Your dummy-proof guide to (finally) starting a podcast

As of January, this year, there are 464 million podcast listeners worldwide. And that's a number that's projected to reach 504.9 million by the end of 2024.

And while we do not need more half-brained highly opinionated amoeba with microphones, a podcast is undeniably a great avenue for growing your personal brand or business.

The podcasting landscape is currently booming.

With podcasting being a $25B industry, and one of the most inexpensive ways to create content, why haven’t you started one yet?

I’m guessing it’s because you don’t know where to start. That’s totally fair. We are not born with this innate knowledge. Plus, it’s a fairly new medium, so unfortunately, we haven’t inherited the gift from our ancestors, either.

What we do have, is access to the internet.

And what you have, is me, compiling a little starter pack for you if you’re looking to explore your podcasting abilities.

You’re so welcome.

But first, you need to know why you’re making the damn thing.

A podcast without a purpose is, well, just a sh*tty conversation with no direction or point. Like that of two finance bros at St Alice on a Friday night who have had a little too much co-curricular fun.

Your ‘why’ will give purpose to everything else and keep you motivated along the way.

So let's think this through. Are you creating a podcast because you:

• Want to market yourself or your brand, and grow authority and trust?

• Need a creative outlet?

• Are looking to build community?

• Want to educate or entertain your audience?

These are the most common reasons for starting a podcast. But until you answer your own 'why?' you won't be able to design podcast content that aligns with your vision or your goals.

Once you've nailed down your 'why,' up next is your 'who'.

You can’t grow an audience if you don’t know who you’re talking to in the first place.

Something I learnt when studying advertising at university was the idea of an ‘ideal listener.’ You can literally create a persona that sits within your main target audience.

So think about what kind of person your content is for.

For example, say you have a podcast about craft beer. Now let's think about John (43), a graphic designer from Grey Lynn. He enjoys cycling with his buddies on the weekend and usually stops off at a tap house to finish their session. He sounds like he’s going to like your podcast, am I right?

Once you've got your listener persona, it's something you need to keep in mind at all times. Every time you plan an episode, ask yourself, 'Would John like this? Is this focused on his interests?'

If the answer is 'yes,' you’re on the right track.

Having an 'ideal listener’ will keep your content aligned and focused, making for engaging episodes.

The listener persona drives every decision, from the name of your podcast to the trailers you create. All is carefully crafted and tailored to get John’s attention.

Next, let's talk topics.

Obviously, what you're going to talk about is hugely important. Without this, you don’t have a podcast, I fear. Thankfully, this is the easy part (usually.)

A lot of it comes down to who you are and what you have to say.

So, who are you? And what do you want to talk about on this show? Best to get this sorted before you move forward with anything else.

Now, onto your hallmark.

Why should anyone listen to you? No, really. With the 5 million podcasts floating around out there, what’s your unique angle?

Some of the most common hallmarks are:

• A tight niche: Your’e solving a specific problem for a specific person

• A personal angle: You have a unique take on an existing topic

• Podcast format: You’ve created a unique format for your niche

• Production quality: You spend extra time and effort on audio polish

• Outcome: You’re creating a unique outcome that’s appealing

This step is all about figuring out what value you bring to your topic of choice. Then, when you tell someone about it, it becomes easy to tell them why they need to listen to your show.

What's your name?

Obviously, your podcast name is also massively important. And unless you are famous, you don’t need to put your own name in the title.

The title of your podcast needs to be:

• Short, easy to remember, and easy to say out loud

• Easy to spell

• Descriptive

• Unique (and not violating trademarks of other shows)

• Appealing to your audience

Along with deciding the name of your podcast, you can create a logo and other branding essentials.

Now! The fun stuff!

You’re going to need some equipment.

Non-negotiables are a decent quality microphone (so you don’t sound awful—after all, this is an audio medium) and headphones. Ideally, you'll also have a screen to block out any unwanted sounds.

You'll need a computer with enough RAM for editing and storing your episodes. You don’t need expensive, state-of-the-art equipment. The single most important thing is that your audio quality is good and clear.

No one is listening to no muffled BS.

When you’re ready, hit the recording button and let the show begin.

Script or no script, STAY ON TOPIC. Engage the audience with some powerful storytelling.

After you’re done recording, you’ll want to edit and publish your podcast on one or more hosting sites. There are plenty of platforms to choose from to upload your audio files to, including Buzzsprout, Libsyn, and Anchor.fm.

What podcast hosting service you use depends on your specific needs, such as budget and episode length. You’ll also need to consider if the hosting service can distribute your episodes to different podcast directories, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

There’s also plenty of room for podcasts on YouTube, which is increasingly becoming the world's most popular video platform.

After all is said and done, promote the living sh*t out of it.

Trailers, short form, medium form, long form, put it all out, everywhere you can.

The best way is to create a social media schedule to plan which clips of your podcast go where on what day. Our team uses Publer*, which is a scheduling platform that can help you with this part of the journey.

My best advice is to fail fast. No one is good at this stuff instantly. And honestly, your first episode might suck – dust yourself off and try again, friend. The more experience you have under your belt, the better you'll get!

-Sophie, Writer

*affiliate link