There are many reasons why people start podcasting.
- To build an audience or following
- To increase your existing audience or following
- Promote a product
- Make money
- Have fun
I started my podcast for some portion of all of these reasons.
The most important thing to do in starting your podcast is TO START!. Don't waste time trying to build a studio or figuring out the best recording software, you can work on this as you go and you can always change.
When I started, I read a statistic that the average podcast only last 9 episodes. I set my initial goal to make it past 9 episodes. I am not going to lie, but getting to nine episodes was not easy. When you start, everything is a little harder so just making an episode can take longer. Also, determining each episode and content was a challenge and actually continues to be a challenge.
My first recommendation for beginners is to map out your first five to ten episodes if possible. Some podcasters will pre-record their first handful of episodes and schedule their release. My podcast is more topical and is based a lot on events of the day so that makes in more challenging. But, I still try and plan on what I am going to discuss and I also have a list of topics that are more evergreen that I can use during a slow news cycle.
Publish, publish, publish. Keep publishing episodes, even if the episode is only a five minute episode.
Another recommendation is not to worry about the length of your podcast. The average podcast length is about 35 minutes but if you only have seven minutes of content, then just publish seven minutes. Seven minutes of quality content is better than trying to create a 30 minute episode of average content.
My episodes are typically 10 - 15 minutes.
Hosting
You will need to determine a provider to host your podcast. Below are a few of the better ones.
I use Buzzsprout which I recommend. They offer a free plan that offers most of the same benefits of their paid plans with only a limitation on the number of hours you can upload per month. Also, they have a limit on how long you can retain your podcasts. Some of the features they offer are:
- Advanced statistics
- Podcast website
- Custom embedded players
- Registered into all major directories
I like Buzzsprout because they really focus on small to medium podcasters so they provide a lot of training and education to help podcasters create, manage and grow their podcast.
Recording/Editing Software
The two options I would recommend for recording and editing software is Garage Band for Mac users and Audacity for PC users. They are both free and not too difficult to learn. I use Audacity since I am a Window user and have not had any challenges.
Microphone
There are a lot of options for microphones. Below are a few and I use the Audio Technica ATR 2100X.
You can also just record it using voice memos on your smart phone. The key thing is to just start and don't let things like your microphone or software slow you down.
When I started my podcast, I didn't have any expectations. I didn't promote it or really tell anyone about it but people started listening. I have had almost 1000 downloads and they have been steadily growing.
I hope this is helpful and encouraging. You don't have to invest a lot of money to start podcasting and you don't have to be a professional broadcaster.
Just get out there and have fun.
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