Starting a podcast is a fantastic idea! Podcasting really has become such a unique way to disseminate useful information, similar to the role that radio used to play, but more conducive to our busy, modern lives.
Podcasts not only help us connect to many people at once, but the impact of the informative discussions should not be underestimated. With the power to change perspectives and contribute positively to the audience that hears them, here are some steps to get started with your new show.
Before You Launch Your Show
Prior to recording your first episode, you should get some things in order.
Define your show topics
Firstly, your show should revolve around topics which you are passionate about. It is best that you launch a podcast with subjects you can chat about for hours, as these conversations should remain interesting to you throughout your time hosting. If you are curious to speak and constantly learn more about the topics of choice, your listeners will hear your enthusiasm and be more drawn to understand why you find these conversations compelling enough to have started a show.
Additionally, defining your topics of interest will help you clarify your target audience. If your subjects are clearly understood, you will be able to better communicate your intentions.
Set up your recording space
Getting set up with a proper recording space is key, as this will impact the sound quality immensely. Depending on the budget you have available, it will be worth investing in a decent microphone. Hereafter, it is important that you sound-proof the area as best as possible to minimize feedback and external noise that will disturb the listeners’ experience.
Once You’ve Gone Live!
Plan your content carefully
Once the show has launched, try to stay on topic. Planning your discussion points will help you stay focused on your target audience and the subjects at hand. Though it may be difficult at first as you’re finding more clarity in the purpose of your show – which can only truly come with some experience – remain dedicated to your key areas.
It’s crucial that you plan filler content, too, in case a guest isn’t able to make the show or if you’ve run out of natural conversation. These backup content segments can help keep the flow of your show, as well as maintain professionalism by not showing your audience that you’ve run out of content.
Increase audience engagement
Crucial for retaining listeners on a podcast is how you engage them and bring their voices into the show. To this end, you could think about how you can better communicate your authenticity or intentions for your audience. You want to show your listeners that their support makes a difference to you and that you value their participation.
But, how will you actually engage them? Will you be getting audience guests on the show? Can you conduct polls or surveys to get their feedback on interesting discussions? Maintaining audience interest is key, as it will be affected by how involved they are, and how closely they relate to your content.
Behind the Scenes
Remember to edit!
What many people forget about is that sometimes your editing can take longer than content creation. With so many editing programs simplifying their tools, editing is now accessible and available to the beginner podcaster.
Editing is useful for many reasons. Primarily, editing is used to sharpen your content and help your episodes remain concise. If your show has run over time and you’d like to be more succinct with your content, editing can help develop a more engaging show. If your show is too long, listeners are likely to switch off because they don’t have the time to commit to each episode. Alternatively, listeners might turn off the episode if you’ve lost their interest through unnecessary ramblings.
Plan a regular schedule
This may be the most difficult reason beginner podcasts don’t become successful. Planning interesting content can be done in various ways, but they all entail creating a schedule. Despite scheduling sounding rather uncreative and restrictive, it will actually allow you to do the opposite.
Developing a schedule or routine with your podcast functions to help you plan your content creation. Knowing when you will need to be generating new and interesting content will feel like a commitment in the beginning, but it does pay off. During the first few months of being consistent with putting out new content, not only will your skills improve greatly, but you will likely work much faster than if you were moving along at a more relaxed pace with no timeline.
Furthermore, a schedule can help your listeners anticipate your next episodes, getting them excited for their release ahead of time. If you know when you are delivering new episodes, you can much easier develop an organized marketing strategy and co-ordinate your social media pages. Overall, it’s important to enjoy yourself! Have fun in your show and invite listeners to join your conversation.
