Podcasts are a great way to consume information, discover new insights and to ultimately feel connected to the topics and people you are listening to – that’s why 15.6 million people in the UK listened to podcasts in 2020!
This year at Hart Square, we wanted to build stronger connections with our audience and share our knowledge and insights in a whole new way … and so, considering all the above, the Hart Square Podcast was born!
The prospect of building and developing something we did not have previous experience of was both exciting and daunting but here we are, on the other side of producing our first podcast series.
We figure we’re not alone in having wanted to initiate a podcast, but we had little clear guidance on how to get started when we did. We thought we’d therefore share our experience so if you are thinking about starting your own podcast, here is a quick guide to help you get started.
Why start a podcast?
Before you start any new project or task, it’s always important to understand your ‘why’. Why do you want to develop a podcast?
Are you looking to build connections with your audience? Do you have passion or expertise on a topic that you want to share? Answering your ‘why’ sets the foundation and intention of your podcast helping you shape and build your episodes, the content of which will ultimately build those connections to your audience.
Plan, plan, plan!
Once you know why you are creating a podcast, it’s now time to plan your podcast. Here are just some of the questions you need to answer in your planning stage:
- What topics do you want to discuss on your podcast?
- Who will be on our podcast? Who will be the presenters and what guests would you like to feature?
- How many episodes do you want to create initially?
- What frequency do you want to publish your podcast?
Recording is easier than you think!
So, you have your topics, presenter and guests set and now it’s time to record the episode!
If you are recording the podcast ‘in-person’ it’s important that you make sure you have the right equipment ready, including microphones and a recording device.
If like us, you decide to record your podcast remotely, many of the meeting software options you use every day, including Teams and Zoom are great for recording your podcast.
In both cases, ensure that all equipment is working correctly, and there is minimal background noise to ensure a clear recording!
It is also worth thinking about how to have a backup recording, just so you don’t risk losing a great podcast….
Editing
The editing stage can be slightly overwhelming if you have no previous experience of editing audio, but there are lots of easy-to-use software solutions out there as well as tutorials on how to edit together your podcast.
We use Audacity which is free and user friendly but there is a whole host of editing software out there!
Don’t forget you can also use royalty-free music within your podcast. This is great to help build the transition between your intro and the podcast itself, as well as moving into the close. Pick wisely as this will help build the identity around your podcast.
Publishing and Promoting
Now you have edited your podcast together, it’s time to publish and promote.
It’s important to think through where you would like to publish your podcast. People access podcasts on many different platforms, including the well-known Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify so ensure it can be accessed in these places. It is always a great idea to have your podcasts available on your website too which will help continue to drive traffic to your website.
We signed up to Blubrry for hosting our podcast, and from there we are able to submit it in bulk to the main platforms we wanted the podcast to be available on, as well as publishing it on our Wordpress website.
So, there you have it, a quick little guide to building to creating and producing your own podcast, I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this and it’s been helpful, do let me know if you’d like any more hints and tips on this topic. Good luck!
The Hart Square Podcast is out now!
