9 tips Podcast beginners should follow to win an immediate advantage
This is essentially my Podcasting 101 for Beginners.
I speak to so many Podcast beginners who are full of enthusiasm at the beginning. They spend lots of money but then never get past five episodes or sometimes, never even get to one episode. I am not critical of people who do this. Podcasting is a much bigger commitment than you realise.
With this in mind, the most significant piece of advice I can give to a Podcast beginner is, don't go all in straight away. It’s okay to have big ambitions but start small, dip your toe in the water first, keep things simple and low budget and build as you go.
Here are some Podcasting 101 tips that will allow you to start small while still having a high-quality, marketable podcast.
Pick the right topic for you and make it specific
Don't try and do a podcast about a broad subject or a broad range of topics. Make sure your Podcast has a specific theme or angle (aka a niche), and make sure it's something that you are passionate about.
If you can't sum your Podcast up and make it sound appealing in 20 seconds, then you need to rethink it.
It also needs to be specific and niche so that it can compete for listeners. With billions of people in the world, the temptation may be to try and make something for everyone, but that never works.
You need to get people to say, "that podcast is for me", and the only way to do that is to target specific people. You must remember this; people love listening to others who they feel are like them.
Make it specific and then make it even more specific again! for example, let's say you are a financial expert and you help people save money and make their money work better:
A podcast about financial advice - so broad it's going to get lost in the 1 million podcasts listed, but it's a start!
How to make money investing - still very broad. There are thousands of investment podcasts already, probably hosted by famous investors. It's the basis of an idea, but it's not giving someone a reason to say, "that's for me".
How to make money investing for complete beginners - Now, I can zone in on the type of person listening. They will probably be a younger audience, maybe at a stage where they make a good income but want to see their money do more work. They are open to new things and willing to learn. There are a lot of investors who are beginners.
Make money investing for people who are complete beginners and based in Ireland - Better again. With different investment tax rules in every country, you can be really specific and add localised value to the listener. Rather than talking about Warren Buffet, you can tell stories about Irish investors who are succeeding or successful Irish companies who went global because of investment. People living in Ireland who are investor novices are going to think, "that's for me". You may think that's a small audience, but it's a small audience that you can own!
All this detailed information is gold to a Podcast beginner. Be as straightforward as possible when coming up with your Podcast topic. You can always pare it back slightly if you feel there isn't the audience for something specific, but Allow it to lead you on everything you do.
Think about why not what
I speak to people a lot of people who want to start Podcasting, but they don't know why. To become famous or to make money aren't valid reasons why they serve nobody but yourself. When it comes to podcasting, you must Remember this, the listener is the most important person.
Write down why you want to start a podcast, this can be a mix of reasons it will help you, but it must include why it will benefit a listener.
For example, let's again take an investment podcast for beginners. Your reasons why might look like this:
To make new connections across my industry.
To help boost my persona as a friendly, trustworthy investment advisor.
To give the listener bullshit-free and jargon-free investment info.
To create a community for aspiring investors to share ideas.
You should think about this when speaking to your audience as well. People don't relate to what. They relate to why.
Keep Podcast episodes short and specific
I believe there is a gap in the podcast market for shorter episodes, and Podcast beginners should take advantage of it.
I LOVE podcasts, but I'm a busy person, so 15/20 minute podcast episodes are REALLY appealing to me. I want short bursts with maximum value!
Whether your Podcast is an interview or solo, try and keep it short when you start. Podcast competition is enormous. Asking people to commit to 1 hour of content from a source they don't yet know, or trust is a big ask. Length is fast becoming the most crucial metric for people when deciding whether to consume media content.
People are used to instant and short bursts of entertainment. Many people I know listen to podcasts on 1.5x speed. I watch videos on youtube at 1.5x or 2x speed. Why would I spend longer on it when I don't need to. I'm busy, and I want info as fast as possible. What drives me mad most on a tutorial video is getting told information I don't need.
Assume everyone is really busy. Time is precious, so don't ask a stranger for lots of their time when starting a Podcast. Tim Ferris and Joe Rogan have built up enough credit to record 2-hour podcasts, but a new unknown Podcaster hasn't.
