Podcasts: Can you hear me now? Helpful Tips on how to start your first Podcast

Podcasts are trending right now and for good reason! It’s a great way to provide your audience with content while growing your target audience. Podcasts requires a great deal of commitment (as if you don’t already have enough on your plate as an entrepreneur) however the end result is totally worth it! Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

Equipment: There are Podcast kits fully equipped with microphones and recording devices starting at $99.00 however, if you’re on a budget, or you don’t want to invest in any equipment because you want to see how the Podcast turns out, your cell phone has a built in recorder. You can also use Skype and Google Hangouts video conferencing for recording as well. Another option would be to purchase a digital hand held recorder which is relatively less expensive than a Podcast Kit. The digital recorder allows you to carry it around in case you’re interviewing guests however, with a cell phone, you can immediately email the recorded session to your inbox if necessary.

Editing Software: Sometimes you may want to edit your Podcast, depending on the quality of the recording. Perhaps there was too much background noise, a dog barking or a loud siren from a fire truck. Download “Audacity” or “Garage Band (you can add music with Garage Band. Its great for creating theme music, or intro music for your Podcast)”. Editing may not be necessary however, if you must these are great tools to use to do so.

Produce quality Content: It’s simple, produce quality content based on what your audience wants to learn. How do you know what they want to learn? Ask! Let your following know that you’re interested in starting a Podcast series and what topics they’d like to discuss. From there, make a list and brain storm on how you’ll convey your message to your audience. Engagement, Motivation and Information are 3 essential components to keeping your audience interested more importantly, tuned in on a regular basis. Planning and organization is essential to producing a successful Podcast.

Guests: One way to switch things up is to invite guests to speak on your Podcast. Let’s talk cross promotion: When co-branding with companies, Podcasts are another way to raise brand awareness while providing both brand’s audiences with valuable, useful information. Get together with your guest ahead of time, discuss an agenda (preparation is key to a successful Podcast), set a date and time to record, and voila! Your kick butt Podcast is ready to be heard by the masses!

Engagement: We just discussed one way to engage with your audience for a Podcast which is to ask them what they want to learn. Another way to engage with your following is to Live Tweet the Podcast. This gives you more exposure as you’re crossing multiple platforms. Here’s a tip: Stitcher Radio allows you to link your Podcast to Twitter for sharing episodes. Users can listen to the episode from the Tweet. Don’t forget to add hashtags!

Promote: Once you’ve come up with a topic, promote your Podcast on all of your social media platforms.

Pinterest: Upload notes or a brief summary of the Podcast onto Pinterest. Add an image with a catchy headline to attract the reader’s attention.

Facebook: Facebook allows you the option to post notes, captions and the url link to your Podcast. Host a Live Facebook session!

Pay attention to the feedback:

The feedback is an opportunity to engage with your audience, find out what your audience took away from the Podcast, what changes you may need to make, perhaps you can use the information for a blog post later on down the line (maybe a webinar or a live seminar).

Script: Write a script for the introduction to the Podcast. For example, “Hey, this is Samuel Jones. I am your host. Thank you and Welcome! You’re tuning into the Cave Man show where we discuss all things related to men, our secrets, sports, cars, our favorite hang outs and much more. We hope that you enjoy the show. Remember to like us and comment on today’s show on Facebook and Instagram don’t forget to follow us on Twitter. As usual our website is www.thecavemanshow.com”.

The great thing about Podcasts is you are in complete control of the content! If you’re looking for a way to expand your audience, try a Podcast! Have questions? Starting a Podcast? Let us know we’d love to tune in! Email us at service@ourconciergegroup.com