Starting anything new can be scary, more so if it is something like a podcast. There is no surety on what will click with the audience and what will not. If you provide good content and present it in a good way, it will be well accepted.
For those moving out of their comfort zone, here are some basic tips to help you win this game
Plan
A podcast is a slow and continuous process; it is not a one-time thing. You have to visualize and plan it. You need to plan on the topic, the episodes, where you can do it, what you want to use, how you want to promote, etc. Put in those efforts, wrack your brain and think. This stage is the base of your entire endeavor of podcasting.
Market Interest
What would your podcast be about? Can you talk about what you love? Sure. Would it be advisable first to gauge the interest of the topic in the market? Absolutely! Put it on your social media, see the interest people show. Ask for their interests, what they want to listen. Evaluate this data and decide the topic for your podcast.
Structure
Your podcast needs to have a structure. A start, middle and an end. Baseless and haphazard sentences will not attract anyone. Structure your material, give it a direction. Think of a good body for your material which is organized. Give the background at the start, talk about your topic in the middle and do not forget to conclude at the end.
Catchy Name
The name is what is going to motivate the user to click on the podcast and listen to it. The name needs to be catchy and trendy. You want people to like it. You want people to be curious about the podcast by reading the name. Invest your time in deciding it. Take polls, ask around, read and then finalize what the podcast will be called.
Passionate Topic
While deciding on the topic, don’t forget about what you love. You have chosen to do a podcast because you think you are good at it, now choose a topic that makes you better. Talk from a place of passion and people will surely feel connected to you. Not to forget, you’ll know the best about it if you are passionate about what you are speaking.
Research
The most important thing. Don’t talk about anything without putting time into it. Don’t base your podcast entirely on what you think; it has to be backed by facts. Research on what you will be speaking about and gather interesting and helpful facts and then speak about it. The audience is sure to love your podcast if they find it helpful and get to know things they did not know until now. If you’re using your mobile device, it’s better to use a mobile stand for home and work on your material.
Create A Hype
Once you have your material ready, start creating a need for it around it. Hype your work, talk about it without giving away the actual gig. Let people wonder, create anticipation. People are not going to put their time in it unless they are excited and curious. Mention it in snippets on your social media, talk about things related to your topic, make the people wait. But don’t overhype it and certainly, don’t get them to wait for long.
Hosting Site
For your podcast to reach a bigger audience, you will need to put it on a good hosting site. A site that has a wider reach and is easily accessible. Don’t make it difficult for the audience to be able to hear it; make it easy. Make it available so that people can listen to it easily. It is imperative that people shouldn’t have to search a lot for your podcast.
Good Microphone
While you can use the recorder on your desktop too, a good microphone will help you a lot more. Your voice will be clear and loud wanting users to listen to it more. Invest in a good microphone if you can, you will not regret it. Use it wisely and don’t be too loud, don’t speak too close to the microphone and don’t blow onto it.
Edit The Blabber
Very, very important. You don’t want people to be lost because you started blabbering in between your podcast. Listen to your material and cut out the unwanted things. Humans always speak more than required because they get carried away, go back to it and edit it out. Use a good editing tool so that the audience does not feel disconnected because of editing
Promote
Once your material has been put out, that’s not the end of your job. You will need to promote your work. You will need to inspire people to listen to it. There are a lot of podcasts out there; you need to advertise why they should listen to you. Sell your USP and get people to buy it by listening to it. Never take your material for granted, work to get it to everyone’s notice.
Unique Identity
As everyone knows, there are a lot of people doing podcasts these days, and it is growing manifolds. The competition is only increasing. You need to give yourself and your podcasts a unique identity. You want people to hear your voice and know it’s you. Have a unique opening or a catchy closing phrase that will make you, you.
Don’t Resist Change
When you have put out your first podcast, keep it open for review. Let people tell you what they like and what they did not like. Don’t resist to change. Adapt as per the reviews received. You will eventually find your click but until then, keep improving and keep adapting.
Give It Your All
Don’t hold back, put all your efforts into it. Motivate yourself and go all in. You really want to make this work, and there should be nothing stopping you. Don’t shy away from hard work, be persistent and consistent in it.
Conclusion
Hope this was useful for all you budding podcasters. Take that plunge and work hard to make it work!