I strongly advise that as a Podcast beginner, you should keep episodes inside 25 minutes. It is much easier for someone to commit to 25 minutes. If you can strip it back to only the most valuable bits, the listener will be grateful, and you will start to build trust. If it's working, you will leave people wanting more.
Start with a cheap and fail-safe microphone
It can be hard to know what equipment you need to start a Podcast. Again, my advice is to keep it simple and cost-effective.
Never use your inbuilt PC or Mac microphone. Although you might be tempted to start a podcast for free by using an inbuilt mic, believe me, they sound horrendous and give a listener a reason to turn off immediately. Show that you are more professional than that.
It’s possible to do this without spending big money. Here’s a mic test playback of inbuilt vs headset mic so you can compare:
I speak to Podcast beginners all the time who buy an expensive microphone and then never get beyond a few episodes. I have worked with a number who have purchased a high-end mic and never even released an episode.
Honestly, this has happened more times than I can count. It's an absolute waste of money and good equipment. On top of that, beginners don't usually have the environment or technique to use a high-end microphone. So start small and simple.
The best Podcast starter kit is a headset microphone. Mpow is an excellent brand for headset Mics. I have one that I use for recording all the time. I'm really picky about audio, so I wouldn't stand by anything that doesn't deliver good audio.
A headset mic provides you with a very inexpensive, easy to use, portable and decent quality microphone. The audio is good enough to use on a podcast, and you won't have to worry about microphone technique or the room you record in.
Buying a headset mic is an inexpensive investment. If you decide Podcasting is not for you a few episodes in, it's a minor loss. Choose something like this first and upgrade later.
JABNECTER USB Headset- $30
This mic is really fantastic for the price. I use it all the time for calls and have even used it for recordings that went on the radio (no one noticed any quality deficiency).
Make sure the mic isn’t too close to your mouth to avoid excessive plosives.
The sample I recorded above was with this mic.
Listen to some Podcasters that use this headset mic:
I always recommend this to podcasters who want something cheap and easy to send to guests. In all episodes below are clients of mine and Podcasters are using the Jabnecter USB.
A headset mic will also save you the cost of buying a pair of headphones. If recording a remote podcast, it's also important you ask your guest to wear headphones to avoid their speaker bleeding into their microphone.
The quality of what they use does not matter. ANY headphones or earbuds are perfect for the guest, as long as it means they won't be using speakers.
Choose a Reliable Hosting Service
There are free podcast hosting services (like Spotify), but if you are serious about your podcast, you should choose a paid service. This ensures that you retain official ownership of your podcast.
I have tried a lot of them, and the best is Captivate
Captivate makes it easy to submit to Apple, Spotify, Audible, Pocketcasts and every other platform at the click of a button. It's super easy to navigate and has an excellent dynamic ad insert, which makes it so easy to swap out ads, CTA’s, intros, and outros so that you change these on every episode easily so that your old episodes don’t become time-sensitive.
Be authentically you
When it comes to hosting a Podcast, I think it;’s really important that you don't speak or act like a stereotypical TV or Radio host. People will want to get to know the authentic you. Talk to the listener as if they are your friend. A good Podcast should be conversational. A good trick is to put an empty chair or photo across from you and represent the listener.
Don't try and force your Podcast to sound polished. You are a Podcast beginner, and it's OK to allow that to come through in your tone and language. In fact, that rawness can be charming!
Can you tell the difference in the manner of voice and speech from these samples, which sounds more authentic?
"Hello there listeners, and welcome to another edition of the aspiring investor podcast. I’m your host Joe Bloggs. You are in for a treat today. I have a jam-packed show for you all. So, Without further adieu, let’s talk investment"
"Hey, hope you're doing well. Welcome back to the aspiring investor podcast with me, Joe Bloggs... it feels weird saying that still... maybe I'll get used to being a host someday. Anyway, let me tell you what's happening today and why you should stick around..."
Realize your Podcast is not about you or your guest
Obsessing over this point will put you miles ahead of the majority of podcasters… it’s about the listener.
Too many people think a podcast is either about them or their guest. They spend too long chatting about the things they’ve achieved. People are generally listening to podcasts so they can learn something or be entertained
People don’t care about you or your guest, they care about what’s in it for them.
