Okay, now that you’re thoroughly sold on the need for a podcast, you’d probably like to know how to start one up.
We’ve got your back. It’s not hard. But there are some things you need to know, do and use to pull it all together.
What to know:
1. Know your audience and what they need:
Left to my drothers, my podcast would devolve into conversations about knitting and 19th Century mustache curlers.
Fortunately, my drothers rarely see the light of day. In fact, I’m proud to say that our blog has been completely free of mustache curlers. Until now.
Why? I have my eye set squarely on you, dear reader, so my podcasts only feature the influencers who have the most insights of benefit to you about PR and content marketing.
2. Involve others:
Yes, you can conduct your podcast as a monologue and you might be the most wonderful speaker ever. But chances are, no, not so much. No offense. Engaging others in conversation and dialogue pulls others in:
- they want to be part of it.
- You’ll actually push them away if you try and “be the guru.”
There’s another upside too. Having others on your podcast is a great way to meet influencers. They might even share your podcast with their followers and that could lead to all kinds of interesting opportunities.
3. Be conversational:
There is nothing worse than listening to someone who has clearly tried to memorize or is reading what they plan to say.
If you have great guests on, be in the moment and talk to them. Nothing else works. You may also miss a golden opportunity or insight that could put you on the map or make a new well placed colleague or secure a client if you aren’t fully present.
What to do:
1. Keep it short:
Make sure your podcast isn’t too long. Leave them wanting more. 20 minutes is a good length.
2. Have great guests:
We are drowning in information. Make sure you are adding value to your listeners and readers. Take the time to research what your interviewees have talked about in other interviews.
3. Optimize your content:
Keyword your content. You can do that by ensuring you have your keywords in the title, the introduction and even in the questions.
4. Write thoughtful descriptions:
People really want to know if the podcast is a fit for them. Taking the time to craft a thoughtful description will let people know if this is a good use of their time.
You’d be surprised how far you can endear yourself to an audience just by telling them accurately what to expect and delivering on that promise.
A good website needs to be rich and deep in great content. You may create amazing podcasts but Google won’t know that unless it can read them. If you want to get all that yummy Google juice, you absolutely need to have your podcasts transcribed.
But wait! There’s more! Some people prefer to read than listen to an interview, particularly if they’re at work. That transcript will appeal to a whole other category of visitor you would otherwise lose. Have a gander below in our “What to use” section to see what transcription service we use.
6. Close everything else:
When you are recording your podcast, make sure you unplug your phone, turn off your cell phone, turn off fans, close your email and anything else that could interrupt you. If you don’t, you might disrupt the flow of your podcast or have to start all over again.
7. Put it on iTunes:
People want what they want when they want it. Putting your podcast on iTunes lets it be discovered by others interested in your topic.
Tools to use:
There are a lot of tools you can use but really only a handful that are great. These are the ones we would recommend for your podcast:
1. Skype:
Interviewing by Skype is easy and free. It also is easy to record on it, easier or at least less expensive than recording via phone.
2. MP3 Recorder:
Setting up MP3 Skype Recorder to record your Skype call is relatively easy. It will work beautifully and turn it into an MP3 you can edit.
3. Blue Yeti microphone:
Your mic will make or break your podcast. People care about how something sounds even more than they care about how it looks. You can’t beat the Blue Yeti for quality of sound or ease of use.
4.Levelator:
You will need to balance sound levels. Levelator is free and easy to use.
5. A sound editing program:
I’m deliberatlely a bit vague here and that’s because, it’s such a personal decision. And there is a learning curve.
We use Vegas Pro to cut our podcasts; we also use it to edit some of our videos. I’ve used open sourced and free Audacity and liked it. Mike, not so much. Audacity I mean. I actually like Mike a whole lot.
Mac users have a real advantage since built in programs like Garage Band make sound editing quick and painless.
6. Speechpad:
Set up your account on Speechpad, submit it and a week later, you’ll have a professionally typed transcript.
7. Libsyn
You will need to have your podcasts hosted somewhere. We like Libsyn. They have set rates for each month and they are reasonable.
There is a very good video series by Pat Flynn that walks you through how to set up a podcast. It’s definitely worth the watch.
Susan McLennan
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