So you’ve decided to enter the world of podcasting? Welcome aboard! It is an extremely exciting time in the podcast industry. Especially if you take note of the recent YouGov market research survey which labelled podcasts as one of the biggest growth opportunities for UK media in 2023. Podcast listeners have doubled in the last decade and over 19.1 million people listen to podcasts across Britain, that is 40% more now compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic. Moral of the story? There is a big audience waiting for you in the podcast space! It can be difficult to know where to start when starting your own podcast… But fear not! We have 5 top tips on what to consider when starting a podcast to make sure that you set off in the right direction.
1. Establish your ‘what’ and ‘why’ right from the start
Before you do anything, consider this – if someone asks you what your podcast is about, can you answer them? Not only will this ensure you streamline your journey to getting your podcast up and running, it will also help the content of the podcast remain relevant and true to the overall branding of your new venture. It is also important to establish why you have decided to create this specific podcast. Is there a gap in the market? Is it something you feel particularly passionate about? Is it to boost another business venture?
Our suggestion?
Start by making a list of your goals for your podcast. We’re not suggesting you get a diary and write down all your hopes and dreams. Just make a short list of what you want to achieve with your podcast. Make sure to keep this handy so that whenever you are feeling stuck for inspiration, you can remind yourself of those goals and use them to help inform future decisions. Now do the same, but answering the question of what your podcast is. Ask yourself what topic your podcast will cover, what your niche is and what the structure of your podcast will be (will it be an interview, a chat between two hosts etc…). We are willing to bet that once you have these things written down, your podcast will start writing itself!
2. Focus on who your audience is and what you are bringing to them
Yes, you should be passionate about your podcast topic. If not, you could be setting yourself up for a very boring and arduous task! However, you also need to make sure that you are not the only one who is going to find your podcast interesting. Consider who you will be speaking to. Think in terms of both demographics and interests. Is it a younger audience who is interested in fitness? An older audience looking to do some more travelling? Whatever the case, you should know who you are aiming your content at. Once you have this established, consider why that audience should care about what you have to say. Always see it through their eyes and ask yourself whether you would sit and listen to your podcast or not, were you sat in their position.
Our suggestion?
Draw up your ideal listener. Make a note of their rough age, what they do for a living, what their hobbies are, anything that you think might be a relevant piece of information. And don’t be afraid to go into detail! Give them a name if it helps! Then, every time you create a podcast episode, consider whether your ideal listener would care about and enjoy it. Sometimes you have to start something to know the right way to do it, so that may mean that your ideal listener changes. Once you are up and running, engage with your audience. Ask them for feedback or encourage them to get involved. This will give you a good gauge on who is listening to your podcast and who you should be aiming your content at.
3. Whilst you don’t need to spend a fortune, ensure you have a good quality set-up
When you are just starting your podcast, we aren’t suggesting you go and spend insane amounts of money on podcast equipment and a fancy studio set-up. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t actually need all of that in order to produce high-quality content. For long-term success of your podcast, you should consider investing in simple, minimal podcast equipment that doesn’t cost huge amounts of money and take hours to figure out and set-up. Instead consider equipment that will produce the best audio and video quality possible for your podcast’s particular purposes.
Our suggestion?
A popular choice for podcast equipment is a plug-and-play podcast microphone. A minimal option that produces high-quality audio. Considering video podcasting? Whilst you can invest in a camcorder and a tripod, an external webcam should work just fine for those who are just kicking things off.
4. Be prepared to plan and organise
Podcasting takes A LOT of planning and organising. Whilst you may feel passionate about your chosen topic and know all there is to know, the behind-the-scenes work is just as important and is actually the most time-consuming element. Before each episode you will need to write a script – or at least detailed prompts – to avoid hours of editing, you will need to create show notes following recording to use as a description of the episode’s content amongst other things.
Our suggestion?
Create a checklist of tasks you will need to complete to make each episode successful. Here is an example to help you on your way:
- Draft topic ideas
- Reach out to your network for potential interviewees
- Write podcast script
- Schedule recording
- Record any sponsored content
- Record the episode
- Edit the episode
- Write your show notes and description
- Create a transcript of your episode
- Write and schedule any accompanying content to promote the podcast
5. Make sure you are on top of your online presence
Sorry to be the ones to break it to you, simply recording a podcast and uploading it to your selected hosting platform is not enough… You need to attract listeners and that is done through building an online presence with a well-functioning website and a strategic social media presence.
Our suggestion?
Your website is not something you will want to cut costs on and create half-heartedly. It will be a key platform for listeners to find out more about you and operates as the face of your podcast as a brand. We are not suggesting you spend lots and lots of money on it, but we do suggest you seek advice and ensure your website functions well and is SEO-optimised. We also suggest you invest time into your social media presence. As your podcast grows you will find that your community on social media will consist of the majority of your listeners and that will be the perfect platform to alert them of new episodes or updates to the podcast they may need to know about. We hope that has helped you and made the task of starting your podcast journey seem less daunting. Get in touch if you have any questions, or want us to do any of the heavy lifting for you! Good luck, can’t wait to listen to your podcast.
