January 13, 2021
Starting Your Own Podcast in 2021 – Guide for Beginners
We consume tremendous amounts of content every day; be it reading newspapers, streaming videos, scrolling down social media feeds or watching television at home. A consumer spends 7.5 hours on average daily with the media. Also, most people prefer listening than reading or watching and here podcasts play a pivotal role. As per research, the U.S podcast audience could actually double by the year 2023.
Why consider podcasts?
Answer is simple. Podcasts can be tuned into as per convenience; you can listen while driving to work or working out in the gym. They can be downloaded on your mobile phone or listened to online; there are numerous platforms providing the same.
Eager listeners and marketing managers are actually inviting you to start planning your podcast today. There is more detail to earning with podcasts but for now, we will be discussing a brief guide about how to start your own podcast.
Your Own Podcast – Let’s Get Started
Starting your own podcast might seem daunting at first. To get started, we have divided our guide in three segments: Plan, Create, Share.
Plan:
Proper planning before creating anything with respect to podcasts is highly recommended. Take a pen and a notepad to jot down everything that comes in your mind.
- Selecting theme & topic:
Write down your ideas regarding your desired theme and topics which you are likely to talk about. Choose wisely and ask yourself; can I talk hours and hours about this topic? Can it lead to revenue in future?
For example:
You are passionate about fitness so that can be the theme. You can choose topics related to benefits, workout routines, and so on.
- Podcast format & length:
How much should be the duration of your podcast? What can be the format? Perhaps a weekly episode each of 45 minutes? Taking our example of fitness themes, the podcast format can be ‘monologue’ where you can share your expertise & experiences. It can also be in an interview or discussion format where you can co-host with other experts while talking about the topics.
- Title:
Think of your podcast as a TV or YouTube channel. You have to come up with a creative yet unique name for your podcast. You should also consider setting up a domain/website with the same name (a recommendation).
To give you some ideas, take a look at some fitness podcasts available at player.fm:
- Muscle Intelligence
- Fitness Matters with Pahla B
- The Fitness Founders Podcast
- Healthier Together
Create:
After you’re done with your planning & brainstorming, start preparing for your first podcast.
- Scripting:
Before recording, prepare your podcast script to help you keep the track of the episode’s content.
- Write the introduction about yourself which should be delivered in simple language.
- Write about the topic(s) you will be covering in the episode.
- Introduction of guests or co-hosts – if any.
- Are there any CTAs (call to action)? You can write about asking listeners to provide feedback or visit any website which you have mentioned during the podcast.
- Write down closure – will there be any sequel? What should the listeners expect in the next episode?
Even though preparing a script is handy, do not talk over it. Instead, talk as naturally as you can. The more natural you sound, the more listeners are likely to connect with you.
- Recording:
Most people ask if one can start recording podcasts with their iPhones. The answer is yes. You can use iPhone microphones to record. Although the sound quality would not be professional, it is okay to start with it if you are low on budget. However, we would highly recommend buying equipment such as a microphone to create smooth & noise-free audio. You can also invest in other equipment such as headphones, pop filter, microphone stand/arm with the aim of improving the quality of the audio.
- Editing:
While recording podcasts, there might be several moments which you would like to chop-off before finalizing. For this purpose, we use editing softwares.
From free to paid, there are many options available to choose as your podcast editor. Some notable ones include Audacity and GarageBand.
Adding an intro and outro to your podcasts is also a great way to make it look professional. You can hire a freelancer at Fiverr to help you create one.
- Cover Art;
The first impression that your podcast imprints on your listener is your cover art. It has to be neat, elegant and eye-catchy.
You don’t need to be a professional graphics designer to make one for you. You can use Canva to create your own cover art or hire a freelancer at Fiverr to help you create one. Some tips to keep in mind:
- Make sure font is readable
- Don’t make it overcrowded
- Use colors in contrast with the text
- Ensure that it’s readable in tiny size (since thumbnail is usually small)
Share:
Your podcast audio file is ready to be uploaded for the listeners. You might think of uploading to famous platforms like Apple & Google Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud but we actually do not upload on their websites. Instead, we publish our audio files to the podcast hosting services.
Confused? Don’t be.
All of the podcast audios actually live in an entirely separate place. You upload it to a hosting service such as Buzzsprout, Castos, Bluehost. They store all of your audio files along with podcast information such as title, summary, cover art and collect them in an RSS feed which is then shared with different directories/platforms.
There are many directories or channels where you can submit your podcast information. You have to do this only once. As you upload more episodes, your podcast host shares the updates to all subscribed directories for your listeners to tune into.
Some of the most popular channels include:
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
- SoundCloud
- Stitcher
- iHeartRadio
- Overcast
- Castbox
- Google Podcasts
Are you ready?
So, are you ready to start your first podcast?
Before you publish, we would recommend creating a buzz on social media channels. Consider how a new movie is premiered or a new book with it’s first copy landing in a store; they all prepare for the launch.
There are many ways to create your online presence. You can design teaser posts about your podcast and share on your website & social media channels.
Which podcast is your favourite? Let us know in the comments below.
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