How To Start Your Own Podcast Today and Position Yourself as an Expert In Your Respected Niche

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If you start your own podcast people get to know, like and trust you because they get to experience your personality and may resonate with the topics of your podcast.Earning trust on the internet has never been more important than it is today. Without trust, you cannot get followers, subscribers and customers.

And yet pervasive scepticism coupled with short attention spans rule the online world. Where you once could write a 3000-word article and win people’s attention, these days it can take a more personal touch to connect with strangers and turn them into fans.

And podcasting allows you to do exactly that. It shows you how to start your podcast.

With podcasting, you speak directly to your prospect. Your personality can shine through in your voice in a way that is impossible with the written word. 

You don’t need to be some fancy speaker, either. You just need to be yourself, to relax, to have a good time and to give plenty of value to your listeners.

Podcasting is easier than creating great-looking videos. And your listeners can consume your podcasts while they are doing other things like driving, walking or doing chores.

Learn How to Earn Trust, Scale Intimacy and Profit from your podcast

Contents

What is a Podcast?

A podcast is an audio or video file that is distributed over the Internet using RSS feeds, streaming or browser syndication. It’s basically like your own Radio show on your computer.

In this epic guide I’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of creating a podcast from scratch. With clear info & instruction, tips & resources you’ll have everything you need to get started podcasting today!

Start Your Own Podcast – But Do I Really Need a Podcast?

You already have a website, a blog and a social media presence. You might even have a YouTube channel chock full of your own videos, too. Do you really need a podcast, too?

That depends.

A podcast is a great alternative to video because people can listen to it on the go or while they’re doing something else.

Podcasts can increase your traffic. For example, when you interview someone on your podcast, they’re likely to tell their readers and followers about the podcast, thereby sending you traffic.

Having a podcast can work wonders for building a better relationship with your audience. When they can hear you, they get to know you and like you. They feel more engaged with you and the topic and think of you as being an expert they can trust.

Podcasts can be easier to create than written material or videos. To write an hour’s worth of content can take several hours, whereas recording an hour-long podcast takes an hour plus whatever time you spend getting a guest or outlining your topic.

In short, podcasts help to build your audience, your brand, authority and trust, all without the same effort and ability that writing requires. 

What’s Your ‘Why’?

Before you start a podcast, we need to get a couple of things clear, and the first one is figuring out why you even want a podcast.

  • Is it to get more customers and sales?
  • Is it to establish yourself as an authority in your niche?
  • Is it to build relationships with other authorities in your niche?
  • Is it just for fun, like a hobby you’re passionate about? 

While you may have several reasons for podcasting, it’s important to know what they are, because when you know why you’re podcasting, it will be much easier to stay motivated to keep your podcast going.

Who is Your Listener?

Who is the ideal person listening to your podcast? Until you know who you’re targeting and why you’re doing the show, you’ll have a difficult time growing an audience.

Creating a listener avatar is a good way to decide on exactly who you are targeting.

For example, if you’re a dietician, perhaps your avatar is a 42 year old woman with two children and a career who spends 50 hours a week working and commuting while still taking care of the kids and the home. She’s 25 pounds overweight, tired, doesn’t get enough sleep and worries that her health is deteriorating.

If your topic is investments, your avatar might be a 35 year old professional who makes six figures but isn’t putting anything away for retirement yet because she spends her money as soon as she makes it. She realizes she needs to do something now, but she doesn’t know where to start or who to listen to.

Once you have your avatar, you’ll be able to keep your podcast focused and on track, creating engaging content perfectly suited to your audience.

Can You List Your First 15 Episodes?

One of your major goals when doing a podcast has to be providing value to the listeners.

  • Are you entertaining them?
  • Informing them?
  • Both? Or
  • something else?

Your listeners need a reason to listen. They won’t tune in to hear someone ramble about their day or their childhood unless it’s entertaining in some way, or highly informative. 

But they will tune in to hear how they can achieve a goal of theirs or solve a problem. 

And you need to have enough subject matter to talk about as well. If you can spill all of your secrets on how to lose weight in one or two episodes, then you don’t have a podcast. But if you can bring on guests to talk about other aspects of health, then perhaps you do.

Write down your first 15 potential podcast topics. 

Have you got them?

Now write down your next 50. 

You might want to use the internet to brainstorm. These topics can change later, but the point is to see if you’ll have enough material to sustain a podcast beyond the first few episodes.

Now look at your list. 

Are these the sort of topics you can see yourself discussing over the coming weeks and months without getting bored or burning yourself out? If not, you might consider getting a new niche and perhaps even a new audience.

Naming Your Podcast

You’ve got three main choices when choosing your podcast name.

You can choose a clever or catchy name such as 99% Invisible, Fresh Air or The Moth. Names like these don’t tell you what the show is about, but you can always add a tagline to help clarify the topic.

Your second option is using a descriptive name such as Football Weekly or Money Matters. This lets people know up front if they might be interested in your show, and it can make it easier to reach your target audience.

