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10 Steps to Launching a Podcast
Launch a Podcast

10 Steps to Launching a Podcast

by Bruno 29/03/2022
written by Bruno

10 Steps to Launching a Podcast

 

Since you start the show, you may have a lot of questions about what it takes to start a podcast and the details that most people may overlook when putting together a show. After receiving several requests for information, I’ve decided to put my thoughts and experiences on paper for everyone looking for information on how to get started.

Step 1

The first step is often the most obvious. Do you have an idea that should be a podcast? What I mean is this. Is this medium the best place to tell your story? Sometimes, you’ll ask that question and realize it isn’t. Maybe you’re better off with a video series or a short content series on your blog. If you can’t answer that question, then what’s the point? Listeners won’t keep coming back for a show that doesn’t have a consistent message or delivery schedule.

Struggling to figure out the answer? I made sure I had ten guests lined up to appear on the show before I moved on to the next step. Don’t force yourself to scramble. Planning prior to launching will save you tremendous headaches later.

Step 2

Once you’re sure that you’re in the right medium, you need to decide what format you want your show to be. I decided I wanted to tell other’s stories so I built Our Fractured Minds around ongoing interviews with a variety of weekly guests. Your show may be better suited for a round table discussion or even the musings of a single person. Since its your show, you get to decide.

podcast 25 1 Podcast Start Point

Step 3

Face it. You aren’t Beyoncé. Dropping a random podcast whenever you want isn’t likely to have the impact that dropping an album unannounced had for Queen Bey.

You aren’t Beyoncé. Let your listeners plan ahead for your content.

Your listeners want commitment and to know that, if they invest in your show, you’ll be there for them as expected. I publish every Monday and keep myself to a strict 30 minute time limit on episodes, but some podcasts drop every other week or monthly and go from anywhere between five minutes to an 1.5 hours plus. Fair warning though, keeping up with a weekly schedule when you’re the host, producer, editor, web team, social media team, etc, is a lot to keep up with. If I could go back and start over I’d have given myself at least a week between episodes. You’ve been warned.

Step 4

Once I had a plan in place for what I wanted the show to be I worked to come up with a name and a brand. Trust me. This is important for your show. I can’t provide any evidence but my belief is that the podcast brand, mixed with my podcast host, are the reasons I was accepted to iTunes in less than an hour. Remember, there’s often more than one right answer when developing a brand, and the first answer isn’t often the best one.

Step 5

So we’re five steps in and we haven’t even pushed record yet. Unfortunately we’re still several spots away from the actual show. In order to publish a podcast you need to find a host. There are a ton of places around the web where you can do this, but I took the advice of Espree Devora, host of the WeAreLATech Podcast, that she gave me when we met at SXSW in 2017. I highly recommend looking at her take on getting a podcast started, as it’s a lot of what I followed including her recommendations for using SimpleCast as a host.

If you’ve been following along, you’ll know that I credit SimpleCast with partial credit for getting my Podcast off the ground and live on iTunes. It also got me live on Google Play Music and Stitcher ridiculously quickly

I know what you may be asking right now, though. “But, what’s a podcast host?” Essentially it is what its name suggests. It’s a place to host your individual episodes and develop them within an RSS Feed that players can use to publish your content. They also provide code to embed a player onto a website of your choosing. Needless to say, your show can die if you fail this step or choose poorly. So choose wisely.

Step 6

Figure out how you’re going to record your show. What equipment do you need to make it work? That depends on how you plan to record. I made things over complicated for myself when I first got started because I wanted to simplify it for my guests. I used a variety of different software to ultimately allow me to record in two channels (meaning I had a line of recorded audio for myself, and a line of recorded audio for my guest — I hugely recommend this as it incredibly simplifies editing and audio quality in my opinion), and provide the option to use Skype to Skype communication or Skype to Cell (requires a fee). That process went as follows:

Not the easiest set up in the world, right? That’s especially true when you’re an amateur and have other things in life to tend to. Unfortunately, Soundflower no longer works for me so I’ve had to look elsewhere for solutions. Since my setup breakdown my preference has become Zencastr. It provides very simplistic multi channel audio (for a small fee). It’s major drawback is that it doesn’t allow any mobile communication, so, while it’s easy for me, it’s more difficult on my guests. They need to be in front of a laptop or desktop and have either Chrome or Firefox to chat. My backup to Zencastr when mobile is required is Anchor. I just recorded my first episode with it and it was remarkably simple, though I’m still not 100% sold on the audio quality. Still, it’s a solid option if mobile is your only option.

If you use a mobile device you’ll likely only need a headset with two way audio capabilities. For my initial recording, and now through Zencastr, I have a blu Yeti which is an upgraded version of the Snowball Blu that Espree recommended for starters in her blog. It’s a pretty straightforward USB mic that, I believe,  helps provide higher quality audio. The choice, ultimately, is up to you.

Step 7

While winging it is always an option, I like to put  some basic ideas I want to talk about on paper. That way, if I get stuck I can look to it for ideas. With my format, my one sheet includes an opening, a closing, and a variety of questions I can ask. Don’t stick ridgedly to it though. A great interviewer can think on the fly to ask good follow ups when opportunity permits. If you can do this, you can host a great podcast.

podcast 23 1 Podcast Start Point

Step 8

So you have equipment. You know how you’re going to record. You have a topic and a show outline and, potentially, a guest. Guess what? You’re finally ready to record. Hit that red button and go to town!

Step 9

Editing can be a soul sucking endeavor. The best advice I can give to any amateur podcaster is to not think the conversation needs to be perfect. In season one I tried to edit out any time my guest was thinking mid sentence or any uhms or ands.

My best advice? Don’t be like Joey. Leave it in.

You know what it did? It made me spend four to six hours in editing with each episode. This season I’m committed to doing less, and you know what? Leaving in those moments has made the cast better and helped it feel more authentic. Feel free to cut for time. Feel free to cut awkward breaks, or points of confusion. But, for the love of God, don’t invest yourself in making edits and cuts every eight seconds. You’ll burn yourself out like I did.

Step 10

Your Podcast is edited and ready to go. Next, you need to upload it to your host. Since I use Simplecast I’m going to explain the process I use with them.

  • Give your episode a title. Don’t be cutesy with it. I did this early on and it didn’t communication anything to potential listeners.Simplecast walks you through the entire process of preparing your episode for publishing. Just fill in the boxes and you’re ready to go.
  • Choose a publishing date and time. I always publish at 00:01 on Monday morning so there’s time for the show to download for my subscribers before the morning commute.
  • Write a show summary and show description. Give me details on what I’m about to hear and don’t be afraid to go into depth in the description.
  • Build your search words so that your episode can be found via search in a podcast player of choice. Not sure what words to use? Try a tool like Moz to understand what people are searching for on your topic.
  • Upload the episode
  • Press Save

Step 11

If this is your first time publishing an episode I recommend preloading three episodes for release on your first day. This shows commitment to players that you’re going to continue creating content and to listeners that you’re worth investing in. It can help you get published to content providers so it’s an important step to consider when launching your podcast.

And, that’s it. Simple right? I know, i know. Not so simple. But, if you follow these instructions, you may just be able to get a podcast off the ground. It’ll ultimately mean you can define yourself as a podcaster, and, when answering the question of how you define yourself, there are few things cooler than that.

29/03/2022 0 comment
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Two Essentials for Recording a Podcast
Record and Edit the Show

Two Essentials for Recording a Podcast

by Bruno 28/03/2022
written by Bruno

Two Essentials for Recording a Podcast

 

There are two essential items that you need to record a podcast. Of course, it goes without saying that you’re going to need an idea and content for your actual podcast, but below are a couple of basic computer items that you’ll need as you proceed with podcasting.

1. USB Microphone

Whether you have a laptop or desktop computer, PC or a Mac, it’s most likely that your computer already has some type of microphone built into it. If not, at the least, it should have a jack for plugging in an external mic. You should get some type of decent USB microphone and headset combination for podcasting, such as the one you see here on the website. Or, if you’re listening to this, try to picture a basic headset that you would imagine an operator would wear. You can always upgrade to a fancier desktop recording or radio mic, but to start, stick with what’s simple and work your way up, after you get comfortable with the whole podcasting scenario. A simple USB headset mic should cost anywhere between $20 and $60. Go with what’s cheap for starters. There’s no need to break the bank right up front.

2. Recording Software

The list is long when it comes to recording software for making a podcast. I could mention several here. The point though is that you really should get some kind of recording software to help you with your podcasting. Below are four that I’ve used, any of which should work fine for the purposes of recording your own podcast.

