Podcasts are all the rage these days. Only recently, people have been realizing the value of that underrated medium. If anything, this makes your idea to start a podcast a great way to capitalize on the increase in demand.

Much like other things, starting a podcast channel can seem daunting at first. After all, you’re creating something from nothing which is a little hard, right? Well, not really. Not if you follow those steps:

Generate Content

One critical mistake that most beginners make is that they get an idea for an episode, they get too excited and so they create a podcast channel, bring their idea to life, and then instantly plummet. Some ideas are a one-hit-wonder and being able to identify those early on can save your life. Before you start investing effort and money, invest time in pre-production. Try to figure out what you want your content to cover, which angle are you going to take, which tone and voice are you going to use, and the other specifics (don’t forget the cover art for your podcast!). More importantly, though, try to figure out your direction. What are the next few episodes going to be about? Is the main idea worth more than one episode? The audience will know when you’ve exhausted an idea beyond its limit, so you have to stay a couple of steps ahead at all times.

Cultivate your Brand

To create a podcast channel, you need attractive content, but more importantly, you need a brand or a unique identity. Think, Nicolas Cage. Some like his type of crazy, others don’t, but that doesn’t matter because when he’s on-screen, everyone knows it’s Nicolas Cage. This is what you want, something that defines you. It could be your intro and outro music, your content itself, your angle towards the topics you take on, or any other thing you choose. Although, don’t mistake consistency for stagnancy. Stagnancy is boring for creators and consumers while consistency is exciting and attractive. Look at your favorite shows. Consistent episodes, yet far from stagnant.

Prep for Launch

During the creating process, each step sets the way for what’s after. A successful idea breeds excitement, breeds drive, breeds action, and forty-five minutes after that, an episode. After you’ve recorded your first of many, you’ll have even more momentum going which is great. Nevertheless, if you haven’t figured out where you’re going to be hosting your podcast by then, you’ll be quenching your own fire. In case you’re unfamiliar with what a hosting platform is, it’s where you upload your files in order for them to be distributed among your listening platforms of choice. There are many options with different features, some free, and some paid, and to pick your own, you’ll need to do a bit of research. To keep yourself from falling into a sudden lull, get that step out of the way early on, before recording if you can.

Buy Your Equipment

While preparing for launch, you’ll also want to buy recording equipment and software. Don’t be fooled by those who tell you that podcasts are expensive to start, they aren’t. You can start a very successful one with a good phone, a quiet room, and a laptop with audio editing software, which you can easily find for free. What you need to consider, however, is how much you’re willing to invest. A professional mic beats a good phone quality-wise, so if you’re planning on podcasting for a good while, you will want to get a mic with a filter to keep your voice crisp and clear. For your software needs, the simplest, most basic will do, but if you want to compose and play your own music, you might need to spend a few bucks.

Launch

 

Once you find yourself nearing the end of the recording process, try to generate some interest in your social media platforms and among your circles. Keep in mind that when launching, it’s best to start with a bulk of episodes before you start regulating and timing your releases. It’s all about generating high interest and making enough noise for your platforms’ algorithm to notice you. The more interest you generate through your social media platforms and the more downloads you get, the higher you’ll rank on podcast charts. From this point, it’s a cycle that feeds into itself.

 

That being said, maintaining a successful podcast is a lot of hard work. It takes courage to be honest and vulnerable with your audience, as well as, effort to keep generating new interesting content. Yet for all the hard work that you put in, you will eventually be rewarded. If not through the creative process, then through nurturing a connection with your audience, and if not that, then through sponsors, ads, and memberships. Good luck on your journey!