You may have noticed that podcasts have absolutely boomed in popularity recently. Listening is much easier than reading a book, and you can do it in the car, in bed, on the train, or wherever you fancy. All you have to do is stick your headphones in. You can now find podcasts on almost every topic matter, but not all of them really take off and reach the heights of success. If you have recently started a podcast or are thinking about taking the leap and you want it to become popular and listened to regularly on daily commutes, use this guide to make sure you have covered all the vital elements of success in the world of podcasting.
Find Your Niche
As the popularity of podcasting rises, there is no doubt that there are probably already a few podcasts out there on the same topic that you’re intending on focusing on. This makes it essential to create your own niche within the topic, taking a different stance or approach than the others. You need to stand out from the crowd and really draw those listeners in with individuality and uniqueness. It may take you a little while to really hit the nail on the head and have that eureka moment, but once you do, you will see your podcast begin to take off. Find your niche, stick to it, and start to turn out the best podcasts within the topic.
Consistent Schedule
If you are an avid podcast listener, which you should be if you are starting out one of your own, you will notice how, generally, the top podcasts stick to a specific schedule. If episodes are released daily, it is done at the same time every day; if they are released weekly, it’s the same day. Having a consistent publishing schedule means listeners know when to expect new content from you. The more consistent your schedule, the more consistent your listeners. A top tip to make sure you are always on schedule is to create a backlog of episodes. Create an entire season or record in bulk so you have enough content to last you a few weeks before having to record again. This will save you time and money and make you the master of consistency.
Episode Lengths
Realistically, no matter how interesting you and your topic are, people don’t want to listen to hours and hours in one single episode. In fact, seeing an episode that lasts any more than one hour can be a deterrence for listeners. Think about your key audience and when the majority of your listeners will be tuning in to your podcast. Usually, people listen to podcasts while doing something else, like cooking, driving, or working. You want to make episodes span this time but you don’t want listeners to lose interest. As you are starting out, try and aim for 30-minute episodes; this is short enough to be detailed, interesting and engaging, but long enough to not get boring. Editing is a key skill to mastering episode length as there tends to be a lot of unnecessary drivel that can be taken out. You want it to be clear, concise and structured, but natural and free-flowing.
Quality Sound
Unlike videos, which has the added element of picture, lighting, and other appearances, podcasts rely on sound and sound alone, which means you cannot skip on quality. If the sound of your podcast isn’t crisp and clean, it isn’t going to be successful. To reach these high standards of sound, you need good quality equipment and software. Renting out a podcast studio is your saving grace to being able to achieve this quality sound at a reasonable cost. For example, a podcast studio from PIRATE is fully equipped with premium technology and provides a private space for you to record, interview and edit content for your podcast.
Effective Branding
In order to be successful, you need to be recognizable, and this involves creating a brand. Your brand doesn’t just cover your theme and topic, but also your podcast name, episode titles, logo and thumbnail. As with your release schedule, branding also has to be consistent. After you have created a catchy name for your podcast that really captures the energy of your style and niche, you have to make sure you keep the same tone for your episode titles and descriptions. This consistency also has to be seen across your logo and thumbnails, so use the same fonts, colors and styles. Branding is creating your image. It isn’t only how your audience will recognize you, but also how you will draw in new listeners, so make sure it is effective and eye-catching.
Starting a podcast is easy but making it successful takes a bit more work. Following this guide and using these pointers, you’re putting yourself on the right road to achieving that podcast success.
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