Simple Podcasting Tips to Get You Started
Some podcasting tips might be useful to you if you are building a business and want to spread the word above and beyond some of the more familiar strategies like blog posts and YouTube videos.
No doubt, podcasting is not for everyone who wants to expand their audience and cultivate potential customers. But the fact is that this communication method is growing quite significantly and has the added advantage of being accessible while driving to work, jogging, walking the dog, taking a shower or weeding the garden.
And consider this: A summation of various data collection agencies like Nielson and Edison Research indicate that as of early 2020 there are more than 850,000 active podcasts generating more than 30 million episodes. And if you have something to sell you should know that business is within the top 5 podcast genres and that these episodes are estimated to add an additional 17% to sales.
Just recently The New York Times of ‘all the news that’s fit to print’ fame purchased the non-fiction podcast Serial not long after they acquired Audm, a company that converts long form journalism into podcasts.
While the number of podcasting fans is growing the competition for businesses to garner their attention is growing as well. It can help if your podcast is free, particularly if your business is relatively unknown and you can consistently provide useful content. And, by the way, a sense of humor can also be a big help.
One the most important podcasting tips is that, no, you don’t need to be an expert in your field, but it will certainly be helpful if you can sound like one. This might require a lot of preparation on your part and, even if you decide to interview an expert, you’ll need to know the right questions to ask. The more professional you sound the more credibility you will have with listeners and the more likely the will be interested in whatever niche you are promoting.
And no, you don’t need have a degree in communications or speak with the mellifluous tones of a DJ. Authenticity can go a long way, and even if you are shy or think people cringe at the sound of your voice you can, for a very modest fee, hire a freelancer.
But, yes, you can earn money with podcasting by directly by acquiring a sponsor or promising to mention a particular brand. And you can earn indirectly by repeating a website address or encouraging visitors to sign up for future podcast of your business email list. But success is quite similar to any other marketing medium: You need to be offering solutions to a problem, offering good advice, recommending a valuable service or just, simply providing entertainment that will keep listeners coming back for more.
Getting Started with Podcasting Tips
- Be clear about what you would like to accomplish with a podcast. Do you want more followers and leads? Maybe being recognized as an influencer in your field is good enough for you or just maybe you’d like to see if an idea you have will gain some traction.
- You might not have many qualms about speaking into a microphone, but babbling on an on about a subject you know little about is not going to be a plus for your business. Be sure you have researched a particular theme thoroughly and is consistent with the focus of your niche. Don’t hesitate to research other podcasts, videos or articles that can help you build an authoritative presentation.
- Think about a format that would work best for you. Would interviewing an expert be the best way to go? You and the expert would both benefit. Tackling various aspects of a particular theme could be useful for a weekly series and could garner repeat visitors. And if you are strapped for new ideas you might consider doing a recap of weekly or daily news in your field.
- Do a review of podcasters that align with your subject matter. See what you like and what you don’t. Are they too passionate or grating? Do they seem more concerned with garnering more revenue than in offering a knowledgeable and instructive presentation? Evaluate various styles and learn from what you like and leave the rest alone, no matter how popular the presenter.
- Developing a winning podcast won’t do you much good if you don’t attract listeners. Promoting your work for both short term and long term engagement is key and is not unlike promoting a blog post or YouTube video. Choose an enticing title for your subject and follow the basic SEO methods of choosing your keywords, etc. Don’t know much about search engine optimization? Check out SEO 2020.
- The length of your podcast should be a consideration. More than an hour is too much, say many experts, while recent statistics indicate that 37 minutes is the average length. As with frequency, length is an individual decision, but editing for noise and excising unhelpful bits should be essential.
Purchasing Equipment for Podcasting Tips
- Yes, it’s possible to create a podcast with just a mobile phone. Still, if you want to create a quality presentation it’s best to look in some of the better tools of the trade.
- Any computer or laptop has a USB port where you can plugin a good microphone. You can look for various reviews and recommendations. But if you want an overview with the addition of various price options check here…
- Audio recording software will play a vital part in creating a quailty podcast. A tool like Audacity is popular and free of charge, as is Apple’s GarageBand, while others like Sound Forge’s Audio Studio and WavePad are reasonably priced.
- Using headphones can help you edit while creating a podcast. Barely detectable noises and becoming glaring intrusions later on if they are not dealt with at the recording stage where adjustments can be made. Some of the most popular headphone for podcasters include Schure (with various price options), the Sony MDRZX110 (9.99) and the Sennheiser HD280PRO Headphone (at $79).
- Other Podcasting equipment can include pop filters, boom arms, phone call audio software and podcasting equipment bundles. For a look at all products and guide books start here…
- Lastly, you can host your podcasts on your own site and set up an RSS feed or you might want or need a site to host your podcasts. Among those recommended are Podbean, Simplecast and Buzzsprout among many others, both free and paid subscriptions.
Assembling these podcasting tips, by the way, are an example you might want to consider for developing a podcast on your own. I am not a podcast expert, but the subject interested me and I did the research.
This post can now, in fact, be turned into a podcast or a YouTube video or a PDF or a slide show, or an email message. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel every time you want to create content.
Good luck and enjoy!
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