Podcasts are still gaining in popularity. And for good reason - you can use podcasts to fill those empty minutes or hours in the car. You always have a podcast to hand, so you can listen to valuable content at any time.
Podcasts are also a good marketing machine for many entrepreneurs and a way to reach your target group. A great opportunity, but how do you start a podcast?
In this article we will take you step by step through the process of starting and creating a podcast.
What is your mission?
Of course, you don't just start your podcast. You have something to offer or to tell your listeners. Make sure you have a clear idea of what that is. Just don't make it too specific. There are podcasts about entrepreneurship, personal finance, literature, but also about famous criminals for example. Your listener will choose if your podcast is interesting, based on your mission.
Some podcasters want to provide their audience with valuable information, others simply want to entertain, or use their podcasts for marketing purposes. And of course every podcaster wants his listeners to stay. You will succeed when you choose the topics and the guests that fit your mission.
It is therefore important to have a clear vision of your mission or goal and always check new topics and guests against your mission.
Who is your target group?
Recent research shows that podcast listeners are more likely to be male than female, between the ages of 28 and 44 and highly educated. This does not mean that you have to make your podcast suitable for this particular target group.
It is important to know whether your target audience is mainly male or female, how they usually spend their time and at what times they can listen to a podcast. After all, there is no point in producing an hour and a half podcast about children & parenting for women between 25 and 45 who have 30 minutes a day to listen to a podcast quickly.
Choose your format before you start your podcast
Before you even start thinking about the topics you want to reach your audience with, it is important to consider the format you are going to use. The form in which you offer your podcast has an influence on your reach and how you are perceived as a podcaster.
There are different formats for podcasting:
- Interview
- Open discussion
- Panel discussion
- solo-cast
- non-fiction storytelling
- fiction storytelling
Read all about it here 7 types of podcasts.
Listeners like to know what they can expect. A fixed format provides familiarity, people who 'click' with your format can then easily explain to another why they recommend your podcast.
Ultimately, a format not only determines who you reach and how you come across, but also requires different scripting and editing skills. So it's good to make a well-considered choice. In the blog 'Choose the podcasting format that suits you', we go further into the different formats.
Book guests and prepare your podcast
When you have a good guest for your podcast, you might have to convince them to be on your podcast. Make sure you get them excited about your mission and purpose, share information about your target audience and possible reach. Above all, get to know your guest.
Once you have definitely won over the guest, it is advisable to send out a questionnaire. Not too extensive, but with questions about key information. Think of learnings or f***-ups your guest can share, special stories, or interesting views (on the future). But also no-go's are important.
And when you have made your choice of format and the guest is known, you can start designing your script. Don't think you have to write out and script everything word for word... It is very good to have an idea of your main topic, sub-topics, bridges and interesting quotes or data that can support the conversation.
It is important that you have a good idea of the course of your podcast in advance. We will go into this in more detail in the article about writing a script for a podcast.
Ensure good technique and editing
There are pitfalls in podcasting. And poor sound quality is one of the biggest. So make sure you know the right one beforehand. podcast equipment and above all the correct use of it. So start by 'messing around' and experience what works and what doesn't. You can also get used to your own voice ;D. You can also get used to your own voice ;D.
Once you have recorded your podcast, it is important to pay attention to the sound quality when editing and to correct it where necessary. It may also be necessary to edit a bit, or to record connecting texts. Allow enough time for this. A nice jingle completes your podcast.
Where and how often do you publish a podcast?
You might start by producing one podcast a week. We know from experience that it quickly tastes like more. It's often easy to make a podcast, and you'll have a great library up and running in no time. Just make sure you have the right podcast hosting choose, you need to have enough download capacity.
There are several platforms where you can publish your podcast. The best known are:
All these platforms use so-called RSS feeds to upload your podcast. You can easily find this RSS-feed in your hosting environment. And if you can't work it out, you can always consult a helpdesk ;D.
Make sure you reach your audience
You don't make that podcast for yourself. So it's important to spend a lot of your time on marketing too. Maybe you already have channels you can use to promote your podcast. Think of a newsletter, YouTube channel, or social media channels like Instagram and LinkedIn. Spread the word!
What does a podcast cost?
The cost of your podcast depends on how professional you want to be. Are you ordering the best recording equipment and hiring a studio? If so, your costs will naturally be higher than if you were to record your podcast at home.
A professional podcast starts with an investment of an average of €1,200 once for the equipment and €15 a month for hosting. If you want to, you can start a podcast with a budget of just a few € 10,000. If you record your podcast on a laptop with a simple microphone you can reduce your costs enormously. A good hosting provider is essential for your podcast.
Getting started with podcasting
In this article we gave you the basics about launching a podcast. On our blog, you will find more information about podcasting, which is definitely worth taking a look at.
