How to Start a Podcast: Top Podcasting Tips for Beginners

Podcasting has been around since 2004 when Ben Hammersley first used the term “podcast” in an article published by The Guardian. Later that year, the first podcasting provider launched, giving millions of people the opportunity to start their own podcasts and share their ideas with the world.

In simple terms, a podcast is a series of episodes on a single topic or a series of related topics. Some podcasters have shows on broad topics, such as business and beauty, while others drill down into a much smaller niche. For example, there are podcasts on typography, adult colouring books and YA novels.

Although many people think of podcasting as a hobby or creative endeavour, starting a podcast is a great way to promote your business. This guide explains why podcasting is useful for business owners and offers tips on how to start a podcast for beginners.

Reasons To Start a Podcast

Podcasting isn’t just a fun hobby — it’s a great way to draw attention to your business. Here are just a few of the reasons you should learn how to start a podcast.

  • Networking opportunities: Once you have an established podcast, you’ll have more opportunities to network with other people in your industry. For example, you can invite industry experts to participate in upcoming episodes, making it easier to form relationships with likeminded people.
  • Sharing your expertise: Your podcast gives you another platform for sharing your expertise with people in your target audience. People who are too busy to read your blog posts or download a white paper from your website may be willing to listen to your podcast episodes, giving you additional opportunities to position yourself as an expert in your industry.
  • Increased website traffic: Podcasting gives you even more opportunities to drive traffic to your website and social media accounts. Melanie Duncan, an online business consultant, recommends including a call to action at the end of each podcast episode. The CTA should direct listeners to visit your website, download a free report or follow you on social media.
  • Increased audience loyalty: In addition to your website, blog, social media channels and email list, a podcast offers another way for you to connect with your customer base and remain top of mind. Podcasts offer an intimacy not found on other platforms. Your audience can bring you along for their morning commute, workout or weekend chores.
  • Learning opportunities: When you interview industry experts, you’ll have the opportunity to learn from them, giving you new knowledge you can use to increase revenue or make your business more profitable.

Is Podcasting Right for You?

Podcasting is an effective marketing tool, but it’s not for everyone. If any of the following apply to you, think carefully about whether you want to go through the effort of starting a podcast.

  • You want immediate results. It takes time to grow an audience. You may do dozens of episodes before your podcast gains traction. If you’re going to get discouraged and give up if the podcast doesn’t succeed right away, podcasting probably isn’t the best marketing tactic for your business.
  • You’re not willing to invest in your podcast. Podcasting is fairly inexpensive compared to other types of marketing, but you still need to invest some of your funds in audio equipment and podcast-related services. If you’re not willing to spend the money, you’d be better off trying another marketing method.
  • You struggle with technology. Unless you can afford to hire a producer for your podcast, you’ll need to have some basic technology knowledge. If you can barely turn on your computer, podcasting might be a little too difficult.
  • You struggle to tell a story. Even if you plan to cover a nonfiction topic, you still need to be able to tell a story if you want to put out an interesting podcast. If you speak in a monotonous tone of voice, your business might benefit more from blogging or writing guest posts on other websites.
  • You don’t want to interact with other people. To create a high-quality podcast, you’ll probably need to interview industry experts, talk to potential sponsors and interact with listeners. If you’re a complete introvert and don’t want to interact with other people, then this type of podcasting probably isn’t right for you. There are some niches where a solo podcast can work, though. If you’re willing to research and plan your podcast well enough to carry the entire show yourself, go for it!

How To Start a Podcast: Best Practices

Getting Started

Now that you know podcasting is right for you, it’s time to launch your show. However before you record your first episode, it’s important to determine the best format for your content. Many podcasters choose an overarching theme and produce individual episodes that aren’t related in any particular way. For example, the Smart Passive Income podcast is devoted to the topic of earning passive income online. Each episode relates to that theme in some way.

Depending on the topic you choose, you could also do “seasons” of your podcast. Each season would contain multiple episodes focusing on the same topic. For example, if you decided to do a podcast about business fraud, you could devote one season to the Enron scandal, one season to Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme and the third season to Theranos.

Once you choose a format, take time to listen to other podcasts on your topic. Listening to competing podcasters can help you determine how to structure your podcast, how long each episode should be and how much sponsored content to broadcast. While you’re researching your competitors, take a look at their reviews and ratings to find out what audience members like and don’t like about each podcast.

Podcasting Equipment

 As mentioned previously, you’ll need to invest in some basic podcasting equipment, including a microphone, headphones, a microphone stand and editing software. Chris Land of ImprovePodcast.com recommends the Shure SM7B dynamic microphone for its high-quality audio, ergonomic design and durability. Land also suggests using the Sennheiser HD280 Pro, a pair of around-the-ear headphones with a high level of sensitivity.

You have many options for editing software, including free and paid packages. Many budget-conscious podcasters use GarageBand, free editing software with a wide range of capabilities. If GarageBand doesn’t have all the features you need, the premium version (Logic) offers more advanced capabilities. You should also research the following options to determine which one is right for you:

  • Pro Tools
  • Audacity
  • Adobe Audition
  • Descript
  • Auphonic

Content Planning

Now that you have your software and podcasting equipment, it’s time to start planning your content. This is where a content calendar comes in handy. A content calendar is a schedule of your upcoming content, planned out over several weeks or months. Your calendar should include the date of each episode, the topic of each episode and a list of potential guests for each episode.

Once you have a rough schedule of episodes, you can start writing scripts for each one. You could wing it, but having a script keeps you on track and makes each episode as clear and concise as possible. Using a script also increases consistency, helping your listeners understand what to expect from each episode. Your script should include sponsor messages, main points, segues and a call to action. When you first launch your show, you may not have any sponsors to announce, but slot in a few sponsor messages to get into the habit.

If you don’t enjoy writing, Crowd Content has a team of skilled freelancers ready to draft your podcast scripts for you.

Monetizing Your Podcast

As your podcast grows, there are a few ways to monetize it:

  • Sponsorships: Sponsors pay you to promote their products and services during each podcast episode.
  • Donations: You can add a donation button to your podcast website and ask listeners to support you if they enjoy your content. Some donation platforms like Patreon allow you to provide perks for regular donors.
  • Advertising: If you join a podcast advertising network, you can get paid for running ads provided by the network. Network ads might be built into the podcast itself or change dynamically each time someone plays it.
  • Affiliate partnerships: Many companies have commission-based affiliate marketing programs that can help you increase your podcast earnings. As an affiliate, you promote a company’s products or services and receive a commission each time someone makes a purchase or takes some other desired action via your affiliate link.
  • Merchandise sales: You can also sell T-shirts, mugs and other items with your podcast logo or tagline on them, increasing your revenue even further.

Time To Launch

Now that you know how to start a podcast, it’s time to plan your first episode. Before you go live, write a full script to ensure the episode is well-paced and includes all the information you want to share with your audience. Choose a compelling topic for your first podcast to draw listeners in, but make sure to provide plenty of background about you and your business to establish a relationship with your listeners and build credibility.

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