How to Start Podcasting: A Beginner’s Guide to Get Started

“Let’s do it. Your idea was to start a podcast. You hesitated, and then you decided to abandon the entire plan.

Today, I say: Let’s get it done!

Why not?

Every day, the Podcast industry is filled with new podcasters for nearly every niche. Recent data has shown that podcasts have risen dramatically from 500,000 in 2018 and to more than 2 million by 2021.

Podcasts are becoming more popular with knowledge seekers and consumers. Now is the perfect time to get started.

Podcasts are a great medium to share knowledge or scale a business.

Let’s talk about how to start your podcast!

You will need to follow multiple steps in order to create a great podcast. We have broken down the process into three stages so that you can understand each step.

• Planning stage
• Stage of Creation
• Launch stage

Step 1: Select a podcast topic

What will your podcast be about? What would its name be?

Before you name your podcast, take a step back and think about why you want to start a podcast.

Podcasts are a great way to establish authority, engage and generate leads for your company.

Once you know what you want, selecting a topic is much easier.

It doesn’t stop at the goal. Or, I could say, a goal is just one piece of the puzzle. First, inspiration and passion are the key ingredients to all podcasts that succeed.

John lee dumas, the well-known podcaster, started the podcast because he was passionate about the subject.

“I knew I enjoyed listening to interviews and that I was interested in learning about entrepreneurs who had achieved success in their niche. The idea for what I thought was a great show started to take shape. The show would tell the story of the featured Entrepreneur. Lessons learned and their failures. Their AH-HA moment, steps taken to make that moment a success, and a Lightning round question each more interesting than the previous em>

Podcasting for long periods of time is no easy task. You will lose your passion if you don’t choose the niche and topic you love.

Ask yourself these questions

• This topic is it possible to create more than 100 episodes?
• Do you think I would be open to talking about this topic after 6 months, a year, or more?

Congratulations!

Step 2: Choose a title for your podcast

Next, choose the name for your podcast.

The title is the deciding factor for an audience. If it’s appealing enough, they will click it. Otherwise, they will scroll past it and be left with a thousand other titles.

Am I making the task too daunting? We have some tricks that will help you nail your podcast name.

First. Brevity is key, so keep your podcast title short.

Think about your content. What is it all about? That’s it! Think about what title resonates with what you’ll be talking about.

Your podcast title should give people a sense of the vibe they will get from it.

Add some humor to your Podcast title to make it memorable. These are some of the most memorable postcard titles:

• Pod Save America
• How did this happen?
• Office ladies
• Creators are the Future
• OMG Books

On the other side,

It is easy for businesses to name a podcast. Most brands simply add their names to the podcast name or another similar meaning such as show, radio, or studios.

What about the keyword factor?

Keywords are essential to make your podcast searchable in Google and other directories such as Apple. Do not overuse keywords in your title.

While you can add long-term keywords to the description of your channel or the podcast title, it is a smart idea. However, overusing them could lead to the removal of your podcast.

Take a look at what Apple has to say here.

Step 3: Choose the Podcast Format

You must decide the format of your podcast to create a cohesive and engaging podcast.

Do you plan to host a podcast on your own, tag a friend, or do some interview chatter?

Everything is okay. All you need is to consider the value that you are trying to convey to your audience. You should choose the best way to get your message across.

Solo podcasters sharing stories are the best choice. If you are looking to share your ideas and opinions with experts in your field, then consider interviewing.

These are some common podcasting formats.

• Format for interview
• Monologue/solo
• Format for co-hosts
• Non-fiction/documentary-style format
• Scripted fiction/audio drama podcasts

Step 4: Create Episode Titles

Naming doesn’t stop at the title. To get people to click on your podcast episodes, you need to give them a compelling name.

Caution : Don’t keep your episode title at “Episode 1 Episode 2”, etc. These titles don’t give much information about your podcast content, and can be ignored or unsearchable.

Instead, choose a title that is both informative and adds value to the podcast.

The keyword factor in your episode title is similar to the podcast title. It plays an important role in exposing your podcast. Google’s podcasting strategy gives audio content the same visibility as text, images and videos in search results.

It is therefore important to find the best targeting keyword and place it in your title and description.

Step 5: Determine the Episode Length and Publishing Schedule

Podcasting is serious business. You can’t just drop episodes randomly if you don’t want to. A schedule is essential.

