How to build a profitable podcast.
In this post, we explain everything you need to know to produce a podcast yourself. Please follow along...
Just like a business will live or die on the quality of it's product... a podcast will live or die on the quality of it's content.
Here is a truth about podcasting; production is arguably the most essential part of the whole process. Even if you have the perfect plan, script and guests... without production skills, you episode will be lackluster.
The content must exude an effortless vibe, and the host and guests must sound great. Without this, your podcast will be hard to grow.
To achieve this... you don't need magic.
You simply need to acquire the required skill to produce a podcast... that is the goal of this post.
Let's get started...
I am pretty sure that you are aware of the insane growth of the podcast industry. If you don't, you would not be here reading this.
The benefits of podcasting to your personal and business brand cannot be overstated. As of the moment of writing this, over 105 million Americans listen to at least one podcast each month. This number will keep growing, as there is still room for a lot of podcast consumption.
Let's eat from that pie...
Let's quickly cover some steps on how to start a podcast.
Develop a plan: You need a plan before you head into the world of podcasting. Yes, I know you are loaded and ready to go – but calm down, Tom Cruise, doesn't go in blind. It would be best if you decided on the topic you are best to add value around. You need to identify your audience/ listeners and remember that your show will only succeed if you can add value to their lives.
What is the goal of your podcast? What format will you follow? Do you want to bring guests to the show, or will it be a solo show? How often do you intend to produce and publish your podcast episodes?
Answer all these with conviction, and you are on your way to starting your podcast.
Get the required equipment: I am sure you know that you need some equipment to start a podcast. The equipment you need is not just a microphone, headphones and a pop filter, although they are "must haves".
There is also the software, which is also very important, as you not only need it for recording but also need it to edit your show. To leverage desktop as a service for recording and editing audio, a laptop or desktop computer is essential. When engaging in remote recording, platforms such as Zoom, Squadcast, or Skype are required.
Prepare to record: Yeah, this might sound basic, but you need to prepare to record. Preparing to record a podcast involves writing your podcast script, setting up your place to record, and setting up your recording tools.
Don’t plan to lose! Here is the full post on this topic...
As a newbie in the podcast world, you are prone to lose your way at the start – this is why you need a script to guide you on how you want your podcast to be. A script helps you avoid rambling.
You also need to set up your recording area. Block off every available echo source and avoid a noisy room. The next step is setting your recording tools, like the laptop, software, microphones.
Production and post-production: We will touch on this in this article... but for a full guide, check out this post: how to edit your podcast.
Sound production is what makes your podcast appealing to listeners regardless of the content. Ideally to grow your show you need both: awesome sound AND awesome content.
Here are six simple steps required to produce a podcast. As a newbie, you don't have to start like the gurus in the industry, especially if it is a personal podcast.
Regardless of whether you are a seasoned audio expert or a part-time hobbyist starting your podcast on the side, these step will help you on your journey...
The first step required in producing a great podcast is identifying your audience; it is perhaps an essential part of planning your podcast.
I have said this before on this blog but it deserves being repeated as it is possible the most important concept to understand:
If you fail to identify your audience, you will end up reaching out to no one. So, you need to decide on the type of people in your target audience, and you can speak directly to them.
If your podcast content addresses these individuals' needs, they will keep coming back and become loyal listeners of your podcast. Once you have gotten them on lockdown, you do not need to care about what people outside that target market think.
If you are producing a podcast for college football, you should first identify the demographic that is interested in college football. If your podcast is about talking business, you need to find a way to educate a specific type of person with that niche and then focus ALL your content at that specific person.
By now, you should know that podcasts have different formats. Every podcast has a unique style, and some combine these formats to develop a style.
Before you start planning on how to record your podcast or structure your episodes, you need to decide which format you want your podcast to follow.
You should choose a format for your comfort; this is to avoid confusing the listeners on what to expect.
Now, let's look at some of the formats used for podcasts:
This is not set in stone... you can start with one and switch to the other based on the feedback of your audience.
Planning episodes applies to both individual episodes and multiple episodes, e.g. a season/series.
