The Beginner’s Ultimate Guide to Podcasting

The idea that podcasting has gotten really huge is no longer up for debate. With numerous podcasts to choose from nowadays, you’ve probably asked yourself, “How hard can it be?” While it can seem pretty straightforward at first glance, podcasting actually requires a lot of patience, hard work, and preparation.

If you want to venture into the exciting and dynamic world of podcasting, the following tips can help ensure you get your efforts off to an amazing start:

Plan your content thoroughly

If you want your podcasting process to be simple and effortless, ensure you pencil in time to plan your podcast accordingly. In the planning stage, make sure you have all the key components covered. The following basics should make your list:

• The topics you want to cover (and in what order)
• The number of episodes you want to publish in a month
• Day of the week when you’ll release new episodes

And just like a blog, you need to have a content calendar so you’ll know what you’ll cover each episode. Start by listing down possible topics you want to discuss alongside likely episode titles.

In addition, consider it important to publish your episodes in logical order. Case in point: an episode on choosing a web host should come after an episode tacking WordPress setups.

Invest in a high quality microphone

If you think buying cheap microphone is practical, think again. While you can save a few bucks, you’ll also need to do heavy editing just to compensate for inferior sound quality. If you don’t have enough money yet, consider it best to wait until you can invest in a good one.

Fortunately, finding a microphone that is of superior quality is now just a mouse click away. Do your research before finding the best microphone to invest in and you’ll save yourself from a lot of hassles when the time to edit your audio comes.

Have a professional work on your podcast cover image

Unless you are a graphic designer, having a professional do your podcast cover image is your best option. As a general rule of thumb, opt for a designer whose graphic style matches with your personal brand.

Be crystal clear about the image you want and provide clear instructions so it can be done exactly to your liking. You can also provide an image sketch for good measure. Also, keep in mind that the podcast image will appear as thumbnail image in majority of podcasts streaming services, so ensure the design will stand out even when it’s small.

Prepare an outline

The danger of recording without an outline handy is you might go off-topic and ramble about things no longer related to the topic being discussed. Ideally, akin to a blog post, your podcast should have an introduction, body, and conclusion.

Make no mistake about it though, there is no need for you to write a script that you can read verbatim. Preparing a bullet point list of the things you will discuss during the episode and the order with which they’ll be discussed would suffice.

If you notice you are already going off-track, pause and refer to your outline for guidance. While discussing something else for a few minutes adds more personality and zest to the discussion, your primary goal should be covering the subject matter of the episode as thoroughly as possible.

Don’t hesitate to get personal

The beauty of podcasting is it allows you to connect with your audience on a deeper and more personal level. Podcasts can also be the ideal venue where you can share personal stories and anecdotes related to the topic being discussed.

Don’t shy away from showing your vulnerable side. It will not only make you more relatable, it will also make you more trustworthy. If you’ll give advice on how to carry out a particular task, share how you learned to do the task effectively and how you resolved challenges you encountered along the way.

Have a dedicated podcasting web host

Once your podcast goes live, it can be streamed by thousands of listeners. When it happens, it is crucial that your file host will be able to effectively handle the bandwidth. In line with this, rather than using your website’s server to load the audio files, use a better and more secure podcast hosting service like Blubrry or LibSyn.

Ask your listeners to leave a review and subscribe

You’ll significantly increase your probability of appearing in the “New and Noteworthy” list when you get a lot of good reviews. In line with this, always encourage your readers to subscribe and leave a review (especially if they like the episode or find it beneficial) at the end of each episode.

Be yourself

I’ve saved the best for last. While talking to a mic can seem pretty straightforward, it’s not always the case especially if you’re a neophyte podcaster. Understandably, it’s easy to get all self-conscious when you’re still trying to find your way around.

Laugh, chuckle, and be intense when the need calls for it. If you have an accent, don’t hide it. Just be yourself and enjoy the process of getting your message out there and it won’t be long until you’ll have a throng of dedicated listeners who can’t wait to hear what you have to offer next.

Are you in the process of launching your podcast? What preparations have you done so far? Let us know in the comments below.

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