While activity on some social platforms has reached a saturation point, podcasting continues to be on the rise. In 2021, there were 850,000 active podcasts, a 20-percent-plus growth over the previous year. Nearly 60 percent of people in the United States listen to podcasts, with 28 percent listening on a weekly basis.
There are podcasts on just about everything, from comedy to fitness and self-help to an ever-increasing range of business topics. In fact, if you’re a business subject matter expert, starting a podcast can enable you to share your knowledge with a wider audience while establishing and growing thought leadership.
Thinking about launching a podcast? Here are seven helpful tips for getting started:
#1. Begin with a plan. Think about your podcast’s theme and intended audience, as well as what you want listeners to learn. Keep these elements top of mind when planning content for each episode or you’ll risk losing focus and listeners. Also, think about your format. Do you plan to be the only one talking, or will you interview guests?
#2. Create a description and cover image. The best way to zero in on what your podcast will be about is by writing a brief, compelling description. You’ll need this anyway, since directories on Spotify, Apple, etc., require them. They’ll also need an image that represents your podcast—such as a photo or graphic with the podcast’s name.
#3. Establish a routine. There’s no rule to how often a podcast must put out a new episode, but it’s important to be consistent to set audience expectations. While many podcasts publish weekly, it’s fine to start out with a lower commitment, like once a month. Your audience is more likely to tune in regularly if they know a new episode drops the first Tuesday of each month, for example.
#4. Have proper equipment and space. There’re lots of choices here, so set a budget and start with the basics—you can always add other equipment later. We recommend first investing in headphones and a good USB microphone. Blue Snowball and Blue Yeti are popular choices (#protip: Always be about the same distance from your mic when recording podcasts for sound consistency). If you plan to use cameras, you’ll also need basic lighting equipment, such as a light ring.
Where you record your podcast is equally important, as you’ll want a noiseless, echo-free space. While you can certainly rent a studio, a quiet home or work office will also do the trick. There are even soundproof rooms inside some libraries that can be used for free.
#5. Make time for editing. You may think all there is to podcasting is speaking, but there’s usually some back-end editing needed to remove “ums” and trips of the tongue. While there’s software for podcast editing, if you don’t want to learn you can always hire a sound editor.
#6. Choose a hosting platform. Do your homework, since there are many choices out there, at different price ranges and with different features and benefits. This article does a good job of comparing the top platforms.
#7. Market your podcast. Podcasts won’t be listened to if no one knows about them, so promote them in as many ways as you can. Use social media to announce new episodes, and put your podcast’s name and where to listen to it on your business card, your email signature, etc.
Podcasting requires time and effort, but it’s an increasingly popular channel for engaging with audiences and building your profile as an expert. If you’re planning to launch your own business-focused podcast, we can help. Our team can assist with multiple elements of podcasting—whether that’s getting you set up, brainstorming episode ideas, booking guests, marketing, or other needs.