – it’s best to maximise the use of music but remember to edit the final version with your audience in mind.
What artwork do you need? Ensure your artwork is 3000 x 3000 pixels and is saved as a JPG or PNG file. It’s important your potential listeners can tell what your podcast is about by looking at your artwork without using too many words (ideally less than seven) or overused, generic microphone images.
Are you going to create and release a trailer?
When is your ideal release date?
Plan when you are going to record each episode and also, when you are going to release them. It’s important to be consistent so your audience know when to listen to the next episode.
The more on-brand and professional you can be with your pre-production, the more engaged your audience will likely be with your podcast.
Step Three – Production
The third step is where the fun really begins and you can start recording your podcast – all that work you have put in so far is about to pay off!
Book in time with your guests to record, and when you are recording make sure you have some water with you, all notifications are turned off on your phone and your computer, and you’re in a nice quiet room, or as quiet as possible.
Take your time when recording - any mistakes can be edited out. That is the beauty of audio!
Step Four – Post
You did it! You’ve recorded your podcast – but now what? It’s time to edit, scheduled and market your podcast.
Here are some tips to help with this final stage of your podcast:
Edit – make sure everything runs together smoothly and sounds great for your audience.
Once everything is good to go, it’s time to schedule your episodes so they go out when your audience expects them to.
Add some show notes so your audience can read the synopsis of each episode and access any useful links to things you’ve discussed.
Finally, it’s time to market your hard-work and let people know how and where to find your podcast. Utilise newsletters and social media platforms to get the word out there. Don’t forget to engage with your listeners once they start interacting with your podcast.
By following each of these stages, you will confidently be able to put together your dream podcast in no time.
