So, you’re thinking of starting a podcast… Great!

Except one thing… Where do you start?!

Right here – with a quick primer we’ve put together just for you. We’ll cover:

• Reasons why you should start a podcast
• The stats that tell why podcasting is just awesome
• 3 steps to become a podcasting pro
• 5 clever ways to promote your podcast
• Need some support on your podcasting journey? You got it!

Why Start a Podcast? There’s So Many Reasons!

As you probably know, there are a host of benefits to podcasts. They are an awesome way to:

• Cultivate trust in your industry by sharing your unique expertise.
• Boost your cred and help you stand out in a noisy (& competitive) crowd.
• Re-purpose. Reuse that content that you’ve already developed!
• Build a more authentic relationship with your existing audience.
• Expand your reach to widen or attract a new audience.
• Connect with industry players by interviewing or making mention of them.
• Strengthen your own skills to help increase confidence.

If you’re anything like us, you’re saying “Ok, that all sounds good…but give me the proof!”

5 Stats That Prove Why Podcasting is a Smart Idea

We love stats too, so here are some numbers that explain why you should consider starting a podcast.

1. Massive audience: Globally, podcasts boasted 464.7 million listeners in 2023 and by 2024, that impressive number is expected to top 500 million. Talk about a huge potential audience!
2. Regular listeners: Approximately 41% of the US tunes into podcasts on a monthly basis. Almost 30% do so weekly, the Pew Research Center
3. A booming industry: Already valued at a whopping $2 billion, the US podcasting industry is projected to be worth double that ($4 billion) in 2024.
4. A committed following: Americans spent an average of 2 hours listening to podcasts every week in 2021, according to Edison Research. If you’ve got quality content & can reach your audience, they want to hear what you’ve got to say!
5. Smarter marketing: 59% of podcast users devote more time listening to podcasts than using social media. Hmmm…doesn’t that make you think about where you’re marketing your products or services?

If you haven’t already, these are just some of the reasons that should nudge you to get into the game.

Become a Podcasting Pro in 3 Simple Steps

Luckily, with some wise brainstorming and a little organization, it’s easier than you may think to become a successful podcaster.

Follow these steps to get started:

Identify what your podcast will focus on & create a name for it.

Be a digital detective to discover what your audience is already listening to. Use social media to learn about which podcasts they love (or hate). If you’re still unsure, consider sending out a simple email to your list to gauge interest in the topics they’re most concerned about, any podcasts they currently love (and why), etc.

Psst! See what’s trending. Use Google Trends to review the popularity of some of the topic ideas you’ve gathered. Why? Because you don’t want to waste your time, effort and money starting a podcast on a topic that has waning audience engagement.

Plan your episodes.

Outline what you’ll cover in each episode, and what your chosen podcast format is. The most common are:

• traditional interview style
• conversational (2 or more people chatting)
• educational (provides value)
• solo (it’s just you)
• non-fictional storytelling and/or news
• fictional storytelling
• quick episodes or limited-run series

Some experts suggest planning your podcasts out for at least a one-year period. We’re all about planning here at Marketecs (have you checked out our free 90-day planning guide?).

If a year feels too daunting, strive for a shorter time frame to make the process more manageable. As you start to lay out your plan, you’ll see what a powerhouse investment in your time it was.

Stuck in a rut? Get new topic ideas using simple tools like Answer the Public.

Now for the nuts & bolts!

Start with the right equipment, like:

• A good set of headphones, quality microphone & filter
• Software to record & edit your episodes
• A hosting platform, so you can publish your podcast

Don’t forget these essentials that can help you look professional:

• A clean intro & outro
• A catchy, memorable tagline
• Podcast art (Canva has some great templates)

At last…you’re ready to record your first podcast!

Yes, you’ve devoted a lot of energy and time getting to this point. And it doesn’t stop there.

This is exactly why you need to promote, promote, promote.

5 Clever Ways to Promote Your Podcast

All that work is for nothing if there’s no one to listen in and engage. Here are 5 simple strategies you can leverage to market your podcast effectively:

1. Promote to your guest’s followers. That big audience the guest you just interviewed has? Use it! Make it easy for your guests to promote your podcast episode by suppling creative pull quotes, ready-made social posts, images and links that they can share.
2. Use social media to increase awareness and generate interest in your podcast. Share a quick update when you’re live, then offer snippets of the episode too. Create compelling images and/or short soundbites to engage your followers.
3. Make a YouTube video out of your podcast to benefit SEO. You’ve probably seen YouTube videos labelled “Interview with…” When you interview a popular, well-known guest, be sure to include their name in titles, tags & descriptions to get noticed by search engines – and listeners.
4. Repurpose your podcast so it becomes the gift that keeps on giving 😊 Think about creating at least one blog with your favorite highlights and a link to listen to the whole podcast. If you’ve done a whole podcast series, you could even convert all that digital goodness into an e-book or similar format.
5. Increase engagement by running a promo or giveaway. Get your people excited by offering to enter them in a giveaway or contest for leaving a podcast review. For example, “Share your review on iTunes & you’ll get a chance to win…” Everybody loves an opportunity to get in on a fun contest!

Whew, there is a lot to podcasting, isn’t there?!

Fortunately, if you’ve got a passion and a plan, you CAN do it.

There is one secret to success: be consistent.

As “The Boss” Bruce Springsteen famously said, “Getting an audience is hard. Sustaining an audience is hard. It demands a consistency of thought, of purpose and of action over a long period of time.”

No matter where you’re at in your podcasting journey, Marketecs has an expert team to support you. All so you can focus on what you do best – sharing your expertise with the world! Get in touch today & we’ll chat about your goals.