  • Audacity – This is a free, downloadable software that you can use to record a podcast. It seems to be the free software of choice for many, although I personally don’t prefer it for doing my podcasts. However, if you’re looking for a free software that will give you the minimum options that you need to record and edit, you should definitely check it out. You can read more about it here.
  • Audio Acrobat – This is an online service that I currently use, not so much for recording podcasts, but for their other unique audio services. Audio Acrobat offers an easy interface where you can record your podcasts or audios using nothing more than a USB microphone or even a cell phone if you prefer. The biggest disadvantage with using Audio Acrobat for recording a podcast is that you have no editing capabilities. What you record through their service is what you get. I personally love Audio Acrobat and have used them for almost 4 years now. To me, the strength of Audio Acrobat is more in their publishing and audio encoding capacity rather than their audio recording. The best way to use Audio Acrobat is to upload a pre-recorded, edited mp3 or video and use their interface for publishing or broadcasting your media. Again though, if you’re looking for a simple, clean cut way to record your voice for a podcast, you should definitely check out their free 30 day trial.

podcast 21 1 Podcast Start Point

  • Mixcraft, by Acoustica – If you’ve read my “Wizard’s Guide to Podcasting,” you already know that I highly recommend Mixcraft for recording and editing podcasts. In fact, I highly recommend Mixcraft for any kind of recording, whether it be recording vocals, music or instruments. It may seem to some that using Mixcraft for podcasting is overkill, but I beg to differ. The power, versatility and creativity that you have with Mixcraft for the price, is so worth it. Don’t let anyone convince you differently until you try it out for yourself. This is why I go into great detail explaining how to use it in my podcasting guide. You can read all about the software and even try it out free for 15 days by going to the Mixcraft page on my website. For the one-time $65 price, you can’t beat the incredible, creative sound loops, effects and versatility that you get with Mixcraft. I use it to record my podcasts, and even use it to record my music albums (since I’m also a singer, performer and musician).
  • Voice Memos for iPhone or iPod Touch – This is a handy, easy application that comes preloaded on the iPhone and the iPod Touch. If you’re looking to do a simple voice recording or narration with your Apple gadget, this is quick, easy and simple to use to record a short podcast. Again, it’s not necessarily my recommendation to do so, but it’s one quick way to get the voice recording aspect of podcasting done. The nice thing about it is that you can do it anywhere, on the go. There are also some other pretty nifty applications for the iPhone and iPod available through iTunes, as well, that can be used for recording your voice.

You’ll hear me say over and over again that these are not the only software options that you’ll find for recording your podcasts. There could be even better ones out there that I’m not aware of. But, these are options that I’ve used and I know that they work well, especially Mixcraft. When you find something that works well, you tend to stick with it. This is the case with podcasting for me. As always though, I’ll continue to test and try other ways to do recording.

Please feel free to comment on this article. I’d also love to know what methods you use (or planning to use) to record your audios and podcasts.

28/03/2022 0 comment
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About Podcast

Everything You Need to Know About Podcasts

by Bruno 27/03/2022
written by Bruno

Everything You Need to Know About Podcasts

 

The seeds of podcasts were sown in India by radio talk shows, and how much people loved them. The only problem was that you had to catch them while they were live and there was no way to listen to them in your own time.

Podcasting in India began around 2005 with Apple updating iTunes to support podcasts (fun fact: podcast comes from the words iPod and Broadcast), and the creation of Indicast which started off as a single current affairs news show and has now grown into a network of 5 podcast shows available for streaming on major podcast directories.

A major boom happened in 2015 when the Indian market came to the notice of Audioboom, a UK-based company that hosts, distributes and helps monetise podcasts. Since opening its India office in 2016, Audioboom has worked with over 70 podcasters and its average monthly listens have jumped to 15 lakhs from under 2 lakhs in 2016.

India’s huge demand for podcasts

Youtube pioneered the video streaming boom in India, which further took off because of the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hotstar. At the heels of India’s video streaming boom lies another phenomenon that’s gathering steam: podcasts.

India is a country with a massive youth population. Even bigger than that is the time that a aforementioned population spends on commuting to school, college, or work. 98% off the apps currently compete for our screen time and podcasts can fill the gap when we don’t want to actively look at our phones.

Podcasts also bring fresh content to us which wouldn’t be possible on any other platforms. No topic is taboo for a podcast, people share their personal experiences without a filter and that resonates with the listener.

Reasons why you should listen to podcasts:

Listening to podcasts is a very personal experience, and everyone has their own reasons for doing so. Here are some compelling reasons why you should be listening to podcasts are (if you aren’t already):

  • They help you stay educated and informed, even if you don’t have the time or patience to read.
  • They help you become a better listener, since you listen for the joy of listening and not listening for the sake of answering.
  • They’re good entertainment.
  • They help you cut down on screen time.
  • They stimulate your brain and inspire you.
  • They help with anxiety.
  • They help you learn unique topics directly from the experts.

Even Indira Nooyi asked PepsiCo employees to listen to more podcasts in her parting note. Do you really need any more reasons to be convinced?

Everything You Need to Know About Podcasts

How to listen to a Podcast?

Now that you are convinced listening to podcasts is a good idea, let’s take you through how to listen to podcasts:

Step 1: Own a phone. This is totally optional though, you can listen to podcasts on your laptop, tablet, iPod, Amazon Echo, Google Home, anything.

Step 2: Go to a podcast streaming app, you can find a list of recommended apps further in this blog.

Step 3: Search for the podcast of your choice. We’ve mentioned some recommendations ahead.

Step 4: You can go to the ‘Browse’ or ‘Discover’ button on podcast apps to peruse all the shows you might find interesting. You can search by

Category: eg. comedy, business, news, education, science, dating, murder, nail polish

Person: eg. Conan O’Brien, Anna Faris, RuPaul, Snoop Dogg, Russell Brand, your grandma, your tailor, etc

Provider: eg. BBC, NPR, Gimlet, Maed in India, IVM etc

Step 5: This is the fun part. Connect your earphones/speakers/aux and enjoy the show.

TIP: You can listen while you’re driving, exercising, cooking, cleaning, pooping, knitting, pretending to work, etc.

Best platforms to stream podcasts:

  • Apple podcasts
  • Spotify
  • Podcast Addict
  • Google podcasts
  • Hubhopper
  • Castbox

Which Indian podcasts to stream?

With the number of podcast listeners rising in India, the number of Indian podcasters is also rising. They cover a plethora or topics like tech, travel, current affairs, health and sexuality, pop culture, etc. The list is endless.

Here are the best Indian podcasts to stream in 2020:

Maed in India: The show is India’s first indie music podcast that showcases the best Indian independent musicians from India. Each episode brings you an artist/band along with an exclusive stripped down session of their original music.

My Indian Life: Life for young Indian adults in the 21st Century explored by Bollywood actor Kalki Koechlin. Real stories from India – sometimes raw, often uplifting.

The Musafir Stories: The Musafir Stories is an audio podcast about various Indian travel destinations and about exploring this melting pot of diverse heritage, culture and religion and share the rich experiences of travelling in India. It is hosted by an Indian couple based out of Toronto – Saif Omar and Faiza Khan.

The Passion People Podcast: Passionate people, deep conversations. Thoughts on how to deal with listening to your heart and some examples to guide us forward. The Passion People Podcast is a series of impromptu conversations about following a passion, making it manifest and what all comes with it.

Cyrus Says: Hosted by the inimitable Cyrus Broacha, Cyrus Says is the definitive show on life in urban India, politics, sports, civic sense, traffic, kids, food, and everything that matters. Mostly.

No Sugar Coat: Hosted by pastry chef and owner of Le15 Patisserie Pooja Dhingra, this show is a no-holds-bar conversation that brings to light the stories behind restaurant walls and kitchen doors.

podcast 20 1 Podcast Start Point

Thinking of creating your own podcast? Here’s what you need to know:

give a man a fish & he’ll eat for a day but teach a man how to do a podcast & he’ll never stop asking you if you’ve listened to it yet

— Aparna Nancherla (@aparnapkin) September 30, 2015

In conversation with podcaster (Unengineered and What’s the point) Atique Kudchi and avid podcast listeners from twitter we’ve discussed what makes a podcast good, and what new podcasters need to know before starting.

You don’t need to be a technical person to start your very own podcast. You just need to be internally committed to podcasting as it will take some time and effort to grow your base of listeners. Many podcasters start out enthusiastically but fade eventually when they don’t see immediate results, a phenomena also known as podfade.

The key to podcasting is to:

  • Listen to podcasts yourself
  • Identify a topic you are passionate about, a topic which you can research and speak about naturally and endlessly.
  • Brand your podcast, by picking a name and selecting creatives. This is how you will interact with your audience even before they listen to your podcast.
  • Plan your content, this will give you get a clear idea about where your podcast is heading, and help you not lose track and motivation midway.
  • Get personal: podcast listeners love listening to podcasts because they are personal and allow the audience to connect with the host. As one listener mentioned, listening to a good podcast is like having a good conversation where you don’t have to constantly worry about replying or leading the conversation.
  • Learn simple audio editing, this will make your podcast sound more neat and professional.
  • Promote your podcast. Most podcasts start off as personal projects, unless they are a part of a podcasting network. It is very important to promote your podcasts and make sure it is available on the right platforms to reach the desired audience.
  • Post quality content. The mantra “content is king” is valid for podcasts too. Keep your audience engaged. The moment they start feeling like your podcast is too long, you’ve lost their attention.
27/03/2022 0 comment
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Podcast Tips

Podcast Interview Tips

by Bruno 19/03/2022
written by Bruno

Podcast Interview Tips

 

It can be hard to find great podcasts mixed in with the huge number of podcasts coming and going on your favorite podcast host. It’s hard to find quality and useful information buried in the myriad of podcasting sameness. The sheer amount of podcasts sprouting up lately will I’m sure lead many to think a huge amount of useful stories and interviews are being shared, sadly you’d be wrong.