Your third option is using your own name. Unless you are already famous, if you choose to use your name, then you’ll want to add a descriptive tagline.

How Long Will Your Podcasts Be?

There’s no right answer for this, other than to make your podcast long enough to convey the information and short enough to never be boring. 

Some podcasts are consistently 20 minutes long while others are an hour. If you can fit all of your information into 20 minutes, there’s no need to stretch it longer. 

But if you’ve got so much great info that it takes an hour, don’t chop it down to 20 minutes just because that’s what some other podcaster does.

You might survey your audience after a few months to see what they think of the length of your podcasts. And it’s good to be somewhat consistent in length, so that you listeners have an idea of what to expect.

How Often Will You Podcast?

People tend to plan according to days of the week. Thus, is you’re able to put out one podcast each Tuesday, for example, then listeners will know when to expect your next episode.

The best schedule is the most frequent one that you can stick to and that you have enough content to fill.

Another option is to podcast in bursts based on themes. You choose a theme for a series of podcasts – driving website traffic, for example – and then you create these podcasts within a few days and air one a week. 

This is a great way to get plenty of podcasts done quickly before moving on to something else. You might create a dozen podcasts in January on one topic, release one per week, and not make any new podcasts until late March to get ready for an April to June release. 

You can also do seasonal podcasting based on the time of year. Perhaps you start in September, take a break over the holidays, pick it up again in January, and finish in May, much like an American school year.

Naming Episode Titles

Spend as much time naming your episodes as you would naming a blog post or a book. A great title will always get you more listeners. Make it clear what people will learn on your episode, and remember that iTunes allows searching by episode name, so be sure to use your main keyword in the title.

And never, ever get lazy and simply name your episodes, “Episode 1, Episode 2 etc.” No one is going to listen to a podcast to figure out what it’s about.

Choosing Your Podcast Format

You can choose one format to use every time or mix it up and do any or even all of these formats – it’s up to you.

Going solo

– this is the monologue show, and it’s you and only you. You don’t need to rely on anyone else when you go solo and it builds your authority and credibility in your subject. 

The downside is it that’s it’s just you, without any help or input from someone else. Can you talk non-stop for 10 minutes or more every time you do a show? If so, you might try this method out. To dispel the feeling that you’re talking to yourself, imagine your listener is sitting across from you when you record.

Co-hosted

– team up with a colleague to chat about hot topics and give great info. The benefits of having a co-host are many. You can discuss, debate, build on each other’s thoughts and create a great listening experience. This can work especially well if you hold different viewpoints or strengths but still respect each other’s opinions. 

Co-hosting means you’ve got to agree on topics, find times to record when you are both available, be respectful of each other, and decide in advance who owns the podcasts and how you will split any income from the podcasts.

The Interview Show 

– this is an awesome format because you get to interview people in your industry about what they’re doing, what they think and what new ideas they have, as well as discussing their thoughts on the latest developments and hearing their stories.

This is also a great way to build your audience because when followers of your guests listen to the show, they may subscribe.

The challenges are that you need to find and book guests to your shows, as well as getting good at conducting interviews. Interviewing is not as easy as you might think, and it does take some skill to do your research, ask the right questions, listen carefully to the answers and compose follow up questions on the spot.

Roundtables 

– you’re the host with several guests and one topic. It’s probably best to get several one-on-one interviews under your belt before attempting this format.

The positive is you get opinions and information from several sources at once on one topic. The negative is that it can be difficult to differentiate who is speaking on a podcast when there are several people. 

Plus, you have to find a time when everyone is available for the podcast, which can be difficult.

Creating Your Cover Art

Your cover art is the first impression most people will have of your podcast. Think of any podcast app you’ve perused – what did you notice first? Most likely it was the cover art, followed closely by the podcast title.

The cover art is usually also the image someone sees when you share your show on social media.

If at all possible, podcast artwork should:

  • Stand out
  • Visually communicate the podcast subject
  • Be designed in a variety of sizes to look good everywhere
  • Limit word use to fit on small images 
  • Avoid overused images like microphones and headsets

Here is an excellent overview from Buzzsprout on designing your podcast artwork: https://www.buzzsprout.com/blog/10-tips-create-awesome-podcast-artwork

If you have money to spend, then 99designs is perhaps the best place to get your artwork done. Multiple designers will offer their designs based upon your concept. You then pick the ones you like and have them refined even further. Cost: $199-$1,399 https://99designs.com/

A cheaper alternative is Podcast Designs. You tell them what you want and they’ll do the mock-up for you, complete with changes. Cost: $85-$185 https://podcastdesigns.com/portfolio/

If you’re really on a budget, head over to Fiverr. Search through the portfolios to find the right designer, and expect to pay more than just $5 to get it done right. https://www.fiverr.com/

One last note: You might hold off on investing money on your cover art until you have at least a couple of shows completed, because it’s entirely possible your podcast will turn out to be something other than what you first imagined.

