I started a podcast with my ex-college roommate Nabil Fakih just over 3 years ago and it has been a relay interesting learning curve since we got things off the ground. In the beginning Nabil and I had no idea about what to do in terms of our podcast, how to put it together, how to promote it and where to even upload it. Through trial and error and plenty of research, we now have a successful podcast which our listeners really love. If you would like to start a podcast and don’t know where to begin, here is the basics to creating a great podcast.
Theme
Making a general podcast is easier than picking a particular niche, but this is not the way to gain a loyal following. People want to pick a podcast that talks to their likes and their dislikes, they want to know exactly what they are going to get from listening to your show, which they won’t get if you make it about whatever happens to come to your mind during the show. Pick something which you are passionate about and make this the key theme to your shows.
Audio Equipment
One of the most important things that you have to consider when you start the podcast is getting the best audio equipment that you can possibly find. The quality of your audio on the podcast is absolutely vital and the difference between an amateur sounding podcast and a great podcast is down to how good the quality is, how little white noise there is and ultimately how great the standard is of your podcast. Mikes, recording equipment and the software which you use for your podcast can be expensive but there are some budget options which you can buy that still sound great.
People
When listening to a podcast people don’t want to hear the voice of just one person, this is why it is important that you invite guests on the show and even co-present it. If you can’t do this and you are going to be the only one on the show, then you should look to make the podcast pretty short. A single voice talking for more than 40 minutes can very quickly make people switch the show off, which is not going to help you become a success. Nabil and I have very different tones of voices which is why this works so well, and we generally share most of the presenting duties.
Value
The final thing to think about is the value that you are able to offer to the listener, something which way too many people overlook. Whatever theme you happen to pick for your show, you should review each podcast and ask yourself what you gave to the listener. Did you offer comedy, information, reasons to think? These are all pieces of value which everyone who listens to podcasts is looking for.
Get these right and you’ll have the foundations for an awesome podcast.
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