What Do You Need To Start Podcasting?
Content is king on the internet. But content is more than written text today. You need to include a variety of formats of content to attract your target market. The majority of your competitors most likely don’t have a podcast and probably have no idea how to create one. Recording your own podcast gives you a golden opportunity to get one step ahead.
When you start podcasting, it’s a great way to get information to your audience. They can download and take your message with them when they’re commuting to and from work, in the car while traveling, or they can simply listen on their computer while at home. Here are some handy tips for starting a podcast.
What Is A Podcast?
A podcast is simply a digital recording available for download on the internet. It’s similar to a traditional radio show in some ways. For an online business owner, recording your own podcast is an extension of the content on your website.
What Equipment Do I Need?
It’s much more straightforward to start podcasting than many people think. At a basic level, you can use a smartphone to record it on. Applications like Google Play Music, Pocket Casts, Ipadio and AudioBoom record audio directly from your phone. You then need a connection to upload it to the internet.
FREE Checklist: Podcasting For BeginnersOnce you have recorded a couple of podcasts and got yourself started, it’s time to start making your podcast as professional as you can to give the best possible experience to your customers. Your first step is to get a microphone which you can find on Amazon.com or at your local computer store. You also need some sort of digital recording equipment. This is as easy as using a service like Audacity or Audio Acrobat. This equipment is easy to use and allows you to record your podcast and you can remove certain parts of the podcast or play around with it a little until you’re happy with the end result.
How Long Should A Podcast Be?
There isn’t really an industry average but the length will depend on whether you’re interviewing someone, have a group of hosts or are simply doing a simple one-person style podcast where you do all the talking.
The length should also be dependant on your topic or market. If you’re offering a how-to podcast it needs to be as long as it needs to be for you to show people how to do something.
Use your common sense as to how long it will be, but do realize that people’s attention span online is quite brief. It’s not easy for most to sit through a long podcast unless they are extremely interested in the topic. Keep things interesting and lively, and be succinct.
How Do I Find People To Interview?
To interview guests for your podcasts, the easiest service to use is Skype.com. It’s free to use and allows you to record interviews with one or more people. To edit your podcast, you can use the tools on your digital recording software.
Once you start podcasting you’ll be surprised at how many people are open to interviews. When you interview someone they’re gaining publicity for their business too – so it’s a win/win situation for all involved.
To find people, include a section on your website which lets people know that you’re looking for experts to interview. Or simply contact people you’d like to interview directly. As the saying goes – you never know until you ask.
Why Start Podcasting?
Podcasting is a great addition to any website. It makes your message more personal and tangible to your audience than just text. Your listeners don’t have to be online at the time you post the podcast – they can download it and listen to it later. This makes it convenient for both you and the listeners since you can create content whenever you like and they can listen to the podcast whenever they want.
Podcasts are not one and done interactions with your audience. They are so powerful for beginning or veteran marketers because if someone listens to one of your podcast episodes and enjoys it, they almost always return to listen to more content.
Where’s the Best Place To Start A Podcast?
You don’t need to record your podcast in a special recording studio. Many online entrepreneurs record their podcasts in their spare room or home office. The main issue is to do what you can to make sure the room stays quiet while you record your show.
Just about anyone who has a website or online business can benefit from a podcast. The podcast can be an extension of your website and you can record information each week about your topic. You can use it as a mode of additional content for your website, which will benefit your search engine status. You can do this by having the audio podcasts transcribed and adding the text to the pages of your website. It’s a great way or repurposing your content.
Free Checklist: How To Start Podcasting
You really can produce a professional-sounding podcast from your home office. You just need to have a good niche, understand your audience, and post podcasts on a regular basis using subject matter that your audience wants to hear.
A podcast offers on-demand and targeted content that your audience are looking for. It’s free for the listener, can be enjoyed on the go and allows you to connect with your audience much better more than text-based media. To learn more about how to start a podcast radio show, download my Free Checklist, Podcasting For Beginners. It provides a bare-bones structure on how to start podcasting to make yourself an authority in your niche, while building and boosting your business and profits.