Recording Your Podcast 

It’s important not to get hung up on equipment and software in the beginning. Think of your first few podcasts as practice, see what works for you and then upgrade from there.

Hopefully, you already have a computer. Add a USB microphone with the great sound quality for about $50, and you’ve got all the equipment you need to get started. 

Software options abound. Ideally, your software should both record and edit. Audacity is a favourite choice that provides quality, free-of-charge audio editing capabilities. 

Or you might use Alitu: The Podcast Maker, which is a web app that automates audio cleanup, adds music and acts as your publishing host.

Other options include Ecamm for recording Skype, Zoom for video conferencing, and Squadcast which records each person on the podcast live on their own computer.

It’s Your First Podcast – What Should You Say?

Here are two tricks for always having something to say:

First, practice. 

Practice in the shower. And while getting dressed. And while driving, while walking and while pacing around your house. The point is to start talking about your topic as though you were recording and just get used to the feel of podcasting.

If you’ll be conducting an interview, practice on your spouse or friend. Practice even with an imaginary guest. The more you practice, the more comfortable you will be when it comes time to record. Remember when you’re doing the interview to really listen to the guest. Some of your best questions will be things you would never think to ask if you weren’t listening closely to what they’re saying.

Second, get really good at research and outlining. 

If you’re doing a solo podcast, research the latest news on your topic and make notes. Then using what you just learned along with the knowledge you already have, make an outline for yourself. 

Notice I said “outline” and not “script.” Writing out what you will say word for word will take too much time and it will result in an unsatisfactory product. It’s best to work from a well-crafted outline and speak from your head and heart.

If you’re doing an interview, research both your topic and your guest and write down plenty of questions. Choose your best questions, place them approximately in the order you plan to ask them, and send the list to your guest. 

This will give them time to prepare their answers and do any research they need to perform well on your show. 

How Do You Get Guests?

This is the biggest question of nearly all new podcasters doing interviews. 

And like many things, it does involve a Catch-22. When you are brand new to podcasting, it can be a little difficult to get guests because you don’t have a track record and you might not have an audience. But this is when you really NEED guests, so you’ll have to get them one way or the other.

Once you are well established with a good reputation and large audience, it will be easy to convince people to be your guests but you probably won’t need to, because they will come to you and ask to be on your show.

Here’s where to find your very first guests for your first podcasts:

Your contact list.

Who do you know that would make a good guest for your podcast? It might be a colleague, a friend with the right expertise, or even the colleague of a mutual friend. It’s always easiest to start with the people already within your social circle and work out from there.

Friends of friends.

You’re going to use your inner circle not only to find your first guests, but to also get introductions to potential guests within their circles as well.

If every time you ask someone to be your guest, you also ask them who else they would recommend, you may never run out of guests.

Put out the call.

Send out an email to your list asking for experts. Put the same call out on social media.

And at the end of every podcast, ask your listeners if they have some specialized knowledge that is a good fit for your podcast and give them an email address to write to if they do.

But what if these things don’t work? What if you don’t know anyone with the right expertise for your podcast? Then your first step might be to record a couple of solo podcasts yourself, just to get started. Then when you approach potential interview guests, you can refer them to the podcasts you’ve already done.

Here are a few tips for where to find guests when you don’t know them yet:

Don’t try to book Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos on Day 1. 

When choosing who to ask to be on your show, start small. Look for people in your niche who are new and looking to make their own mark. They will be much more likely to take a chance and say yes to you than someone who is already famous or well-established.

Plus, just like you, they probably need the experience.

Attend industry events. 

If you attend industry events, you’ll find these can be a goldmine for finding new podcast guests. Socialize and network, collecting cards and finding out what each person has on their plate. 

For example, if they’re getting ready to launch a new product or website, you’ve just discovered their motivation for being your podcast guest.

Search for book launches. 

Watch Amazon for upcoming books in your niche. Simply search for your topic, and then change the search from “relevance” to “publication date.” These authors want book publicity and are often available for podcast interviews. 

Raid your competition – twice. 

Search for podcasts in your niche and make a list of the podcasters and their guests that you would like to book on your show. This is an awesome method to use, since you already know these are people open to being on a podcast and you can hear what they sound like before you ever approach them.And don’t forget to ask some of the podcasters about being a guest on their show as well.

Find the bloggers in your niche. 

Look not only for the people who run the blogs, but also their guest bloggers, too, to find podcast guests. 

Use podcasting guest services. 

These are matchmaking services where podcasters can connect with potential guests. Simply search for “podcast guest service” to find a whole list of them.

Use HARO. 

Help a Reporter Out is a website that connects experts with reporters. In this case, you are the reporter looking for experts. This is an awesome site chock full of experts on just about any topic you can possibly think of, and it can be a source of podcasts guests who are well versed on how to give a great interview. 