Like the billions of blogs choking the internet in their drabness, and their vanilla presentations birthed out of staid thinking. The recent rush over the last couple of years to create podcasts has become epidemic in it’s blandness. Does anyone have an idea of doing something original? Are we condemned to scroll through thousands of podcasts titled Things You’ve Missed?

One explanation I often hear is that people are creating their podcasts for themselves and not for their listeners and customers. That explanation certainly holds some weight, but I think it’s more about the dreaded FOMO (fear of missing out) fueling the growth of podcasts and blogs that are filled with sameness and a lack of uniqueness. Following the crowd is a powerful magnet, and a magnet that destroys the creative spirit.

And audio quality seems to be a victim of the need to produce a new show every week, day or hour. Are low level background conversations being embedded in many podcasts meant to simulate a live coffee shop experience?

A Few Podcast Interview Tips

Are you offering your listeners and those you hope will listen more than the carbon copies of your competitors info and stories? Or are you merely filling up space with cross talk interviews that waste your listeners time? And believe me, your listeners know when their time is being needlessly wasted.

Unfortunately for the listeners many podcasters seem to cobble together their shows on the fly without a minimum of forethought. And even though there is much to be said for creative spontaneity and the recklessness of creating a show in the moment. Your listeners “do not” want to listen for 30+ minutes of rambling incoherence in hopes that they’ll get to the marrow of the show at some point?

Podcast Interview Tips

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Structure Your Podcast Interview

There are many podcast interview tips floating around to help you create an appealing structure that engages your listeners and leaves them satisfied.

I think the most important tip is perhaps this one, don’t chase away your listeners. You’ll often hear a podcaster talk for 5 or even 10 minutes at the beginning of there show about little or nothing connected with the particular show. They may ramble on about past shows, future shows or what they had for dinner (seriously).

What if you create a podcast strictly for your listeners pleasure, for their enjoyment?

What if you craft your interviews so your valuable listeners can walk away having experienced something unique and informative?

What if you structure your show so the first 5 minutes of the interview hits the following three points?

Ask your guest

Question 1

Tell Us About (The Topic) One Minute

Question 2

Help People Understand ( The Topic) One Minute

Improvise The Middle

You’ve listened to your guest talk for two minutes while answering the first two questions. Now ask your guest 2 on point questions relevant to what you’ve just heard. Two Minutes

Question 3

Share Tools Listeners Can Use One Minute

podcast 5 1 Podcast Start Point

The Result

The listener spends 5 minutes listening to you interviewing your guest in a structured way and comes away with a brief yet surprisingly deep understanding of what your guest has to say.

A 5 minute structured interview can be about time travel, a new book, a tour of a haunted castle, new ideas in fashion or even tips on understanding an existential crisis. There really is no subject that can’t be satisfyingly explained in a five minute interview.

Once you’ve completed the 5 minute interview you can air an advertisement or chat briefly about your upcoming shows all the while letting your listeners know you and your guest will be continuing a deeper look at the interview subject.

You’ve delivered a concise chunk of info for you listeners to chew on and for those who care to know more you’ll dive deeper, but for those who have things to do or have gotten enough from your podcast they can follow you and move on.

It may shock some but most people will move on, though perhaps a good number will return to dig deep at another time. People want to choose how and when they consume media. Give them the opportunity to share with you the highlights of a subject and chances are they’ll reward you with more listens and sharing.

When a listener is scrolling through your podcast listings on their phone or tablet they will quickly come to know they can join your for a deep dive into a subject in only 5 minutes. Think about that for a moment.

A listener can almost always find five minutes to find out if they want to stick with a particular podcast.

It’s All About The Listeners

Without being abrupt or harsh, remember to stay in control of the interview. Often the person being interviewed will try and move off on a tangent or personal crusade, steer them back on track with grace and purpose.

Always keep in mind, you’ve created the podcast for your listeners and not for the guests or for yourself.

Caution guests about making the interview an advertisement for their new book or video. Let them know there will be links and more info on the podcast website for promotion.

Honestly, listeners are tired of interviews that really are only advertisements. If the interview offers uniqueness the listeners will visit the links.

19/03/2022 0 comment
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Monetizing A Podcast
Podcast Tips

11 Ways Podcasts Can Help You Grow Your Business

by Bruno 17/03/2022
written by Bruno

Dear future/ up and coming podcasters, the podcasting platform is becoming more popular with every passing day, which is making many business owners and entrepreneurs question whether or not they should start a podcast as well. Could it be true?

How can podcasts help business owners grow their business?

There are many reasons why business owners should start a podcast. Here are eleven different ways of how podcasts can benefit them:

  1. Audio seems to be Google’s next favorite content format
  2. Podcasts are currently trendy
  3. Podcasts are less competitive than YouTube
  4. It is a content format that is easier to stay consistent with
  5. Podcasts help you spread brand awareness
  6. Having a podcast helps you build authority
  7. It aids in building and nurturing a good relationship with your audience
  8. Podcasts tend to have a high convertibility rate
  9. Podcasts help you improve your communication skills
  10. Podcasting creates great networking opportunities
  11. Podcasting allows you to have an extra stream of income

If you are interested in learning more about the eleven different ways and reasons why business owners should start creating and running podcasts, then stick around till the end of this blog post.

11 Ways Podcasts Can Help You Grow Your Business

Table of Contents

  • How can podcasts help business owners grow their business?
    • Reason number one: Audio seems to be Google’s next favorite content format
    • Reason number two: Podcasts are currently trendy
    • Reason number three: Podcasts are less competitive than YouTube
    • Reason number four: It is a content format that is easier to stay consistent with
    • Reason number five: Podcasts help you spread brand awareness
    • Reason number six: Having a podcast helps you build authority
    • Reason number seven: It aids in building and nurturing a good relationship with your audience
    • Reason number eight: Podcasts tend to have a high convertibility rate
    • Reason number nine: Podcasts help you improve your communication skills
    • Reason number ten: Podcasting creates great networking opportunities
    • Reason number 11: Podcasting allows you to have an extra stream of income
  • Other questions related to 11 Ways Podcasts Can Help You Grow Your Business
    • How to Grow Your Podcast Audience?
    • Which platform should I start with, Podcasts or YouTube?
    • How to make your podcast unique?
    • How to Start A Podcast for Free: A Step-by-Step Guide
  • My Sources

How can podcasts help business owners grow their business?

Digital marketing is currently one of the most important reasons why many businesses are thriving. YouTube, blogging, or having a social media account are all great tools that business owners can use to grow their businesses.

However, the popularity of podcasting has been rising for a while, and there are a lot of good reasons why this is the case. These reasons are the following:

  1. Audio seems to be Google’s next favorite content format
  2. Podcasts are currently trendy
  3. It is better to start a podcast rather than a YouTube channel
  4. It is a content format that is easier to stay consistent with
  5. Podcasts help you spread brand awareness
  6. Having a podcast helps you build authority
  7. It aids in building and nurturing a good relationship with your audience
  8. Podcasts tend to have a high convertibility rate
  9. Podcasts help you improve your communication skills
  10. Podcasting creates great networking opportunities
  11. Podcasting allows you to have an extra stream of income

Without any further ado, let us dive into each of these reasons and explain why podcasting can play a crucial role in making your business bloom and flourish!

Reason number one: Audio seems to be Google’s next favorite content format

Gary Vaynerchuk, who is a Belarusian American entrepreneur, believes that this is the case! In fact, he has been so vocal about the importance and the future of audio content since 2017. With all of the changes that Google has been doing, Gary was one hundred percent correct!

Okay, but what are these changes that I am talking about. Well, here what the people at Google have stated recently:

“As part of our work to help podcasters build audiences and grow their businesses, we’ll soon add the ability for publishers to specify where you can listen to their podcasts, such as other apps or websites. This means you’ll be able to discover podcasts that may be exclusively available by purchase or subscription.” – Blog.google

Google is doing that through Google Podcasts, which have mentioned that they will be updating Google Assistant to enable them to search for and play podcasts for people who own and use these devices.

What’s mindblowing is how Gary Vee was able to kind of predict this. By the way, if you are an entrepreneur and you are running your own business, then you should subscribe to Gary Vee’s YouTube channel and podcast because he gives fantastic tips that every business owner is going to cherish

Gary Vee noticed how smart speakers were becoming accessible and how reliant people were growing to be on Siri and Alexa and came to the conclusion that audio content is going to be the next big thing in the near future. He is brilliant!

Reason number two: Podcasts are currently trendy

Okay, enough talking about Gary’s predictions and Google’s current plans, and let us talk about how trendy podcasting is these days.

More people are getting into audio content because it is honestly very convenient. Podcasts allow you to consume content, whether it is educational or entertaining, more conveniently. Yup, you have heard that right. Podcasts are actually easy to consume.

How?

Since podcasts are basically audio content, people can listen to them practically anywhere while doing anything.

Are you walking your dog? You can listen to a podcast while doing that. Are you working out at the gym? You can listen to a podcast while doing that. Are you going on a hike, taking a shower, cooking, literally anything? You can listen to a podcast while doing all of that.

