There are so many reasons to start a podcast. Maybe you want to…

• …amplify your expertise (you know we do!), showing potential partners, prospects or great hires who you are and what you know.
• …network with prospects, clients, talent and thought leaders in your industry.
• …create a content engine that can be repurposed for social media, videos, blogs, website content, membership or course content, whitepapers or even books.
• …get public speaking reps, become a better storyteller and get more comfortable behind the microphone.
• …build your audience.
• …create a platform for announcements

Or maybe, you just want to have fun!

The top-of-funnel marketing that podcasting can offer is what allows podcasting to continue to grow rapidly even as it gets more and more saturated. 

But, how can you even take that first step and get your podcast off the ground? And then, with over 2.5 million podcasts out there, how do you get anyone to listen to yours?

In this 10 step guide, we’re going to break it all down for you. It might seem like a lot of work, but if you follow this guide and stick to the schedule, you can have a podcast up and running within 30 days. 

Ready to get started? Here we go!

Step 1, Day 1: Set a goal, define your audience and determine a podcast structure. 

Get specific on your goal, and it will become easier to reach. This step will be your North star to help you evaluate a return on your time and investment and where to take your show in terms of guests, topics and sponsors.  You could have a goal of, “I want to interview 100 leaders in my field this year,” or “I want six paid speaking opportunities to come to me in the next six months,” or even, “I want to create 200 pieces of social media content for 2022.”  Whatever the goal is, keep it in mind with every decision you make.

Once you know your goal, you can imagine your ideal listener. How are you going to speak to them specifically? What insight do you have to offer them? Figure out who they are, what they like and how they live.

Finally, what’s the best way for you to deliver your message? That’s the podcast structure. Is it interview based? Do you have certain segments? Create a format and follow it for every episode. Consistency is key!

Step 2, Day 5:  Reach out to 15 potential guests.

Make a list of people you want to talk to, big and small, and don’t limit your list to just people that you know. In fact, in your list of 15, you’ll want some Shoot-for-the-Moon A-listers, some potential clients you’ve been wanting to chat with, and then of course some friends that will be easy to chat with to get your first reps. Podcasts are a fantastic way to network—we always say they’re the new golf. Instead of going out and having a chat on the course, you can record your conversations and let others learn from them, too!

Step 3, Day 10: Name your podcast and create branding.

Time to brainstorm. Think about your industry, your personal brand or your business—what colors and styles do you see, and how do you want to represent that in your branding? Once you’ve thought about a few different names, give it a Google search and see what else with that name exists. You want to make sure that you can be found! With your name and brand, you’ll want a listener to know – just by looking at your cover art – what the podcast is all about.

Step 4, Day 15: Schedule and record 5+ interviews.

This is where your hard work starts to pay off! It’s time to start recording either in person or on a digital platform like Zoom or Streamyard. For digital recordings, a pair of wired headphones with a microphone are all you really need to get started, but you might want to look into getting an external microphone. We recommend a Blue Yeti or Snowball, both affordable and reliable. 

As exciting as all of this sounds (and is!) right now, you probably won’t like the first few recordings you do, and you might throw them out. Sometimes it can be difficult to learn to lead a conversation after hitting the record button, and it can take some getting used to. The more you do it, the easier it will become, and the better each episode will be. Just be sure to communicate to your guests that you’re just starting out!

Step 5, Day 16: Announce your podcast to the world! Coming soon!

Once you’ve got a couple of good recordings under your belt, it’s time to share what you’ve been working on! Start promoting your new podcast through your email list, social media and word of mouth. It can also be helpful to share assets, like promo images, with your guests so they can share that they’ll be joining you on a new podcast. That way, your network spreads like a web.

Step 6, Day 20: Write intro / outros for each episode.

Intros and outros should be short and sweet, and are best written after the recording. You should start with a standard intro that is consistent in every episode, telling listeners who you are and what your podcast is about. Then, for each episode, you can give listeners a preview of what they’ll hear in the upcoming episode by giving a brief biography of your guest and mentioning some of the key talking points from the episode. For the outro, promote your guest by giving listeners tips on where to find them online.

Step 7, (Day 21): Choose music and Edit/mix 3+ episodes.

It’s time to get creative again! Look for royalty and copyright free music that matches your podcasts vibe or purchase a song for commercial use on platforms like Artlist.io or Premium Beat. Once you’ve picked your music, it’s time to put it all together.

You can edit your podcast in programs like Audacity, which is free, Audition, which comes with the Adobe Creative Suite, or Descript, which is made for editing audio and transcript at the same time. Take out any long pauses, a few “ums,” “uhs,” or “you knows” that don’t ruin the flow of the conversation. If something feels off topic, you can take that out, too. This is where you get things crisp and clean!

Step 8, Day 25: Create a trailer and publish. Once on Apple, Spotify and beyond, tell all your friends!

A trailer is the first episode of the podcast, and it’s just like a trailer for a movie: short and enticing. Introduce yourself, describe what your show is about and let listeners know when your episodes are going to be released. Then, you can use a podcast hosting platform like Transistor or Anchor.fm to upload your trailer to all podcast platforms. Once it’s up, let your friends know and tell them to subscribe! That way, they’ll be notified when new episodes are released.

Step 9, Day 27: Create shareable image and video assets.

Similar to announcing your podcast, you want to make some noise with each episode that releases. Create both a square and wide image for social media to promote on every platform with your episode’s title and guest (adding their headshot is helpful, too). Video assets are also a great way to get people to want to listen to your podcast, as it hooks them with a quick preview of the show. Pick some of the most notable clips from your episode and, if you have video of the episode recorded, you can share those clips. If you don’t have video recorded, have no fear! You can create audiograms with waveforms to share, too. 

Step 10, Day 30: Publish your first episode!

Congratulations, you did it! Head back to your podcast host and upload your first episode. Come up with an interesting title and description and add your audio file and individual episode image, if you’d like. You can schedule the episode to be released on a certain day, or you can publish it immediately. Once you hit that publish button, send your guest the images, videos and links to the episode, and enjoy!

So there you have it!  You can launch your podcast in 30 days, AND have the momentum you need to keep it pushing forward.

And if you need help with any or all of these steps, feel free to contact us!