adminStarting a podcast career can seem overwhelming, like any career path, but having the right guide always makes it all easy. The best way to get started with your podcast career is by following this guide, which breaks down the process simply. From choosing a niche to the equipment needed for successful podcasting, to maintaining a consistent flow of uploads.
Podcasting is a career that has been around for as long as we can remember. The only difference is that it has improved and has a broader reach – more people now use smartphones. Having a podcast is important for many reasons. Podcasts are a quick way for most people to grab relevant information while they are on the go. This means that they don’t pause their busy schedules to gather useful information, and a podcast makes it even more engaging. If your podcast entertains, solves problems, or provides valuable knowledge, your audience will stay loyal to your show.
One more good thing about a podcast is that it is a great place for brands to sell themselves; how? Through paid partnerships with podcast channels, sponsored ads, or just a guest appearance from the brand owner. Podcasting seems like a pot of gold. As an African freelancer starting a podcast career, you must be ready to put in the work.
Podcast 101: Steps to Starting a Podcast Career
Podcasting to some might seem simple; they might feel it’s nothing other than grabbing a mic and talking about anything that comes to their mind, but it is more than that. Like any career, podcasting is saturated, and that means you have to be strategic in order to stand out.
Follow these steps in starting a podcast career:
Have a Podcast Goal
Great, you want to try out a podcast career as an African freelancer, but why? What do you seek to achieve with your podcast? These thoughts should be at the top of your mind. And just like with anything, goal-setting in podcasting is important. Clear-cut goals help you figure out the shape and form of your shows, target market, and marketing approach.
Some of the goals for podcasting that you need to look at may include:
- Is it to generate more traffic and leads to your existing website
- Would it be a podcast as a business to earn income
- Will it be to create a personal brand as a lead thinker within your profession
- Is it to disseminate an important message and establish a community
- To just have fun and entertain a group
Figure out the goal, and you are well on your way to winning.
Choose a Blog Topic
Your niche can be factored into two key elements: your expertise and your interests. Check for demand in any idea you plan to commit to. You may check the Apple Podcasts suggestions and search for similar podcasts in the same niches. Check their ratings, reviews, and social media followers. If you get ten to fifteen similar podcasts and good reviews, it means there’s great demand and competition for your topic.
You might want to focus on health, sports, and fashion, or have the best podcasts for young professionals.
Pick a name
Two of your podcast’s most important branding focuses are your podcast name and your cover art. Your podcast name should be descriptive, concise, and easy to remember. Avoid being too wordy or too flashy; ensure your title resonates with your listeners and is easy to search and pronounce.
Use a keyword that best describes what your podcast is about or what your brand name is so that others can identify you immediately. Your cover should be engaging and grab the attention of potential listeners.
Choose a Podcast Format
Your podcast format will be determined by your topic and the type of content you provide. Though talk shows are easy to listen to and require no concentration from the listener, psychological or historical material is hard to interpret without fully hearing it. There are several types of podcast formats that are ideal for different purposes:
- Solo podcasts: to share your expertise.
- Interviews: to learn from other experts in your field.
- Multiple hosts: to have an interactive discussion.
- Case studies: to maintain focus on a single story and facts.
- News recap: to summarize the news in the industry.
- Educational: to instruct your audience in a skill.
Get Your Podcast Equipment
You can start making a podcast with just your smartphone and computer. But for a slightly better quality, the bare minimum of a podcasting setup includes:
- A good podcasting microphone to avoid background noise and muffled sound quality.
- Recording and editing software to capture the sound and make sound edits.
- A computer to use the software to record, edit, and publish podcasts.
One additional piece of equipment that is useful is headphones. You can use them to monitor the sound of your audio as you record, even if you’re recording a solo podcast. If you have guest interviews on your podcast, you’ll need headphones so you can hear your guest. For live interviews, your guests will also need a pair of headphones.
Record and Edit Your Podcast
Once you’ve had your planning and research done, it’s time to record your first episode! You need to edit your raw audio before broadcasting your podcast. You wouldn’t want the different sound levels, background pops, noise, mistakes, holes, or heavy breathing that you might have accidentally inserted into your production to make their way to the final cut.
To start editing an episode, ensure that you save your recording as an audio file. MP3 is the most widely used format for saving audio, since it’s compressible and supported on almost every device.
Have a Podcast Calendar
The majority of podcasters start strong but often fall into a phenomenon known as “podfade,” gradually releasing fewer and fewer episodes before they stop entirely. It’s challenging to maintain motivation to create new episodes early on, especially if you’re not receiving the listener numbers you desire.
Conclusion
With the guide above, certainly, starting a podcast career isn’t difficult. As an African freelancer, you can start a career in podcasting, and soon you’ll be a voice in the industry. Check us out to know what to expect from your industry.
Paul Jattau
admin