The example I always use is an intro. The default way to craft an intro is to tell the listener who you are, then tell them who the guest is, and then tell them all the things the guest has done. All the while, the listener has no idea what they are getting out of this conversation and is probably switching off.
Assume everyone is a new listener. There’s no need to introduce who you are or who your guest is… most of the time, it’s not relevant. What you need to do is tell people what they are going to gain from listening, and you need to do this as quickly as possible.
Read How To Win Friends and Influence People and apply these principles to your podcast.
Use a podcast recording platform
Many Podcast beginners worry about software and the best way to record. By using a recording platform like Riverside.fm it will remove a lot of the stress. Riverside records both you and a remote guest at the source with the highest quality audio. Subscriptions are available monthly, try it for a month or two and see how you get on.
If you are a bit more tech-savvy, Audacity (windows) or GarageBand (Mac) will do the job for free.
Zoom.us is acceptable to use. However, I recommend making some changes to the settings if you do use zoom for Podcasting. Here are some tips on how you can maximise the quality of zoom for free
Record a backlog of episodes & work ahead of schedule
Most Podcast beginners I speak with are overly keen to launch their podcast as soon as possible. Patience is a personality trait you will need to have or learn to have if you want to become a podcaster. Don’t launch once you have 1 episode recorded, as you will be putting immediate pressure on yourself to deliver consistently after that.
Consistency is so essential in podcasting. Take your time in launching the episode to the public. You will always be ahead of time and never under pressure to deliver by recording a backlog of episodes.
If you want to release on a tight schedule (every Wednesday at 6AM), you should always record extra episodes well ahead of time. For example, if you plan to release 4 episodes a month, set yourself the task of recording 5 episodes a month. Scrambling to get an episode out in time leads to low-quality releases.
I often see people recording an episode the day before they want to release it. Sometimes the audio quality can be inferior, and they are forced to release it anyway because they have set a precedent of releasing on a specific time and day each week.
If you don’t record weeks ahead of time, don’t promise the listener weekly episodes on the same day/time every week. It’s 100% acceptable to release on an ad-hoc schedule, recording and releasing when you can. The listener doesn’t care if episodes aren’t released on a strict schedule. But set the tone from the outset. Are you going to release to a strict schedule? or are you going to release ad-hoc? If it is ad-hoc, still try to be somewhat consistent. 1 episode every 2 weeks is the minimum you should aim for.
I would also suggest launching with multiple episodes. For a new podcast, listeners will want to get an authentic flavour of the show. If they enjoy the first episode, you are missing a massive opportunity if you don’t have more episodes ready for them to dive into immediately after. Launch with at least 3 episodes, it will make your feed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google look more active. After that, use that backlog of episodes to drip-feed into your feed.
Be patient and don’t give up
If you have followed all of the above, you will be in an excellent place to start podcasting as a beginner. I don't think you need to overthink formats or structure. Stuff like that will improve as you go. If you are using an editor or producer, make sure to get their advice and ask for feedback on your Podcast.
The stats don't lie. The unfortunate truth is most people give up podcasting after a short time. In my time working on podcasts, I have dealt with way more people who have given up than those who have kept going. The reason for this is that podcasting does not offer immediate results.
Like anything worth doing, you need to be resilient and have a considerable amount of patience. Have you ever tried learning a language or a musical instrument? Practicing for an hour every day, you feel like you're getting nowhere for a long time, but all that practice compounds and a year in, you really feel the benefits and progress. Starting a Podcast is the same. You need to chip away at it and keep learning.
It takes 50-100 episodes before Podcast beginners start to see a loyal audience, so use the early episodes to experiment, be honest with your audience and tell them about the journey you are on as you build. Always look to improve your show. Take stock every 5-10 episodes and see how you can improve.
You must remember this; when starting to try and keep everything short and to the point. Make your Podcast simple & easy to digest, and you will have a solid platform to grow, build and maintain.
How to begin Podcasting
The easiest way to start Podcasting is to speak with someone who knows the process. Contact us on the form below and we are happy to give help you start Podcasting with a free consultation.
