Kickstart Your Podcasting Growth: How to Start a Podcast in 8 Easy Steps

With over 464 million listeners spending an average of 7 hours per week, there are no doubts that the podcasting industry’s skyrocketing popularity is a testament to how it's becoming one of the most preferred mediums for consuming media. This sudden surge in the industry has yielded benefits for more content creators who want to establish an intimate and engaging way to connect with their audiences. Business owners have also utilized podcasts to personalize the way they offer their products and services through episodes that heavily favor their target market’s niche.

Regardless of experience or intent, whether you want to spread brand awareness or build a community to share your expertise and knowledge, this blog aims to give aspiring podcasters a comprehensive guide on the necessary equipment and strategies to keep in mind as they kickstart their journey in the podcasting industry.

Define Your Niche

Before editing, recording, and promotion, the first step in beginning your podcasting growth is to define your niche. This crucial part of the process will allow you to set your podcast apart from the thousands, if not millions, of podcasts available right now. Defining your niche involves performing several steps to get a clearer picture of how you plan to move forward with your future episodes.

To put it plainly, defining your nice revolves around the answers to the following questions:

• Who’s your target audience?
• What’s your expertise?
• What’s your objective?
• How can your show be unique?

Acquiring solid answers to these questions can give your podcast channel a solid foundation, increasing the chances of attracting a dedicated audience and establishing a strong presence within your respective industry.

Develop Your Brand

Once you’ve established your niche and have a solid goal in mind, it’s time to work on your branding. A vital part of this step includes coming up with a catchy name and logo that will increase your chances of brand recall. Some strategies to keep in mind when developing your brand include:

• Allocating time for brand research
• Considering your audience’s preference
• Analyzing other podcast channels' approach through competitor analysis

With a well-crafted and thoroughly researched brand, it will be easier to maintain a consistent identity that resonates with potential viewers, who can better grasp the essence of your episodes on a deeper level.

Invest in Quality Podcasting Equipment

With 59% of users listening to podcasts while doing something else at the time, it’s safe to say that sound quality can make all the difference in ensuring that you deliver the best content for your potential listeners. That’s why investing in quality equipment can significantly enhance the overall listening experience, making it a non-negotiable as you carve your path to podcasting growth.

Microphones

Arguably, the most important piece of equipment you will need to start podcasting is the microphone. Since this will capture your voice and help get your message across clearly, exploring the best microphone option will ensure that your initial step into getting your content out there is a successful one.

Headphones

The idiom “The devil is in the details” rings true even within the podcasting industry. Investing in good headphones allows you to catch these details and edit minor imperfections that may be undetectable through speakers alone. This equipment is essential for maximizing the quality of your episodes and ensuring your brand oozes professionalism.

Sound Mixers

Sound mixers are considered the final puzzle piece to complete the essentials you need to record a podcast. This tool allows you to manage multiple audio sources simultaneously through level adjustments, balancing sound inputs, and adding effects. 

When choosing which sound mixer to invest in, consider factors such as how many audio channels it can handle, whether it has built-in sound effects and whether it is overall worth the price.

Utilize Recording Software

Part of every podcast is post-production, which involves a lot of editing via recording software. This software allows you to filter out unnecessary noises such as static, trim out lengthening factors like dead air, and even enhance the overall quality of your audio. 

Free Audio Recording Software to Try Out:

• Riverside
• Audacity
• GarageBand
• OBS Studio
• Descript

Regardless of which software you choose, consider your skill level and your podcast's specific needs to maximize the effectiveness of your editing efforts.

Conceptualize Your Episodes

Much like every venture, you can’t go in blind and without a plan. In podcasting, growth comes with proper planning and execution. This usually begins with a concept or an easily comprehensible episode structure.

You need to ensure that your audience stays engaged throughout every episode. That’s why it’s important to explore different approaches that can strike a balance between offering substantial information and delivering it in a way that keeps your potential listeners entertained.

Build a Rapport with Industry Experts

Even in podcasting, networking can go a long way in helping elevate your show to new heights. With countless podcasts under every genre you can think of, the possibility of running into fellow content creators who are experts in their respective fields is very high. These people can give you insights into how they navigated the early stages of their podcasting growth and even provide tips and strategies on how they built their empires.

Aside from acquiring insightful information, you can also tap these industry experts for a mutually beneficial collaboration that could drive more audience to your respective shows. Virtudesk’s official podcast, Leverage, utilizes this strategy to provide more knowledge and a wider perspective to its existing audience while also attracting the possibility of introducing the guest’s audience to the show.

Allocate Time for Podcast Editing

Editing your podcast is one of the last steps before your episodes are released to the public. That’s why it’s important to polish everything, including the audio, video transitions, and effects, during this stage so that your audience can have the best experience every time they decide to listen to or watch your podcast.

During the initial stage of your podcasting growth, it’s expected that one of the common challenges you will encounter is the editing part. Since this is a tedious task, it’s recommended to have someone who has experience in dealing with the intricacies of video and audio editing.

Set Up Your Podcast Platform and Publish!

Once everything is good to go, all that’s left to do is choose a podcast platform and publish your episode. With numerous platforms, such as Spotify, Apple Podcast, and PodBean, the landscape for getting your brand out there is wider than ever. Depending on the platform, you, or a Podcast Virtual Assistant, can handle all the necessary requirements and make sure everything is ready to go before your episode goes live.

To maximize views and engagement, ensure that you post teasers of your upcoming episodes prior to the posting date and promote them across all your social media platforms following posting, a task that Podcast VA can also do so you can focus on other responsibilities that require your time and attention.