People can not do these things while watching a YouTube video or while reading a blog post, which makes it more convenient for people to listen to podcasts rather than getting information by watching a YouTube video or by reading an article.

There is no denying that many people love to multitask, while others believe that this is unproductive.

However, listening to a podcast while doing something that does not require much focus-based attention, like running or walking a dog, is actually one of the few good multitasking combos to do. A bad combo would be studying for an exam while listening to a podcast.

With people being more interested in acquiring more knowledge these days, or those who are seeking something that is an alternative to listening to music and audiobooks, as well as what I have just mentioned in the last few paragraphs, there is no surprise that podcasts are trendy these days.

Reason number three: Podcasts are less competitive than YouTube

There’s no denying that both platforms are great for business, but each one of them has its own pros and cons. One important advantage of running a podcast rather than a YouTube channel is that it is less competitive.

If we are talking about competition, then we all know that this exists on both platforms. YouTube is considered to be a more competitive platform than podcasting platforms because YouTube has more users, aka, content creators than what podcasting platforms have.

You see, YouTube has over half a billion channels, while podcasting platforms have around six hundred and fifty thousand content creators. This means that you will have less competition for your niche on podcasting platforms than on YouTube.

Monetizing A Podcast

Reason number four: It is a content format that is easier to stay consistent with

Creating a podcast and staying consistent is kind of a little bit easier if we compare it to creating a YouTube channel and staying consistent with it because you are going to use fewer skills and less equipment; thus, you are not going to spend as much time creating them.

Why?

For example, you do not have to worry about setting up light equipment and editing videos. You do not have to get ready to film a podcast, and the list goes on. Thus, you are going to spend less time working on every new episode that you would if you were filming and editing videos.

If you need help with choosing some pieces of equipment for your podcast, then feel free to check out my recommendations for podcasting equipment.

If you want to read more about pro’s of podcasting over YouTubing, then check out my Podcasts vs. Youtube: What’s the Difference blog post.

Podcasts vs. YouTube: What’s the difference?

Reason number five: Podcasts help you spread brand awareness

I am not going to talk about how podcasts can help you spread brand awareness. Instead, I am going to tell you about a real situation that happened to me.

If you are not new to this website, then you know that Happier with Gretchin Rubin is one of my favorite podcasts ever. Although Gretchin always mentions that she is a writer at the beginning of every show, I never really searched for her books until I was hooked on the show.

She has mentioned her book a few times, but I have never really considered checking it out until I noticed how the podcast was actually doing what it claimed it would do, which is making my day a little happier thanks to the bite-sized advice that actually boosted my productivity and happiness.

When that happened, I was hooked. I wanted to learn more because it was evident that Gretchen turned out to be who she had always said to be” a writer who studies happiness”.

Through her podcast, she established her authority in that area because it was evident that she knew what she is talking about. First and foremost, she is a writer first and podcaster second. This means that I got introduced and interested enough to purchase her book because I loved her podcast.

Let us be honest, if Gretchin did not start the Happiness Project, I would not have ever discovered her or her work and became invested enough in learning about what she has to say to actually want to purchase her book.

I love buying books, but when it comes to purchasing non-fictional and self-help books, I become very picky.

So there it is, podcasting is such a powerful marketing tool that businesses are finally beginning to acknowledge and use, so why not you use it as well to grow your business.

Reason number six: Having a podcast helps you build authority

Following up on what I have just said about my introduction to Gretchen Rubin’s podcast, and thus her books, we can conclude the Gretchen managed to build authority when it comes to talking about things that could boost your productivity, and therefore make you happier.

That was not because I saw her book on the shelf on a bookstore, decided to purchase it, then actually read it.

Nope! It was because I tuned in every weekend mornings ( there were a lot of uploaded episodes when I discovered this podcast) and listened to the podcast while I was preparing and eating my breakfast.

Because I was listening to her show two to three times every week and because she was actually giving me good advice, a trust was formed.

This means that whenever Gretchen Rubin comes up with a product, whether it is a course or a book, I am actually confident that what she is offering me in exchange for money ( cause she already gives good advice for free) is indeed worth it.

And that is why Gretchen is very authoritative when it comes to productivity and happiness!

podcast 16 1 Podcast Start Point

Reason number seven: It aids in building and nurturing a good relationship with your audience

Because Gretchen has established such a positive brand authority, and she is always engaging her audience by making a small segment of many episodes feature a question from the audience, she is always building and nurturing a good relationship with us, the audience.

This is a smart move on her side because once she has established good brand authority and she has built and nurtured a good relationship with her audience, her business is going to skyrocket.

Why?

Because all of that is going to boost her convertibility rate, of course. Let us talk about this in more detail in reason number eight.

Reason number eight: Podcasts tend to have a high convertibility rate

Because Gretchin Rubin has established brand authority and she has built and nurtured a good relationship with her audience, she has a higher convertibility rate when it comes to either selling her own books and products or via sponsorships.

This means that she is earning a higher income than what she would have earned if she had only stuck to just writing books and promoting them on social platforms like Twitter and Instagram.

The thing about podcasting is that it gives you more time to establish your authority; thus, you become more influential when it comes to convincing people to purchase your services or other services that are sponsoring your free content.

Reason number nine: Podcasts help you improve your communication skills

If you struggle with stuttering or you always use filler words when you have a conversation with someone or when you are leading a meeting, the best way for you to beat all of that is by practicing.

So if you have a podcast and you upload new episodes regularly, you will slowly but surely improve your communication and verbal skills.

Since you are either explaining new information or persuading your listeners to take any action on something in your episodes, you will begin to notice that your communications skills are beginning to improve in real life as well.

Reason number ten: Podcasting creates great networking opportunities

A great way of growing as a podcaster, which then allows your podcast itself to grow, is to network with other podcasters.

The more you see your fellow podcasters as peers, mentors, or friends and not just a golden ticket to get more podcast listens and downloads, the more you are going to grow and develop as a person and as a podcaster.

Think of networking as building friendships and connections. It does not necessarily mean that you have to be a guest on someone else’s post, though this could work as well.

You can simply build a relationship with other podcasters where you can help each other out in ways that the audience does not see, then later on work on certain projects together or become a guest and make another podcaster a guest on your show.

If you are interested in learning more about inviting someone to be a guest on your podcast, then I highly recommend that you check out my Do Podcast Guests Get Paid blog post.

I also discuss the power of networking in that post, so make sure that you read it if you are interested in learning more about it.

From my own experience, networking is such an important thing to do to build strong and reliable relationships with people whom you appreciate their content and work ethic.

It also tends to be more valuable when you focus on building genuine relationships, rather than just collaborating to gain a few more subscribers.

Reason number 11: Podcasting allows you to have an extra stream of income

Podcasting is not just a marketing tool that is going to drive more sales to your business because podcasts themselves, like we have previously mentioned, are monetizable.

Podcasts are monetized via sponsorships, and there some podcasters who make what is equivalent to a full-time job salary.

If you are interested in learning more about how you can get sponsorships for your podcast, then check out my How Do Podcasts Make Money blog post.

podcast 17 1 Podcast Start Point

Other questions related to 11 Ways Podcasts Can Help You Grow Your Business

How to Grow Your Podcast Audience?

Podcasters are capable of growing their audiences in many different ways. Six of these methods are the following:

  1. By Appealing to their Audience
  2. By Asking their listeners to rate their podcasts and leave honest reviews
  3. By Improving the quality of their podcasts
  4. By Using Pat Flynn’s Ninja podcast marketing strategy
  5. By networking with other podcasters
  6. By utilizing the features that their podcast hosting site provides them with

If you are interested in learning more about these methods that are capable of helping you grow your podcast audience, then make sure that you check out my How to Grow Your Podcast Audience blog post.

Which platform should I start with, Podcasts or YouTube?

The answer to this depends on the reasons why you want to have and run content one of these platforms. If you are looking for something that is more convenient when it comes to staying consistent and you don’t have much time to spend on editing, then you should start and run a podcast. Of course, I a bit biased since this is a podcasting blog! 😀

If you want to learn more about why I believe you should start a podcast over starting a YouTube channel, then feel free to take a peek of my Podcasts Vs. YouTube: Which Platform to Start With blog post.

How to make your podcast unique?

The top four factors that you should focus on in order to make your podcast unique include the following:

  1. Having a good production quality
  2. Picking and sticking to a niche
  3. Having an effective podcast format that fits your show
  4. Your personality

To learn more about how you can make your podcast unique, check out my How to make your podcast unique blog post.

How to Start A Podcast for Free: A Step-by-Step Guide

There is a free podcasting app called Anchor FM that you can use to start your podcast for free. The Anchor app allows you to record, edit, and host your podcast for zero dollars. If you are not interested in using the Anchor app, then you can use Audacity to record your podcast for free and use PodBean’s free podcast hosting platform subscription.

In my How to Start A Podcast for Free: A Step-by-Step Guide blog post, I take you the process of starting a new podcast for free step by step. So if that is something that you are interested in, then make sure that bookmark and read this blog post.

