Have you ever wondered about what a podcast is and how does it work? Or have you ever stepped a bit ahead and thought of starting a podcast of your own?
These questions are genuine because the podcast industry is booming with 55% of new users tuning into its market in 2020. The two main reasons for its growth as it has lower barriers for entry and does not require a lot of technical equipment. You only have to decide your goal in this market and have a flair for creating engaging stuff.
To help you reach your goals, here is a complete guide on how to start a podcast!
Things to Decide Before Starting a Podcast
Once you have decided to start a podcast, there are a few questions you will have to ask yourself.
The very basic thing before starting a podcast is to decide what your podcast is going to be about? Think about your areas of interest or expertise. Make sure that you understand the things you are going to talk about so that you can convey it better. You should be choosing a topic that is unique and interesting. If you feel like you don’t know enough, you can always consider reading more about it.
Next thing is the naming and branding. You have to come up with a unique name for your podcast. It should give a slight idea about the genre and content of your podcast. The cover of your podcast should go hand in hand with your tone and appeal to the target audience.
You also have to consider if you are ready to give a long-term commitment to podcasting. It takes months and years to grow your following. It also requires a significant amount of energy and time. If you feel like you need a team to create content and to host the conversations in the podcast, make sure you build one which is committed to your project. At the same time, you can also choose to be a one-man show!
The last thing you need to decide is the schedule. Think about how often you are going to create a podcast and the frequency of sharing it with your audience. It can be weekly, biweekly, monthly, or seasonal. It is going to depend on your goal of starting your podcast.
Tips for Writing, Recording and Editing Your Podcast
Once you are done deciding all the things mentioned above, we are ready with the tips of writing, recording, and editing your podcast.
You have to start with your podcast bearing in mind that the first few episodes of your podcast are going to be rough. Give it a start with the formatting of your episodes. Decide if it is going to be scripted or you are going to do freestyling of your thoughts on the mic. A little bit of organization and outlining of the topic always helps you to keep you from straying too far off-topic though.
After formatting, think about the length of your episode. An ideal length would be half an hour of podcasting, but it is always good to start with a shorter one which can be squeezed easily into the schedule of your audience.
Get your creative juices flowing and come up with a compelling title for your podcast, which should be unique and able to grab your listener’s attention. Don’t forget to create a catchy and real description for your podcast before putting it on hosting sites. Bullet points, timestamps, and transcripts in the description are going to help your listeners.
Recording Your Podcast
The ultimate goal is to record your podcast. You can record your podcast even on a smartphone but for a professionally produced show, you are going to need microphones, a USB audio interface, and a pair of stereo headphones. Make sure the recorded audio is clear and audible. Capture various takes if needed.
Once done with the recording you should use editing software like Cool Edit Pro, Reaper, and Ableton etc. to make the audio crisp and perfect with all the required effects.
Releasing and Marketing Your Podcast
The last step is to put your podcast onto streaming platforms and promoting it. Make your audience know about it using your social media and other tools of marketing. Spread it in your circles, and ask for the feedback.
There is a lot that goes after starting your podcast but hopefully, now you have an idea of how starting a podcast looks like.
Elina John is a self-professed security expert; she has been making the people aware of the security threats. Her passion is to write about Cyber security, cryptography, malware, social engineering, internet and new media. She writes for norton security products at norton.com/setup.
Source :- https://qmorton.com/a-beginners-guide-to-starting-a-podcast/
