Have you ever wondered how to start a podcast? In this post, I’ll be sharing exactly how to start a podcast without the overwhelm.
It seems like people are launching new podcasts left and right these days…and for good reason! As of 2019, there are 700 thousand active podcasts out there and listenership is continuing to grow each and every year.
How to Start a Podcast
In my opinion, there is NO better time to start a podcast than now. Podcasting is hot, hot, hot right now and there is still so much room for growth in all niches.
Remember the blogging boom back in the mid to late 2000s? Now is that time for podcasting.
While podcasting is becoming more popular each year, there are still so many people out there that have no idea what a podcast even is.
In this step-by-step guide, I’m going to share the ins and outs of starting a podcast so that you can connect with your ideal client in a jiffy.
Hi, I’m Jenny! The host of the Savvy Social Hour Podcast and owner of the Savvy Podcast Agency. I started my podcast in January of 2018 in an effort to push myself out of my comfort zone and explore a new avenue that was a little more daunting than blogging.
My podcast addiction began with Serial and hasn’t faded since. I started listening to a few great business podcasts and decided that it was time for me to start my own.
I have always valued community and I knew that starting a podcast would allow me to connect with other female entrepreneurs while also showcasing my own expertise.
What type of podcast should I have?
When you’re first deciding on a podcast, you need to decide on what type of podcast you want to have.
Are you okay with just speaking to the mic solo style or would you prefer to interview guests on various topics?
- Solo
- Interview style
- Mix of the two
Currently, my podcast is a mix of solo and interviews featuring various business topics but will soon shift to being all about podcasting and how to use podcasting to elevate your credibility in your industry. I’ll be doing some solo shows but also chat with my guests about their experience with podcasting, what’s worked for them, what hasn’t, and more.
As an introvert, being able to interview guests has allowed for me to step out of my comfort zone and now I feel like I have become much more confident in myself and a way better interviewer.
Deciding on your niche
When starting your podcast, it’s important to pick a niche. They always say the riches are in the niches and I never really believed that until recently.
If you’re too broad, it will be hard to attract a following so make sure to pick a topic that isn’t so narrow that you’ll run out of ideas but also isn’t so broad that you’ll attract no one.
For example, my podcast is very meta and it’s all about podcasting for podcasters. How to start a podcast, how to launch your podcast, what tools to use, and all things podcasting all the time.
What Equipment Do I Need?
Computer
iMac
MacBook Pro
Microphone
Editing Software
Audacity
Adobe Audition
Recording Software
Headphones
iPhone Headphones
Other Tools
Acuity Scheduling (for booking guests)
ClickUp (project management tool)
Google Drive
ConvertKit (email marketing)
Want to learn how to launch your podcast with a bang? Grab my free podcast launch blueprint today!
How do I get my podcast up and running?
We’re going to dive into the actual recording process a little later but first things first, you’re going to need to utilize a podcast host to get your show out into the world.
There are plenty of hosts out there like Blubry, Pippa, and Anchor but I personally use LibSyn. It is relatively user-friendly and simple enough to use and also has decent analytics.
Your podcast host will create an RSS feed of all of your episodes to send to the different podcast players like Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, and more.
What you want to keep in mind when it comes to starting a podcast is that you will have to submit your show to Apple Podcasts ahead of time for their approval so you’ll want to have a welcome episode ready to go to submit to them at least a week or so before your actual show launch date.
Do I need a website for my podcast?
Although a website is not 100% necessary, I certainly recommend having one so that your listeners have a way to learn more about what was discussed in each episode.
I use my website to share show notes from each episode, house my guest application, and things of that nature.
Having a website for your show also allows for you to optimize your podcast for SEO purposes. Obviously one of your goals is getting in front of more people, and with good SEO techniques, you will be able to do just that.
How many episodes should I launch with?
I recommend launching with at least 3-5 episodes – not including your welcome episode. This will give your audience some episodes to consume and get them excited for the new episodes to come in the future.
How can I market my podcast with a small audience?
You don’t have to have a massive audience to start a podcast. I sure don’t and my podcast continues to grow in popularity each month.
I have found that having people share on social media is one of the most beneficial ways to get your podcast in front of a new audience.
How do I find guests to be on my show?
Personally, when I was first starting I reached out to a ton of my friends in the online space and asked if they wanted to be on my show and most of them were more than happy to.
This will depend on what kind of show you’re running but most people are excited to hop on the mic and share their expertise with your audience.
The logistics of having podcast guests
Once you have found your ideal podcast guests, now it’s time to coordinate schedules. I recommend using something like Acuity so that your guests can easily schedule a time to chat with you on the podcast.
Acuity also offers an intake form which you can use to collect your guest’s headshot, bio, website URL, and social media handles so that you won’t be scrambling to get this all together the day before their episode goes live.
My Acuity account integrates directly with my Google Calendar so as soon as someone books an appointment with me, it pops up on my calendar with all the necessary information and allows for no one else to book a call with me during that time slot.
Then I will have my virtual assistant grab all the necessary information from Acuity and put into ClickUp, my project management tool of choice.
How to Keep Up with Your Podcast Workflow
Using a project management tool helps you keep up with all of the moving parts of running a podcast. In ClickUp, we put absolutely everything from recording the actual episode to editing the episode to writing the show notes so that nothing slips through the cracks.
Personally, I send my guests questions the day before we are set to record so that they have an idea of what kinds of questions I’ll be asking on the recording so they aren’t completely caught off guard.
In this email, I also include the Zoom link where they’ll meet me at to record in addition to a few housekeeping rules like wearing headphones during the recording.
Recording & Editing Your Podcast
Here at the Savvy Podcast Agency, we’re all about making things as easy as possible which is why we record our podcast with Zoom and use Audacity to edit.
I know that was a ton of information so I hope I didn’t completely overwhelm you, but if I did – no worries! We can certainly help you launch and/or manage your podcast on a monthly basis. Book your free call here.
