Unlocking the Secrets Of Podcast Success
By Tom Seest
How Does a Podcast Go?
At PodcastBig, we help new podcasters develop strategies to create content, traffic, and revenue from podcasts based on our experiences and experimentation.
Podcasting can be thought of as Internet radio “On Demand.” It has become an increasingly popular format for business, news, politics, health and fitness shows, comedy acts and fiction productions.
Some podcasts feature high-production values with theme music, sound effects and professional editing; others may simply be casual conversations among friends. Podcasters typically choose the format that works best for them.
How Does a Podcast Go?
Table Of Contents
What Is a Podcast?
Podcasts are audio shows that focus on one specific theme or topic, hosted by one or more individuals and available for downloading and listening on your own schedule. Podcasts can be enjoyed on computers as well as mobile devices via podcast apps – making them an excellent way to catch up with favorite shows or learn something new about a subject you care about while at the same time acting as valuable marketing tools that connect your brand with its target audience and expand its presence in their lives.
The word “podcast” derives its name from the combination of iPod and broadcast. Since 2004 when iPods first enabled users to listen to podcasts, podcasting has become an immensely popular medium through which to express oneself and communicate ideas or opinions with the world. Unlike television or radio broadcasts, anyone can create their own podcast and broadcast it out into public sphere.
Podcasts come in all sorts of formats, with most non-fiction shows telling compelling and informative accounts of real events or people from history or current affairs. Some podcasts may even follow a fictional plotline similar to books or TV series.
Another popular podcast format is interview-based podcasts, which feature interviews with members of the public or industry experts. Interviews may include personal or professional conversations recorded at a studio space, while many podcasters also host guests as a way to build relationships with listeners.
A third type of podcast is scripted. Scripted podcasts follow a story told through narration or performance by one or more individuals and may serve educational or entertainment purposes; such as learning a foreign language. They may also prove entertaining.
No matter which podcasts you listen to, certain themes become apparent. Most are themed around specific subjects – such as triathlon racing or dog training – with each episode discussing something unique within this theme. Some also explore general subjects like how to live a happy life or tips for starting a business; many also aim at specific demographics so listeners can quickly locate shows they enjoy listening to.
What Is a Podcast?
How Do I Start a Podcast?
As you embark upon your podcast endeavor, there are a few key considerations you should keep in mind when setting out to launch one. Of utmost importance is having a clear idea of the direction your show should take; having goals helps keep you on the right path when things get challenging; they also keep you connected to why you started your show, providing motivation when recording, editing and uploading episodes.
When selecting a topic for your podcast, try choosing something you’re passionate about – this will make creating compelling episodes easier, as your passion will shine through your voice and words. Also consider its purpose; whether that is lead generation for business or building authority on a subject. Choosing something helpful to your target audience ensures your podcast remains relevant over time.
Another factor to keep in mind when planning to release new episodes is how often they should come out. While there’s no right or wrong answer here, consistency with your release schedule ensures your audience knows when new content is coming out – idealistically every week or every other week but publishing less frequently is fine as well.
Next, spend some time naming and creating branding elements for your podcast. Your name is one of the first things people see; use this opportunity to quickly communicate what your show is all about in a concise manner. Attempt to choose an original name that conveys its subject matter while not getting stuck into an attempt at clever or memorable naming – this may backfire on you!
Create an account on Buzzsprout and submit your podcast to Apple & Spotify – this will increase its chances of discovery by your audience. Once live, include a call-to-action at the end of every episode urging listeners to subscribe/follow your show in their preferred listening app.
How Do I Start a Podcast?
How Do I Record a Podcast?
At the core of recording a podcast is having an idea of what you want to talk about, which will guide your research, creating a storyboard and determining how best to record each episode. Furthermore, recording in a suitable environment without noise and echo is of vital importance – free apps such as Spotify for Podcasters can erase background noise while improving audio quality on mobile devices, offering seamless quality enhancement that works live to make sure every podcast sounds best!
Your next decision should be whether to record locally or remotely. With local recordings, all participants (host, co-host (if applicable) and any guests) need to be in one room together – each person speaks into their microphone which then records on a separate track within your digital recorder or computer – this method provides the highest quality audio.
No one wants to make time for everyone at once, which is why many podcasters opt for remote recording using software such as Skype or Google Hangouts. While this may result in lower audio quality than if recorded at an actual studio, remote recordings can make for convenient podcast production if your listeners live far away or can’t make it there in person.
Note that remote recording requires more preparation as you must plan out every episode beforehand – otherwise your show could turn into a chaotic mess and lose viewers!
One important decision you’ll have to make regarding your podcast is whether or not to script. Writing detailed scripts can be extremely useful in cutting down on rambling, providing an outline for each episode that you and your cohost can follow; however, they may lead to monotonous dialogue without much energy flowing. Finding an appropriate balance here ultimately depends on personal factors like personal comfort level behind the mic as well as what type of show you want to produce.
How Do I Record a Podcast?
How Do I Publish a Podcast?
Podcasting can be both a rewarding hobby and a lucrative career, depending on your goals. Through sponsorship deals, contextual advertising, memberships and more, many have turned their podcast into a source of income. To do this successfully, they need to get their content out there to as wide an audience as possible – that means submitting it to podcast directories such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play Music Stitcher TuneIn. This guide will take you step-by-step through how to do just that so your podcast can start being heard all around the globe!
Before beginning production of your podcast episodes, the first step should be identifying your desired type of show. This decision will define its format, subject matter, and general tone – it is therefore vital that this decision is made early so you have an idea of where your show is headed.
Once you’ve selected a format, the next step is recording. We recommend Audacity as it’s free and straightforward; once recorded you should edit out any long pauses or unwanted parts from the recording before exporting an RSS feed file for iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher etc to find.
Consider creating a website dedicated to your podcast as it will serve as the hub of all episodes. Use platforms like WordPress or simply create a section on an existing site dedicated to it; using your own domain gives you more control over branding, sending listeners directly to it rather than third party apps.
Check to make sure that your host automatically submits your podcast to all major directories, such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts. If not, use your RSS feed link to manually add it yourself.
How Do I Publish a Podcast?
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