That’s it for today’s post. You should now be aware of eleven different reasons, and ways podcasting is going to help you grow your business. To sum it up, the eleven reasons and ways that we have discussed today that are going to help you grow your business include the following:

  1. Audio seems to be Google’s next favorite content format
  2. Podcasts are currently trendy
  3. It is better to start a podcast rather than a YouTube channel
  4. It is a content format that is easier to stay consistent with
  5. Podcasts help you spread brand awareness
  6. Having a podcast helps you build authority
  7. It aids in building and nurturing a good relationship with your audience
  8. Podcasts tend to have a high convertibility rate
  9. Podcasts help you improve your communication skills
  10. Podcasting creates great networking opportunities
  11. Podcasting allows you to have an extra stream of income

My Sources

  • 9 Ways Podcasting Can Help Your Business Grow
  • 10 Benefits of Podcasting for Businesses
  • Starting a Podcast: 10 Reasons Why Your Business Needs a Voice!
  • 6 Reasons Why Your Business Should Use Podcasting
  • 5 Ways Podcasting Can Help Your Business Grow

Hope this was interesting for you!

17/03/2022 0 comment
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Podcast Ideas for Your Podcast
Plan Podcast Episodes

Best 23 Topic Ideas for Your Podcast

by Bruno 13/03/2022
written by Bruno

Best 23 Topic Ideas for Your Podcast

 

So it is great to have a podcast, but how do you choose a topic? On which you can talk on and people are interested in listening too. Best podcast ideas are usually the one’s that follow our “questions to ask before you choose a podcast topic”, which is given below.

Podcasting is a fever that is catching on pretty rapidly with people of every age. The mass population is becoming quite busy, and to even get information is a hassle to read.

That is where podcasts and audio books slide in. Every person on his way to commute or school could easily listen to any audio and gain valuable information or have a bit of entertainment

Five Things To Think On When Deciding A Topic For Your Podcast What Is

1. Who is your audience?

2. What’s your personal interest?

3. What’s your Specialty?

4. Can it be monetized?

5. Is It Entertaining?

Now, that you know what your podcast topic must comprise of, the difficult part is actually cooking up a podcast idea. You cannot have the same thing someone else is. Even if you are doing a similar podcast you must stand out

Here are some 23 odd topics you can make your podcast on.

1. Your Favorite Topic / Topic You Are Interested In

Everyone has certain topics that they are interested in and hence easier to talk about. Since you are interested the amount of time spent in research is generally low. since it is good to talk about with people what they love or what you love. this topic is great for beginners and could be you best idea for podcasts.

2. Your Failures And Trials, could be your best podcast ideas

Everyone fails at something or has tried and failed. People who are interested in these particular topics want someone to be their guide and show them the ropes.

As many say ‘failures teach people a lot of things’ and it’s better to know where not to step.

3. Locality News (Something That Is Not Covered By Major Media Outlets)

A lot of news around your locality often gets skipped by news sources. But the cherry on top is that a lot of people like to know what’s happening hyper locally. Since a lot of people work long hours and are unable to catch up to what’s going on around.

podcast 8 1 Podcast Start Point

4. Celebrity Gossip, Rumours

Yes, I know a lot of major outlets cover celebrity news and articles, but still there are a lot of small-time celebrities that are not covered and still big enough for people to care about them. We’ll gossip is something that is always better from somebody else’s perspective, so let loose your imagination.

5. Job (Internship) Experiences

Bosses aren’t the kindest or gentlest of people when it comes to thrashing or shouting on people. And since a lot of people are frustrated about their work bosses it gives them a motive to engage in your podcast and give you better reviews. Everyone loves a good rant and even more so when they can relate to your ranting

6. Hypothetical Ideas / Thoughts

Basically, what if? Ideas / thoughts. Anything that is imaginable can be covered under an hypothetical idea . It gives you the option to talk about absolutely anything. For example, what if world war 1 never happened, what if America never became independent?  What if Katy Perry was not as talented as she is? Anything!

7. Dear Ava (Advice Column)

We owe it to our upcoming generations to impart our knowledge to them, dear ava is an advice column for the people younger in age or experience, since a lot of people face difficulties doing various things it is a great idea for podcasting since information keeps bringing people back to your podcast.

8. Narrate Yourself Doing Things

We all have the innate feeling of knowing what’s going around us or what’s going on in somebody else life, as a podcaster you can engage your audience by using their curiosity to know what’s going on keeping them stuck to their chairs trying to figure out what it is you are doing, chilling and listening to what you explain. Note: You have to be quite innovative and accurate in letting them know what you are doing to make them stick longer also having social media following could be good, let them sump for you.

9. Quote of the day (Also Explain And Expand Upon)

There are over 10000 different quotes of the day that you can tell people, inspiring them and giving them a short lesson. explaining what your quote means would be pretty good of a point to make since most people struggle understanding complex philosophies hence giving them a reason beyond the short motivation to stick around.

10. Look Back At A Past Event Or Life Experiences

We all have moments in our lives that were significant , and made us who we are or maybe just a moment that was ecstatic or down right stupid and gave you life lesson or laughs to cherish, or maybe a heartbreak that motivated you and you thin would a good story with even a better moral for the listeners.

11. Podcasting For Certain Events

We all have attended high school events, parties or ball games. What do all of these events have in common? High volume of chaos and gossip info, and for people listening could be a way to know the score or listen to fights between friends and have a good time. It could even be a marriage and hence giving people who could not attend the wedding a chance to be part of the celebration.

12. Interview Taxi Drivers

Taxi drivers literally roam the whole city and watch things go down that we may never even imagine, making their stories unique and worthy of being shared to people and since you are helping a community of people come in light in front of hundreds of listeners it creates awareness about their lives and makes listeners appreciate them and in turn you for covering their stories.

13.Read Books And Try To Guess The Ending Or Next Events In The Particular Book

We all love a good game of guess, it is highly engaging and since it gives people a reason to keep coming back to know if they or you were wrong about the book. Not to mention the amount of people reading these days is rapidly going down so a good book may just be worth it for a lot of listeners as it may replace kindle books and also give them a community to interact.

14. Take A Walk And Explain People What You See Around, Best Podcast Ideas For The Travelers

Twitch is booming with IRL streamers even today, and the same can be done with podcasting platforms. Just walk around and let people know where you are taking a walk, telling them the details around certain things you love around the area or if you have any memories adjoined with the location you are in.

15. Describing Objects / People / Brands For People To Guess

This is quite similar to the above topic but the difference is you are playing an interactive game of guess with the listeners. It is also a great thing for people who due to medical or any other reason cannot leave their apartments and makes them appreciate what you do even more.

16. Bringing In The Team From A Particular Brand

Most brands these days have a story behind them that is not only inspiring but also of their hard work and the risks they took to be at the position they are at today, and the team working behind a brand is not often appreciated making it a perfect reason for listeners to listen to your podcast, not to mention brands mean lucrative brand deals.

podcast 7 1 Podcast Start Point

17. Ghost Stories

We are all just scared little chickens trying to brave life as it comes but spooky stories send chills down our spines, since a lot of people love to be scared this is a great thing to podcast about. There is just something about abnormalities and mysteries that makes us keep listening.

18. Comedy Podcast is the best podcast ideas ever

You could literally podcast stand up comedy sessions between some of your friends and create a hilarious session for people to engage in. Well it is not necessary to be a stand up comedian, on the other hand if you can make people laugh even by doing dumb things this format could work for you.

19. Telling Alternate Ending For Popular Stories

Most stories have a definitive end and that makes it good, but since they have been the same for a long time people like to think about what if a particular character did something to change the course of the story leading to alternate ending. And if you crunch your brain for some epic alternate ending it could make it quite entertaining for people to listen.

20. Interview General Population

Everyone of us has story no matter how boring or how stupid. And since all of us love to make our stories heard and people love to listen to stories since the perspective changes every human to human. And since you interview anyone people could sought out your podcast to give their stories a medium a platform to be heard, which could totally become your best podcast ideas.

21. Technology

Technology is quite a big sector and a lot of people have engaged themselves already in the ins and outs of the tech world but that makes it much more effective if you can give information that even the very top news channel cannot, making your content unique. There are a lot of things major headliners miss out on that you could cover.

22. Blind Topic Talks

People love watching people fail, that’s just how we humans are but you could turn their curious eye into you profit by podcasting about topics you don’t know about and learning through the course of the podcast what it is and everything, since some people are also nice they will make sure you have the info by the end of the podcast making every person engaged in your podcast.

23. ASMR, Truly Best Podcast Idea

The original thing to podcast about was ASMR sounds, I’m not saying run a podcast with good music but who’s gonna stop you? ASMR can be done in many ways, husky voice just talking or someone eating chips or maybe even rain splattering on your front yard. to sum up anything that has a satisfactory tone to it and makes people listen to it is ASMR. Hands down the best of the best podcast ideas.

Summary Of Best Podcast Ideas

In the end, your podcast has to be an combination of 3 main criteria:

  • Your interest for the particular subject
  • An interested audience for the topic
  • Your ability to put forth unique angle on a topic

The best shows/podcast ideas are condensed on these 3 key aspects and they guide many of the content driven decisions that their producers / narrators make to engage with their audience

As you figure out your podcast topic, remember the only limit is your imagination. Certainly use our 23 podcast ideas to generate your creativity, then let yourself run wild generating a list of options. Pare them down by answering the 5 critical questions And You Have The Best Goddamn Solution For Best Podcast Ideas.

