A Guide to Starting a Podcast

Podcasts have been garnering a lot of attention recently. Most podcasters have a team behind them. But starting a podcast on your own may seem like an overwhelming job. From setting up podcast equipment to doing the editing work, a podcast entails several activities. Let us try to break it into steps.

Develop Your Content   

Before embarking on your journey, you must ask yourself a couple of questions: what is your aim, and your subject? Your aim relates to your motive behind starting the podcast. Do you wish to spread your philosophies, do you want fame, or are you looking to generate leads for some enterprise? Once you are clear about your agenda, it becomes easier to achieve it. 

The next step is to create a niche for yourself. You can speak on endless topics on your podcast, but that would not help your cause. Hence, it is better to pick something which you enjoy working on. It would help if that topic were already popular among the audience. Finally, once you have selected your subject, it is better to stay consistent.    

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Choose Your Format   

Choosing your format depends on the first step. If you want to spread the word, you may probably go solo. On the other hand, if you wish to garner fame or leads, you might want to invite other people to your podcast or interact with them. The subject also becomes an important criterion when selecting the format. Some of the most common podcast formats include   

• Interview Podcasts   
• Educational Podcasts 
• Scripted Fiction/Non-Fiction   
• Cohosted Podcasts   

Ultimately, it boils down to your preference, as you must select a format that you are comfortable with. You must also decide the length of your episodes and how frequently you want to publish them.    

Set Up Your Equipment   

While starting a podcast, your purpose would determine your equipment. If you do not have any commercial agenda, you can use average equipment. But if you are serious about podcasting and want the audience to take you seriously, you must invest in quality products, especially a good microphone.   

Record Your Episode   

You may have a spontaneous personality which is why you may have opted for this career but being interactive on the podcast is another thing. It is one of the most common mistakes for a podcaster to be completely unscripted, leading to rambling. Hence, it is advised that you must have a rough outline of what you want to do or say on your podcast. If you are co-hosting, then the other person must also be aware of this outline. You must also select an appropriate room where you will conduct the podcast. The place must be quiet and have components like carpet, curtains, and furniture as they absorb additional noise. You should also perfect the microphone technique in order to sound loud and clear.   

Edit Your Content   

Editing is yet another crucial aspect of a podcast unless you are going live. You must own good editing software and must be adept at it. A podcast episode must have an engaging introduction. To keep your audience hooked to your podcast, you must first edit the content and then look for distractions. Podcasters use different tricks to drown the unwanted noise. The ultimate purpose is to create a podcast with a professional feel.     

Read More: 6 Tips to Keep Your Audience Engaged

Create an Artwork    

Even though the podcast is an auditory medium, you must have some visual representation to attract your audience. According to research, 62% of the audience is likely to select the podcast based on its cover art. Therefore, you must create attractive cover art since that forms the first impression on social media.    

Share Your Creation    

You can create an excellent podcast, but it would not reach its target audience unless you shared it. You must share the content on as many social media sites as possible. One of the more convenient ways is to create an account on some podcast hosting platforms, also known as a media host. Listeners can listen, download and even subscribe to your podcast on such platforms.    

Grow Podcasting is not just about creating good content and posting it online. One must look for potential growth and ways to expand one's audience base. There are several tried and tested methods for that. Some podcasters join various groups and forums where you can share your ideas and the corresponding podcast. Some collaborate with other successful podcasters. Such tactics will spread the word about your channel and increase your subscribers.   

These are some of the steps you can follow if you wish to create a career in podcasting.