If you haven’t already, check out my previous posts in this Journey to Starting a Podcast mini series.
Getting Podcast Guests
So as I mentioned in my last post, I dragged my feet a bit in actually getting this podcast off the ground. But finally I decided to start reaching out to some guest options that had said they would be interested but hadn’t scheduled yet. By way of LinkedIn messages, texts, emails, etc. I scheduled my first interview in October of 2019 and within a span of a month I had recorded three talks. These were people in my network who had inspirational and noteworthy career stories. They were nice enough to help me at the start, and it reminded me not to be afraid to reach out to my immediate connections. You don’t need a famous guest to get started. There are so many amazing stories right under our noses, we must simply be observant.
You don’t need a famous guest to get started.
Editing and Publishing
I made the excuse that no one would listen during the week of Thanksgiving so I set myself up for more procrastination. But I then realized that there would never be a perfect time. So just before the holiday I released the intro and my first two interviews, one with two guests and the other with one. I additionally scheduled my third episode for the first week in December.
Prior to this I definitely had to spend time learning how to properly use GarageBand for podcasts, which took some reading and watching YouTube videos. I’m no audio engineer, but I now feel pretty comfortable recording and editing. Don’t be afraid to learn new things!
One caveat! Make sure that your show is approved in at least Apple Podcasts prior to announcing your new pod. I actually published one episode, submitted it to Apple Podcasts for approval, then waited for confirmation. Once confirmed I scheduled the rest of the episodes I had ready, and then announced it all via social media, etc. Apple Podcasts is the most popular place that people listen to podcasts, so make sure a new show is approved there before you tell people to go listen.
9 Tools I Use for Podcasting
- Computer: MacBook Pro
- My Cost: Around $1300 (on a plus side it is our family computer)
- Editing Software: GarageBand
- My Cost: Free on a Mac
- Remote Recording Software: Zoom primarily but sometimes Zencastr
- Cost: Free or $15 per month
- CRM software to track guest invitation activity: Zoho CRM
- My Cost: Free
- Appointment Scheduling Software: Calendly
- My Cost: Free
- Time Tracking Tool: Toggl
- My Cost: Free
- Logo Creation Tool: Canva
- My Cost: My logo was $2
- Mic: Logitech USB H390
- My Cost: $29.99
- Podcast Hosting Service: Buzzsprout
- My Cost: $12 per month (I started with Anchor, a free service)
Keep it Cheap and Spend More Later
As you can see above, besides the computer, which honestly we needed for personal family use anyway (our existing computer was almost a decade old), you can start and maintain a podcast for a relatively low dollar amount. One cost I did not include was this website, which comes out to about $4 per month (obviously you can spend a lot more), but in all reality you don’t necessarily need a site to get started. Long story short. Don’t overcomplicate it, keep it simple, you can do it cheap at the start, grow from there.
Marketing and Awareness is the Hardest Thing
For me, creating awareness around the show has been one of the most time consuming and difficult aspects of podcasting. Build it and they will come is not really a true statement.
5 Things I’ve Done to Help Market My Podcast
- Join and be active in relevant Facebook Groups
- Tell friends and family
- Be a guest on another podcast
- Have guests on that host other podcasts
- Edit each episode so you produce a product you’re proud of
Conclusion: Just Start!
If you have an idea, and want to start podcasting, then create a plan and do it. Worst case scenario, no one listens and you stop doing it. Obviously that is not ideal but there are a lot of other aspects of life that are important besides podcasting.
I’ve had the chance to talk to some amazing people I probably would not have without a podcast
In all seriousness, just start. I dragged my feet for a long time. I’m still new in all this. I still have so much to learn! But I’m glad I started. I’ve managed to get some listeners, I’ve had the chance to talk to some amazing people I probably would not have without a podcast, and I sincerely enjoy the process of producing a podcast. Start now! Oh and listen to mine too!
Career Yak 