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Ultimate Podcasting Guide: 17 Steps To Make Your Podcast Successful
The mark of a successful podcast relies on the number of downloads and the frequency of 4-5 star reviews according to Forbes. A successful podcast can generate over $50,000 per episode.
But how do you reach this point of success?
This guide will provide you with tips and tricks to ensure your podcast’s success. This guide is for all the podcasters new or old.
If you’re new to podcasts, check out Jony Studios’ blog on How to Start a Podcast: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide.
In Terms of: Producing a Good Show
SET GOALS ACCORDING TO WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE TO YOU
The measurement of success is different for everyone. Take a moment to sit down and figure out what you want to achieve from your podcasts.
It could be non-financial such as getting downloads, receiving 5-star reviews, free marketing or even just doing it for fun! Or your ultimate goal could be monetary in nature like earning from the podcast, attracting new prospects, etc.
Once you have a specific end-goal in mind, you might be surprised by how easy it is to structure your podcast around it. It provides you with a clear focus on what’s important. But the best part about setting goals: the sense of personal satisfaction received by achieving it.
2. HAVE A CLEAR THEME
With so many themes to play around with, the general direction of your podcast can sometimes get lost. It’s important that you choose a theme that suits you best rather than a theme that attracts a wider audience.
With a theme that interests you, you’ll be able to commit to the podcast for the long haul. And if you’re truly passionate about the topic, its delivery will end up attracting more listeners. Always remember to stick to what you love.
The only way to do great work is to love what you do - Steve Jobs
3. HAVE A SET FORMAT FOR EVERY EPISODE
Creating a set format for every episode will not only make it easier for your production process but it will give your audience a structure to follow as well.
Humans crave consistency. Just through structuring your episodes in terms of an introduction, brief overview, main content and conclusion, you’ll be able to create a flow. This will make your podcast easy to follow for your listeners.
In terms of production, this format will help you concentrate more on the main content of the episode. This will also make you fumble less during recording.
4. GET THE RIGHT EDITOR FOR YOU
There should always be a conversation like flow to your podcast without the awkward pauses or fumbles. That’s where hiring an editor comes in handy.
With the right editor, all you’ll have to do is record your podcast and let the expert make it sound seamless and professional. Check out the Jony Studios’ podcast editing, mixing, and mastering services that can elevate your brand and help share your message.
Learn more about all of our podcast production services and hear a sample of our work here.
5. GET INTERESTING GUESTS
Podcasts are all about providing information. When you bring on a guest who specialises in the topic, it increases your podcast’s credibility. Your audience will enjoy a new perspective and your podcast will gain free advertising since the guest will probably bring in their listeners as well.
Make sure to treat your guests with the utmost respect. But also make sure to have control over the conversation. The right balance between question and answer is important.
6. USE THE RIGHT PODCAST HOSTING WEBSITE
With podcasts gaining popularity, there are many different podcast hosting websites you can choose from. Each website has subscription packages and their own unique features. To find the right website for you, check out this blog by Jony Studios on The Top 6 Podcast Hosting Websites.
7. GET THE RIGHT GEAR
Podcasts are very easy to produce. You don’t require an abundance of equipment to start your podcast. However, the most basic gear that you should invest in to make good quality podcasts are a microphone and a headset. Check out Jony Studio’s blog on Best Microphones for Recording Your Own High-Quality Podcast in 2020 to find the best microphone for you.
8. thE 7-15 PODCAST RULE
Blogger Yaro Starak and his student Mwangi’s blog talks about the 7-15 rule as a precaution for newcomers.
Whenever we start something new, we dive headfirst thinking we’ll see it through. But very often than not we lose interest along with the money we invest in the project.
The 7-15 rule was thus created for podcasters.
It says to only buy expensive equipment for your podcast after you produce between 7-15 episodes. You can set your own limit within that 7-15 range, depending on when you fall in love with podcasting.
If you pass this threshold, it means you are in the podcasting game for the long haul, ensuring a fruitful investment.
In Terms of: Marketing
9. GeT A CLEVER NAME
Getting a clever name will not only attract more listeners, but it will also help in creating an SEO-friendly podcast.
Just like a blog’s title, a podcast’s name and its catchiness are what interests the listeners first. People will only click on your podcast if they are intrigued by the name.
The other reason for getting a clever name is to make your podcast more SEO-friendly. By inserting a few keywords into your podcast’s name, the chances of your podcast showing up on a search result increase drastically. However, make sure you don’t go overboard with the keywords. You can also add a few keywords in the description box, episode titles, etc. for better search results.
