Did you know that 41% of Americans age 12 and up listen to at least 1 podcast per month? That number is up from 28% in 2018.
People have a range of ways they like to engage with content. While the written word works well for some, it might not appeal to people who are more auditory learners.
What is one of the best ways to reach those people? Starting a podcast.
This post will give you a brief overview of how to start a podcast and give you some podcasting tips along the way. Put a microphone in your Amazon cart and read on!
Pick a Theme
What sort of content will you serve up? Across all of your marketing efforts you’re striving to provide value, your podcasting efforts are no different. What will you teach your audience?
What can you give them that they can’t get anywhere else? And your business podcast doesn’t have to be “boring”; even making someone laugh provides value. Different types of podcasts include:
- Tips and tricks
- Story-telling
- How-to’s
- Mystery reveal
- Behind the scenes
- Deep dives
- A day in the life of…
- Book reviews
- Top 10 lists
You could pick just one of these themes or you could make it your theme to mix it up. Think about your audience and be creative. Picking a theme will lead naturally to what format your podcast follows.
You can solo monologue, invite people for interviews, have multiple hosts for the show, etc. Whatever format you pick, keep it light and conversational. You’ll lose your audience if the podcast is dry and feels canned.
Decide on Your Recording Medium
The next choice is figuring out how to record the podcast. If it’s just you, you can start today by opening the voice memo app on your phone and going to town. If you’re including people virtually, apps like Skype, WebEx, and GoToMeeting have audio recording features.
Produce the Podcast
After recording the audio for your podcast, it needs to go through a production phase. This means adding intro and outro music and editing out speaking errors and unwanted background noises.
While you can just publish your raw audio, it adds a feeling of professionalism to have it touched up. You can do the production phase yourself, or you can outsource it to a podcasting production agency. These companies make it their business to turn your raw audio into a professional-sounding podcast episode.
Host and Share Your Podcast
Once you have a couple of finished episodes in your pocket, you need a place to host them. Common podcast hosting sites include Libsyn, SoundCloud, and Spreaker. After the podcast is uploaded, now you get to do the fun part: sharing it with your friends, family, and customer base.
Each hosting service has its own instructions for uploading the podcast to iTunes (or Spotify/Google Podcasts for Android users). Follow the instructions to upload your podcast and share it with the world!
Starting a Podcast Made Simple
Starting a podcast may feel like an overwhelming task. But, broken down into pieces, you can easily achieve your podcasting dreams.
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