Starting a podcast in 2023 is a fantastic idea! Podcasts are continuing to grow and there is no better way to create a connection with your audience. Not only will you create a close community of followers who will want to learn from you, you'll also create a stronger personal brand by connecting directly with your potential clients.
They have to get to know you first! A Podcast is a great introduction.
5 Steps to Start a Podcast:
Step 1: Sparks
Step 2: Script
Step 3: Set-Up
Step 4: Schedule
Step 5: Send it!
Step 1) Sparks
The first thing you need to start a podcast is something to talk about. Start by writing down any idea that comes to your mind that might be interesting to talk about. Make a list on your phone, or keep a journal. Write down any and every idea that comes to mind. You can edit the list later.
FYI We use Trello to keep track of our content ideas - it's a great way to stay organized.
What topics are you passionate about? What would your potential clients love to listen to? What fields are you an expert in? Remember, you probably know WAY more than you think about your chosen field. For example, if you're a musician, you can talk about everything from tuning your instrument to experiences at shows to marketing, composition, editing, funny stories... anything!
People will love to soak up any knowledge you might have.
Step 2) Script
Each week, pick one idea from your sparks list - either choose one at random or whichever one seems to light you up the most in that moment. Take 30 minutes and flesh the idea out. Write down your opinions, advice, your knowledge on the subject, or questions that you might have.
Is there someone else that might know a lot more about this subject than you?
Invite them as a guest!
Step 3) Recording Set-Up
Now that you have some ideas fleshed out and ready to talk about, you're going to have to get set up to record! Lucky for you, the gear is great! You'll need a couple of things to get started.
To keep things brief, you are going to need a microphone that plugs into your computer and a recording software. I will mention that microphones that plug right into your computer, or USB mics, are lower quality. If you want to get awesome audio, you're going to want to upgrade to a mic that uses an XLR Cable and an Audio Interface
USB Mics: (Lower Quality)
Online Software
Step 4) Schedule
Now that you have your topics ready to go, and an awesome recording set-up, it's time to plan out your podcast schedule. Just get it in your calendar!
You can use Calendly to automatically schedule time in your calendar with podcast guests.
Plan out your week including script-fleshing out, set-up, recording, and distribution. Once you have it in your calendar it's much easier to stick to the plan. If you want to invite guests, make sure to reach out to them a few weeks ahead of time and send them some questions or topics to talk about.
Step 5) Send it!
Now that your podcast is recorded, it's time to let people hear it! Depending on your website platform, you may be able to host your podcast directly on your website. Restream allows you to share your podcast to many different social media sites, and BuzzSprout will post your podcast on all the major podcasting platforms like Spotify and iTunes.
Spread the word in person and remember to use good keywords in your titles and descriptions!
Happy Tracking...
Max DeVincenzo
CEO/Founder, Fox Tracks Music