Starting a podcast is a great way to talk about anything you’re passionate about and hope to build a following around. The good thing about it is that a podcast can range from anything. You might choose a lighthearted topic such as movies, games, music, or love, or something more serious such as mental health, social issues, politics, or the environment. Discussing real crime is a personal favorite. But how do you get started with podcasting? Well, here are 7 podcast tips to get you started.
Podcasting basics
Podcasts are dubbed as the modern-day internet radio show wherein a host or a group of hosts talks about anything under the sun. Podcasts are increasingly popular lately because they’re available on a host of different platforms and cover nearly every topic you can imagine. Listeners can easily tune in with a simple tap or click on their gadgets. Moreover, listening to a podcast is convenient, which allows listeners to multitask. Listeners can easily stream podcasts, whether they’re cooking or cleaning, or even while driving.
With that said, if you plan to start your podcast or if you already have one you wish to grow, here are some ways to create hype around your new podcast.
7 podcast tips
1. Invest in quality recording equipment
As a new podcast creator or someone who wants to build a larger following around their podcast, one of the most important things need is quality recording equipment, including something to filter out extraneous noise that distorts your podcast or annoys your listeners. Quality equipment is important because it enables you to produce high-quality audio recordings. You might have a good topic to discuss, but if your recording equipment is poor, your voice may prove hard to hear or distorted, making it difficult for your audiences to understand you and connect with what you’re talking about.
You need a quality microphone, a decent computer, and a quiet space. Some folks use a closet to filter out noise. Others invest in a professional sound booth, which is terribly expensive. My daughter and her husband invested in a sound booth to the tune of $5000 but they’re also voice actors for video games and cartoons, so it made sense. You might get away with some soundproofing panels in a small room dedicated to recording.
Aside from recording with the right equipment and tools, you must choose between the recording apps available today to help produce a great finished product. You can check out http://melonapp.com/solutions/podcast-recording-software/ to learn more.
2. Know your niche
Just like any form of marketing, you must choose a niche where you can effectively contribute to the conversation, creating value for your listeners. Since you are very much familiar with your chosen niche and are passionate about it, chances are you won’t run out of things to talk about. Moreover, while you might initially find podcasting exciting, producing quality content consistently is sure to represent a challenge to any podcaster. That’s why you should choose a niche that you truly enjoy talking about and are genuinely passionate about.
Additionally, play to your strengths too. Choose a niche where you have some knowledge and perspective but don’t forget that researching the topic is important to ensure you stay abreast of current thinking on the topic and you stay fresh. For instance, if you took a course on arts or music, you can use that to your advantage and anchor your podcast on those topics. It can also help make you sound credible as your conversation has a more natural flow while talking.
Creating content frequently represents a challenge to any podcaster. One of my best podcast tips is to remember that your listeners don’t binge on your podcast, for the most part. Instead, they listen to one or two podcast episodes then move on to another podcast. That means you don’t require totally unique content every week but can take a different tack on a topic you covered before. For instance, you might cover a topic in a podcast then go in-depth on various aspects of the topic in future podcasts.
3. Know your audience
Aside from knowing your strengths and what you’re passionate about, it is also important that you take the time to get to know your target audience. Knowing your target audience helps you understand what your listeners want to hear, common vernacular, and taboos among your audience. That said, you must balance the topic you want to talk about with what your audience wants.
To start, you might consider topics that are timely such as season-related topics. You can share Christmas stories during the holidays or talk about New Year’s Resolutions. This way, you can engage your listeners and help them relate and connect with what you are discussing.
4. Be lively and entertaining
Since podcasts heavily rely on audio recording, or in some cases, videos, it’s extremely important that you keep your energy up. Your episodes must be lively and entertaining to keep your audiences engaged.
You can start becoming more lively with the way you project your voice. You want an energetic and enthusiastic tone that reflects the passion you have for what you are about to discuss. While some podcasts thrive in spontaneity, it’s still helpful to prepare an outline to guide you throughout the recording. This can help you avoid going off-topic and may also help avoid dead air, which is deadly. In the beginning, you might want to write out your entire podcast to get rid of the jitters. Then practice your podcast in front of a mirror to ensure you know what to say and get the timing right. It’s a little hard to appear spontaneous after that practice but you can do it.
Additionally, you can make your podcast more interactive by engaging your audience. You can encourage discussions around your podcast by creating online forums. In that way, you can engage with your listeners even after you record your podcast. For instance, for my daughter’s podcast, they host a variety of Clubhouse discussions about the episodes and topics raised in them. You can also get suggestions and feedback from your audience, which you can then incorporate into your next episodes.
5. Promotion is key
What would a list of podcast tips be if the list didn’t include promotion? Helping people find your podcast and reminding them to tune in to hear new episodes is a continuing strategy for success. Promotion doesn’t have to cost a lot of money either, as you can share or talk about your podcast on your social media accounts.
Targeted advertising is also a good way to promote your podcast. This is done by endorsing or plugging your podcast using social media pages and channels or using Google Ads, which help by capturing attention when folks ask questions related to your niche.
A website is a great addition to your podcast. It gives you another platform for sharing information and entertainment, offers links to your podcasts, and helps build a community around your niche. A website also offers opportunities to get found online as an SEO-optimized website shows up high in search results.
6. Invite guests to your show
Of course, the easiest way to hype a podcast is by having a well-known or notable personality as a guest on your show. You don’t need a big movie star or TV personality. You can start by inviting a guest with influence from your community or school. It always helps to have a little boost from somebody who already has a fan base, as they bring their fans with them to your podcast while also lending credibility to it.
7. Be yourself
Lastly, all you need to do is just to be yourself. Authenticity is rare these days and audiences crave authentic voices. Everyone is unique in their special way. So, don’t forget to show your true self when recording your podcast.
Showing who you are is important in making your podcast relatable and grounded. Sometimes, it’s your unique personality and quirks that attract your audience and make your audience listen to you frequently.
Moreover, most listeners appreciate it when you share some personal stories and experiences. Just be as natural as possible, and people are drawn to your podcast.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed these podcast tips to make your podcast more likable and in demand. Equip yourself with quality equipment, determine which topic you are well-versed in, know and communicate with your audiences, be lively and entertaining, exert marketing efforts, have prominent guests on your show, and be yourself are just some of them.
While a good and interesting podcast naturally draws listeners in, with the help of the podcast tips mentioned above, you are on your way to creating good hype around your new podcast.
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