I’m back with another collaborative post for you guys! If you’ve been around here for awhile then you probably know that podcasting is a new passion of mine, and I wanted to share some tips with you in case you’re thinking about starting a new podcast yourself!
Podcasts have really taken off in the last few years and now it seems like everybody’s doing it. You can find a podcast on pretty much any topic that you can think of, which is great. You might even decide that you want to start your own podcast to earn a little bit of extra money or even just as a hobby. Setting up a podcast is relatively easy, but getting a lot of listeners can be really hard because there is just so much competition out there.
One of the main reasons that people struggle to build a big following for their podcast is that it just doesn’t sound professional enough. When you’re going up against people that are recording in professional studios, and you’re just making yours at home, it can be hard to compete. But it is possible to create a professional podcast from your own home if you just follow these simple tips.
Invest In A Good Microphone – The software that you’re using to record your podcast on doesn’t have to cost you anything at all because there are plenty of great free programs out there that have all of the features that you need. However, you do need to invest a bit of money in a good microphone if you’re going to get good audio. If your podcast has terrible quality audio, it’s really going to put people off and you’re not going to get that many regular listeners. You don’t need to spend thousands on a top of the range microphone but you should get a decent mid-range one that will give you good sound quality. You also need to learn a bit about recording and how to set up the microphone properly so you can get the best sound quality out of it.
Bumpers – The bumpers in a podcast are the intro and outro and any bits of music or sound effects that you hear between sections. It’s only a small thing but they make the overall feel and production of the podcast sound a lot more professional. This doesn’t have to be expensive because you can use royalty free music for any little sound bites that you want to add. If you want a professional voiceover, you can use sites like Fiverr to find people that will record one for you very cheaply. Having these little bumpers in your podcast makes a big difference and it won’t cost you much to do at all.
Have A Structure – A lack of structure is one of the worst things for podcasts. The medium does lend itself to more unstructured chat but there is a limit to that. You do want the conversation to flow naturally and go wherever it might lead, but you should still split the podcast up into sections. You can still have flexibility within those sections, but the overall structure will make it sound a lot more professional.
If you can make these simple changes and create a more professional podcast, you’ll find it a lot easier to get regular listeners in.
This post was a collaborative effort – please check out my disclosure policy page for more details.