Things to Think About Before Launching a Podcast
So you want to start a podcast? That’s awesome! I truly believe podcasting is a great opportunity to grow your business and broaden your reach. Plus, it’s just really fun. However, before you start recording and jump into the fray, there are some things you need to think about before starting a podcast.
Do you have the time? Podcasting takes up a TON of time for not much return, especially in the beginning. First there is of course recording which can take time. Editing is a major time suck. Of course you can outsource this, but if you choose to do it yourself, allot twice the length of the episode for editing. You will also spend a lot of time in the beginning researching, learning how to use your tech, setting up the website, etc. Our podcast quickly become almost a second job so just really think about if you have or are willing to spend that much time on something.
Do you have a unique point of view? There are a lot of podcasts and there are going to be a lot more. What makes your’s different? This is something you should think about before launching and then re-evaluate throughout the life of your podcast.
Can you keep up with a release schedule? If you are inconsistent, your listeners will be too. There are lots of ways to schedule a podcast: weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, in a series or continuous. Make sure whatever you choose, that you can keep up with it, no matter what happens. Also, think about how you are going to stay organized. My favorite way to keep track of everything is with Trello, but a spreadsheet or calendar works great too.
Can you take criticism and be critical of your own work? Or maybe I should say, can you stand the sound of your own voice! But it’s true, you do have to listen to work and be critical without being too hard on yourself. The first few times I edited my own podcast, it was hard. Listening to my filler words and tone of voice on something I was going to share with the world was scary! But I had to do it. The other aspect of this is that you will get bad reviews or emails from people who don’t like something you are doing. You have to take those with a grain of salt, or see what value you can take from them and apply it to your podcast. It’s not easy, but a necessary part of it.
The last thing I recommend to everyone is to listen to other podcasts. Get a feel for what is being done. Think about what you like personally, what you don’t like and what you would like to do.
Podcasting is an amazing journey and I am so glad I chose this path to share with others. I know it is going to be an amazing journey for you too!
