So you want to create a successful podcast? Look no further!
It is evident that podcasting has become a large part of everyday mainstream media consumption.
Podcasts are typically an episodic series, in audio-visual or simply audio formats. Most commonly, they are posted digitally online so that users can download and listen on-the-go, whenever they want.
It is a fantastic creative medium to fully enrich yourself into valuable conversations, about topics that matter to you. According to Podcast Insights, there are currently over 2 million active podcasts, so if you’re thinking about starting one, you’ve come to the right place.
Podcasting will be a $4 billion industry by 2024 https://t.co/CDoD3KA6rO via @Verge #podcasting @Audioboom #BOOM
— Chris Akers (@sportschris) May 11, 2022
In this article we’re going to give a simple guide on how to get started and all the important nitty-gritty’s you need to consider in order to make a successful podcast.
Successful Podcast Step 1: Planning
The first stage is to sit down and carefully plan out the fundamental pieces that will bring your podcast together.
It’s important to configure a topic for your podcast, as this will help define the tone and in some ways can align with why you want to host your own show in the first place.
If you’re looking to discuss serious, world-news topics, then your intent would be to raise awareness and educate your listeners.
On the other hand, if you are seeking to produce more light-hearted, entertainment podcasts, your tone of voice and intent will be drastically different.
Upon choosing a theme, in order to maintain a successful podcast, it is recommended to discuss things you are passionate about, that resonates with others and that you can commit to over-time.
Another vital part during the planning stage is to come up with a catchy, memorable name for your show.
Whether you’re looking to get experimental and incorporate some fun word-play, or you want you actual name to be apart of the title, the choice is yours! PS. that’s one of the best parts about podcasts (free creative reign).
Take a look here for some of the most successful podcast names out there and a detailed look as to how you can come up with the perfect name.
Successful podcast step 2: Organization
In order to create a successful podcast, it is highly important to conduct your research prior to filming and properly strategize, in order to boost your credibility to your audience.
The key is to keep episodes concise and ensure you maintain the attention of your listeners.
It is reported, that on average, listeners of a podcast tend to focus on one particular topic for no more than 10-15 minutes. That just goes to show, that the format and way you present your opinions and discussions is super important to keep things interesting!
By drawing up a plan, detailing the content of each episode and through creating a posting schedule, you are able to stay consistent and boost your productivity. Additionally, by visually seeing your calendar you can ensure to touch base on various areas within a topic and avoid repeating certain themes.
Within each episode you should be tracking & presenting:
- Episode number
- Title of Episode
- The topic
- Provide the link
- Short description
- Publishing date
Successful podcast step 3: Production
In order to create a podcast of high-standard, your production process must be high quality and recorded in an environment that is suitable for a recording session.
Finding a quiet space and purchasing a good microphone is paramount.
Regardless of whether you aim to create a solely audio-focused podcast series or wish to include video recordings, starting off with a good set up saves you so much time during the editing phase.
Thanks to technology, it no longer takes months to start how to record and edit audio or videos.
There are lots of great softwares available out there that are available to record your podcast on. Some of our top picks:
- Audacity
- Logic Pro X
- Garage Band
- Adobe Audition
A number one choice amongst Podcasters tends to be Audacity, which is a free, easy-to-use audio editor and recorder.
The software allows you to record live audios, convert certain files into digital recordings, cut, copy and slice sounds, and adjust the effects.
Successful Podcast step 4: Post-production
So you’ve recorded your podcast episode, it’s now time to edit it and make sure all irrelevant parts or background noises are cut out.
Going back to Step 2, you should have already devised a set time-length for each episode – therefore, it should be a lot easier to decipher what you want to edit out and keep.
A pro tip is to make sure you regularly save your files on an external drive, so that if you lose your recording, your hard work and time spent editing isn’t put to waste.
If you’re not confident enough in your editing skills or simply don’t have the time, outsourcing a professional editor would be a good idea and luckily are relatively easy to find.
Once your podcast episode is recorded and edited, you will need to distribute it.
Now, one of the keys to a successful podcast is to reach as many listeners as possible and you can do this by ensuring it is available on multiple platforms.
Soundcloud
Soundcloud is one of the most popular audio-listening platforms out there, this is great because a large community could mean a bigger pool of listeners on your series.
You can upload your pocast manually or via a cross-platform tool, in order to do either you will have to pay a small monthly fee.
Spotify
Everyone knows Spotify for music, but in fact, there are over 3.6 million Podcasts on the platform!
It is a highly advanatageous service for getting your podcasts out there but you would need to promote your published episode across your other social media channels to drive traffic.
Stitcher
Stitcher is a free podcast application that is super easy to navigate. In fact, there are very few requirements necassary to distribute your podcast with Stitcher.
It is known to be extra helpful at attracting new listeners from various countries, and has been downloaded more than 12 million times.
Libsyn
Libsyn is a well-recognized tool in the pocast world, known for helping getting your podcast on major podcast platforms like Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify and more.
The website states it has ‘A 100% compliant Apple Podcasts optimized RSS feed, and powerful integrations connect you to your audience on all their favorite platforms.’
YouTube
Uploading your podcast onto YouTube is really a no-brainer, as perhaps the worlds largest video sharing site, it is home to thousands of the best podcasts out there.
From True Crime podcasts, to slightly more explicit topics covered on the No Jumper show, there is something for everyone and this makes it ideal for podcasts that contain video footage elements.
Successful podcast step 5: Tracking
The last step to a successful podcast is to keep consistent with posting. A daily episode is a bit too much, but a weekly publishing frequency is most common.
Data extracted from Megaphone reveals that the majority of podcasters publish the newest episodes on Wednesday, Tuesday, and Thursday.
Creating a routine allows your listeners to know when to expect an episode and by leaving some space in between each one gives them the time to look forward to the next release.
It is pivitol to evaluate the ROI of your podcast and there are some ways in which you can do so:
- Number of downloads or listeners
- Ad revenue from sponsors
- Traffic to site & conversions
- Your relationship with listeners
- Numbers subscribed to your RSS feeds
- Overall reviews & ranking
Podcasts are one of the best ways that you can express yourself freely and engage with your audience in 2022, on matters that you are passionate about.
The format in which they are produced and recieved make them to be highly convenient for consumers and relatively low-cost to create.
By following these easy steps above, you can get started to use your platform for things that matter to you whilst increasing the growth and value of your podcast production.
What are your favourite podcasts? Let us know @itpliveme on Twitter.