I am sure that you have heard the word ‘Podcast’ but if you have every considered setting up your own Podcast, hopefully this short guide will be of help to you.
In this short guide, we will highlight a few of the main steps you need to take, when setting up your own Podcast. We will also discuss how you can then make money from your Podcast, once it is up and running.
Firstly, you need to determine what type of Podcast you want to set up and what topic or niche, your podcast will be about. The key to picking the right Podcast for you, is simply to ensure that you choose a topic or niche that you yourself are passionate about and really love to talk about. For example, is there a specific hobby you have a great interest in, is there an area or industry to which you are a professional or expert in.
Ask yourself this question:
The topic you choose, would you be happy to talk about on a regular basis, to a small amount of people or no people at all?
Now this may seem a strange question to ask, whether you would be happy talking to no one but in the early day of setting up your Podcast, you may have a very small audience or none at all, which can be a little disheartening!
Format
The next step, is to decide a format and structure for your Podcast and one of the easiest ways to do this, is to listen to several other different Podcasts and Podcasts which cover the same topic you will be talking about yourself. Write down all the best things you like about these Podcasts, as well as all the things that you think you could improve with them. Doing this simple task, will allow you to format and structure your Podcast to the best it can be at the start. Then, once you are established and your audience grows, you can tweak your format and structure as you grow, that will optimise the experience for your listeners.
Name
Just like with any other business, organisation or brand you set up, choosing the right name it a major part of any business or brand. You should ensure the name you choose is a memorable one and one that can be found in the Search Engines and Podcast Directories. It is a good idea to have the topic of your Podcast in your name if possible, so that it will be found when people type ceratin keywords in the Search Engine. There are a few other things you need to check before you run with your name and set up your Podcast and they are:
Make sure no other Podcast has the same name as yours.
Ensure there is a Domain Name available for your name. Find Your Domain Name
Check Social Media to see if the name is available for accounts.
Equipment
There are so many different type of Podcast kit and equipment available but there are certain things that you will require to get started.
Microphone: A dynamic cardioid microphone is a good microphone for podcasters to start with and there are a number of different microphones you can choose.
Sampson Q2U
Audio-Technica ATR 2100 USB
Audio-Technica AT2005USB
Any microphone like the ones above, will be ideal for starting your Podcast.
Podcast Starter Kit
Podcast Editing Software
After you have recorded you Podcasts, you will want to edit it, so that it sounds good, professional and ready for your listeners to listen to. Ther are now many different types of editing software for Podcasts and they vary in price. Some are free with limited facilities and other are software that you will need to pay for but offer a much wider range of facilities. If you are starting your Podcast on a budget and wish to keep your costs down, then one of the free Podcast editing software packages, may be worth trying.
Audacity FREE: Audacity, is a very popular editing software that provides you with everything you need for editing your Podcasts at the beginning. Audacity is FREE to use and a great product to use at first, if you want to keep your costs low.
Adobe Audition: Paid
Hindenburg: Paid
Pro Tools: Paid
Record Several Podcasts In Advance
At the beginning, it is advisable to pre-record several Podcast in advance. Not only will this provide you with a number of Podcasts that you can put out, even if you are busy and don’t have time to record any new one but it also allows you to see just how long the whole process of recording and editing an episode of your Podcast actually takes. It will also let you know more about what your release schedules will be. In the beginning, don’t give yourself too much work and releasing one Podcast per week or one every fortnight would be advisable. As your audience grows and you yourself become more confident with recording and editing your Podcasts, then you can think about increasing the number of Podcasts that you release each week.
Design
Obviously, there will be certainly things that will require logos and other artwork and if you are the creative type and are good with design software, then you will be able to design your own graphics. However, if you are not an ‘Arty’ type of person, then outsourcing your Graphic Design may be your best option. Using platforms such as Fiverr, you will be able to find a large amount of graphic Designers, who will design your artwork for a small fee.
Social Media
Set up your Social Media accounts. Once again, in the beginning, don’t go overboard by setting up a large number of Social Media accounts that you simply cannot keep up with and updated.
Hosting, Domain and RSS Feeds
Purchasing your Domain Name and hosting, will be the next step, which allows you to then set up your RSS feeds. There are many different Podcast Hosting companies available and there pricing plans vary. Some offer free account but they have limited facilities.
