So now that I have a new podcast Real Fabulous Marketing, people have started to ask me how I did it. In Episode 1 I talked about how I thought that simply buying a microphone would lead me to podcast stardom but it couldn’t be further from the truth.
I think you can be a lover of podcasts and start your own. I did a session with Lacey Barratt and joined Karly Nimmo’s Radcasters Course. I also found Karly’s Rock Your Mic podcast filled with great tips and ideas on how to start mine. Go back to Season 1 and she goes through a lot of great content.
What I learned quickly was that I needed to answer the following questions before I began:
- Why do you want to have a podcast?
- How will you structure your Podcast – would there be interviews, would it be simply me talking, will there be seasons?
- When will you release it?
- What gear do you need?
- Which platform will you use?
Why did I want to have a podcast?
Well in the beginning I didn’t even like the sound of my own voice so I didn’t want to have it simply to share that with the world! But I did want to reach new people, to build that like, know, trust factor of a podcast. I like the eternal nature of them and that they’re easily accessible on people’s phones, the podcast app comes pre-downloaded on phones!
How would I structure my Podcast – would there be interviews, would it be simply me talking, would there be seasons?
I’m planning on a mix of me talking and guest interviews. I love interview podcasts but I do also love it when hosts share their experiences and wisdom. So I’ve decided that for the first 10 episodes I’ll be working on how to get the whole podcast recording and editing thing down (hopefully!) and then start interviewing fabulous women. I’ve already got a few guests lined up who are nailing it in their businesses and also bucking the trend of what a “successful business owner” looks like.
When would I release it?
I’ve heard of people like Kate Toon doing daily episodes for a month. And then there’s John Lee Dumas who has been doing daily episodes for years! Yes, he does seem kind of crazy but he also gets crazy good download numbers so I’m pretty sure he’s doing something right.
I’ve decided on weekly for now and again, it’s only been a couple of months.
I did do the “hack” of recording three episodes for the release date to help it launch well.
What gear do you need?
I’ve got the Audio Technica ATR 2100 microphone with a foam diffuser. I know that there’s probably a ton of other better microphones out there but it’s a matter of working with what you’ve got sometimes. I’m currently recording using Garage Band which comes preloaded on Apple computers. I tried Audacity but again, have stuck with what I know.
In terms of recording, I know podcasters who record using their AirPods or earbuds and straight into voice memo in your phone.
When I recorded my first episodes I did so in my studio. This is a large open space with concrete floors and big walls. I hadn’t learnt from Radcasters about sound reverberating off walls and floors so it sounded pretty shitty. I tried to fix the audio but I didn’t know what I was doing so it sounded tinny. That’s when I reached out to more people about what they did and my friend Katie Jane suggested using voice memo. I tried this but thought that I would end up sticking with what I knew.
So the upshot is – if you know you want to start a podcast, just start. Try different methods of recording and decide what sounds best to your ears and go with it. If you’re able to start with a high quality sound recording you’ll always be better off than trying to fix a shitty one.
Which platform will you use?
There are a ton of podcast platforms out there, some of which are free and some of which require a subscription based on the features they offer. Lacey’s advice was, start with Anchor.fm and then go from there when you’re ready to upgrade.
Uploading to Anchor.fm is pretty straightforward. To do so, you’ll need
- Your cover art
- Episodes to upload (MP3 is fine)
- Episode descriptions
And away you go!
The thing about Anchor.fm is that distributing to Apple can take time or not at all. In Australia, Apple has a lion’s share of the mobile phone market so it’s worth making sure it’s on there. In order to upload to Apple, you’ll need to go to https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/ and use your Apple ID to login.
For some reason, the week of my podcast launch there was a glitch and no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t login. If that happens to you, be patient and keep trying!
I would also recommend submitting your podcast to Stitcher.com to be found be an even wider audience.
Do you need to do a course to launch a podcast?
There’s a lot of free information out there which can go a long way. Pat Flynn from Smart Passive Income has some great high quality content on YouTube. My suggestion is to start with Karly’s Rock You Mic podcast and then if you want more technical support join up to Radcasters. I was able to watch and take action immediately from the videos.
Finally, if you’re interested in listening to my latest episodes, either head to https://anchor.fm/realfabulous or search by Real Fabulous Marketing on your favourite podcast app.
