As of 2023, podcasts are more popular than ever. So, if you’ve ever considered launching one, now is the perfect time to do it. However, if you want your show to get noticed among all the noise, you’d be wise to follow some tried and true tips for starting a podcast.
A unique idea for a podcast is a solid start. Pair that with a plan for how to launch and a marketing strategy, and you’ll be miles ahead of most new podcasters.
In this article, we’ll go over five essential tips for starting a podcast. These strategies are geared toward beginners, but they’re worth keeping in mind even if you’re a veteran. Let’s get to it!
1. Identify What Makes Your Podcast Unique
Marketers have a term for identifying what makes a business unique. They call it your Unique Value Proposition (UVP). That may sound super technical, but for podcasts, it all boils down to a simple question. What does your podcast bring to the table that other shows don’t?
Lots of optimistic new podcasters may think they can make their show stand out just by virtue of being funny or putting an engaging episode together. However, sadly, the world of podcasts is full of talented podcasters and quality shows that never found their audience.
Therefore, if you don’t want to become one of the statistics, you’ll need to think about your podcast in business terms. That means carefully considering its UVP and also asking the following two questions:
- Is there an audience for this show?
- What does that audience want to hear about?
Any regular business would ask the same questions but with customers in mind. If you understand your show’s niche and UVP, you should be able to answer both questions easily. This will help you figure out what your podcast’s “hook” is.
2. Create a Professional-Looking Podcast Cover
Next up on our list of tips for starting a podcast, let’s talk about visuals. When listeners find your podcast online, its cover art is one of the first things they’ll see.
A great cover can help you make a strong first impression. On the flip side, if your cover looks like you made it in five minutes, listeners might not take the show seriously.
Ideally, you’ll hire a professional to help you design the best possible cover art for your podcast. If that’s out of your budget though, we recommend you keep the following tips in mind when designing the podcast cover:
- Create a design that reflects your podcast’s topic or focus on the main hosts/collaborators.
- Make sure your podcast’s visual brand is reflected in your cover art.
- Keep it simple and gain inspiration from other cover art examples in your niche.
You can always update the cover design later on when you have the budget to hire a professional. However, you’ll want to avoid this if possible, since changing your look can throw off listeners and reduce your podcast’s recognizability factor.
3. Publish on Multiple Platforms
One of the great things about the world of podcasts is that most of them aren’t exclusive to a single platform. If you take a look at your favorite shows, there is a good chance that they air on multiple channels.
For instance, lots of podcasts are cross-listed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and many others:
This is a smart move for maximizing your audience because a lot of users stick with their preferred podcast apps. If the podcast isn’t there, they might not be willing to download another app just to listen to it.
What’s more, it’s incredibly easy to publish podcasts to multiple platforms. If you use a podcast hosting service, it likely includes this functionality by default. That means it will cost you minimal time and effort to do this.
4. Engage With Your Podcast Listeners
One of the biggest mistakes new podcast runners make is not engaging with their audience. When your show is still unknown, every listen counts. Users are much more likely to keep returning for new episodes if they know you’re listening to what they have to say and engaging with them.
That engagement can come in many forms. You can answer listener questions on your show, interact with them via social media, enable them to submit voice notes through your podcast site, or simply publish your contact information so they can reach out:
It’s important to understand podcasting is all about audience engagement. If you want people to dedicate hours of their time to your show, they need to feel like they have a connection to you and what you have to say.
5. Create a Podcast Website
A lot of podcasts put the task of setting up a website off until they are well established. However, this is likely a huge missed opportunity.
That’s because a podcast website can act as your show’s hub. It can be a place where listeners find more information about the show, access old episodes, buy merchandise, and find links to your social media:
Creating a podcast website for a new show is clearly a smart move, but it can be intimidating. Hiring developers or creating the site yourself takes time and money, which is why so many people put it off.
Alternatively, you can use Podcastpage to help you set up a professional website for your show. We’ve made the setup and design process as easy as possible, so you can have an amazing-looking website set up in a matter of hours. Plus, you can easily customize it to align with your visual brand and your listener needs.
Conclusion
Starting a podcast can be incredibly fun. However, if you want the show to be successful, you’ll need to start planning and putting things in motion before it launches. All of this work will increase the chances of your show finding an audience.
To make your life easier, here’s a quick list of the most important tips for starting a podcast:
- Identify what makes your podcast unique.
- Create a professional-looking podcast cover.
- Publish on multiple platforms.
- Engage with your podcast listeners.
- Create a podcast website.
Want to set your podcast up for success by creating an eye-catching and useful website? Sign up for Podcastpage today!
