Things to consider before starting a podcast

Podcasts seem to be the rave of the moment – well this is because everyone loves being entertained. They are fun, easily accessible, and something you can share with friends and family.

Creating a podcast is no different from creating a blog or a YouTube channel and these days the advantages of having one are becoming more and more obvious. However, before starting one there are certain things to consider. Here are some of the most important ones:

Plan your Content

This is perhaps the most important step to consider while starting a podcast. Very often, you see Podcasters, trying to go jump in head first into creating; this ultimately leads to many setbacks. Whether you are considering a particular niche or you decide to go with a more generalist approach, planning your content ahead of time would benefit the growth of the podcast. Furthermore, you can keep your audience updated on what to expect next from your podcast if your content is planned weeks before. In the process of planning your content, you will discover if the niche you have chosen is the best for you.

Have Good Podcast Aesthetics

Like it or not, People are attracted by what they consider to be attractive. That is why taking good care of choosing things such as Podcast name, Cover art, and Podcast theme music is essential. Often at times, these might be the defining factor when attracting listeners most especially first timers that are unfamiliar with the podcast style.

Get the Right Equipment

There is a saying that an artist is only as good as his/her tools. The same can be said for a podcaster. Truth be told, some of this equipment might be a little bit over the top in terms of price, but there are also many decent ones around at moderate prices. Equipment that you may need to start a podcast include:

• 1) Microphone
• 2) Digital recorder
• 3) Mixer
• 4) Recording and editing Software

Find the Right Hosting & Streaming Services

You might have great and properly edited content for consumption but still run into the trouble of finding listeners. This is why it is important to find the right hosting platform. For hosting, you can check out popular hosting sites such as PodBean, Blubrry, and BuzzSprout.

Photo by Brett Sayles from Pexels

Hosting is only half of the problem; your listeners should be able to stream your episodes with relative ease. With that being said, they are likely to check out popular streaming platforms like Spotify, iTunes, and Anchor. Granted that when you are first starting you might want to use free platforms, and grow your budget. However, as most podcasters have come to realize that these paid sites are necessary for having a great podcast. In addition, you want to avoid moving your podcast to another site later in the future, because this might lead to the loss of listeners.

Get a Website or a Blog

There are several reasons why you might need a website or a blog – one of such reasons is that your audience needs to know where to find you asides your podcast space. You can share with them your thoughts and aspirations for the podcast channel, and reviews of previous podcasts episodes through your website or blog. Another reason is that a blog or website tends to attract more listeners if developed with proper SEO content. Podcasting is a serious business to most and like all businesses, there is a need for expansion – it is very possible that in the future, you will want to introduce your audience to competitions, games, and quizzes relating to your podcast - you might also want to sell merchandise. All this you can do on your website, so why not start early.

Promote your Podcast

Yes, you still have to promote it. Do this by utilising social media, telling you family and friends. Also by sharing out fliers in your local environments such as schools, churches, salons, and parties. If you have the funds, you can also try paid advertisement online.

Waking up with a podcast on iOS

Podcast Alarm is a fully featured podcast player and alarm. You can set up queues of your favourite episodes and listen to them whenever you like. Why not subscribe to your favourite podcast and have the latest episode wake you up every weekday morning. There are lots of screenshots and videos in our "How to set a podcast as an alarm on iphone?" blog post.