When starting a podcast, it can be extremely helpful to have a roadmap of where you want to go and more importantly what you need to do. What kind of microphone do I purchase? What platforms do I want to get on? Here are ten key tips to help anyone start a podcast.
1. Know What You Want to Do
Flesh out the nature of your podcast. These are the simple questions you probably already showed up to the prompt with.
- What am I going to talk about?
- Do I want or have a partner
- What is the group Iโm going to try for?
- How do I want to conduct guests and interviews?
- Is this scripted?
After a while, things begin getting down to the nitty-gritty and the questions become more intricate through trial and error. However, knowing what general angle you are taking will be the basis that forms the show.
Importantly Tip 1.5 – Start
An extra podcast tip? Do not spend too much time planning. This is going to be built through action. So action is the state in which you need to be. Make sure you have the plan to carry out the research and necessary acquisitions, but ultimately remember this is to service the action of production, dissemination, and the ultimate selling of the podcast.
2. Have a General Idea of Your Topic
Keep in mind that you are going to need to talk about this, either with another person in a discussion, or by yourself over narrative, story, or points. Regardless you will need to have varying levels of information on your topic. – at least enough to approach it.
While it can be comical to have very passionate individuals argue over a topic of which they know very little, that is not likely going to be the crux of your podcast. Regardless you are going to have to entertain, inform or discuss something. And the level of knowledge on that topic is a metric with which you will have to address and understand to some varying degree.
3. Research Distributing Platforms
This is an actionable podcast tip that is very necessary. ThinkBuzzsprout, RSS, Apple, and so on. These are the distribution organizations that will push your podcast onto platforms like Spotify. Nearly all of them require some form of monthly cost so it is imperative to research them to an extent that you are comfortable choosing the option that agrees most with your intent and pocket.
4. Software, Format, Software
Find your software. Most people think that having a microphone is the most integral part of a podcast. It is not. Having solid mixing software is key. Adobe Audition is an extremely approachable choice for beginners and keeping it within the suite lends itself well to Premiere Pro, should the podcast ever go visual.
Having a mixing software can allow editing and freedom of format that would otherwise be a moment either serendipitous or rare in a LIVE moment, or even more likely hidden amongst hours of content that may lose your audience.
5. Research and Acquire Necessary Equipment
A huge podcast tip? Mics. Mainly mics. Also software. It does not require much to start a podcast. In theory, you can record in a room on a phone and push it out to the internet. Entertaining is entertaining regardless of production quality. However, as you continue to grow you will want to invest in better equipment to best scale your company.
A podcast is an audio-based format, so microphones are a good place to start. Think along the lines of Blue Yeti or HyperX QuadCast. But beyond this capturing audio will be one of the first huge game changers. Combining this with the software will get you nearly to the ceiling of podcast technical potential.
Also, many podcasts gain traction and potentially more importantly monetization on youtube. Reaching the optimum on this will likely require a camera deciding whether your podcast will be stationary or evolve into a mobile โvlogโ will differentiate your choices. The EMEET C960 Web Cam is a solid place to start in terms of potential and price output.
6. Build Your Style
As you are prone to eventually nail down technical aspects and understandings, build your style. Have that distinct retention or value proposition that takes what you do to the next level. Why should people come to your particular murder mystery podcast? Why should they laugh with you instead of friends of their own?
Use your compounding experience to build a level of legitimacy around yourself and your mission. Set to establish that differentiation and you will find the value proposition to become ingrained with your own personal branding and the style of which you begin to format and orate your podcast.
7. Network – via People, Platforms, and Algorithms
As you gain comfort, begin taking things to the next level with marketing. Play the algorithm this means touching on topics that are in vogue and having every person willing to push our product pushing your product. Be iconic and entertaining with that value proposition and ride the algorithm. There are several ways to try to cantilever over the grind time that will still ultimately be necessary to grow your following but here are several.
- Use Platforms that Allow for Rapid Dissemination and Growth; Youtube, Tik Tok
- Use Specific Guests to Attract Their Following
- Utilize Unique Takes on Trending Topics to Garner Eyes
- Controversy – but the right kind of controversy
8. Grind
Consistency is key. Regardless of what you are doing. What field you are in. Even with whatever approach you take you must do it, to prove it. Time will allow you to build up many things. Including your experience, eye for good content and pieces, your acumen for finding networking capabilities, and most of all your discography.
By putting in the time, you will build the connections and even go as far as to potentially help others grow in tandem. Ultimately this is the unavoidable work that goes into generating content.
9. Integrate All Aspects into Your Brand
Once you have the experience to put together a good show; the networking strategies to find the right people; the connections to the right people to employ those strategies, and the discography to appear legitimate and have somewhat of a following for your take on the podcast you can begin to integrate your style.
This can be done over time naturally, but it is the ultimate culmination of doing your topic, your way, with your type of people. As things go further down this road of polarization you can find the ads that work best for you, the bits that play best on youtube. And on it goes. This could be called finding your niche. However, I think people try to do this before they understand what they are doing. I prefer to focus on an area and let it build its own take. Over time.
10. Improve the Podcast
Once you have a product that’s existing you can begin to pull it apart and see what it lacks. The main reason this is so far back is that this requires discography. For something to โget old,โ it has to be allowed to get old. That means do it. In time your own brand will pull you to the points you should be arguing, the song you should be playing, and the gags you have to be running.
This in turn will let you know what parts are succeeding,ย and what the audience wants. Maybe itโs the same format only changing the guest. Maybe itโs the tonality of the story that needs to switch or either be escalated further into. Build your podcast and begin changing it once you have something.
Importantly Tip 10.5 – Do It.
Another podcast tip and it sounds cheesy, but the best point of all is just to start. When you start the problems will present themselves in time. Just take action. If you are taking action the right problems will appear which is an indicator that you are doing something. So have a vision and follow the problems. Theyโll get you there.
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