How to Launch a Successful Podcast

They say that podcasting is the new way of blogging. Today, there are so many platforms for which an artist or influencer could blog. Because of this, the audience also has a wide selection of means with which they could follow a blog – they could watch it, read it, or listen to it. Podcasting is fun, not only for the host itself but for the listeners as well. It gives a level of intimacy and relatability that written blogs don’t often provide. On top of that, it requires amazing skills in retaining audience attention after a while. There are many sources online that teach how to launch a successful podcast.

Here are the first few steps you need remember on how to launch a successful podcast:

Find a niche, create a brand

For any type of blog, the brand is what truly sells it. Choosing an overall niche could provide ease in creating topics and unique, workable content. This is so much more true considering that there are TONS of podcasts on social media and the internet right now. The niche and the brand is what will set you apart from everybody else. It could also help followers determine whether or not they would follow your content.

Sometimes, narrowing the topic is a good idea. For instance, you want to talk about art. But the topic is just too broad and there are so much podcasts out there discussing about art. So why not narrow it down to modern art. But what about modern art – sculptures, artists, painting, architecture, music? There are so much to choose from. Choosing one helps adding twists on the topic and leads you to your brand. Say, ASMR of interiors of modern architectural wonders in the US. Specific, kinda interesting, and unique. Then, create a catchy and unique name and an equally catchy and unique cover art image.

Secure, at least, the basic gear

A successful podcast will always rely greatly on the quality of the output. And quality output is a product of good equipment. At the beginning, any good microphone could work. However, be aware that the audiences could always tell the difference between low-quality and high-quality microphones. Perhaps after trying out a few episodes, and you feel that you’re really comitted to creating more work, investing in a good microphone is a great idea.

Other than a good microphone, a nice computer may also be a good investment. There are a number of bloggers that record with their smart phones. This is good, for the first few episodes. However, please do note that editing on a smartphone is not the easiest thing to do. Furthermore, a good laptop or computer can do more tasks (marketing, editing, recording, etc) with more ease.

Master software and digital tools for recording and editing a podcast

Physical gear is not the only requirement of a good podcast. Of course, digital equipments are essential as well. At the beginning of launching a podcast, there are great recordings softwares to choose from that are free. Eventually, investing in a paid software with better features is always a good investment. The same goes with editing softwares, especially those who want to create podcasts with videos.

Mastering the skills of both editing and recording is absolutely essential in launching a successful podcast. You can always hire an editor, though. However, it is always better to learn the works first before expanding the brand and adding new faces. It takes up a lot of work, yes. But it gives you more understanding of how to manage the entire brand for easier control in the future.

Choose a platform

Another essential decision when creating a successful podcast is choosing a place to host it. Here are a few good choices, free for startup blogs: Buzzsprout,PodBean, Anchor and Spreaker. Remember that there are storage limits for hosts. Free hosting usually limits to only 2 to 5 hours of airtime and 15 minutes of live casting. There are also income considerations when choosing a host. Always choose the host that gives fair compensation for views and other analytics. Some hosts also have bandwidth limits that go as low as 100 GB while there are others that offer unlimited bandwidth.

Be ready to commit to launch a successful podcast

Sometimes, it takes luck for things to take off if one simply puts out work out there in the internet unknown. It may take off immediately, or it may take off after quite some time. This is where commitment is highly needed. Motivation is hard to comeby if success is not immediate. However, true passion and hardwork will always lead somewhere.

Getting people to listen takes a lot of work and it is not controlled simply by the content. Marketing and collaborations take up a huge chunk of any blog’s success. This may involve actually inviting people to listen to it, and sometimes shamelessly asking them to comment and share the podcast. Also, encouraging people to follow your podcast is something you must be committed to.