Did you know one of the main reasons people don’t start a podcast is because they don’t know where to start!
It’s a bit like getting in a car to drive somewhere you’ve never heard of and not knowing which direction to go in.
This post gives you an outline of the 10 steps you should work through to launch your podcast. After you’ve worked through them, you will have a clear plan to podcasting success and you will be feeling way less overwhelmed by the process. Trust me!
Each step includes clear dot-points around what is involved and gives you an idea of what you need to think about before moving on to the next step, so you know with confidence that you haven’t missed anything.
Let’s get into it, shall we?!
#1 Create a strategy
- What is the message you want to share with the world? What is your podcast purpose?
- How will you share your message – interviews, stories, solo shows?
- Identify your audience.
- Tip: make sure they are listening to podcasts and if not, ensure you educate them how to do so.
#2 Choose a podcast title and create a tagline
You’ll want to choose a great podcast title for your show – but do a little research to see if the name has already been taken.
Having a tag is a great way for listeners to be clear about your point of view.
#3 Create the cover art for your podcast
A well-designed podcast cover will grab the attention of your listeners and lead to more subscribers and downloads.
Keep in mind that most people will be looking at their pod catcher app on their mobile device so you want something that will stand out – less is more.
The minimum dimensions are 1400 x 1400 and a maximum is 3000 x 3000 file size of 500kbs.
#4 Write the podcast description
Your copy should be engaging and descriptive, but also include keywords that you’d like to target in the various directories as well.
It should include what the show is about and the benefit of listening, who it’s for and maybe a little about who you are.
#5 Create intro and outro
Purchase or download royalty-free music to use. I highly recommend using Audio Jungle to find the music – be warned…you can go down the rabbit hole.
Record your own intro and outro or find a voice-over artist.
#6 Choose your recording platform and device
Do some research and buy a mic that suits your requirements.
Recommended platforms – Riverside.FM or Squadcast are both great options and give a slightly higher recording quality than Zoom. However, Zoom is also popular if you’re trying to keep the budget down.
Note Squadcast has partnered with Descript so if you sign up for a Descript account, you will get Squadcast as part of your package AND, Descript makes audio and video editing really simple.
Audacity or Garageband are also great for solo recordings.
#7 Download Auphonic
Auphonic is an automatic audio post-production tool which runs your audio file through noise reduction, sound levelling and some other techy processes to improve the audio quality.
- Set up services to distribute your podcast to (eg Libsyn, YouTube, Dropbox).
- Create a pre-set for your podcast info with the various bitrates and levels set for podcast standards.
- Tag each episode with relevant keywords.
#8 Create a hosting account
There are a number of podcast hosting providers that offer very similar services – often the difference is in the analytics. I recommend Captivate FM, Libsyn and Buzzsprout.
Spotify for Podcasters (formerly Anchor) is free and quite popular. This can be a good option if you have a tight budget. However, for business podcasts, I suggest you sign-up to one of the providers above.
#9 Submit your podcast to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon and YouTube
There are many directories you can submit your podcast to – have a look at the options in your hosting platform. But at the very least, ensure you have signed up to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon and YouTube.
#10 Post your podcast on your website and share on social media channels
Create a post for each episode and include the embedded audio player. This is the URL you want to share when you are promoting your podcast episodes everywhere … because, ultimately, we want to send people back to your website.
If you’ve thought about starting a podcast but don’t know where to start and maybe overwhelm set in … you’re in the right place.
Simply book in for a free 30-minute consultation by clicking on the ‘Book Call’ button below and let’s talk about how we can get you started.
We have packages that include your podcast launch and management strategy. We can help you with some or all of the process.
But first, let’s talk about how a podcast will do wonders for your profile and your business growth in a short space of time.
Click on the ‘Book Now’ button for more information.
