Are you Ready to Start a Podcast?
Maybe you’ve been thinking about starting a podcast for a while but have just given a bunch of excuses why you shouldn’t start. I get it, we hear it all the time – not enough time, will I be able to talk about enough things, how do I get started.. whatever it may be, we’ve heard it. Well, this is your sign of the opposite! Minus all your fears, doubts, and concerns we think you should do it – you really don’t have anything to lose.
Starting a podcast isn’t hugely expensive (especially if you don’t want it to be) but it does take some time and thought. So, we want to make sure you get started on the right foot.
Here is our quick guide on getting you started with your podcast today!
Getting Set Up to Start a Podcast
When first starting your podcast you will want to start with the basics. That way you have all your ground covered before jumping into the recording and launching all the technical parts of the show. Here are things that you should get figured out before the next step.
All your nitty gritty details such as
Your name. This is a great place to insert keywords.
Your concept. This could be your pillars, your topics, or the whole concept that your show is going to be about. You will want to make sure you figure this out.
Your format. Are you planning on doing just solo episodes, interviews, or some other style?
Your consistency. What I mean by that is how many times you plan on releasing episodes. Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, etc. whatever it may be – be consistent. Pick a day and a time too just to stay on top of it.
Equipment + software. Now it doesn’t have to be expensive, most of it can be free as all you really need is a microphone, headphones + a computer for recording.
Once you’ve figured out all of these things you can go ahead and get going on your show!
Getting Going on Your Show
Now that you are getting started, it’s time to figure out a few more details and actually begin recording and doing all the elbow work of your show. What you’ll want to do first is make sure to set up your production plan (you’ll take a lot of the details from above and set up your due dates) but you can do this in whatever project management tool you want like Trello or Asana. This will be a place where you have a checklist of everything you need to do to help keep you consistent and make sure you don’t forget anything for each episode – they will all be the same! As well as your due dates, that way when you are going through each episode every time you release, you will know exactly what to do.
Then once you’ve set up your system, go ahead and get recording! You should record your first episode as well as any other episodes you are planning on releasing when you launch. Once you’ve finished recording go ahead and do the post-production on your episodes. This can include audio editing, episode descriptions, show notes, transcriptions, and whatever else you need to do to get the episodes ready.
Get Ready, Set + Launch!
With all your main details sorted and your episodes recorded and edited it’s time to get ready for launch. There are just a few more details that need to be ironed out before your show is live.
Make sure you have your...
Cover art. You can create this or you can hire someone else with graphic design experience.
Set up your host (Buzzsprout and Captivate are great options)
Get your show listed on directories. This will be something you want to do as soon as possible as some places like Apple Podcasts take a while to get submitted and where people can listen.
Get your promotion plan set up and begin sharing it. It's a great time to create graphics and begin telling your audience about your show. Get them involved in the launch and excited for your show to come out. It's a great way to build traction before your show has even launched!
Launch your show! You've sorted out your basics, recorded your episodes, and gotten your show's technical stuff all set up on your host and directories it's time to go ahead and get your show out there to the world.
Conclusion
With these quick tips, we hope you are able to go from just a thought to actually going to start your podcast. You got this! Follow this guide as a quick reference on your journey to make sure you are on the right path. There are tons of great resources out there to help support you.
If you are feeling overwhelmed with it all but still want to launch your show, check out our podcast launch package to take the stress off your hands!
Aleea
This blog post was updated November 28th, 2023
