Today’s episode is all about PODCASTING! If you’re a podcast junkie you may have had the thought floating around the back of your head to start your own podcast! GREAT! But, where the heck do you start??

Today we’re breaking down the first 3 steps to getting started with a podcast. Before getting into the podcasting world, we had a LOT of these same questions. We’re going to break it down for you today from picking your niche, setting up your format, all the way to gear, and software.

If you’re wanting to start your own podcast or if you’re just curious about the behind the scenes of how we run ours, this is going to be a fun show.

 

Why are podcasts important?

Podcasts are so personal and intimate. When you hear someone’s voice, it brings you into a deeper level of connection with that person. It’s more of a conversation and feels like you are talking with friends. 

When listening to podcasts, you can multi-task. People often listen on a walk, on their commute, while cleaning, or working. It’s unlike stories on Instagram or a Youtube video where you generally are watching as well. 

As a business or a brand, it positions you as an expert and authority on a topic in your field. 

Here’s how to get started:

 

1. Pick a niche & title

You want it to be specific so it comes up in searches. People usually don’t listen to podcasts on general topics but rather on specific ones. For example, business podcasts, faith podcasts, history podcasts, etc. It’s typically very topical. 

What do you want to be talking about? What are your expertise or passions? Who is your ideal audience? Keep these in mind when choosing your niche.

Keep searchability at the forefront of your mind. If you are trying to get attention and listeners, intentionally choose a niche and a title that are both searchable and that people will be looking for. 

Titles are important. Make sure it is searchable and reflective of the show. For example, we infuse our faith and our heart into all that we do. That is why we named our show Heart & Hustle. It combines the two things we are passionate about. The title is indicative of what you can expect in the show.

If you are not known for your name, we would recommend your title be more specific of what listeners can expect from your show as a whole. If you do have a platform and are already a leader in your space, don’t be afraid to use your name in the title.

Be clear in your title, category, and photo for searchability. 

 

2. Workflow & Format

There are a ton of different formats in podcasts. This is where the creativity can come in. 

We do our intro first and record this after our interview. Then we play the theme song. We hired a voice-over artist on Fiverr and paired it with royalty-free music.  Next, is our body of the podcast. Finally, we have our outro. We just fade ours out to music but others may do a final summary of the podcast. There are also ads to think about. 

Think about what you want your show to look like from both your perspective and your audience’s perspective. How do you want them to feel when listening to the show? Do you want it to feel more punchy and to the point? Or, do you want it to feel like a girlfriend chat? Knowing your vibe will help dictate the format of the show. 

Is it conversational or more structured? Do you want to write outlines, scripts, or wing it? How often do you plan to post? What days do you plan to post? Solo show only or will it have guests? Solo host or multiple hosts? If multiple will you be recording in the same location or different?

Batching shows is really helpful. We block off Mondays and record all our episodes. This allows us to batch in advance. 

 

3. Gear & Software

You do not need anything fancy! You can start with your phone headphones with a built in mic if you want! If you want to upgrade your mic, you can use mics from Blue. We use Blue Yetis. If you do use your headphones, make sure your hair does not get on the mics. You mainly need a mic and a laptop.

Find a space that’s as quiet as possible. Don’t choose a large echoey room! We both sit in our closets!

You want to make sure your listeners are having a good listener experience.

Educate guests, if your podcast includes guests, on the best way to record. Encourage them to get into a small or sound proof room and tell them to plug in their headphones. Make sure to put this information out to your guests to adequately prepare them.

Choose a hosting platform sucha as Libsyn, Buzzsprout, or Blubrry. You upload your podcast to these platforms and then they send it out to all the podcast platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, and Stitcher. 

We use Calendly for guest scheduling. This is great, especially when you have two cohosts with two different schedules. When we reach out to guests we send them our Calendly link and it allows them to schedule what time works best for them. This makes it streamlined and avoids all the back and forth. 

Finally, you need a way to record! We use Zencastr. Some others you can use are Ringr, Skype, and Zoom. We love using Zencastr and Ringr because it allows us to record separate tracks.

Don’t let the technicality or payment of things stop you. At the bare minimum, you can do everything for free other than the subscription to Libsyn. Progress is better than perfection. Get out there and get out of your head. You can always grow and get better equipment as you progress. 

Don’t let the fear of not nailing it on the first try stop you from actually doing it. Just put it out there and get over yourself. It can be scary but it’s worth it. 

 

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