13/03/2022 0 comment
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A Step-By-Step Guide to Whoring Yourself Out on Audio
Pre-Launch

A Step-By-Step Guide to Whoring Yourself Out on Audio

by Bruno 10/03/2022
written by Bruno

A Step-By-Step Guide to Whoring Yourself Out on Audio

 

Before we get into the technical stuff, there are some important things that you must consider and pre-plan before making the commitment to starting a podcast.

Let’s dig into it!

1. Identify Your Niche And Or Brand

If you already have one, write down 5 adjectives that describe it. These 5 things should match the goal and content of each episode of your podcast.

So for example, you sell cupcakes. So your podcast should obviously surround all things relating to cupcakes. What kind of cupcakes are they? Are the cupcakes custom designed by you? Do you specialize in cupcakes that are shaped like vaginas, are inspired by famous dead celebrities, garbage pail kids, or do you slay at making them for weddings, or divorces? Are you a vegan cupcake goddess? Maybe you only make black funeral cupcakes that sing when you bit into them. The point is, think about what your unique proposition is amongst all the other cupcakeateers on the planet and how you would seduce the world with your brand.

Using this cupcake example, for shitz and giggles lets say the five-word breakdown would be: cupcakes, vegan,  dead celebrities, divorce, recipes

Next you’ll need to decide what you offer to an audience. Why would people want to listen to your podcast? What valuable information can folks pick up or apply to whatever it is they are doing. What makes you stand out? Maybe you cupcake smash your guests, or make them taste test them blindfolded standing on a chair and video that portion for your coinciding YouTube channel. If you use my idea, I want royalties.

2.  Word Vomit

On a piece of paper spew words that pop up that you think of when it comes to cupcakes. Icing, Batter, sugar free substitutes & their health benefits, or how to make them from tree bark…etc etc.  Anything you think of can basically be turned in to a podcast. What are all the things you can talk about that relate to your niche or target market? Can you teach them something? Do you have a competitive edge, a secret family recipe? Are you willing to share stories of your experience like how you started your business or created your niche?? Perhaps you can provide insights to your business model, and how you market your cupcakes. What about interviewing and featuring experts in your niche? I think you catch the savvy drift.

 

podcast 1 1 Podcast Start Point

 

3. Decide on a host

Chances are you may want to have your podcast available on iTunes, but you will need a provider to host your podcast where you will upload it after it is recorded. From the host, your Podcast will automatically be sent to iTunes once you have that part of the configuration set up.

There are several podcast hosts available. I’ve been using PodOmatic. I find the layout not overly sophisticated and beginner user friendly. The channel I find also looks more professional and not as boring as other ones that I have seen. The downside is that the free plan does not include much storage so I am looking to switch. Another host I discovered through my hero Tim Ferris is Libsyn. This is a paid service but you can get quality hosting for as little as $5 for 50mb of storage. Plans do not exceed $75 per month so depending on what you might need will dictate what plan you will need to be on. It has fast and reliable downloading, is optimized for both audio and video distribution, and has multiple publishing destinations including iTunes. The BEST part is if you choose an advanced plan, you receive a mobile app designed just for you! I have not seen this anywhere else and it is pretty f#cking awesome! Trust me, I’m rethinking my first choice; however switching can be costly and a huge pain in the ass handle.

Set up your podcast host account. Please Note: You are not able to link your podcast to publisher such as iTunes until you have recorded and uploaded your first episode to your podcast host! Publishers such as iTunes will not be able to pick up on the RSS feed for your podcast until then. The good news is that each time you upload a new episode to your host, iTunes will piggy back to pick it up for you.

4. Get A Call Recorder

You will need this for Skype or whatever services you will be using when you are hosting distance interviews. Call recording is not included in Skype and is actually a third party add-on you will need to download and install.

5. Choose An Audio Recording Source

There are a shit ton of audio programs you can use to record your podcasts. It’s a trial an error process and mainly comes down to comfort and preference. Some people like Audacity, which I’ve used and found to be complex, or alternatively Mac users like myself can use Garageband. It’s geared towards musicians; however, the user-friendly interface, and ability to create a Master Podcast Template is what hooked me.

6. Create A Master Podcast Template

Naturally this is the next step. Duh. This is to be done inside your podcast recording program, and will literally make your world go around. The template generally will go as follows:

  • Pre-Roll: this is your chance to be a big star. No, actually here you just let folks know who you are, and the episode title/number, sponsor notes, and whatever little plug-ins your sassy heart desires. Minus the prostitution and killing men. Unless you really want to. LOL.
  • Intro Music (optional): Most notable podcasts have innovative intro music. You can have someone narrate it, or you can use recorded bits of something cool of your own over the music. If you want something really professional. I would suggest you stalk down an audio production dude to out together this 30 bit for you. Hey, maybe you can get Morgan Freeman to narrate your intro; he did a good job with the ducks unlimited series? Hmm, wait not sure if that was the one. It was some nature special though, and he did his monotone best. Trump might do a good job. That is, if you like assholes. GO TO UPWORK TO FIND AN AUDIO GURU if you don’t know anyone in the industry.
  • Introduction: A summary about Podcast, and if applicable an ego stoking before welcoming your guest.
  • Interview: If in person. Drag this single file and delete the second interview slot.
  • Interview (1) only if distance recording: Your voice
  • Interview (2) only if distance recording: Your guests voice
  • Post-Roll: Final notes, call to action, where people can find you.
  • Outro Music (Optional): Same guidelines as before. Trump or no Trump.

You will want to save this template in your podcast folder

7. Create Podcast Folder

On your Mac or PC, you will want to create a folder to hold your Master File, Master Template, your MP3 episodes and all marketing and media related materials. A little tip to keep certain files at the top add an underscore before the file name like so: _HotGuestIntro.garageband. Files will maintain alphabetical order.

8. Have A General Release

Get it signed and dated by each guest. This will cover your ass against liabilities. Make sure to include your company info, and contact information, along with any disclaimers applicable like if your guest or you discuss the time you wore superman capes and did flips on a trampoline while drinking beer bongs. Or the time you were experimenting with walking on stilts while juggling live grenades. It’s a good idea to mention in your blog description and on the release a disclaimer that you/they are professionals, and that people that are not highly trained or skilled in that area should not attempt those acts,  and that you are not held responsible for any incidents of injury or death as a result of the conversations held on the podcast. Yadda yadda yadda.

9. Equipment

Besides your PC or Mac it is recommended you invest in some quality equipment for podcasting to produce higher quality sound. An external microphone will prove to make you look badass, and also give you crisp, clear sound so even the mice could hear a silent but deadly toot. Out of all the choices I’ve had, I picked the Blue Yeti  with a Mic Wind Filter since I record outside sometimes on patios, and in restaurants. Again, this is user friendly and high quality without breaking the bank.

You can invest in headphones but I don’t particularly think they are necessary. If you do want to get them you can find a suite like this to get the microphone, headphones and Mic filter packaged together. Here it is on Amazon.

 

podcast 3 1 Podcast Start Point

 

10. Create A Podcast Outline

You will want to have some organization and establish a flow to keep your podcast on track and on time. Typical podcasts will hold the attention of listeners for around 25-35 PROVIDING you haven’t bored the shit out of them in the first five minutes. I created one with my logo and podcast image and saved it as a template that when I have a new guest, I will open and plug in info like the date of the podcast, any information that relates to my guest and topics of conversation that I want to address and that I think my listeners would want to know or benefit from.  I suggest you can send you guest a copy in advance as a PDF so they know what to expect in advance. This also give them the chance to mentally prepare or have their team counter anything they may have an issue with.

11. Test Out

Do a dry run using of all your equipment and your outline. Have your mom or dog sit in as your lucky guest. Using your outline and all the tools I provided you, go ahead and do it. To start a simple 10-minute podcast will do.

Once you are finished recording the audio file, open up your Master Template and drop in your intro that you may have prerecorded and then your Intro Music. You then can drop in your single audio file if you are having your guest on in person. I typically record while with my guest in person for bonding over booze purposes, and that’s just the feel of how I like my podcast feel. Up close and personal. If you do end up doing distance recording you will want to use a split audio feature to clean up sound in each side. So you would then use the Interview 1 and Interview 2 slots for those. Finally you will add in your Outro Music.

Again Note: Using a split app to split the audio is only necessary when using the call recorder in distance podcasting. It is used to separate your audio versus your guest audio to provide cleaner sound.

Once you have completed editing and piecing together your podcast export the audio file as an MP3.

12. Upload And Grow

Hypothetically now you would convert the file to MP3 if needed, and then upload the episode to your podcast host to then submit it to iTunes. Once iTunes pick up your podcast RSS feed you are good to go. iTunes automatically will detect new episodes you upload to your podcast host. Some will take some times but others will appear the following day.

Once you’ve put together the magic formula outlines about as it pertains to your style and brand, moving forward you basically just need to put yourself in the shit, dipping your pretty pedicured tootsies in it. There’s no better way than to just go for it. You get better with experience like with anything else and once you are comfortable your personality will shine through making you stand out even more.

