Set your podcast up for success

Introduction

As of April 2021, there are over 1.75 million podcasts and more than 42 million episodes available. You might wonder, “Aren’t there too many podcasts already?” Absolutely not! As long as your podcast connects with your audience and provides value, listeners will tune in to hear your unique perspective.

To put this into perspective, there are over 2 billion websites and over 31 million YouTube channels. That supply is meeting an even larger demand for content—and the same goes for podcasts.

Podcasts help entrepreneurs achieve reach, exposure, and growth for their business. With the right tools, podcasts can also generate income through premium subscriptions, cross-sell and upsell promotions, affiliate partnerships, or sponsorships.

But starting a podcast requires preparation. This guide will cover the steps to research, produce, and market your podcast so you can maximize the return on your investment.

Prepare to Start Your Podcast

1. Choose Your Topic

Half the success of a podcast lies in picking the right topic. Don’t choose a broad, high-level topic. Instead, select a topic that relates to your business and helps build your brand. It should be broad enough to provide a lot of content but specific enough to attract a niche audience. The best podcasts focus on a unique concept or perspective within a chosen topic.

For example:

• The Sales Hacker podcast focuses on sales leadership in B2B companies.
• The Profit from Legal™ podcast targets small-to-medium-sized businesses, providing legal advice to help them grow.

Here’s how you know you’ve chosen a good topic:

• You have enough to say to support at least 50 episodes a year.
• Your content clearly resonates with your target audience.

2. Research Your Competition

Study podcasts in your niche to see what your audience is already listening to. Ask yourself:

• How are they approaching the topic?
• What format do they use?
• How many listeners do they attract?
• What points do they make? (Decide if you agree or disagree with them.)

Don’t be discouraged if your topic is already covered—it means there’s demand. More competition pushes you to do better work and be more strategic.

3. Look for a Gap You Can Fill

Find ways to stand out from the competition by asking:

• Can you take a unique perspective?
• Do you have a different approach?
• Can you use a different format?
• Is there a subtopic no one is covering?

Find at least one way to differentiate yourself, whether it’s your personality, style, or content format.

4. Choose Your Format

There are several podcast formats to consider:

• Interview Format: Schedule guests and ask a series of questions. This is one of the easiest formats, requiring minimal content creation.
• Chat Show: Co-host with one or more people and engage in lively discussions. Choose a co-host with good conversational chemistry.
• Expert Format: It’s just you, sharing your expertise. This is easy to produce but requires an engaging presentation style.
• Variety Show: Use different formats within or between episodes, such as interviews, Q&As, or storytelling.

5. Consider Monetization and Premium Content

Podcasts can be public (free) or private (paid). Public podcasts are available on apps like Spotify and Apple Podcasts to grow your audience. Private podcasts, which often contain premium content like ad-free episodes, high-profile guest interviews, or early access, are available behind a paywall.

You don’t need thousands of followers to make a members-only podcast successful—just a passionate fanbase and valuable content.

6. Choose Your Length and Frequency

Podcasts can range from 15 minutes to over an hour. The right length depends on how much time you have to record and what your audience prefers. Most podcasts release episodes weekly, but some batch-record episodes and release them all at once, Netflix-style.

7. Create Your Podcast Brand Assets

To start your podcast, you’ll need:

• A unique name: Keep it short, easy to say, and memorable.
• A description: Summarize what your podcast is about, who it’s for, and why people should listen.
• Cover art: Design a square image (1400x1400 minimum, 3000x3000 maximum) in JPEG or PNG format.

Facilitate High-Quality Audio

While content is king, audio quality is still important, especially if you’re using podcasts as a revenue or marketing channel. Here are some tips to improve your sound quality:

1. Use a Good Microphone

A good microphone is the first step to producing quality audio. Options include:

• Lavalier microphones for discreet audio recording.
• Handheld recorders for recording on the go.
• USB microphones like the Blue Yeti or Audio Technica AT2020, which are easy to use and provide solid audio quality.

Professional microphones like the Rode Procaster or Shure SM7B offer higher-quality sound but come with a higher price tag.

2. Consider a Professional Setup

For a more robust sound, a professional recording setup includes microphones, digital audio converters, preamps, mixers, and more. This modular setup provides higher sound quality and lasts longer but comes at a higher cost.

3. Upgrade Your Recording Location

To improve your recording environment, consider sound-dampening tools like acoustic panels and bass traps, which reduce echo and improve sound clarity.

4. Invest in Audio Mixing and Mastering

Mixing combines multiple tracks, while mastering polishes the final audio for distribution. If you’re not skilled in audio production, consider outsourcing or using AI tools like LANDR or Izotope Ozone to assist with production.

Develop a Podcast Marketing Plan

Along with creating your podcast, marketing it is essential for gaining traction. Here are five marketing steps to consider:

1. Announce on Social Media: Promote your podcast and each episode on social platforms. Create social media copy and graphics to keep your content fresh and memorable.
2. Create an Email Marketing Campaign: Announce your podcast via email and provide episode summaries with a link to listen.
3. Encourage Sharing: Ask listeners to subscribe and share the podcast. Invite interesting guests and encourage them to promote their episode.
4. Partner with Other Podcasters: Join podcast communities and trade guest appearances to reach new audiences.
5. Livestream Recording Sessions: Stream your podcast recordings live to create multiple pieces of content from one session.

Hosting Your Podcast with Kajabi

Kajabi makes it easy to host, distribute, and monetize your podcast, whether public or private. With features like integrated sales funnels, email marketing, and more, Kajabi provides everything you need to grow your podcast and business without giving up a percentage of your revenue.