If you’ve gotten this far, then congratulations! You have taken the first step towards starting a podcast! Whether you have a lot to say, or think podcasting is cool, we’re glad that you’ve decided to put yourself out on the airwaves.
You might be wondering whether starting a podcast is really as easy as everyone says. Well you can take it from us! TalkShoe hosts over 5,000 podcasts on our free platform, and sees a new podcast created virtually every day -- the next one could be yours!
Since we’re the podcasting pros, we thought we would take it upon ourselves to give you the six keys to making your first podcast the best it can be.
Here’s a breakdown of the main considerations when starting your own podcast:
1) The idea: A good podcast starts with a solid idea.
2) The brand: Your brand is the voice of your podcast.
3) The content: Good podcasts still need compelling content.
4) Recording: Record your podcast quickly and easily with TalkShoe
5) Sharing: Share with the world through social media.
6) Have fun: Remember, podcasting is fun!
Is your podcast going to be about the rising price of gas? The real housewives of LA? The perfect way to cook a turnip? In podcasting, anything is fair game! What’s important is that you are passionate about your topic, and you feel that you have a lot to say about it.
For instance, the idea of creating a podcast about “design and architecture that hides in plain sight” might sound like a strange and difficult idea for a podcast, but the podcast 99% Invisible was named one of the best new podcasts in 2017.
So don’t be afraid to chase strange ideas, because you might land on something that is uniquely your own!
Your podcast’s brand is basically its identity. A podcast’s brand is how your podcast is seen and described by others; or the sum of its values and beliefs. For simplicity’s sake, let’s say it is your podcast’s voice.
How would you like the voice of your podcast to be described? Is it sombre, serious, and unflinching in the face of difficult questions? Does it take a lighthearted, whimsical approach to everything? It’s a good idea to pick out at least three adjectives that you could use to describe your podcast. For instance, the Mysteries Abound podcast hosted on TalkShoe would probably describe themselves as mysterious, serious, and truthful.
Every podcast has a brand, whether they have thought about it or not. Take some time to think about three adjectives that could describe your voice, and keep referring back to them as you go through the next steps.
Great, now you’ve got an idea, and a voice.
What else matters, right? Well, in the words of Bill Gates, “Content is king”. Take some time to create a content calendar and plan out some of the content in your first few podcast, and your future self will thank you.
Will the episode have a theme? Will you be talking about current events? Will you be interview guests? Will there be pre-recorded sections? The more you can plan out and prepare, the better. Even if your podcast is mostly unscripted, like The Todd Shapiro Show hosted on TalkShoe, it helps to have some talking points prepared to there isn’t any dead air when you’re recording.
Now it’s time to get to the fun part! Don’t sweat it though, because TalkShoe makes it all incredibly easy. After signing up for a free account, click on New Show near the top of your dashboard. From there, fill out your show’s information, such as its name and description.
Now, click on New Episode to upload a pre-recorded podcast file, or schedule a podcast to be recorded through TalkShoe. The intuitive virtual studio allows you to add video to your recording, or mute and manage your guests as necessary. Why not take a moment right now to get familiar with it?
Now that you know how to start your own podcast, you need to learn to share it with the world! Relying on word of mouth can be an effective way of gaining followers, but having a good online social media presence will ensure that your podcast has the highest amount of reach possible.
Take a few moments to create a Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram account, and make sure to stay within the brand voice that you’ve previously outlined. Inconsistency here will make you look like an amateur!
When creating a Facebook account, remember that authenticity is paramount, and you should never try to be too “salesy”. Your Twitter account is the best place to show off interesting things or pieces of information about your podcast, such as behind-the-scenes info or important articles, because it’s more of a “look at this” platform. Your Instagram account will be perfect for highly personal pictures of or about yourself, because it is more of a “look at me” platform.
Although there are many people who consider podcasting their full-time job, they still don’t forget that it’s about the love and enjoyment of the medium. So now that you know everything you need to know about starting a podcast, the only thing left to do is create your first podcast! Good luck!
TalkShoe is an innovative community-building podcast platform. We offer storage, streaming and new global call-in capabilities! Our state-of-the-art tools will help take your podcast to the next level and get you noticed online in no time.
So if you’re ready to get started podcasting and make the most of the new features and benefits that TalkShoe has to offer, why not record an episode today, and see what everyone’s talking about!
For the full list of what’s changed in the new and improved TalkShoe, see this support article.