Some platforms host your mp3 your RSS feed and with some they provide you with a custom URL. Obviously, which Podcast Hosting company you choose, is your choice and you should pick one that best suits your needs. Below, are some of the most popular Hosting companies for Podcasts:
Podbean
Captivate
Buzzsprout
Transistor
Simplecast
Castos
Libsyn
Podcast Directories
There are a large number of different Podcast Directories, that allow you to promote and market your Podcast. One of the largest and most popular directories for Podcasts is iTunes but below are a number of really god one to consider:
iTunes
Spotify
Google Podcasts
Stitcher
Tuneln
Spreaker
Google Play Music
Blubrry
Digital Podcast
iPodder
Youtube
Soundcloud
The more Podcast directories you can list your Podcast on, will obviously increase your potential target audience.
Once you have successfully submitted your Podcast to the relevant directories, it will be time to launch your Podcast, to your captive audience.
Market and Promote Your Podcast
The art of finding the right target audience, is to find relevant groups of people who will be interested in your Podcast and what you have to say. For example, if your Podcast is all about Golf, then you should join Groups and Forums that are in that specific niche. Go into these Groups and Forums and start chatting with people but do not go in and spam everone in the Groups or Forums, asking them to listen to your Podcast. That will only result in people becoming annoyed and you getting deleted from the Groups and Forums. The best way, is to join the Groups and Forums and as I said previously, talk with people. When they ask you what you do, then that is the time to tell them about your Podcast. Chances are, they will check out your Podcast and have a listen and hopefully become a regular listener!
As your Podcast following grows, then look at ways to improve your Podcasts. Listen to each one you record and analyse them, to see where you can make improvements. Doing this will not only ensure your Podcast stay fresh and current and don’t become boring but they will keep your listeners happy too!
Making Money From Your Podcast
Podcasting is great, it gives you a chance to spread your message, connect with your audience and interview amazing people. However, it is also a great way to start making money but how do you make money with a podcast?
As great as setting up a podcast for your brand and for your business maybe, it also provides you with the ability to generate revenue and that really makes it a powerful marketing tool.
Sponsorship
Sponsorship maybe one of the obvious ways to make money from Podcasts but it is one of the most popular ways. The concept of getting sponsorship for your Podcast, is quite simple and works by someone or a company sponsoring your Podcast and in return for the money they give, you provide them with exposure. This could be something as simple and mentioning them in your Podcasts on a regular basis, running competition for there products, giving them guest slots on your show to promote their business, products or services or other ways.
The amount of money you can generate from sponsorship, is determined by many different factors such as, how many listeners you have, how long your Podcast has been running, what your Podcast is about and what niche market you target.
Paid Advertising
Paid advertising is a popular way that many Podcaster make money with podcasts. The difference between sponsorship and paid advertising, is that people will pay acertain fee to have their ads on your podecasts. These ads could be paid for on an individual ad basis or on a bulk ad basis. The company, person or business who is advertising on your Podcast can either record the ads themselves or ask you to record them. The most sort after time for ads to be played are generally at the beginning of the Podcast, in the middle and at the end.
Once again, the amount you can earn and charge for paid advertising, is determined by the same factors as previously mentioned which are size of your audience, time you have been running and the topic and niche market of your Podcast.
Offers, Products, Affiliate Products and Joint Ventures
The bigger your Podcast gets, means you will attract a large number of listeners. The more listeners you have, means the more traffic your can send to specific offers. Now, these offers can either be offers for your own products or other people’s products and services.
Now, if you have your own products to sell, then that is great and you can simply just drive your listeners to offers to your own products or services. However, if you do not have any products or service of your own, don’t worry because there are millions of products you can sell through becoming an Affiliate with other people and companies. Affiliate Marketing, is a great way to make money Online and if you are interested in learning more about Affiliate Marketing, you can read more on the following page: Make Money From Affiliate Marketing
Another way to make money from your Podcast, is to joint Venture with other Marketers. You could have them come and talk on your show as a guest about their new product or service and the money that they generate from sales via your Podcast cast will be shared between you and the product owner.