For the former, you need to decide how long you want each episode to be and what will be covered, for the a latter you need to determine the theme for the season and how many epsidoes you would like that to be.
For the show length, there is no standard length of time for podcasts, so you have to identify what works best for you.
Most times, though, listeners tend to prefer a show less than 30 minutes. Regardless of the show length, you settle for; you have to maintain consistency over time.
In terms of content... a simple hack here is to survey people you know would be your ideal listeners to understand what they are interested in and what their challenges are with your niche.
You can then use these insights to guide your episode content. Remember, the only way your show will grow is if you are able to add value to the lives of your listeners.
We also recommend you start off with splitting your show into seasons, this allows you to adopt a theme for a season, giving your audience an idea of what may be coming next... and also allowing you to take a break if needed.
To have good production, you need to purchase some essential podcast equipment. You do not need the equipment to be all fancy; they just need to function correctly.
You also need to have basic knowledge of how to set up this equipment. Yeah, this knowledge is to help you avoid sounding like an old grannie on your podcast.
You do not need much to achieve an adequate production level, only a few essential pieces of equipment like a PC, microphone, and headphones:
Microphones are essential as your PC's mic will not work for this. There are condenser mics and dynamic mics. You might prefer the dynamic microphone as a newbie as you can easily set it up through a USB connection. The condenser microphone requires a mixer or interface to produce the sound.
Headphones help you hear every sound on the go. It allows the production process, as you can make instant adjustments during the recording process.
To record and edit, you need software. There are several cheap and easy-to-use software you can use when starting your podcast. You do not need to be a guru to use this software. Here are some of the recording and editing software I recommend:
This editing software is free and is an open-source editor. The perk of an open-source editor is the freedom to apply changes to the original code without stress. It allows you to customize the user experience and adjust to your satisfaction.
Not as affordable as Audacity, but it comes with a host of features. Professionals use it for editing podcasts and on the radio. There is also a trial version that you can try for 30 days.
You can download this editing software only on Apple computers. It is also easy to download, as it is free. However, it is only available on iOS and macOS. Android and Windows users cannot download GarageBand.
Having a great recording starts with planning.
From having an excellent recording area to having a script on the ground. These elements make the recording sound great if you get them right.
Avoid setting up your recording studio next to a noisy area, as you do not want background noises in your recording. Cut out reverberation by padding your recording area to a reasonable extent.
Also, have good recording habits – such as avoiding eating or chewing during the show.
Have your points outlined before you start the show, and avoid unnecessary filling words.
Editing your podcast can be tasking even for gurus in the game. You could DIY or employ the services of a professional.
However, if you are working with a budget, you have to learn to DIY. The things you want to edit away are unnecessary word fillers, extended silence, background noise, and other forms of distractions.
You also want to add music at the start and end of your podcast... to remind listeners that this is your show and also get them in the correct emotional state for consuming your content.
After editing your podcast, you want to let the world listen to you by launching your podcast.
The reason why we're including this step here... if that a crucial part of making your show better is gaining feedback from existing episodes to improve future ones. You do this reviewing download metrics and also talking to listeners.
Ask all listeners you find about what they like and dislike about your show, guest they would want you to interview and how your sound quality is...
It is then your job to improve your show little by little over time. The most downloaded podcasts in the world didn't start like that, they were not as good when theya started, they improve over time.
Producing a video podcast is a whole topic on its own, but let us touch on it slightly... While you have to everything almost like recording an audio-only podcast, you will need a camera for this (obviously).
Please be aware that to make good video, you will jeopordise your sound. Having a microphone and sound shield in front of your face does not make for good video. Alternatively, having a beautiful video of your face will not be conducive to great audio.
If you do choose to move forward with video, lighting is MASSIVE. Purchase a decent webcam and some lights and this will take you above 95% of the video quality of other video podcasts.
And there we go...
Start with these six steps and watch your podcast soar from nothing to something; from a few listeners to thousands or even millions in the space of a few months.
And if not?
You can now go and pick up freelance work as a podcast producer ;)
Thanks for reading...