More Tips for Getting Great Guests:

Set the Stage: 

When you decide to approach someone, read their blog and leave valuable comments as well as connecting with them on social media. This way when you approach them, they’ll be familiar with your name and the request won’t sound like it comes from a total stranger.

Be Real: 

Be honest about your audience size. A potential guest wants to hear you have a massive audience, but if you don’t, be honest. Let them know if you do have an audience elsewhere that you can send to your podcast, such as through an email list and social media. 

Offer the Link: 

Mention that you’ll link to their website, landing page, sales page or wherever they choose. This will help them with search engine optimization and possibly help to build their list and make sales.

Discuss Promotion: 

Tell them how you will promote the podcast on which they appear, now and in the future. Will you use social media? Will you run any paid ads? Will you promote the podcast to your lists?

Send Reminders: 

Your podcast guests are busy. Send a reminder one week before your scheduled interview (if applicable) and again 24 hours prior. If you have a list of questions, send those three days before you do the show.

Be Thankful: 

Thank them for considering your podcast, thank them when they agree to be a guest, thank them when you send the questions and reminders, thank them before the interview starts, thank them when you finish the interview, thank them when you send the link… you get the idea.

What do you say when contacting a potential podcast guest?

When you approach someone to ask if they will be your podcast guest, give them the following information:

  • Mention a blogpost, podcast, book or video they created that you read or watched. Let them know what you thought of it (all positive) and what you especially liked. They need to know that you’re inviting them on your show because you like their stuff and see the value they bring, not because they are one of 300 random people you’re spamming.
  • Tell them about your podcast – the name of the podcast, the purpose of the podcast and who your audience is.
  • If you’ve interviewed experts in the past, mention them. Name dropping can be highly effective here. If you have relevant credentials, mention those too, in moderation.
  • Mention any graphics you will create to be shared on social media, and the link they will receive.
  • Tell them how long the interview lasts (20 to 30 minutes is good) and that it’s audio only. If you’ve already done some shows, give them the URL so they can check it out. If not, give them the URL to a page that describes your podcast and talks about yourself as well.

Once You Post the Show

When the show is posted online, send your guest the link to the show so they can check it out. Do NOT ask them to promote it for you – it’s just bad form to ask. They were already nice enough to do the show, and whether or not they share it with their list or social media is up to them (most of them will share it, often multiple times.)

If they share the podcast link, THANK them for that, too.

Send them a gift. Yes, I mean send them an actual gift. I don’t know what that is because it will depend on the guest. But in the course of your research and conversations you will learn something about what they like. It could be a new book on their favorite topic, for example, which will cost you about $20 and Amazon will ship it for you.

The gift is important because it makes you stand apart from nearly every other podcaster out there and will leave them with a very positive feeling about you.

That combined with how well you treated them and how great the interview went will assure you can get them back as a guest again when the time is right. 

And they might even send someone else your way to be your guest, too. You never know who they know.

Podcasting is such a large and important topic that we’re going to continue this next time when we cover…

Making Calls to Action within Your Podcast

Music, Introduction and Editing Your Podcast

Where to List Your Podcast

And most importantly…

Monetizing and Profiting from Your Podcast

Ok so we have covered why you might want to have a podcast, things to consider before you start podcasting, how to contact potential podcast guests and even what to do for your first couple of podcasts.

This month well cover how to build listener engagement; questions to ask your podcast guest; podcast music, intros, outros and editing; where to host and list your podcast; calls to action and monetizing your podcast. 

Building Listener Engagement with Q and A’s

A great way to get your listeners super involved with your podcasts is to let them ask you questions, make comments or read their reviews. 

People LOVE to hear their names spoken online. They’ll tune in to see if you used their question or comment. And they’ll be much more likely to share your podcast with others when their name is mentioned, too.

What happens when they share your podcast? Their friends are likely to have similar interests, so now you’ve got new subscribers. And when they ask questions, they’ll be more likely to share your podcast as well, and onward and upward it goes.

You can ask people to tag or @ you on social media when they ask questions, which can bring in more listeners as their friends tune in to see what’s happening.

This is a great way to grow your podcast audience and your social media channels, all at the same time.

Questions to Ask Your Guest

When you conduct research on your guest and their topic, you’ll be making a list of questions to ask them.

Still, it can be a daunting process when you’re new to interviewing.

What if you ask a stupid question?

What if you run out of questions?

And isn’t there a list of interview questions somewhere that you can use to get started?

There is an excellent PDF resource from Paul Hollins that covers all of this.

And it’s free. 

Not only does he answer the most common podcasting interview questions – he also gives you two entire pages of the best open-ended questions you can ask almost any guest.https://www.interviewcheatsheets.com/

Podcast Music

It’s probably not a coincidence that the best podcasts have catchy musical intros. This is the first thing listeners associate with your show. Plus, it will be on every single one of your podcasts, so it’s worth it to pick great music.

