If you are watching the popularity of some YouTubers and wish you could do the same but you don’t want to show your face online, your best solution is starting a podcast. Becoming a podcaster means you get to share your knowledge and ideas with a wide audience, build a fan base, and make some money in the process. Here is a complete guide on how to start a podcast for beginners.
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1. Choose your niche
The first question you need to answer when you are planning to launch your podcast is “Why am I doing this exactly?”. Some podcasters do it simply because they want more people to know about their opinions. Others are trying to create new leads for their business. Some podcasters want to be recognized as experts in their niche. Your answer to the main question will determine your niche.
Read more: 10 Nigerian Podcasts You Need To Check Out
It goes without saying that the topic of your podcast should be something you consider yourself to be an expert in. Whether it’s politics, literature, healthy living, romantic relationships, or baby psychology, you need to have enough valuable knowledge and insight to make your podcast appealing to the listeners.
One more important choice you need to make here is the format of your podcast. The most common format is the one where you are the only host. There are also many popular podcasts with two or more co-hosts. You can also launch your podcast as a series of interviews with interesting personalities. Finally, running your podcast in seasons will give your recordings a structure and more meaning.
2. Design and plan your podcasts
The next step you need to take is naming your podcast. If you already have a recognizable name in the niche, you can use it as the name of your podcast. In other cases, you need to choose something descriptive yet memorable. You will also need to create the artwork for your podcast that will appear on your feed and on the devices of your listeners.
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Another important step in creating a podcast is deciding how long your episodes are going to be and how often they will come out. You need to choose a schedule that you can easily maintain and won’t put a strain on your work or personal life. Generally, you shouldn’t release new episodes more often than once a week, but if your podcasts are truly worth waiting for, then a bi-weekly or monthly schedule is fine. As for the length of the podcast, the shortest one you can go for without losing the value of the podcast is 15 minutes, while anything over an hour is considered excessive and is best to be broken into several chapters.
3. Recording and uploading your podcast
When you have written a script for your first podcast episode and planned at least a few subsequent episodes, it is time to get to the recording stage. Here is what you’ll need to record your own podcast:
- A microphone (A high-quality USB microphone will do for individual podcasters)
- A pair of headphones
- Software for recording and editing your podcasts (Audacity, Alitu, Adobe Audition)
- Software for recording co-hosts and guests remotely (Skype, Zoom, Ecamm)
- A service for uploading your podcasts (Buzzsprout, Transistor, Captivate)
- Platforms for sharing your podcasts (Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify)
Read more: How To Start A Successful YouTube Channel In 9 Easy Steps
Once everything is ready, you can record, edit, and upload your podcast. Don’t worry if you don’t already have an audience of potential listeners that know you from work or social media – if you have done everything right, chose an interesting podcast niche, and made sure to share it to as many platforms possible, soon more people will discover your recordings, and this is how a podcaster’s fan base is built.
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