Podcasts have been around for a while now, but in the last few years they’ve really taken off. More and more people are tuning in to hear their favorite comedians, actors, musicians, and political figures speak about everything from sports to politics to parenting. If you’re thinking of starting your podcast, here is everything you need to know before getting started!
Having a Plan for Your Show
The first thing you need before you start a podcast is a clear idea of what each episode will be about. The easiest way to do this is to create an outline or storyboard for your show. Your podcast should have a theme, and it should also have a specific purpose in mind so that listeners can tell from the very first episode what is the tone they can expect to hear in the rest of your episodes.
Once you have this plan, it’s time to start sharing your podcast! Again, you should have an idea about the platform you’re going to use – now that Google, Spotify, and Apple allow podcasts onto their store as well! Choosing a platform for your podcast is important when it comes to sharing and marketing your show, so decide which would work best with the style of your podcast.
What Type of Podcast?
There are so many different kinds of podcasts out there that the possibilities are endless. Deciding what your podcast will be about can feel overwhelming, but it’s important to figure this out before you get started because you don’t want either yourself or your listeners to get bored with one theme for too long.
Are you planning on doing a podcast about a celebrity? Maybe something that focuses on a specific topic, allows listeners to call in for input, or features interviews with different people each episode.
The possibilities are endless when it comes to formatting your podcast, so have fun with it! You can organize it in a talk show format where you discuss the things that happened during the week related to your topic, or maybe you’d like to discuss trending news/topics related to your topic every episode. The possibilities are endless, so take some time to brainstorm different types of content that would work well for your show.
Finding Guests
Once you have your focus in mind, it’s time to find people you’d like to interview on your podcast. Maybe you already know a few people who would be interested in being interviewed, so reach out and see what happens!
If that doesn’t work, there are still options available for creating an interesting and engaging podcast. You can try reaching out to local business owners who have a connection to the topic of your podcast, or you can find different people on social media and try reaching out to them.
Social media is also a great place to find guests for your podcast, even if they’re not in your area. As long as they have an internet connection and a computer webcam, most people will be excited to share their stories, opinions, or suggestions on your new podcast!
Recording Gear and Audio Interface
The first step to creating your podcast is figuring out how it will be recorded. Podcasts can be recorded on your computer, phone, tablet, or another recording device – just make sure you have the equipment set up so that you can get started right away!
One great option for starting to record is using an audio interface. These are simple devices that plug into your computer and control what goes in and out of your computer. They make the process of recording podcasts much faster, and they can be picked up at a reasonable price. This is especially helpful if you want to start with a certain set of sound quality and really want to maintain consistency.
Sound Quality
Another thing that will drastically impact the success of your podcast is the sound quality that comes through on each of the episodes. If the sound is too high or too low, people’s ears will get tired of listening! So, before you record anything, make sure your sound level is set at the right medium so that you don’t have to turn it up or down throughout your recording. A great place for this is in your computer’s setting options, where you can fix this once and that should be it.
Once you’ve got your sound levels set, then it helps to figure out what microphone you’ll be using. This is another place where an audio interface can help out, as it will give you consistent sound quality throughout your podcast! You can also search around for different microphones that are designed to pick up certain sounds better – if you want a more bass-heavy sound, try finding a mic that responds well to low noises!
Marketing Your Podcast
Once your podcast is recorded and ready for the world to hear, it’s time to start thinking about marketing! There are lots of different ways to market your podcast, including social media marketing, blogging, and email marketing.
Email Marketing
Once your podcast is up and running, you can use the same content for email marketing purposes to encourage new listeners to check out your show! It’s easy enough to create beautiful opt-in forms for your website, and it can drive a ton of new eyes to your podcast!
Social Media Marketing
After you’ve created an email list for future podcasts, think about how you can use social media marketing to get people excited about different episodes. Sometimes this is as simple as sharing before/after images or talking about the main theme of the episode.
Blogging
Another great way to market your podcast is through blogging! You can use text posts or images to talk about different themes within an episode, and once people are drawn in by one blog post, they’ll be more likely to check out your podcast! They may even subscribe and listen for future episodes!
Now that you know all there is to creating and marketing a podcast, it’s time to get started! By taking the time to plan out your podcast, find guests, and set up your recording equipment, you’ll be well on your way to launching a successful show. Don’t forget to use social media, email marketing, and blogging to draw in new listeners and keep them coming back for more episodes!