If you’re on a budget, you can use a site like Free Music Archive to find free music. https://freemusicarchive.org/

Better yet, paying a small amount for professional-grade theme music is worth the investment. Audio Jungle is a good place to start your search for this. https://audiojungle.net/ Or try Epidemic Sound. https://www.epidemicsound.com

The best, and most expensive option of all is to hire someone to create your intro and outro for you. This will be a combination of music and a professional voice over. It’s not cheap, but it can sound awesome and give you the brand and professional touch you’re looking for. 

Options for this are numerous in a wide variety of price ranges. Just Google, “professional podcast intro” and you’ll find a variety of sites vying for your business.

The Podcast Introduction

Podcast introductions are usually the first thing heard on your podcasts. The one exception is if you insert a few clips from the podcast itself into the very beginning to entice the listener, and then follow up with the theme music and intro.

Your intro will create anticipation and add cohesiveness to your podcast, and should include:

The name of your podcast

Your name

Possibly your location

What your podcast is about

Possibly a little bio or a couple of facts about yourself 

For example:

“Podcasting from sunny south Florida, this is the Lazy Gardener Show for gardening enthusiasts who want the most garden for the least effort. Here’s your host, Susan Snowpea, a 12 time Gardening Grand Prix winner and perhaps the laziest gardener of all. So, sit back, relax, and let’s talk dirt!”

Once the professional intro is done, you’ll come on and give a quick rundown of what will happen on the show today. Think of this portion as teasers designed to catch the listeners’ interest, much like the bullet points in a sales letter.

The Podcast Outro

The outro wraps everything up with a bow and lets you bid farewell.

Ideally, your voice is first. You might quickly review what was covered or thank your guest. You might also give your listener an action item to get them started on what they learned today in your podcast. Or better yet, give them a call to action to visit your website, your guest’s website, or to pick up a free report or find you on social media. 

And finally, the professional outro is played and it might go something like this:

“Thanks for listening to The Lazy Gardener Show with Susan Snowpea. If you like our show and want to know more, check out the podcast website at www.insertname.com or join our Facebook Group, The Lazy Gardener Show to discover 5 ways to double your vegetable harvest while doing less work.”

Your call to action at the end can be anything you like, and we’ll cover calls to action in more detail in just a bit.

Editing Your Podcast

Unless you’re already a knowledgeable audio editor, the very easiest way to edit your podcast is to let a professional do it for you.

“But why does it need editing? Can’t I just post it the way it is?”

Yes, of course you can make your recording and post it as is. But there are reasons you might want to consider editing.

Are you adding an intro and outro? Do you want to insert breaks in the audio that remind people of what they’re listening to and where they can subscribe to your list? Then you’ll want to do some simple editing to get this done.

Do you want to remove mistakes, umms and ahhs, silent moments when the guest is considering what to say, those times that you forget your place and so forth? Then you’ll want to edit those out to make the recording flow faster and keep it tight and interesting.

What about the sound quality – would you like to take out background sounds while also sharpening the quality of your voice? Again, that’s editing.

While it’s true that content matters most of all, it’s also true that quality of sound can make or break a podcast. You can have the best content in the world, but if it’s difficult to listen to, people might not bother.

Think of a time when you tried to watch a video online but the picture was pixelated. Did you enjoy the experience? Even if the content was great, the pixilation was probably a major distraction and a deterrent from watching anything else on that channel.

Audio is no different. A crisp, clear sound will make a mediocre podcast sound professional and a professional podcast sound amazing.

Here is a short video in which a true audiophile, Mike Russell, explains the process of cleaning up the audio on a podcast as well as adding a couple of sound effects, enhancing both voices separately, editing out the rogue umms and errs, tiding up the intros to remove awkward spaces, and a bunch of other stuff that pretty much blew my mind. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96TLMPtcYkk

He makes it look easy, which it is if you know how to do it.

If you don’t want to learn audio editing yourself, you can use a service to clean up your podcasts for you. 

Search for “podcast editing” and you’ll find plenty of services to choose from. They do come at a cost, however.

If your budget is tight, you might compromise by using an editing tool. It won’t make you sound as good as a professional can, but it will help your podcast to sound better. And while you’re first getting started, that might be all you need.

Here are a few tools to consider:

Garageband

– if you’re a Mac user, you might already have this installed on your computer. Offers both free and paid versions.

Audacity

– available for Windows, macOS and Unix, completely free and open-source.

Power Sound Editor – lots of options to lay down tracks with external microphones, pull in audio clips or fragments from CD’s, DVD’s, media players or web videos. Free and paid options.

Music Maker

– this one is marketed as a music creation tool, but it works for podcasts, too. Includes more than 400 sound and loop effects on the free version, paid version is available too.

Studio One

– intuitive single-window interface with drag and drop editing. Free and paid options.

WavePad – full-featured audio and music editor for Windows and Mac, with simplified recording and mixing of voice and music tracks. Free and paid versions are available. 

Where to Host Your Podcast

You’ve got your podcast edited, but now what do you do with it?

