June
29, 2021
7 min read
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
A podcast is one of the best ways that people can share their ideas, experiences, and views on a particular topic.
But many will wonder: What is a podcast? Here we go: It is about preparing content in audio format and it is posted on the open Internet or within certain platforms such as Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Ivoox, SoundCloud, among the most popular, so that the rest can listen to it. of people.
The word ” podcast ” comes from merging two words in English: “pod” (referring to a portable audio player) and ” broadcast ” (transmission or broadcast).
Make your voice heard
Sometimes the excuse for not starting our own podcast is that we have no experience or that we are not star experts in the field where we want to start; However, the idea of making our own podcast is that we reach our target audience, who may be interested in our ideas, and that we help them solve their most common problems.
For example, if you are a health professional, you can start sharing experiences and tips that help people control their weight, take care of their physical condition or tips to improve their well-being in general. You can do it using your own knowledge or you can have other guests, colleagues and specialists to help you develop the topic.
An important clarification: You don’t have to be a star to podcast. In fact, it is exactly the other way around. You will be recognized for your ideas as your audience begins to listen to you and grow with you, and become interested in your content.
The importance of personal branding
Another advantage of doing a podcast is that you will be aligning it with your personal branding strategy. As I always share, it is about reaching to develop it in the medium and long term, because it pays off to the extent that you can grow and share your ideas with an audience that will become faithful to your content; In the case of your audio content, they will not only listen to you or share and comment, but they can also subscribe to listen to your new episodes.
On another level, brands and products could be interested in what you share, generating income from your project.
4 simple steps to start your first podcast
Here are the basics you need to keep in mind when thinking about having your own podcast, in these 4 easy steps:
1. Define a topic and format: One of the most important things when starting a podcast is that you define what you want to talk about. Pick a topic that you are proficient and that you think will be useful to your audience. The most common formats are podcast with specific weekly topics, podcast with interviews, podcast with guests, or podcast with book and movie reviews related to your main topic. Although there are an infinity of themes. The duration is variable, from 5 or 10 minutes to programs of an hour or more. There is an audience for all tastes.
2. Define a publication schedule : It is important that you define the frequency in which you are going to launch each new episode. Will it be a weekly, biweekly or monthly podcast? Once you have established it, you should plan and research the topics that you are going to cover in each episode. Take the time to find sources, interviewees, or ideas that you want to implement in each episode.
When you feel ready, grab your phone (or hire a professional studio) and record your first episode. If you have the ability to edit audio, you can incorporate resources such as music, sound effects, pre-recorded voices and a large number of artistic elements that will give more body and appeal to your content. How to record? Many do it directly with the voice recorder built into the cell phone; others add an external microphone, and even get a more professional one and record on their computer.
3. Define the platforms where to post: It is undeniable that to have reach you will need to have a Spotify account for Podcasters. There are also other platforms in Spanish, as I mentioned above. And I suggest that you do not rule out local platforms and in your language, since the more you have a presence, the more viral your content could become, encompassing niche audiences and other broader ones, always depending on the topics you address.
4. Make it recurring and share it on your social networks: Now it’s time to share your podcast with the world. The first place where you should start sharing your episodes on all your social networks. If you have interviews, mention them with @ so they also help you spread the word. And remember to mention this new tactic of your Personal Brand in any other communication, for example, with a direct link on your website, or by recording yourself on video while you prepare the podcast and upload it to your YouTube channel. In other words, you do what is called “transmedia”, you take advantage of the synergy between one medium and the others. In a podcast your primary audience will be the people who already follow and know you, then new followers will come. Here the key is in the constancy, in how frequently you publish and generate loyalty and recommendations from your followers.
A help for you: The best platforms to share your podcast
Once you have your first episode recorded and edited (which you can do directly from your phone with applications such as Mobile Podcaster or Dolby On, or in a professional studio) you must share it.
One of the best ways to quickly and professionally share your podcast across multiple platforms is through Anchor.fm. This website is one of the best options to upload your episodes on several other platforms at the same time, without having to do it manually on each of them. In addition, it is an official Spotify website.
Another of the most popular aggregators where you can upload your podcast to be shared automatically on multiple platforms is Spreaker.com. Here you will also have the option to have your podcast automatically uploaded to Google Podcast, iTunes, Deezer, Stitcher, Spotify, and so many more.
My final recommendation is that you cheer up. Record your first episode and then share it with the world. Your ideas and your experiences can help many if you dare to share them. Don’t keep them, amplify them!