Starting a Podcast?

THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE STARTING A PODCAST

I started my She Built This podcast in June of 2019 and since then… a lot has changed! I’ve grown a lot, learned a lot, tried out various styles and formats for my episodes, and lived to tell about it. 

I often get asked by clients, friends, and randos in coffee shops, “Is starting a podcast worth it?” Lots of people I talk to want to know tips for starting a podcast and realistically, whether or not starting a podcast is something they want to / “should” take on in the near future. 

For this blog, I bring in the wisdom from a conversation I had the joy of having on my podcast with two friends in my podcasting community, Alesia Galati, host of Listeners to Leads, and Lisa Zawrotny, host of the Positively Living podcast.

In our episode, we share our lessons learned since starting our podcasts, tips for starting one of your own, what you need to know before you do, coming up with ideas for podcasting topics, and how to be that crave-able podcast guest that gets asked to COME BACK onto shows! 

If you prefer listening to reading, make sure to check out our episode HERE. 

If you’re up for some podcasting tips in written form, read on, my friend! 

Podcasting Tips: Whether You’re Just Getting Started or Years In… 

One of my biggest podcasting lessons of 2022 was a reminder to simplify the way that I’m approaching and coming up with my podcasting topics. 

I’m all about cohesion and bringing our entire content strategy together intentionally and with alignment.

This is the case as a podcaster too! I’m using 2023 to go deeper into topics, rather than spreading myself thin in all sorts of different areas. I’m a curious person and trust me, I LOVE me some topic exploration (I’m pretty much game for any conversation!) but for my podcast, I want to focus on going deeper into topics that are aligned for my listeners and the information and stories they want. 

Whether you’re just starting out, or have been at this awhile, think of your podcast as part of the big picture and a piece of the whole.

Focus on going deeper vs. wider with your content.

Don’t be afraid to change things up!

Step outside the box and break norms! Trust that as long as you’re serving your audience, and committed to the intention behind your podcast, you can have a total blast with it and a lot of fun!

  • Bring in fellow podcasters for a collaborative episode that’s shared in multiple places like THIS one with Lisa and Alesia.
  • Bring back past guests to go deeper on topics you only scratched the surface on last time, and revisit popular past topics with updated views and insights.
  • Don’t be afraid to use your podcast as a testing ground to try different things and what’s working.

This applies as a guest too! Guesting on podcasts can help you to refine and understand your audience even more as well as strengthen your message and framework. 

Remember that it’s ALL learning and you’ll never know if it won’t work, if you don’t try! 

Consider Repurposing your Podcast Content 

This applies to being a podcast guest or host. I will say this til’ I’m blue in the face! You don’t always need to come up with new, fresh, content, podcast topics, and brilliant ideas. You can often repurpose the content in your podcast or guest interviews into something else! 

If you want my entire speal on repurposing podcasts, click HERE to read the blog. But challenging yourself to think about repurposing and going deeper on topics to bring out even more goodness for those listening and engaging with your content. 

As a friendly reminder: sometimes need to hear things more than once. Sometimes they didn’t hear it the first time. Sometimes hearing you say it, with a different spin on it, or in a different way is exactly what they need to switch that light bulb on.

Three Great Reasons to Start a Podcast 

There are way more than three reasons to start a podcast… but for the sake of time, and so your eyeballs don’t glaze over due to the length of this read. Here are three Alesia and Lisa and I talk about in our recent episode: 

  1. Connect with guests 

Podcasting is a great networking tool! As a host, you bring something really valuable to the table for your guests. You also get to unlock fascinating conversations and often fast-track relationship-building. 

  1. Resource library/client support 

A podcast is a great way to build credibility and show your expertise. It’s also a perfect opportunity to share more information and value with your clients! With each episode, you’re building a resource library and catalog of topics for your clients.  

  1. Convert listeners to leads and build your business 

A podcast can be a great way to generate business and grow! A podcast is a great access point and a way to know, like, and trust for potential customer beginning to engage with your brand. It helps them take the right steps to move along in the buyer’s journey and start learning from you right away! 

Starting a Podcast? Read this FIRST!

What does it really take to be a podcaster and start a podcast?
Most podcasts don’t make it past seven episodes. The current stats are that as high as 50% of podcasts fade (pod fade) early on. 

Often this is because new podcasters aren’t prepared before going in. They don’t have their content planned out, they haven’t done market research. If this is a hobby or a passion project, go for it! But if you want to use your podcast to grow and help your business, you want to be a bit more strategic about it. 

Another reason people stop after seven episodes is that they don’t realize how much work is actually involved. 

Example: A one-hour podcast to record, edit, produce, and market can take up to four hours! 

It takes time and effort (especially in 2023 when audio quality standards are higher!) to produce a podcast. 

I don’t want you to leap in without understanding how much work is involved, but I also don’t want you to shy away from starting a podcast if you’re ready to GO for it! 

Three things to consider before getting started: 

  • Who are your listeners? Where is your audience coming from and how will you market your show? Most of us aren’t walking around like Joe Rogan or Mel Robbins with millions of fans waiting with bated breath for us to drop an episode. We have to build from a small, loyal community and grow from there.
  • What will you talk about? You have to ensure that your podcast content is relevant to your ideal listener. And ideally… if you can carve out a bit of a niche for yourself, even better! The more specific your content, the better, in the age of so many options for listeners. 
  • How consistent can you be? There’s no magic frequency you need to maintain in being consistent. However, your audience will be relying on you to consistently show up in their feed as frequently as you’ve committed to doing. If you say you’re going to provide a weekly show, provide a weekly show! If you stop for a length of time, chances are they will unfollow, unsubscribe, and stop listening. 

Alternatives to Starting a Podcast!

  1. Be a Guest on Other Podcasts 

If you’re curious about podcasting and aren’t sure if you’ll like it. A great way to dip your toes in before committing to starting a podcast is to be a guest! You can learn so much as a guest about different platforms, the way people record, the way they set up their episodes, and more! 

You don’t know what you don’t know and guesting is a great way to jump in (at your own pace). 

  1. Start a Limited Series Podcast 

While guesting is important and a great place to start, if you’re just ready to start a podcast yesterday – you can try a limited series podcast with 10-15 episodes! You can plan it out strategically and use it as cornerstone content where you can refer people and your clients too. You can also use it as a place to refer people when looking for speaking opportunities and podcast guesting opportunities. 

Put a cap on it and a limited time frame. That way you can set that expectation with your audience from the get-go and of course… keep it going if you LOVE it! (Fair warning: podcasting is addicting!)

In closing, my best advice, if you’re thinking of starting a podcast, is to ask yourself WHY you want to do it. What’s your intention behind it? What message is burning inside you to share? 

Does it LIGHT YOU up when you think about it? 

It’s so much easier to stay consistent and faithful in anything you commit to when it brings you joy! I love hearing from you! Let me know if this blog (or the episode) gives you food for thought or sparks new ideas! 

Connect with Lisa Zawrotny

Connect with Alesia Galati

Check out our episode of She Built This “What Does it Take? Your Questions about Podcast Guesting and Hosting Answered!” HERE