Podcasts have been a big thing for quite a while now. There are all kinds of subjects and ways to tell a story and you may well have thought that you could do just as good a job as some of the podcasts you regularly listen to.
But – like anything that is worth doing – you will have to put a lot of work into a podcast of your own. It is not just a case of sitting down and talking about anything and everything. Whether your intended podcast is about the history of your local area, or comparing the best Vegas sportsbooks , you will need some tips on how to get going successfully. Luckily we’re here to steer you in the right direction!
Table of Contents
Choose Your Topic Wisely
You may already have what you consider to be an excellent podcast topic. If you didn’t you probably wouldn’t be reading this article. But you need to think very carefully about whether it really is the right topic. You should obviously talk about a subject that you are passionate about – but you should also make sure that there is a real need for listeners to tune in.
The good news is that there is a market for just about any topic when it comes to podcasting. A good test of whether you have landed on a good one is whether you can explain what your potential podcast is about in 20 seconds. If you struggle to get over what you have in mind, it could be time for a rethink.
Plan Your Content
When you are excited about producing a podcast it can be tempting to just set up a microphone and start talking. The problem with that is that you will soon start to run out of things to say – and what you do say will come across jumbled. That’s why you need to plan your content precisely.
There are basics to start off with – like will you be alone or present the podcast with a co-host? Will you invite guests onto the podcast? Or will it be more of a fact-driven presentation? You also need to think of the length of the show. All of this will depend on the topic but you need to make sure that everything is planned before you hit record.
Invest in a Quality Microphone
Speaking of ‘hit record’. Much of the basic tips for podcast beginners have nothing to do with the technical side of the operation and you need to have everything else sorted first. But a good quality microphone is essential if you want your podcast to sound even half decent – even at the very start.
Some podcast guides will say that you just need to get a cheap microphone when you are starting out. But making this small investment will really help with the professionalism of the content. You don’t have to go crazy and buy top of the range mics – but do make sure the sound quality will be of a good standard.
Be Authentic
There is a temptation when you are starting a podcast to sound like you are a professional. But if you are concentrating on that, you will not be sounding like yourself. Podcasts are an excellent way to build a relationship with the listener. But to do that you need to have your own voice.
The topic of the podcast may be intensely personal to you – so use that. But even if you are presenting a podcast that is more of a reportage, make sure that you are including your own personal touch. Your listeners will appreciate and understand why the podcast is important if they can hear that it is important to you.
Promote the Pod
There is no point in making the best podcast there has ever been if no one is ever going to hear it. One of the attractions of making a podcast in the first place is that you are able to get your story out into the wider world. But you can make that world even bigger with good promotion.
You will want to find a good hosting site for your podcast – and they should be able to help with some promotion. But podcast listeners are generally a fairly tech-savvy bunch. So social media is the way to go to build a bigger audience. A dedicated website can help as well, but just make sure that as many people are aware that you are making the podcast as possible. Then you just have to keep them hooked.
Learn Basic Audio Editing
It is natural to think that you will be able to sit down in front of a microphone and start talking for 30 minutes (or however long you have planned your podcast episodes to be). First of all, you won’t be able to do that. And secondly, you won’t want to do that. You will want to introduce music and other technical additions. So learning basic audio editing is important.
You could hire someone to do all of this, of course. But by learning some introductory skills you will end up with a more polished podcast. You won’t even have to spend any money to do this. There are a number of very good digital audio workstations (DAWs) available online. Download one and pick up on the basics – your podcast will sound much better.
Strive for Improvement
You will want your podcast to sound as good as possible right from the start – that is only natural. But you should be ready to make mistakes. You should also then be ready to learn from those mistakes and make your podcast even better. No one is a master of anything when they first start out and podcasting is no different.
If you have worked on your topic and content – and the podcast is interesting to listeners – they will forgive minor mistakes when you begin. You just need to be prepared to keep learning and you will soon find that your podcast sounds even better. Hopefully all of these tips will also make your podcast incredibly popular too.