Learning how to start a podcast in a step-by-step process is simple when you know what you are doing. Pete McPherson of Do You Even Blog helps us to learn how to start our own podcast easily.
Now is the best time to start a podcast and you have come to the right place to learn how to do so. I break down the steps with the podcast expert, Pete McPherson.
He and I will share a step-by-step process to make sure you are on your way to creating a podcast.
When Pete isn’t busy with his three side hustles plus his weekly podcast teaching online business, he is helping people accomplish the task of creating a podcast.
The first thing Pete and I would tell you is to start your podcast now! If you are at all considering having a podcast, don’t put it off for sometime in the future.
There is no time like the present. AND, Pete and I believe we should have started our podcasts years earlier. Imagine where you would be today if you started your podcast a year ago!
Here, he lays out the steps how to start a podcast.
Why You Should Start a Podcast Today
There are many reasons to start a podcast but this is a big one. With multiple millions of bloggers, blogs and YouTube channels, there are only roughly one million podcasts.
Think about how much work goes into creating and managing a YouTube channel! Podcasts are super easy to produce and it builds trust with your listeners.
People feel like they know you on a more intimate level than watching a video or reading a blog. Remember, when people are reading blogs or watching videos, they are at their computer or their phone.
When listening, they could be running, working, cleaning or driving. It puts you in a more intimate setting with your listeners while they focus on your voice.
The best time to start is now and here is the step-by-step process to begin.
Steps How to Start a Podcast
Podcast Creation Step #1: Figure out your topic and your target audience.
The first step you need to take is to figure out what your topic and target audience will be.
Think about things that you love to do or talk about. What do you want to teach people or help them with, and go from there. Nailing down what you can offer people is a good place to start when designing your podcast show.
A way to help you is to figure out who your audience, or avatar, is and you do this by asking yourself questions like:
- What does the one person, who will be the listener to your show look like?
- What do they do for a living
- What are they looking to gain, etc. from the podcast.
When you have your ideal “avatar” you can then cater your podcast to that target.
Podcast Creation Step #2: Understand what you need and what you don’t need.
Getting started podcasting, we all think we need the best equipment, best microphones, most expensive hosting, etc. This is NOT true.
There are no rules that say you need to purchase high-end equipment, especially to get started with your own podcast. What you need to do to get started are a few things:
- A microphone to capture your audio
- A computer to hold the audio
- Audio editing software to edit the podcast episodes
- A hosting company that will distribute the audio to the audience and apps.
You need a way to capture audio, so start with the microphone. You can spend about $100 on the ATR2100X or a Rode PodMic, or even something cheaper and simpler like this Wireless Microphone Headset. It doesn’t matter what you buy, as long as it works.
Learn how to podcast step-by-step with Pete’s Course: Podcourse
Next, you will want to make sure you have a good hosting site like Redcircle.
They are a free podcast hosting company that Dustin and Pete both use., Having a way to edit your podcasts would be programs like GarageBand2 for Mac or Audactiy, also absolutely free.
Additionally you will want a service that pushes your information to push it out to RSS feeds like Spotify or Google Podcasts. Your podcast hosting company will take care of that for you.
Podcast Creation Step #3: Nail down your show format.
What will your show be and sound like is something you need to consider as you plan out your podcast.
Understanding your avatar and nailing down your format will help you get the listeners for your podcast you deserve.
First, you need to figure out your hook, your elevator speech to your podcast. Making sure ahead of time what you want your show to look like, sound like and flow like is important.
- Is your format going to be solo
- Are you going to be interviewing others?
- Does your audience have time to listen to three-hour shows?
- Is your audience more like the 30-minute show listening types
Finding your voice is important, learning what to say and how to say it.
Huge PRO TIP: Drink some water while you are talking so you don’t get a dry throat which really does change the way you sound. Trust us, it will help you in the end.
Also, consider what the flow of your show is and do it consistently. The more you do it, the better and better you feel each time because it is a skill you will learn.
Podcast Creation Step #4: Start your podcast.
The best piece of advice we can give is to Just start. Seriously, we both should have started our podcast much sooner than we did. Start today and keep learning and adjusting and making it your own. As you go, you will learn what works, what doesn’t, what you should stop doing, and what you should start doing. Learning skills about podcasting is something that you can continue and grow over time. Come up with some ideas for some episodes, specific topics or start doing some guest outreach. Just start.
Podcaster Tips from the Pros
Podcaster ProTip #1:Set the tone of the podcast BEFORE you start talking
There are many podcasts with lower energy and different personalities. What I like to do is make myself smile, the way that you begin sets the tone for the rest of the podcast.
You can tell when someone is not smiling, or is not in the right mindset.
This is something you do not want to project to your listeners.
Podcaster Pro Tip #2: Remember the Ringmaster and why people listen to your podcast
Ringmaster Derek Sivers, led a traveling circus in college and he felt awkward and judged as he was directing.
His boss said to him, people aren’t here to see you, or listen to you, they’re here for themselves.
Derek can be a performer, but the guests are here for a show.
In other words, people aren’t going to come to listen to judge you, they are there to get the value you are giving them.
Podcaster Pro Tip #3: Be you, but just a little bit more so on your podcast
Take whatever makes you, you, and emphasis it a little bit more.
Take yourself up a notch and really be authentic, just on a bit bigger level. If you’re energetic, take it up a bit.
If you are funny, take it up a bit. If you are quiet, play that up. Let yourself shine through.
The One Best Way to Promote and Get People to Listen to Your Podcast
Pete and I agree that one of the best strategies for growing your podcast, is to be featured on someone else’s podcast.
This is helpful because you are reaching an entirely different audience.
You always want the trajectory of your podcast to go up, so by being on someone else’s podcast, you may notice a bump in traffic to your podcast, or even explode your following.
You might find a whole new following you didn’t know was out there.
Successfully Unemployed Rapid Fire Round
The Best Advice Pete McPherson Would Give You As You Start Your Podcast
The advice that I wish someone had given me is to make sure your expectations are in line with some sort of reality. Making bad decisions based on mismanaged expectations.
It takes work, and failure, taking risk, learning and doing it over and over. That is the game entrepreneurs play. It can be challenging and frustrating, but keeping this advice in mind, their life will be 20 times easier.
What is Podcourse and Where Should We Go To Learn How To Do A Podcast
Podcourse is a course that uncomplicates podcasting. Up until this year, it has been kind of complicated. I can uncomplicate the entire process and get people to a published podcast to help promote their business. I go over all of these tips and guidelines and much more in my course, Podcourse, the course that uncomplicates podcasting.
What’s One Non-Fiction Book You Recommend For Implementing Into Our Lives
The only book about podcasting that I stand by is So You Want to Start a Podcast, by Kristin Meinzer (you can find this here).
The only book about podcasting that I stand behind. It came out in 2019 and is actually really good. Although it doesn’t show you how to do a podcast, it really helps along the way.
If you are ready to dive into podcasting, check out Pete’s page Do You Even Blog. From there you can search for Podcourse or go directly to it following this link.
You can also email Pete at Pete@doyouevenblog.com.
We are both excited to see how many podcasts come out after people learn about Podcourse.