Now, we all know trends come and go, so you might have been a
little bit sceptical about the podcasting 'fad' in the beginning.
However, as many have come to realise, podcasting is a trend that is
here to stay as it continues to gain more traction every year.
As it is, Demand Sage states that 2023 already has
464.7 million global podcast listeners and believes this estimate will increase to
504.9 million by the end of 2024.
So, there is
definitely a high enough demand for podcasts; the only thing you have left to figure out now is how to go about starting one.
Curious to know what it takes to be a podcaster?
Then listen in as media update's Lara Smit discusses five things you should know if you want to start a podcast:
1. Find your niche
According to LinkedIn, there are up to
47 reasons why people listen to podcasts (and counting). Of these reasons, we found that people primarily listen to podcasts to:
- find motivation or inspiration
- learn new things
- feel socially connected, and
- fully immerse themselves in topics of interest.
And one of the most appealing parts of podcasts is that people can do
all of this on the go.
But like with most entertainment and educational mediums, people will generally engage if the content is related to a topic, theme, or genre that they are curious about or have an interest in.
So, as a podcast creator, you have to tap into their curiosity and interest by taking a deep dive into niche subjects. It's your job to offer them the motivation, knowledge, connectedness and stimulation they crave from a podcast.
Now, here's where you have to do a bit of introspection. You need to decide, which niche you have enough
understanding and
experience in to share with your listeners in a podcast. This is especially important if you would like to make your podcast sustainable over a long period.
What's more is, with
five million podcasts out there, creating a specialised podcast will help you to stand out in the crowd. However, this simultaneously makes it incredibly hard to find a niche that someone hasn't already tapped into.
Therefore, you need to consider how you will make your podcast unique in comparison. This can be achieved through your distinctive perspective or your idiosyncratic personality with which you deliver your ideas. Additionally, it could be achieved through sharing your experiences within that field or topic.
These are all things that you have to decide when you initially create your podcast.
2. Be in top tech shape
To ensure that your episodes are always of good quality, it is
essential that you consider investing in equipment and software that will make your recordings crisp and clear to listeners.
So, what do you need?
The quality of generic microphones that are built into our devices and headphones, unfortunately, won't cut it if you are trying to create a professional quality podcast. Therefore, a simple solution is to invest in an external microphone that you can plug into your devices via a USB.
To enhance the quality of your recordings even more,
Buffer recommends that you use audio software like
Podcastle and
Anchor to upload and edit them. Another good option to look at is
Audacity.
3. Find podcasting platforms
There are an endless amount of podcasting hosting platforms that you can publish your content on. Some of these include:
However, if you want to be a big player in the podcasting world, it's essential to upload your content to major podcasting networks like
YouTube,
Apple and
Deezer. And if you use an audio software like Anchor, you're already halfway to publishing your content onto
Spotify.
4. Have a content plan
It's impossible to know exactly how many series and episodes you will create in your podcasting career. However, it's still good to start things off with a plan.
Start with the basics:
- Decide what you would like the overarching topic to be for your series.
- Break this topic into episodes, ensuring that each episode builds onto your previous episode to create interest for the next one.
- Develop an outline for every episode that summarises each point you would like to discuss in them.
- Create a script for each episode to ensure that you address all your points and that you don't spend too much time thinking while you are recording.
If you're wondering how many episodes you should plan for,
Jon Savage suggests creating a plan for about 50 episodes at a time. But, if you believe you can address your overarching topic in less time, don't stress too much about reaching the 50 mark.
Lastly, decide when you would like to publish your episodes and how many you would like to publish at a time. Is it daily? Weekly? Or would you like to publish the series all at once?
This will give you a good structure to work from to manage your time and construct your plan.
5. Know what to expect
With five million podcasts out there, the industry is pretty competitive. So, although we all wish it could happen, a podcast isn't
always an overnight success.
Therefore, it is important to remember that it will take time for your podcast to attract and build an audience. This makes it essential to be patient and to continuously work on your podcast project, even if you aren't always seeing the results that you wanted.
What else do you think podcasting newbies should know? Let us know in the comments section below.
*Image courtesy of Canva