How To Start a Podcast in 5 Simple Steps

Source: Unsplash

Do you know where the word “Podcast” comes from? The word “Podcast” is a portmanteau word of “iPod” and “broadcast” first suggested in 2004 by Ben Hammersley, a British journalist.

I see podcasts as the modern version of the radio. You listen to them, and you can turn them on and off whenever you want. Thanks to the Internet, you now have way more possibilities as a listener, and also as a show host. As a listener, you can listen to a podcast at home, on your way to work, at the gym and even during a long flight. The host has the benefit of not limiting him or herself to a local target audience, as is the case with radio, but reaching audiences interested in the same topic all around the world.

Podcasts popped up about 15 years ago, but the podcasts we know today started gaining popularity only in recent years. According to statistics, there are 750.000 active podcasts, with 30 million episodes available in 100+ languages. You might think with stats like those it is a crowded space, that you came too late to the party, but don’t give up so fast. One of the major “competitors” of podcasts are blogs, and there are currently more than 440 million blogs in the world. Blogs are still one of the main leading content marketing tools.

Are you considering podcasts as your next B2B channel to connect with your audience? Then let’s look at some benefits it has for the business:

1. Mobile — podcasts give your audience the freedom to listen to you wherever they are, whenever they want and even download it and listen offline.
2. Thought leadership — this is a great way to showcase your industry knowledge and build influence. The world will know you are the go-to-person in a specific subject and eventually your role models will be happy to be invited for an interview on your podcast.
3. Trust — you can post blogs, articles, and comments on your social media accounts, but a weekly 30-minute podcast will allow you to connect with your existing customers and potential prospects on a higher emotional level. They will get to know you better and decide they want to do business with you going forward.
4. Repurposing — your podcast can serve as the source for all your other channels, for instance by creating e-books and white papers and promoting this content as a freebie on your website to garner more subscribers. Write a blog post with the key takeaways of the podcast or create images with some of the lessons learned you shared during the podcast.
5. Visibility — your interviewees will be promoting their segment on your podcast. Not only are you promoting the podcast, but also the guests are sharing this collaboration, which will result in raising brand awareness and building a new audience.

Source: Unsplash

Now you are probably all excited about starting your own podcast channel, and you are already thinking about the guests you would like to invite. Let’s look at the steps you need to take to start a podcast:

1. Audio Recording & Editing — you will need audio software to record the interviews. There are some free tools you can start with. For Windows, Mac, and Linux you can download Audacity; for a Macbook, you can get the GarageBand in the Apple Store.
2. Microphone — if you are planning to host a show with two or more participants, it’s best to make sure you have quality XLR microphones. Plus, headphones are recommended.
3. Podcast Host & Podcast Directory — let’s put these two confusing elements into practical terms. If your podcast is about a book you wrote, then the publisher would be your podcast host and the bookstore would be your podcast directory. There are multiple podcast hosting services you can choose from, but the most popular podcast directories are Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts App, and Blubrry. In order for your audience to access your podcast online, you will need to register with a podcast hosting service that will generate an RSS feed for your podcast used by the podcast directory to access your recordings.
4. Podcast Name, Cover Art Creation & Music — take a step back from technical requirements and get creative. This step includes coming up with a name for your podcast. This can also be the name of your business, even something witty and fun. Choose an attention-grabbing cover for your podcast to be displayed in the podcast directory and create a short intro and outro to make the podcast sound more interactive.
5. Plan & Promotion — now that we know which equipment to use to record and edit the podcast, where to register and publish the podcast, and what creative art you’ll want to use to capture attention, the next step is to develop a plan. The plan will include the topics you want to discuss, the guests you want to discuss these topics with and the frequency of your new show. In order to make a difference and build your audience, you will have to develop a plan on where and how to promote your new communication channel. Incorporate your podcast in your marketing strategy and promote it on your social media channels. Add a link to the podcast on your website and send out newsletters to your subscribers.

Starting your podcast is a one-off investment that will bring you revenue in the long term. It will not only help you connect with your fans on a more personal level, but also help you establish your business and grab the attention of existing leaders. Please let us know if you have started your podcast and feel free to share a link in Spinners’ Group on Facebook! Good luck!

SPIN Ideas is a strategy marketing agency, focusing on startups and SMS. We help our clients find their place in the market and grow. You want to hear more about what we do and have monthly marketing updates, subscribe to SPIN Ideas’ Journal.