So, you want to start a podcast, good news, you’ve timed it perfectly because it’s never been easier to do.
The markets skyrocketing, there are now over 1 million podcasts, and that number grows daily.
And advertisers have noticed and are now cashing in on the popularity by investing heavily in podcast advertising.
But here’s the thing, going live often leaves a lot of budding podcasters with stage fright.
Maybe you’re feeling it right now, an emotional mix of nerves, anxiety, and excitement.
If so, then all you need is a guiding hand to help you move into the spotlight?
Then you can join the other 1 million podcasters that are already living your dream.
Take our hand and find out how to start a winning podcast, it will only take a few minutes, and it could last a lifetime!
First Up – Invest in Your Equipment
Here’s the good news, you don’t need to spend a small fortune to record a high-quality podcast. Still, you do need the right equipment to provide high-quality audio that your listeners can hear. And the better you sound, the more professional you’ll seem, and that’s the impression you want to give from your very first podcast.
Get that part right, and there is no bad news, result!
Here’s the equipment you need to start your podcast:
- Computer: You can use a Windows computer or a Mac to record, edit, and of course, upload your podcast. Note, if you record directly onto your computer, it requires a microphone USB port.
- Headphones: The advice here is to buy the highest quality you can afford, as they’re essential for hearing what you sound like, listening to viewers who call in, and for identifying any sound problems that need improving.
- Microphone – Again, put your money where your mouth is! Get it? So, invest in your voice; after all, it’s how the world’s going to hear you. An excellent mic for staring out with is the Samson Q2U USB at around $69.99, or if budget allows, the Blue Yeti USB Mic at $150 is well worth the money.
- Digital recorders – You need one of these if you’re recording with more than one person in the room, as you can plug their mic into it, and the audio’s stored on a memory card.
Apps and Software for Recording Podcasts
Bookmark my post so you can check these links out when you need them; until then, let’s talk about you:
Talk About What You Love
It might be tempting to pick a topic based solely on its popularity. After all, more listeners equal higher investment opportunities, but before you do, realize that listeners are looking for podcasts that provide them with valuable and interesting advice.
However, you don’t want your podcast to fall on deaf ears!
Your goal is to find a balance between choosing a topic you love and can speak passionately about and one that has a reasonable number of interested listeners.
Once you’ve found your perfect podcast niche, your next step is to get creative.
Choose A Podcast Title
Your podcast title helps potential listeners choose your podcast by telling them what it’s about. It’s your hook, so bait it well.
It’s advisable to choose a title that reflects your audience and contains key phrases that will make your podcast SEO friendly and visible in the search engines. Your title should also be suitable for your social media handles and your podcasts domain name so that listeners can find you with ease on numerous popular podcast platforms.
There are three ways you can choose your podcast title:
- Use your name: If you already have a large presence online, then your name will work, but if no one knows who you are, then, unfortunately, it won’t catch their attention.
- A catchy name: You can use a catchy name but don’t be too vague, as it must be relevant to any search terms people use when searching for your topic.
- A descriptive name: Is simply naming your podcast after the subject. For example, a professional gardener’s podcast could be `The Gardeners Podcast. ` But keep it short as you’ll be saying it a lot when all goes well!
Next, pull your listeners in with an enticing description:
How to Make Your Podcast Unmissable
As you now know, there are 1 million podcasts, and if you choose a popular niche, you could be competing against thousands!
But you can grab your audience’s attention and make them tune into your podcast by writing an engaging and enticing podcast description. It’s your opportunity to stand out from the crowd, and there’s a method for writing one that works.
Here’s how you do it:
- Start your description by talking about them, the problems and issues they’re having with this topic.
- Tap into their dominant emotion, show that you understand, have empathy.
- Provide examples that will resonate with them, make them curious to know more.
- Transition to the solution, IE, your podcast, and highlight how it will solve their problems.
Your description is also where you go SEO heavy, include any keywords and phrases people might use as a search term, but keep it natural, so it’s relatable and doesn’t read like an Amazon listing.
Create your artwork
Your podcast needs a logo just like every other brand because it’s a visual, and visuals are the only content that can connect in the milliseconds it takes to stop a half-interested listener from scrolling on by your podcast.
It’s also the first impression people will have of your podcast, and they’ll make an instant decision (rightly or wrongly) about the type of content it contains and if it will interest them base don it. So please, give your logo the attention it deserves; your podcast could depend upon it!
And there’s good news because you can get artwork or a logo for your podcast relatively cheaply, and for the logo, you can draw inspiration from podcast logo design ideas. Your best approach is to use a design/image that’s highly relatable to your niche; this way, it will resonate with your target audience.
Time to Get Online!
To get online, you need to register with a hosting platform, just like you would for a website, but not just any old host will do.
For your podcast to be successful, your host must ensure a 99% uptime, including storage capabilities, monetization support, audience analytics, website integrations, and social sharing abilities. Prices range from host to host and depending on your podcast needs, IE, shared or cloud hosting, etc.
But some are better for podcasts than others; here are the top three in 2020:
Over to you
Now you know what’s needed to start a winning podcast. Take it one step at a time, start with your equipment, choose a topic you’re passionate about, decide on a name, write a description, design your artwork, and get hosted.
Once you’ve completed those six steps, you’ll be ready to plan your schedule, create a script, add some music, and press publish.
The world’s waiting, why are you?