It’s time to choose hosting to upload and distribute your podcast. Podcasting hosting websites are built to house your content so you can share it with your list as well as letting it be discovered by new listeners.

These hosting services provide ways to structure your shows into an overall series, making it easy for listeners to find a specific topic or episode by search. And they generate an RSS feed for your podcast, which you can use to share your show on various platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher.

Some of these platforms also generate listener data and offer assistance with monetization, too.

Keep in mind that the majority of podcast hosting services operate on a subscription model of $10 to $20 per month. There are also free alternatives, but generally you get what you pay for.

Here are a few podcasting hosting services to consider:

Podbean

– for over 10 years they’ve been helping podcasters of all genres and sizes. 390,000 podcasters use their services, their customer service is highly ranked and they’re known to be super reliable. And you can integrate with Spotify, iTunes and Facebook to find new audiences.

Podiant

– while most hosts have a cap on maximum server speed, Podiant offers unlimited storage and bandwidth. The basic plan is about $13 a month, with more advanced packages priced 2 to 3 times higher. And they do offer some special digital presence features such as a customizable website.

Castos

– this podcast hosting service offers unlimited bandwidth and a WordPress plug-in with the subscription which makes it super easy to display all of your podcasts on your own website. Plus, there are ample analytics to help you understand which episodes are pulling in the most listeners, the demographics of your audience, the listening behavior and more. You can also boost your SEO with the set it and forget it options along with YouTube republishing and automatic podcast transcriptions. 

Transistor

– do you want to create multiple shows? Transistor doesn’t charge you every time you start a new podcast on the same account. Each podcast you host gets a separate dashboard, RSS feed, analytics and website, starting at $19 a month.

Anchor – visit site (Recomended)

– this is a complete podcasting package with zero fee. The analytics aren’t as good as the others, but if you’re on a budget, you might want to start here. They’ll also help match you with sponsors if you’re interested.

Buzzsprout

– this is an easy way to host, promote and track your podcast. You can reach potential listeners by listing your podcast in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and more through the Buzzsprout feeds. Free for 90 days.

Where to list your podcast

You’ve got your podcast hosting, but you’re not done yet. Now you want to submit your podcast to various directories.

The host you’ve chosen will already have agreements set up with some of the major places to list your podcast. But going a step further to ensure you’re listed in as many places as possible is a good idea.

To do this, you can use a podcast directory service to widen your podcast distribution for you, or you can submit your podcast yourself to each directory without using a service.

Directories where you most definitely want to be listed are:

  • Acast
  • Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes)
  • Google Play Music AND Google Podcasts
  • IHeartRadio
  • Pandora
  • Podchaser
  • Spotify
  • Stitcher
  • TuneIn

When you’ve got those covered, you might also get your podcast listed in:

  • AntennaPod
  • BeyondPod
  • Blubrry
  • Castaway 2
  • Digital Podcast
  • doubleTwist
  • Downcast
  • iCatcher
  • iPodder
  • Overcast
  • Podcast Republic
  • PodCruncher
  • Spreaker

There are more podcast directories, but these lists will be plenty to get you started.

Create a Dedicated Podcast Website

Have a look at https://www.digital-rapport.com podcast website. This website has been built using Pod Page Which Automatically creates a beautiful, listener-friendly podcast site from your RSS feed. Customize the design to create a professional look you’ll be proud of in a few clicks. No coding or technical knowledge is necessary.

Making Calls to Action within Your Podcast

On every single one of your podcasts – EVERY single one – you’ll want to have a call to action, preferably one that you repeat 2 to 5 times.

Your call to action is first and foremost a way to offer more value to your audience.

Decide what you want your listeners to do, and then ask them to go do it.

Examples: 

Have them join your email list. Offer a prime incentive for them to do this, like a book, report or something they would be willing to pay for because it’s that good.

Ask them to join your Facebook Group.

Have them listen to another podcast of yours, possibly one where you are promoting something big and wonderful.

Get them to check out your guest’s special offer. You may or may not be an affiliate for this offer, depending on the deal you struck with your guest.

Have them check out YOUR offer, whether it’s your own product or an affiliate product you are promoting.

If you want them to join your list, mention the freebie you’re offering right up front, again in the middle of the podcast and lastly at the end. The repetition does wonders for getting them to actually do it.

If your guest is going to promote something, let your audience know up front that the guest will be making a very special offer just for them at the end of the show.

If you’re promoting an affiliate product or your own product, use your judgment. It might be best to mention it a couple of times, very casually, before you do the real promotion at the end.

Generally, if your podcast is going out to people who don’t know you well, then your best option is to make them the free offer to get on your list. That way you can continue to promote to them for as long as they are on your list.

But if your podcast is going out mainly to just your subscribers, then make them a paid offer they cannot refuse. 