I truly hope you have found this valuable and not overwhelming. I put a lot of information in here for you a simply put as I could. Now it’s up to you take action.

10/03/2022 0 comment
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How to Pick a Podcast Launch Date
Pre-Launch

How to Pick a Podcast Launch Date

by Bruno 08/03/2022
written by Bruno

How to Pick a Podcast Launch Date

 

“When am I going to launch my podcast?”

An important part of starting a podcast is to pick the podcast tentative launch date. Now you might want to say, “Well, I’m going to launch next week.”

 

Pick the launch date without a hurry

That’s totally fine; you could hypothetically prepare for the launch, have some episodes recorded, etc.

However, it’s better to give yourself and your audience some time to actually get excited about the launch date because your launch date should be treated like an event. 

That’s the best way to approach launching your podcast. Don’t just like, “Oh, here it is.” You want to make it a big deal, right? This is a big deal. You’re putting a lot of work, time, effort, sweat, recording, interviews, scheduling, all this other stuff.

Let’s make it worth it and make it a big, big day. 

 

When to set a podcast launch date

It’s recommended having your launch date set at least three weeks from now. That way you can fully get prepared, get the equipment, the artwork ready, etc.

There are also things such as your intro, getting your intro music or the voiceovers recorded if you want to go down that route. 

But again, you need time to let your audience know that this is coming out. You can start teasing it, even inviting people to a launch party and all these kinds of things. You can also tell your network about it so they all know when to promote it for you too.

But before going deeper, pick a launch date. Also consider that Tuesdays and Thursdays work out really well for podcasting. That’s when iTunes has certain things that can help promote your show a little bit more. 

For now, just pick a launch date, put it on the calendar, and share it anywhere you can, such as social media, your website, etc.

08/03/2022 0 comment
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Pre-Launch

How to Design a Podcast Artwork? The Ultimate Guide

by Bruno 08/03/2022
written by Bruno

How to Design a Podcast Artwork? The Ultimate Guide

 

When people search for your show and find it, what do they see first before listening to a second of your content or even seeing your show title?

They see the cover art of your podcast. And there are some very specific requirements that iTunes has for your artwork.

The artwork is significant because Apple specifically loves to showcase nice-looking podcasts. It’s said that the better your artwork is and the higher quality it has, the more likely it is that you’re going to be featured.

So, if you don’t have any artwork or have really cruddy-looking artwork, they’re definitely not going to want to promote it because they want to promote things that look great, just like their own products.

 

Requirements for the podcast artwork

Now, let’s walk through the requirements, and then we’ll share some resources for you where you can get some of them designed.

The image requirements for iTunes are as follows. First of all, you need a square image of at least 1400 by 1400 pixels. It’s going to be quite large already, at a minimum size. However, it’s recommended to go with the max size, preferably 3000 by 3000 image. That way, it looks best on most of the devices out there.

Secondly, you’re going to have it at 72 dpi. It’s stuff that you can give and hand off to your art person or your graphic designer, or if you know how to do this yourself in Photoshop, you can just take these requirements into account.

Number three, you’ll need it to be a JPG or a PNG format. Either one works well, and that’s what’s required by iTunes.

Number four, you need it to be in the RGB color space. So, again, this is a little bit more technical.

Then finally you need it to be compressed. Compressed means the file size needs to be relatively small or minimal because you can get quite heavy images at the 3000 by 3000 pixel range. You can use different free tools or applications to minimize the size without degrading the look of your image.

That’s going to be CompressJPG.com, or if you’re using a PNG, very simply, CompressPNG.com. Take your 3000 by 3000 image. You put it through one of those websites, whichever one is your file name or format.

Then you’re going to have the same file. It’ll look great, but it will be a lot less in terms of the space that it takes up. It’s helpful when people download your show and when it gets shown on iTunes and whatnot.

Another iTunes requirement is to make sure that your square artwork looks good at a smaller size as well. So, for example, it might look great at 3000 by 3000, and you might put a lot of words in there and stuff. But when you shrink it down to, maybe, 150 by 150, many of those things you would have on there would typically disappear or just be illegible.

Make sure that you design it in a way that it looks great at the large size, 3000 by 3000, but also good at around 150 to 150, so when you shrink it down, you could still have it be readable—still see your face, if you choose to put that on there. Remember, people are looking at these on their phones sometimes. 

 

What to put on the artwork? 

For example, you can check iTunes and adopt one to your taste. You can notice that faces are typically what people choose for personal brands by checking iTunes. It’s not always the case, but personal brands often use their face because that’s their brand. They are their brand. There are even cartoon versions of people there.

In short, including your face is totally okay to do. You can include part of your face or a full face; that’s your choice. What’s really cool is it’s your podcast, and you can design your artwork however you want. Just make sure it looks great when it’s small, and it portrays exactly what you want it to show.

A lot of brands use images that you can find on their website or at their event. That helps continue the conversation and makes the podcast a part of their brand as well.

Other ones are more simple. For example, you’ll see a logo with a clear, very easy-to-read logo and name there.

Also, check the category you’re going to get into, look at the images that are there, and see what stands out and what you could do to be different.

You can check and find the ones that look different and actually design something different if possible because, remember, people see these things first before they even listen to a second of your podcast.

Also, check the top audio podcast section on iTunes. You can also look at the top episodes, seeing which topics are most popular. Just look around. See what’s working. See what can work for you and adopt your own style.

But the best part is that you can change it over time, so don’t worry about it being perfect. You just have to get started.

You can always change things later. It’s the same thing with your artwork, the same thing with other aspects related to your podcast.

You can change those things later, but you do need to move forward and get your audio podcast artwork designed.

 

How to create artwork?

There are a couple of references if you can’t create artwork on your own or have a teammate who can help you or a designer at hand.

Fiverr: It provides services that other people do for you, anything from graphic design to digital marketing, article stuff, and even just fun random things like you could literally pay somebody just to say your name for five minutes.

It’s weird and random but also cool because you can get lucky and find somebody that’s great.

Typically designing artwork for a podcast may cost anywhere between $5 to $20, $25. Sometimes you get what you pay for, and you will get a $5 item back, so be careful.

Be a little bit careful if you’re getting artwork designed here. Still, it’s the fastest and cheapest way to get somebody else to do artwork for you. Again, you can always redesign these or re-upload new artwork later. 

Upwork: Upwork is another freelance site where you can find people to work for you. However, instead of finding people, depending on the task, you post your job up, and different people will react to it, “Yes I want to do that, and here’s for how much.”

The downside is that it’s going to take a little bit longer. It does take some time, and typically, it’s also going to be a little bit more expensive than Fiverr.

Canva: If you’re up to the task, you can create a design on your own, even if you don’t have Photoshop, using a tool called Canva. Canva is typically known for making it really easy for anybody to create materials that you can use on social media. 

There are all kinds of different graphics you can create using Canva. And, of course, you can create your own podcast artwork here too.

It’s effortless with the drag and drop feature. If you want to do just a first version to have it up and ready by the time launch goes out, you can use Canva.

But remember, Canva is for those of you who don’t have a designer or design experience or Photoshop experience of your own. All you have to do is click on custom dimensions, 3000 by 3000, and then design. 

Then you will have a template that you can work elements adding to it. You can add a background, upload your logo, and put it there. Make sure your logo is PNG with a transparent background. You can also put little charts and icons there. There are many things you can do to create your cover art on your own using this tool.

08/03/2022 0 comment
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Essential Aspects to Consider before Starting a Podcast
Pre-Launch

5 Essential Aspects to Consider before Starting a Podcast

by Bruno 07/03/2022
written by Bruno

5 Essential Aspects to Consider before Starting a Podcast

 

Today, we’re going to nail down the details of your show, everything iTunes sees, from the title to the podcast host and the description, to other things like the structure of your show.

So, let’s get right into it.

 

Podcast name

Podcast title

Alright, so the first and most important thing to figure out is your podcast title, the name of your show. It’s essential for obvious reasons, right?

This is what you’re going to say, this is what your show becomes, this is what people are going to say when they share it with other people.

On iTunes, after the artwork, you’ll see the show title. So, we need to figure out a great name for your show. Now, there’s no wrong way to do this, or even right way to do this.

It’s your show, you can do it anyway you want. You can have any title that you’d like. However, there are great titles out there for podcasts and some that probably could be better.

On iTunes, go through and see a bunch of different podcasts and go over the different styles out there. That way, you can figure out what works for you, your purpose, direction, and personality.

Again, there’s no wrong way to go about this, and you can change the name of your show later.

Don’t get too hung up on this, but imagine yourself saying the name of your show to other people.

Another great test for you is to see if your show title describes what your show’s about,

If it is, well then, great. You’ve accomplished a lot of what’s very difficult, which is getting people to understand what your show’s about.

Now, that being said, there are a lot of show titles out there. So there can be titles that, when you read it, you’re not exactly sure what it’s about.

That’s okay too. Again, you don’t necessarily have to have a show title that describes exactly what the show is about.

There are ones that do that, and that do that very well. Obviously, for example, there’s Hardcore History, which gives you a good example of, “Okay, this is about history.” Then, there is Planet Money, so that’s going to be about money. So, these titles describe what the show is about.

