10 tips from real business owners to help you get started with podcasting
Are you a business owner who’s just twigged about the potential of podcasts? Are you’re thinking you would like a piece of the podcast cake, but it’s scaring the bejesus out of you and you don’t know if you’ll be any good or where on earth you should start? This blog is for you!
We have so many options open to us these days when it comes to content creation and adding podcasts into this mix continues to become more and more popular. Did you know there’s currently over 19.1 million podcasters in the UK? But don’t let that be an excuse for you not to start one. The market isn’t saturated as you might think. To add a bit of context, there are over 7 million blog posts created every day, but people still decide write and read blogs – it’s the same for podcasts!
They are a great way show authority in your area of expertise and grow deeper connections by building in heaps of those lovely know, like and trust feels. They are a handy, convenient format for your followers to consume in their busy lives. They are just brilliant!
But all of that doesn’t stop the overwhelm you feel when you decide to do something new like this. Another steep learning curve, another ‘thing’ to keep on top of… I totally get it!
To help you along, I’ve collated nine tips from three business owners who have taken the plunge and started their podcasts in the last 12 months. They shared their experience on getting started, how organise the work and some important mindset shifts you can make to help you take your place at the podcasting table! Here’s what they have to share with you:
If you over-think it you will never get started, so be brave and just do it. Throw yourself in to it and reward yourself along the way. Be yourself.
There might be loads podcasts with similar themes but there is only one you. Use your personality to differentiate yourself and connect with your people.
Do it because you are interested in your subject or you have something to say! Forget about downloads or chart positions and focus on getting the content and your message out there.
Avoid dealing with time-consuming learning curves if you can and get a producer or a podcast manager to help you. It makes things way quicker, easier and more sustainable if you outsource some of the tasks.
Work out how often you want to release an episode and roughly plan your content in advance for the whole year. So, 12 episodes if it’s a monthly release, or 24 if it’s fortnightly. Having the subject or topics mapped out will help you keep up motivation and momentum with your recording and help you schedule guests in advance if you need to.
Schedule recording days into your diary on a regular basis and batch-record your content. It’ll help you keep focused and keep a good level of consistency with your recording set up.
Don't put yourself under too much pressure. Running a podcast can be time intensive and demands a lot of head space. Think in advance about how much time you can commit. Do you really need a weekly episode? Ask your existing network their opinion on how often they like to listen and match this to the time you have available.
If you’re doing an interview format, make sure you prepare in advance. Don’t turn up and wing it! Draft out a structure of questions and themes and share these with your guest ahead of time. It’ll help them prepare and get their creative juices flowing too.
Manage your expectations. Unless you have a massive online profile already it will take time to build your audience (and it’s not a straight line either). Tap into existing communities and networks and engage with them early on in the process.
Think about the possibilities of repurposing your podcast content to make your life easier. Turning it into a blog post is great for website SEO and you can create audio graphics quickly and easily to share on social media.
Podcasts listeners are continuing to grow steadily and an estimated 28 million of us will be listening to podcasts regularly by 2026. The tips above are from real business owners who have seen the benefits of podcasting and gone through the pain barrier you might be feeling right now.
If you want to take the next steps and find out more, leave me a comment below, or book in for a chat and let’s explore the possibilities together.
A big thank you to the following hosts for their contribution to the blog today. You can listen to their podcasts via the links below
Lauretta and Sharon Gavin – The Gavin Sisters Wellness Show
Helen Calvert – The No Bullsh*t Guide to a Happier Life Podcasts
Alastair Swindlehurst – The Alternative Business Review
You can download my podcast recording tip sheet here