Why?

A schedule will let your listeners know when the next episode is coming out. You can help them make time for your podcast throughout their day.

They will soon forget what you are doing and get frustrated.

You can also keep your efforts on track by creating a schedule. You can manage your task by knowing the exact date of publication.

It is a great idea to create a podcast publishing schedule. You can manage every episode’s creation, marketing, and ideation effortlessly with a calendar.

You can also use this time to decide the length of your episode.

What length of time do you plan to keep your podcast episodes? You can’t set a time limit for each podcast episode. It is important to have a time frame.

You can take any of your favorite Netflix shows. You can also watch them for a set time.

Your episodes should be as long and as effective as possible to convey the message to your audience. The content and your audience will determine how long you have to keep the episode running. The bottom line is to preserve the value and reduce the BS.

For reference, podcasters tend to keep podcasts under 15 minutes. Interview podcasts can run up to an hour.

Step 6: Create a Podcast Cover Art

Your podcast’s cover art is the first impression you get of it. It should be appealing visually and represent your brand and show at first glance.

It is also the first thing people see about your podcast on any podcast directory, media player, or promotion platform.

So make sure you nail your podcast cover image. These are some steps that will help you get started:

• The Podcast topic should be reflected in the artwork
• Be careful not to use too many words in the image
• Design a multi-platform size compatible art cover
• Be consistent with your branding
• Contrasting colors are a good idea
• Using clever design to elevate the central theme of your podcast

Here’s the technical specification of podcast cover art from Apple:

• Square Image
• 3000 x 3000 pixels
• Resolution of 72 dpi
• File types PNG and JPEG
• Colorspace RG

Step 7: Engage with it by using an intro, outro and music

Although it’s not set in stone, adding music to your intro and outro can help give your podcast a professional feel.

This is the norm for most podcasts, but not all. Some podcasts even begin talking as soon as the second second is over. Others prefer to introduce their topic and brand at the beginning.

It is entirely up to you.

Personal opinion: It adds professionalism and branding to your podcast.

Introduction open the curtains for your podcast and direct listeners to the main content. This can make it easy to attract new listeners. This is where you can do your personal branding. You talk about the podcast topic and the target audience. Then, you introduce the topic of today.

Outros,on one hand, closes off the door for your listeners and hooks them up to do something else. Your outros are a way to thank people for listening, and ask them to leave a comment, like, or visit your website.

Music breathes life into your intros or outros. It’s difficult to distinguish the main content from the intros and outros without music.

If you don’t want to bother your listeners, your intros and outros shouldn’t exceed 40 seconds or one minute.

Step 8: Write a script for each episode

A script can help you make your podcast more readable and structured.

It is important to write down all the information you want to cover in a podcast.

Word-to-word scripting may not be for you. However, podcasters do not like it because it takes away the podcast’s conversational feel.

If you’re one of them, then try:

• You can create an episode plan that doesn’t include the entire script, but maps out each talking point in detail to maintain the conversational flow.
• Use the bullet points to note the main themes and topics in the episode.

You can use any method, but you should create a script and then read it aloud before you record it. This will allow you to see how conversational and smooth it is.

Step 9: Select Your Podcast Recording and Editing Software

To record your podcast, you’ll need a microphone, a computer and software to record your voice.

These are just a few of the many options available for podcasting equipment that can make your podcast look amazing. If you’re new to podcasting, I recommend that you start with a simpler and more affordable setup.

The most important piece of equipment is the microphone. The quality of your podcasting sound depends on the microphone you choose.

Microphone recommendation – Audio-Technica ATR2100x is a dynamic microphone that has both USB-C digital outputs and XLR analog output. This microphone is the most affordable option for beginners.

Although a microphone will suffice, it is advisable to purchase a shock mount or microphone stand. This will keep your microphone in place and reduce unwanted knocking and rubbing.

To record and edit your podcast, you’ll need to install recording software.

Mac users have the option to use Apple’s Garage band, or Logic Pro for beginners. Windows users, on the other hand, can use Audacity. This free and open-source audio editing/recording tool can be used on Windows, Mac and GNU/Linux.

Zoom and Skype are great tools for interviewing podcasts. Zencastr or Squacast are great tools for recording high-quality interviews.

Read our list of best podcast tools you need to record and edit a professional-sounding podcast.