Here’s a list of possible Calls to Action to get you started:

  • Subscribe to the podcast or leave a podcast review
  • Download a freebie to join your email list
  • Watch a Facebook Live or join a Facebook Group
  • Donate to a specific charity
  • Read a certain blog post
  • Listen to a specific podcast episode
  • Purchase your product or an affiliate product
  • Join your guest’s email list or visit your guest’s sales page
  • Pre-order a product or get on a waitlist for an upcoming product
  • Register for a webinar
  • Email you with questions
  • Get a free coaching session or free consultation
  • Join a mastermind
  • Watch a video or subscribe to your YouTube channel
  • Check out your shop
  • Follow you on social media – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, SnapChat, etc.)

9 Ways to Monetize and Profit from Your Podcast

We’ve already hinted at this, but now let’s get specific on various ways you can monetize your podcast.

Build Your Email List 

– regardless of what else you’re doing, hopefully you will be using your podcast to add subscribers to your email list so that you can continue to sell them products and services for as long as they stay with you.

Offer an incentive, such as a report, book, cheat sheet, email course or whatever your listeners would love to have in exchange for their email address.

Sell Affiliate Products 

– if you have an affiliate product that directly ties into your podcast, by all means promote it. Your goal is to help your listeners and oftentimes the best way to do that is to recommend what they need to attain their goals. 

For example, if you’re teaching list building, you might recommend your favorite autoresponder or a course on how to write effective emails.

Sell Your Own Products 

– just like affiliate products, if you have your own product that ties in directly with the subject of the podcast, then definitely promote it on the podcast. 

Sell Memberships 

– this could be your membership or an affiliate membership. I just want to make sure you consider selling anything that offers you recurring income because this can be super lucrative for you over the long haul.

Sell Your Consulting or Coaching Services 

– this can work incredibly well because you’re establishing trust and authority on the podcast, making the next logical step to offer your personal help or services to your listeners.

Team Up with Guests to Sell Their Product 

– I subscribe to a podcaster who does a call every Thursday to an expert in her field. And at the end of the call, they always make a special offer to listeners that is good only for the next three days. She then posts the podcast along with the link, which I’m certain is an affiliate link where she splits the profits 50/50 with the expert.

Let Listeners Thank You 

– unless you have a lot of listeners, this one won’t make you rich but it will put a few dollars in your pocket. Sign up with a site like Patreon.com and let listeners know they can, “Buy you a cup of coffee to say thanks” for your podcasts. 

Offer Exclusive Members Only Content 

– offer exclusive content above and beyond your regular podcasts for monthly sponsors only. Again, sign up at Patreon.com and set up a monthly rate for your exclusive “members only” content.

Get Advertising Sponsors 

– You’ll need a good-sized audience for this, so this method is not likely how you’ll monetize your podcast in the beginning.

You can approach advertisers yourself – for example, if there is a product you love which is a good fit for your podcast. Or you can use a service such as Advertise Cast (which requires a minimum of 2,500 downloads per podcast episode) to match you up with a sponsor. 

How much you get paid will depend on the deal you strike with your sponsor. 15 second pre-roll ads are typically $15-20 per 1,000 listens, and 60 second mid-roll ads are typically $20-25 per 1,000 listens. 

If you have a smaller, highly engaged audience, then cost per acquisition can pay more. Think of it as a referral bonus. You offer an exclusive discount code or affiliate link to track how many customers the business acquires from your podcast and you are paid accordingly.

As with any other product, be sure you choose sponsors that are in line with the principles and ideals of your show.

Sell Your Own Merchandise 

– does your podcast have a catchy name? Do your listeners love you? Then you might consider putting your podcast logo and your tagline or a great quote on t-shirts, mugs and so forth.

Your Podcasts will Improve with Experience

If you’re nervous about getting started with podcasting because you’re afraid you’re going to be bad at it, let me put your fears to rest.

Your first few episodes likely will be bad.

And that’s okay.

There is a learning curve here, as well as a confidence curve.

And it’s going to take time to build both your skills as a podcaster as well as your confidence in what you’re doing.

It’s said that if you want to blog, you should open a throwaway blog, write a post every single day for 30 days and then delete the entire thing.

That’s because what you need at the beginning is practice, practice and practice.

Podcasting is no different.

Many podcasting professionals initially create a dozen or so throwaway podcasts just to get started and learn what they’re doing.

They’ll interview their friends, their kids, their spouses or simply talk into the mike for 20 to 40 minutes to get the feel of what they’re doing.

This is especially helpful if you’re going to be interviewing experts, since you don’t really want your very first podcast ever to be with that person you’re trying to impress with your knowledge and ability to do a professional sounding podcast.

Plus, when you do your first podcasts with the intent of never airing them to the public, you can relax and enjoy the process while also experimenting to see what works best for you.

This doesn’t need to take a lot of time, either. You can easily do your first dozen podcasts in the next 7 days and be creating your first ‘real’ podcast a week from today.

