Currently, 2 million podcasts are streaming on various apps and channels. If conversing with people, articulating an opinion, recording or cracking smart jokes is your thing, podcasting is the perfect career for you. The increasing inclination towards podcasting shows that the competition is getting tougher. Nonetheless, there is no fun in easy success.
There are many unconventional career options that seldom people choose as a life-long career. One of them is Podcaster. And if podcasting excites you more, read on.
Tips and Steps to Kickstart Your Career as a Podcaster:
1. Podcaster Planning
There are several parts in the planning process of how to become a podcaster.
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Name and Niche of the Podcast
Think and decide on a topic for your podcast—narrow your ideas down to a territory where you can cover multiple episodes. However, make sure that you keep space to expand or branch out on other niche topics. For example, if your niche is based on education and career, you can begin with a podcast on “10 interesting careers that you have never heard of”.
Similarly, the name of your podcast should be catchy, and it should attract the audience to listen to your thoughts. Think of a name that is not specific to a topic but provides you with an area for expanding – for instance, Career Carvers (based on the example mentioned above) for your career podcast.
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Target Audience
Sketching out your favourable audience group is helpful. Defining your niche can help determine your target audience. Research about the demographic group that loves to know more about the niche you will adhere to. Also, the purpose of your podcast is essential to consider. Whether your podcast is for your business or an opinion-based talk show, narrowing these points down helps make sense of your format and podcast, in general.
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Format of the Podcast
The format of a podcast includes length, style, and episode. As a podcaster, you will understand the length and style of episodes your audience prefers as you proceed. The ideal length of an episode is 22-28 minutes. However, if you are a “people’s favourite”, hour-long podcasts can also help you scale.
In terms of style, you can try interviews, solos or co-hosts; it all depends upon the topic and your audience. For example, if one of your podcasts is on “interesting careers people need to watch out for”, you can bring guests on your podcast to make it interesting and relatable.
A general episode format looks like this:
- Teaser
- Intro Music
- Welcome and Introduction
- Ad
- Interview/Solo/Co-host
- CTA
- Outro Music
You can wear your creative hats and work around segments to make it exciting for old and new listeners.
2. Podcaster Preparation
One of the most important things you should prepare for, as a podcaster, is your content. Every word you utter should be impactful, informative, and worth returning to. For a serious topic, you can stick to statistical information or points that build a personal connection. For lighter topics, use humour to make the podcast more engaging. Other elements of preparation include:
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Cover Art and Intro
Cover art is the face of your podcast. Every podcaster gives their heart and soul to create something epic. You can either hire someone to do the job or experiment with designing apps to create your vision.
For a professional intro, you can have a third party introduce you, notching up your value in the eyes (or ears) of the listener. The intro music should be catchy and unique.
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Podcasting Gear
As a new podcaster in town, you can get reasonable equipment like a microphone, headphones, pop filter, boom arm, and recording and mixing software. Initially, you can make do with basic gears and then jump to heavy equipment when your podcast reaches millions.
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Guest-list
If co-hosting or interviewing is on your podcasting agenda, ensure that you make a list of all the guests you want to invite. Start reaching out to them as this process can be time-consuming. Try scheduling applications for scheduling and attending meetings. For remote interviewing, you can try recording software like Iris, Squadcast, Riverside, etc.
3. Recording and Editing Podcasts
For easy recording and editing of your podcasts:
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Choose a Good Recording and Editing Software
The list is endless. The software you choose should make recording a three-step – record, stop and save – process. Make sure that you are prepared with what you want to say before clicking on “record”. Make a template where the intro and outro music, ads, and other tracks are already placed.
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Basic Editing
Editing and recording will be a continuous learning process as a new podcaster. You can watch different videos or read about them to master the skill. Basic editing includes adjusting the frequencies of your audio, trimming filler words like “um”, and investing in noise-cancelling equipment or apps. Do not abruptly cut your breaths while trimming, as it could make the podcast sound weird.
4. Launch, Dear Podcaster!
The most amazing part of ‘how to become a podcaster’ is the launch. To make it memorable and booming, here’s what you need to do:
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Podcast Hosting
Get a podcast host where your podcast can be available to your audience and distribute on various platforms like Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart radio, etc. Your hosting platform should be all set before the launch. Prepare for the episode name, description, keywords, categories, etc., which is required on a hosting platform.
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Create a Buzz
Once you have decided a date to launch, let your audience know what’s cooking. Leave hints for your audience to keep them tuned and create a buzz for a killer launch.
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Upload the First Episode
Click the “upload” button on your hosting platform and watch your words change the world. Keep at least 3 episodes ready after the launch.
5. Scale Your Podcast
To scale your podcast channel:
- Take the aid of social media and your audience.
- Ask them to share the podcasts and leave a review.
- Use emailers to notify them about new episodes.
- Go as a host on other podcasts and keep a consistent track.
- Keep yourself updated with what other emerging individuals are doing to gain popularity and how they progress in life.
Conclusion
Learning how to start a podcast is not the most difficult part. Realising that your ideal career is podcasting is what requires hard work. Mindler, an ed-tech firm in India that offers career guidance and coaching, is here to help. We offer career counselling online and serve to the podcaster, astronaut, or author in you. Visit Mindler today!
