How to start a podcast
There are millions of podcasts out there! This is not to discourage you from starting one yourself, but rather to motivate you to start yours today. Anybody can create one and with the following tips, you will find it easy to start your podcasting journey.
1.Think of your podcast concept (topic, theme).
Before starting, you will need to take some time and think about why you are starting it and what it will be about. These two things will help to guide your vision and determine who your audience will be. It will work best if the topic you choose is of interest to you as that will motivate you to keep going. You will also need to figure out your theme. There are plenty to choose from such as comedy, news, true crime, sport, health/fitness, and many more.
2. Decide on a podcast name and format.
Your podcast name will be your podcast identity! There are different ways to approach this. The name could be descriptive, i.e just by reading your podcast name, a listener can know what it’s about. Your name could be creative and witty. This would make it very catchy and unique. Lastly, the name could include your actual name. This works well especially if you already have an audience and are trying to grow your personal brand.
To determine your format, you will need to first decide whether it's a solo show or a co-hosted show. Will you be narrating stories, having conversations with friends, or interviewing guests? These are important questions to consider.
3. Pre-production, Recording & Editing.
Before you start recording, it is important to know how long the episodes will be and decide on a content schedule. How often will you be publishing episodes? There is no correct answer however, the best plan is the one you will actually be able to stick to, so be realistic.
To record, you need to do some research on the equipment you will need. There is no need to start too big in the beginning. Just starting is what is important therefore you can use your phone microphone and simple editing tools. With more experience and research, you can now start investing in equipment and learning how to improve your sound quality.
4. Choose a podcast hosting platform.
A hosting platform is where your podcast will live. There are many options to choose from, both free and paid. In Africa, a great option is Afripods. Afripods is a hosting and distribution platform that is building the largest library of African audio stories on the planet. They offer free hosting and allow you to have multiple shows under one account.
5. Publish and market your podcast.
After your episode is recorded and edited, you can now publish your episode on your hosting platform. Your audience will be able to access your episode where you host, however it is possible to distribute your show globally to all audio platforms that support podcasts. You can do this by sharing your RSS Feed. This way, your audience can listen to your content on their favourite platforms.
It doesn’t end there. You will need to market your podcast so that your audience is aware of your new episodes, as well as where they can access your content. Marketing will also help grow your show by increasing the number of followers/subscribers. Social media marketing is the most common way of promoting shows.
With these simple steps, you can start your podcast as soon as possible.