You’ll be glad you took the time to practice, and your audience will be much more likely to come back and listen to your second podcast when the first one doesn’t sound like it was made by a fifth grader practicing on his mom’s podcasting equipment. 

A few more podcasting tips:

Have fun. 

If you’re having fun, then the person being interviewed is having fun and so are your listeners. Smile when you talk because people can hear a smile in your voice. Crack jokes if that’s your nature.

Don’t be boring.

Telling stories is a wonderful thing to do as long as the story isn’t boring. Switch gears the moment you notice that either you or your interview subject is droning on. Ask listeners a question that gets them engaged and thinking before launching into your next topic. 

Don’t repeat yourself endlessly. Don’t restate things 5 different ways – your listeners understood you the first time, and if they didn’t, then that’s on you, not your listeners. 

I once knew someone who spoke normally in person, but on a podcast he would continually find numerous ways to say the same thing and it drove everyone crazy. He’s no longer podcasting. 

Know when to be succinct and when to elaborate. 

If you can tell a story in 2 minutes or 20 minutes, do it in 2 minutes. But if you’re outlining the process for how to do something, go into enough detail that the listener knows what you’re talking about. 

Use your best judgement and listen to feedback if people tell you that you’re going too fast or slow.

Get critiques. 

Pick out 3 people you trust to tell you the truth and have them listen to your first episodes. When they make suggestions on what to change, don’t get mad – just listen and take notes. 

Set the notes aside for a day or two and then read them over. Are they right? Giving yourself that extra time will allow you to evaluate their feedback with a clear head.

Leave your ego at the door. 

This is especially useful when interviewing someone. They are your honored guest and they have taken the time to be on your show. Be appreciative and let them shine. 

When you’re doing a podcast solo, it’s great to be knowledgeable and confident but don’t become a narcissistic egomaniac. Acknowledge that you don’t always have the answers, and that your opinions are just that – opinions and not the gospel truth.

When you make a mistake, acknowledge it and keep going. 

You will trip over your own tongue, mispronounce words and names, say one thing when you mean another and generally goof up. Even announcers who have been in the business for decades make mistakes. 

And oftentimes your audience will like you more – not less – when you acknowledge your mistake and move on. Better yet, have a laugh about it to show that you can indeed laugh at yourself. Your audience will love you for it.

Speak to one person. 

Speak as though you are talking to a friend sitting on the other side of the table. You will sound less formal and more human this way. Use your normal vocabulary, assuming you don’t speak like you swallowed a dictionary. Use everyday words instead of jargon, and don’t use acronyms unless you’re certain that your audience knows what they mean. 

Outline your podcast ahead of time. 

Start with the end in mind, knowing what the purpose of this particular podcast is and what takeaways you want your listeners to have. Decide what stories, points, case studies and so forth you want to use, and in what order you’ll cover them.

One last thing, and this is important:

“Is Podcasting Saturated? Am I Too Late??”

No and No!

Imagine if in 1970 someone said that every TV show that could be created had already been created, that TV was saturated and it made no sense to make another show.

It’s crazy!

We’ve had 50 years of television since then. Some good, some bad, and a lot of it forgettable, but that’s okay.

If you have something to say, then start a podcast.

If you’re a wiz at finances and stocks and forex, start a podcast.

If you’re a personal trainer or nutritionist and you can help people with your knowledge, start a podcast.

If you’re amazing at giving great relationship advice to listeners, start a podcast.

If you have a passion for a topic but you’re still learning about it, interview the experts and learn right along with your listeners.

If you have a message – whatever that message might be – start a podcast.

Whether you’re talking about relationships, health, weight loss, money, pets, hobbies or whatever, if you have something to say, then by all means say it. Put your flag out there and let your tribe find you.

I guarantee that right now, today, someone is starting a podcast that is going to EXPLODE. They are going to get so many listeners it will be crazy and they will become known the world over.

And also right now, today, someone else is starting a podcast that might only get a few hundred or a few thousand listeners, but those listeners are going to love that podcaster and buy every product that podcaster recommends and that podcaster is going to be rich.

You can be EITHER of these two people, but it won’t happen if you don’t get busy and start your podcast now.

We’ve come to the end of our podcasting primer. You’ll find that while I’ve answered most of your questions and given you an outstanding block of knowledge to get started, there is something I forgot to tell you. I don’t know what it is but you’ll find that out for yourself. And when you do, you have two choices: Find the answer or give up. The winner will find the answer.

Digital Rapport 1200x1200 layout511 1gohre4 - start your own podcast

You don’t need to be an expert on podcasting to start podcasting. You only need to START and start NOW.

Six months from now you can have 26 or 52 or more podcasts completed, a rock solid loyal following and money in the bank. And the first step is easy – record your first podcasts and learn as you go.

And hey, I look forward to hearing your podcasts and maybe even being a guest on your show one day when you are rich and famous and having the time of your life podcasting.

If you are looking for a step by step course on how to start your own podcast click here for a course I’ve put together for you.

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