10. HAVE INTERESTING ARTWORK
This might not seem as important as the content of a podcast but interesting artwork helps reel in more listeners. The visual appeal of an attractive podcast page containing interesting artwork, makes your podcast look more professional.
11. MAKE A GREAT TRAILER
Like any movie or show, a podcast trailer provides its potential listeners with a sneak peek to generate intrigue.
If your podcast has reached the point of having a huge collection of episodes, it’s a good practice to make a trailer for your potential audience. Trailers are short advertisements for your podcast. They should contain shots of your favourite and most informative moments.
12. PROMOTE YOUR SHOW WHEN YOU GO ON OTHER SHOWS
Don’t be afraid of promoting your podcasts on other shows. It will make the audience you’re speaking to aware of your podcast. It will also help the audience broaden their playlists with new content.
13. GET THE RIGHT EPISODE UPLOAD FREQUENCY
You should set a schedule for new episode uploads. As mentioned before, audiences love consistency and structure. If your podcasts are released randomly it might confuse your listeners or make your listeners miss new episodes.
The frequency of your uploads depends on you. Some podcasts are released daily, some weekly and some are uploaded monthly but they always follow a fixed schedule.
In Terms of: Your Audience
14. LISTEN TO WHAT YOUR AUDIENCE WANTS
Engage with your audience as much as you can. You can do so by asking for feedback, conducting surveys and keeping note of your podcast’s viewing data provided by your podcast hosting website.
By keeping an eye on the topics that interest your audience the most, you’ll be able to create content that will bring you more views. This will also help you mould the direction of your podcast according to your viable audience’s preferences. If your content is not to your audience’s liking, it will demolish your chances of growing your audience.
15. USE MUSIC SEGMENTS
Try to use music segments in your podcasts. You can do so by adding music to your opening introduction and your outro. Many websites offer free music you can download and use.
Check out Jony Studios blog Best Royalty Free Music Sources for Your Podcast to find a music segment for your podcast.
16. FIND THE RIGHT NICHE FOR YOU
Find the type of content that will set you apart. That means content that you have knowledge of and something that will help you dominate.
Instead of producing a podcast revolving around the notion of capturing a wide audience, focus on what Seth Godin refers to as your minimum viable audience. He says: “When you seek to engage with everyone, you rarely delight anyone.”
17. SET THE RIGHT LENGTH ACCORDING TO YOUR PODCAST AUDIENCE
Different podcasts garner different audiences. For example, if your podcast caters to an older generation, your episodes could be longer in length as they generally have more patience. But for people who listen to podcasts on their way to work, probably prefer shorter episodes.
The length of your podcast also depends on the topic you choose and the amount of information vital to an episode. However, make sure to keep a standard length to your episodes. After all, consistency is key.
Podcasts are a great marketing tool for any kind of business. In the past few years, podcasts have gained extraordinary popularity making it all the more important to have a strategy to be successful. Hopefully, this guide provided you with a bit more clarity on producing a good podcast.
However, if you still have questions contact us here and we will do our best to answer them.
But before you go. Please note that Jony Studios always goes above and beyond for its clients’ needs. So this guide could never be complete without:
Bonus Tips!
18. BE AN EXPERT ON THE TOPIC
The more knowledge you have of the topic, the more confident you will seem on your podcast. Being an expert will also give you more opportunities to be a guest on other shows in order to grow your audience. Lastly, it will give you more content to create, making your podcast last longer.
19. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Practice your episode delivery before recording. Not only will it reduce the amount of editing needed but it will also help you be more confident while recording. Having a rough script of the episode’s content will increase the chances of producing a hit podcast as well.
You don’t necessarily need to practice your entire recording in advance. All you need to practice is the transition between topics and the order in which you deliver them. Also note: if you have guests coming on your show, practice their introduction and the questions you’ll like to ask them.
Conclusion
This ultimate guide provides you with tips and tricks for all your podcasting needs in one place. It has tips ranging from setting up your podcasts to how to take your podcast to the next level.
Let us know if you found this helpful!
Happy podcasting!
If you need help making your podcast sound amazing, we offer podcast editing, mixing, and mastering services that can elevate your brand and clearly share your message.
Learn more about all of our podcast production services and hear a sample of our work here. We look forward to adding massive value to your podcast development process.
Contact us here to get started.