Step 10: Click the Record Button

You now have all the equipment and tools you need to start your podcast. It’s time for you to press the record button.

It can be frightening, I get it. You might think, “What if I fail?” You will get bitten first if nobody tunes in. What’s the best part? It was the same for many podcast stars when they started.

What should I do?

You already have your script. Having a script in your hand reduces the fear of speaking on a microphone.

Talking over your microphone while you talk to yourself is another mistake that you make in the beginning.

Podcasts are not intended to sound monologue. Imagine talking to one person in your target audience while you record. This will make you more human and help to remove that feeling of being a robot.

You can rest assured that you won’t nail your recording the first time. Nobody can. Editing is where it all comes in.

You can always go back to cut awkward silences, sentence errors, and hissing sounds.

You will soon get used to the process of creating a podcast.

Step 11: Select Podcast Hosting

Once your idea has been converted into audio, it is time to share it.

What are the steps?

Many first-timers believe they must upload their podcast to players such as Spotify and iTunes separately. This is incorrect.

Instead, sign up for podcasting hosting and upload your podcast there. These tools can be connected to multiple podcast directories like Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Through your hosting platform, get listed in the directory that interests you. You can do this by uploading a podcast to your hosting platform and they will be published in the directories.

There’s more!

You can also add a podcast player on your website through the hosting platform. This allows people to listen to, download or share podcasts directly from your site. If you don’t already have one, you can get a website for your podcasts.

These are the top podcast hosting platforms that I recommend:

• BuzzSprout
• Libsyn
• Podbean
• Captivate

Step 12: Promote your podcast

Your podcast will not promote itself. It is important to find ways to get your podcast in front of your target audience.

These are proven marketing tips that will help you attract new listeners to your podcast and maximize the benefits of your new podcast.

Create a podcast landing page

There are many benefits to creating a landing page for your podcast. It makes it easier to market your podcast across multiple channels. You can also optimize your podcast’s SEO for easy discovery by creating a page on your website.

Take advantage of the power and potential of social media

There are many ways to promote your podcast on social media. You can do this through paid and organic marketing.

These are some social media marketing tips that will help you promote your podcast.

• Audiograms are a way to combine audio and image clips.
• Take a video of your event and share it on social media
• Take quotes from the podcast, and then share them as images
• Create a community around your podcast topic
• Influencer marketing is a great option
• Use hashtags
• Organise giveaways and social media competitions
• Run social media ads

You can also use a scheduling tool for social media posting automation.

SocialPilot is the best-in class scheduling tool that allows you to schedule multiple posts on different social media platforms at once.

This is a great tool to win the social gaming for your podcast.

Use your email list

Email marketing is another great channel to promote your podcast. Most businesses have some form of email marketing. If you have an email marketing program, promote your podcast to your subscribers.

Start an email newsletter and build a subscriber base. This list can be used to promote each new episode of your podcast.

Join the community

You aren’t the only one discussing your topic via a podcast. Join the podcasting community that shares your interests.

Invite other podcast hosts to your show, and be a guest on their shows. This is a great way to promote your podcast among a large audience.

Step 13: Explore Monetization

This section can be skipped by businesses that use podcasts to attract clients and connect with them.

Let’s talk about how you can make money as a podcaster.

Sponsorship – You can get in touch with companies that will pay you to promote their brand during the event.

Affiliate marketing – You get paid a commission on every sale that you make through affiliate marketing.

Premium content – This is a direct transaction between you, your fans and the media. In exchange for special offers, such as extra interviews, behind-the scenes content, an ad-free RSS feed and early access to new episodes, you ask for money.

Selling products You can make money by selling merchandise, books or courses through drop-shipping or print-on demand services.

Then, where do you start?

It is difficult to start a podcast. It is important to start a podcast for the right reasons.

Podcasts are a powerful force to be reckoned with, according to statistics. Podcasts can be a powerful tool for businesses to build a strong relationship with their target audience.

It shouldn’t just be about your goals. The topic you choose should motivate you to create more episodes.

Now you are able to create your own podcast. Now it’s time to take every step and start your podcast.

Once you’re done with the first few episodes, make sure to share them on SocialPilot so others can easily find them.

SocialPilot is live! Get SocialPilot in action today with a free trial!

SocialPilot’s first post, How to Start a Podcast: A Beginner’s Guide to Getting started appeared first on SocialPilot.