How to Start Podcasting
Facilitated by Janet Perry
Why Start a Podcast
- Ask why you want to start one—what passion is driving the desire to podcast?
- Keep your focus narrow.
- You have to have a passion and an idea of how to turn that passion into something people will want to listen to. (Check out Pat Flynn’s Will It Fly?)
- Have to have the time to devote to podcasting, particularly in the beginning. (It takes a lot of time to ensure you’re providing high-quality content, that it’s well edited, that you’re promoting it, etc.)
How to Learn How to Podcast
- Podcast Answer Man, by Cliff Ravenscraft
- The Audacity to Podcast, by Daniel J. Lewis
- Smart Passive Income, by Pat Flynn
Equipment Needed
- Start out simple; you don’t need a lot of expensive equipment.
- Start with the basics (~$250):
- Smartphone, laptop, desktop computer, or another device with a recorder
- Editing program (GarageBand, Audacity, etc.)
- Microphone
- Pop filter
- Optional: mixer
Skills Needed
- Tech skills—or ready access to someone with tech skills
- How to use your voice well (Put the mic right next to your mouth.)
- Courage
- Enthusiasm about your topic
- Curiosity
- Determination and persistence (It takes time to build your audience.)
- A media hosting site (Libsyn, Blubrry, etc.)
Next Steps
- After you have three episodes, submit your podcasts to iTunes and then to other sites.
- Join Facebook/other groups for podcasters.
- Talk with listeners to see what they want. Based on their responses, create valuable resources that listeners will want to buy.
- Create a website as a place where people can listen to your episodes and learn about you, find products you’re selling, etc.
- Get involved on at least one social media platform. (If you put your podcasts on YouTube, then YouTube will add closed captioning.)
- Create snippets for Instagram (3-60 seconds), which can also go on YouTube.