However, there are other ones out there that don’t really describe what the podcast is about. For example, Lore doesn’t describe what that is exactly about. On the other hand, there’s the podcast Nerdist, which does give you an idea that this is a nerd sort of show. It’s related to nerd stuff.

Or Sword and Scale, what is that about, right? One may know what those are about only if he listened to them.

In short, you don’t have to have a show title that describes what the show is about. There could be some hidden meanings there. However, you’re going to make it a little bit more difficult for yourself if you go down this route. Now, if you truly want to go down that route, do it. It can be awesome. But remember that you’re going to have to work a little bit harder to get people to understand that this is something they want to listen to.

Obviously, your artwork’s going to play a role in that too, and how you share it, and how you launch it.

There are also personal brands that just name the show after themselves. So, for example, there is the Dave Ramsey Show, or the Bill Bennett Show, Joe Rogan Experience, Katie Couric, etc.

You could do it that way too. However, if you’re a personal brand, you don’t have to go that way.

Again, it’s totally up to you. Again, there’s no right or wrong way to do this, but have it be something that reflects you, something that has meaning, and it could be as simple as you want it to be.

You don’t want to have a title that’s 100 words in length. Remember that you need to keep it short because people are breezing through these. When people click on them, it only shows so many.

Before we move on to the description, the last thing to mention is that titles generally don’t mention the word “podcast” in them.

People don’t do that anymore. So people sort of just already know that it’s a podcast, and you don’t have to worry about that.

You can save some space there by not calling it a podcast. Instead, you can call it something a little bit more formal if you’d like. Or not if you don’t want to.

Again, be open to creativity, be yourself, and put your own direction and style into it. So just keep that in mind.

One thing you might be able to do is to talk about this with other people.

That’s one of the best things you can do with your friends, family, colleagues, anybody that’s around you.

Tell them you’re going to start a show, get them excited about it, and tell them what your ideas are for the title of your podcast. Just kind of get their gut reaction from it.

That will be the best way to select something that works for you and gets a good reaction, which people will see in the podcast directories’ lists. 

 

Podcast description

Podcast description

Okay, beyond your title, the next important thing is the description of your show. It’s a paragraph that relates to your show.

The most important thing to remember with your description is that you need to describe your show as if you’re describing it to a human.

People are going to come to this page and decide whether or not they’re going to listen to your show, and they will absolutely read this.

This is what you’re going to use. It’s almost like a sales copy to get them to click play on one of your episodes.

The description is fundamental. You need to let this person who’s ending up on this page know that they’re on the right spot, and they’re going to get some good stuff related to whatever it is that they’re looking for.

Another reason why podcast description is so essential to writing for humans is because a lot of the time, podcasters may put keywords in it like crazy, where it doesn’t even make sense for a human being. Still, it makes sense for a search engine, and iTunes is also a search engine.

People search for terms here, and podcast results show up based on a number of factors.

Those factors are the title of the podcast, the description, and then finally, you can also have your episodes show up based on the keywords that are there as well. So that’s really important to understand.

If it’s possible for you to include the keyword in your title without it being obvious that you are keyword stuffing, then put it. Otherwise, don’t do that, as iTunes and Apple will reach out to you, and they will threaten to take your showdown and remove it if you don’t comply.

Focus on the description to add some keywords naturally. Write is as if you’re writing for another person who’s actually coming to the podcast page and decides whether or not to listen to your show. You can check successful podcasters’ descriptions if you’d like and use them as sort of a basis and foundation for yours.

In the description, include keywords about things you’re going to talk about. For example, podcasting, ebooks, online courses, affiliate marketing, getting things done, and those kinds of things.

Write for human beings, and make it a great paragraph; spend some time on it.

 

Show type

Show type

Next, we will talk about show type. What it means is, are you going to conduct a solo show or are you going to conduct an interview show, where you’re always having new guests come on? Or maybe you’ll have something a little bit different, like more of a journalistic, sort of research-based kind of show. Maybe you’re going to have one that’s more like storytelling or based on chapters that kind of build on each other every single week.

What kind of show do you want? Listen to different podcasts, or maybe you listen to a bunch already and consider the show types they have. Are they interviewing other people, and is that something of interest to you? Are you actually doing shows by yourself? Or maybe it’s a combination.

Or you can do both. That’s a great option because, with interview shows, you get a lot of great relationship building with your guests, and it becomes a great way to get them to come on to also share some advice that you wouldn’t be able to give to your audience yourself. It’s also interesting to do solo shows, which are, yes, a little bit more challenging because it’s more than just asking questions.

Solo shows are also challenging because you’re just by yourself, and you have to kind of keep the energy going, and you have to just keep it flowing well. This does prove to be quite tricky, but you learn over time.

It’s actually a very, very good way of proving your expertise, sharing authority, and earning more trust with your audience too.

It’s not just you and a guest. It’s actually you, the one teaching as if a person was in your classroom, that sort of thing. So it’s up to you. Just start thinking about what show type you want.

How do you actually want it to be? Make a decision on that now before you actually start determining what your shows are going to be about: if you’re actually going to have guests come on, that sort of thing.

Consider what kind of show type you want. If you need some inspiration, go into your favorite podcasting sections and start listening to shows and kind of figure out a style that works for you.

 

Essential Aspects to Consider before Starting a Podcast

Length of podcast episodes

Alright, next, let’s talk about the length of your episodes.

Let’s say you were trying to conduct an interview, and your shows were always a half-hour in length. Well, what if that interview was going really well?

Are you going to cut that short, or rush things, or be rude to your guest and say, “Oh, sorry. We’re done with our time.”

No, you’re not going to do that, right? Yes, you can shoot for a specific general period in terms of the length of your show, but the length of your show should be however long it needs to be to provide the value that you want to deliver, right? So that’s how long the show should be.

Also, on the flip side, what if you were doing a solo show, and you were shooting for a half-hour, but you were 15 minutes in, and you already talked about everything you wanted to talk about, and you did it in a very brilliant way?

Does that mean you have to add 15 minutes of extra stuff of fluff? No, you shouldn’t have to do that. All this to say, don’t worry so much about sticking to a specific time. Just have a general idea about how long you want your show to go.

Some of the shows may go a half-hour, while others may go up to a little over an hour. So there’s a little bit of difference there.

Now, if there was a significant difference and it was kind of inconsistent, then that’s where you might need to worry about people unsubscribing.

Maybe they’re going to expect an hour-long episode one week, and then all of a sudden, it’s, like, three minutes. Now, you don’t want to do that. You don’t want to mix it up that much.

Again, you don’t have to be so specific in terms of how the time is going to be every single time. Now, by going into the top audio podcast section for the business section on iTunes, you’ll see that there’s a bunch that are in the half-hour section. There’s a four-minute one, a four-minute one, a 20 minute one, etc.

In short, there’s a wide range. It doesn’t really matter. There’s no right or wrong. It just means what is right for you, and just go based on your style, whatever you feel is right.

Then, yes, you can change things along the way. You can change your rhythm, you can change your frequency, you can change the length of your show.

Nothing has to be set in stone, but just pick something, try and shoot for it, and then you can go from there.

 

Frequency of episodes

Frequency of episodes

Alright, next, let’s talk about how often each of your episodes should come out.

Should they come out once a week, once a month, or once every day? For example, John Lee Dumas at Entrepreneur on Fire. He’s a big fan of SPI. He is like a machine, an absolute beast.

He produces seven episodes per week for 365 days. It’s crazy. That’s how he’s up to episode more than 1,600 episodes, which is insane. He’s very consistent; he’s very much a machine.

However, don’t be afraid. Some automation strategies will allow you to hand off some of this work to other people and systematize this whole strategy for you.

Yes, you’re going to be able to understand how to do something like that, but is that something that you actually need?

No, there are very, very, many successful podcasts that just come out once a week, or even two or three times a month.

That’s it. Very successful podcasts, a lot of them do not do seven days a week. Actually, most don’t because it’s just impossible in terms of the workload and productivity.

A lot of the ones that do have seven days a week are entire networks that have loads of people who work on the editing and stuff.

John is just an exception to the rule because he’s a solopreneur. But he’s killing it, and he’s doing it seven days a week. You don’t need to do that to succeed.

You can start with an episode that comes out every other week. Then, you can change the frequency, and that’s totally cool. However, the last thing you want to do is do more than you can handle, and then burn out, and then kind of drop out of the podcasting realm for a couple of months, and then sort of getting your legs back, and then come back again.

No, that’s being inconsistent. Remember, we committed to being consistent with this. Not just putting your podcast together, but being consistent means always being there for your audience and making sure that you are wise in terms of how you approach it.

Think about how often an episode of yours is going to come out.

To help you through this, let’s run through a little thought experiment. That is, consider how often you are thinking about having your episodes come out. Then, consider two years down the road.

Can you actually keep up and stay consistent throughout that whole period with that particular frequency? Then, think about all the other things that need to happen in order to put your show together.

At the start, it’s going to be a little bit harder than once you start to get your legs and begin to get the rhythm. But consider, can you keep up that frequency in about two or three years?

It’s wise to continue your show at least that long and not have you burn out and drop out. It’s not good for you; it’s not good for your fans or brand.

07/03/2022 0 comment
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