Tips and Strategies to Maximize the Effectiveness of Your Podcast

Set Up a Content Calendar

Probably considered one of the most effective marketing strategies that every content creator and business implements is the utilization of a content calendar. Much like other ventures, podcasting includes a lot of moving parts to ensure everything comes together perfectly and results in the best possible outcome. With a content calendar, you can plot out everything you need to do for every episode, from conceptualization to guest scheduling, recording, and promotional tasks, once the episode gets published.

Resonate with Your Audience

The audience you will build throughout will serve as the lifeblood of your podcasting journey. Building a community around your brand can yield amazing benefits for your channel, such as monetization and possible advertising opportunities. That’s why a crucial factor to consider is ensuring that the episodes you put out resonate with your audience. Whether it’s through stories of personal experiences or valuable tips that they can apply in their lives or businesses, these factors can go a long way in ensuring that your audience is always looking forward to your next episodes.

Be Open to New Trends

If there’s one constant in the digital space, it’s trends. Every day, new things pop up on everyone’s social media pages to draw attention. Whether it’s the latest dance craze or major groundbreaking news, these situations need to be seized and discussed immediately before their window of relevance closes.

In the context of podcasting, these trends can be used as the main topic to pique people's curiosity and get them to listen to your episodes. A great example of this is when news has major implications in a current industry. You can invite an expert in that respective field and use your channel as a platform to get their thoughts on the matter. This way, you’re not only talking about relevant topics, but you are also helping your audience get a clearer perspective and valuable insights regarding the said trend.

Explore Different Promotional Strategies

During days when you’re not posting new episodes, constantly promoting your upcoming and existing episodes is a must. That’s where podcast promotional strategies come into play. Depending on your target audience, some traditional promotional strategies, such as posting on platforms like Instagram or Facebook may not work. If you’re aiming for a younger audience, try posting your content on TikTok, which can greatly increase your chances of getting noticed by your intended market.

Acquire a Podcast Virtual Assistant

While building a podcast empire may seem like a fun concept, the work involved in producing each one and ensuring that every other aspect is taken care of is a tiring responsibility. Having a dedicated employee alongside you like a Podcast Virtual Assistant can go a long way in easing the process of getting your episodes published on your chosen platform.

How To Hire Your Own Virtudesk Podcast Virtual Assistant

Step 1: Accomplish Sign-Up Form

The journey of acquiring your own Podcast Virtual Assistant from Virtudesk begins by filling out the sign-up form that can be found on the company’s official website. The purpose of the form is to gather all the necessary details regarding your podcast production venture, including your background, objectives, brand guidelines, or any specific preference you might have for your potential Podcast Virtual Assistant. Once the form has been completed, one of our Virtudesk staff will contact you for a discovery call. 

Step 2: Choosing The Perfect Podcast Virtual Assistant For You

Following the discovery call, everything that’s been discussed will be taken into consideration as our team comes up with a list of virtual assistant candidates, specifically those with the suitable skill set to support your podcast.

Once the list has been finalized, you will get the opportunity to talk to each candidate individually to assess their experience and character. This will allow you to carefully decide which candidate aligns best with your goals.

Step 3: Meet and Greet

Once you’ve chosen the best candidate out of every shortlisted virtual assistant, all that’s left to do is conduct an official onboarding meeting between you and your Podcast Virtual Assistant. This session will essentially serve as an introduction where you welcome your new employee and review any important details regarding your operations.

Conclusion

As with any venture, all you have to do is take the initial step to get your journey started. The same goes with any aspiring content creator or business owner who wants to enter the podcasting world. Equipped with the right knowledge and strategies, half of the work is already finished and you’re on your way to getting your message out there.

Our mission here at Virtudesk revolves around empowering clients and helping them get one step closer to their dreams, including aspiring podcasters. Our Podcast Virtual Assistants aim to do exactly that with their extensive knowledge of the ins and outs of producing podcasts to ensure maximum overall efficiency of your operations. Schedule a discovery call with us today!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• What is a Podcast Virtual Assistant?

Podcast Virtual Assistants are remote professionals trained to take on various tasks to support and enhance the overall production and management of podcasts, covering all aspects, from content ideation to post-production responsibilities.

• How is a Podcast Virtual Assistant useful when starting a podcast?

Especially during the planning stage of starting a podcast, the requirements and the tasks needed to be done can be quite overwhelming. Podcast Virtual Assistants are capable of producing a more expansive, comprehensive support system, addressing the dynamic needs of today’s podcasting production.

• How can expanding my network contribute to podcasting growth?

Taking the time to make new connections can yield several benefits for your podcast, including new audiences and the possibility of meeting industry experts who can offer tips on how you can grow your podcast. They can also be invited as guests on your show, which can also expand your reach in the podcasting space.

• Why is defining a niche important when starting out a podcast?

Choosing and sticking with a niche during the planning stages of your podcasting journey allows you to have a clear direction on how you’re going to conceptualize each episode. With your niche established, you can target a specific audience and capitalize on content that would resonate the most with them.

• Is a content calendar important in podcasting?

Yes. A content calendar will help you organize your content accordingly and ensure that whenever you’re not recording or posing new episodes, you are consistently promoting your channel and attracting new potential listeners.

MORE BLOGS FROM VIRTUDESK:

• 10 Reasons To Hire A Virtual Assistant
• 12 Skills To Look For When Hiring A Virtual Personal Assistant
• When Should You Hire A Virtual Assistant?
• Effective Branding and Growth Marketing Ideas 2024
• The Developing Landscape in Remote Staffing 2024