How to Start a Podcast

The ultimate goal is to make sure every single step of planning, producing, and launching your podcast is structured and set up for success.

Let’s take a look at the 12 main podcasting steps included in the Conception to Launch Service:

1. Podcast Consultation

Open communication is crucial for success. It sets the stage and allows us to perfectly understand your needs and goals.

Our approach will be different for a podcaster that cares less about downloads and more about their specific brand design vs. a podcaster that is determined to quickly monetize.

Actionable Step: Understand your goals and vision

2. Structuring Your Podcast

The next step is to begin the creation process of your podcast.

This includes choosing a podcast title that is searchable, relevant, and unique. 

We will help narrow the podcast focus and connect it with a target audience that we know you can market to once you launch.

You want to make sure you have enough content to continue podcasting without being so broad that you don’t have a “listener persona.”

This also includes the structure of the podcast. Is it an interview-style show? Is it just one host reading scripts? Or multiple hosts that chat off the cuff with bullet points? 

Actionable Step: Choose Podcast Title, Content, and Structure.

3. Artwork Design & Brand

Your podcast’s artwork is integral to your organic success.

While podcasts are an audio platform, you have to remember people are visual creatures. 

For organic growth, you are competing against hundreds of thousands of other podcasts as your potential listener is browsing their favorite listening app.

You need a design that is concise, iconic, pops and is relevant to your topic.

It needs to grab your potential listener’s attention and give them a visual summary of what they can expect if they click to listen.

We work with a handful of talented artists and graphic designers that excel in podcast logo creation.

This is also the step where you will determine your brand. Are you informational and silly? Are you friendly and professional?

What is your color scheme and font?

Determining these aspects of your podcast will help you create expectations and continuity for your listeners.

Actionable Step: Create podcast artwork that is clean and relevant

4. Podcast Hosting

Where is your podcast going to live? The Podcast Host is essentially your hub.

It contains/involves the following:

• Where you upload your episode file and description
• Where you acquire your RSS feed to submit to Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, Etc.
• Where all of your podcast statistics live

There are quite a few options, such as Podbean, Anchor, Spreaker, Libsyn, Blubrry, and Castos. We will discuss your needs and help you make this decision.

Actionable Step: Choose your podcast hosting platform

5. Schedule & Format

Consistency is key in podcasting. Whether you post your podcast once a month or once a week, you need to keep it consistent.

There are two main reasons for this: trust and routine.

You need to capture your listener’s trust.

Sure, the value and entertainment you provide is fantastic, but podcasts are a time and energy commitment.

A listener doesn’t want to emotionally invest in a podcast when they have no idea when the next episode is going to be released.

If you upload every Wednesday and stick with it, your listener will begin trusting that every Wednesday that episode will be waiting for them and they’ll start looking forward to it.

That leads me to my next point - routine.

The ultimate goal and compliment to a podcaster is becoming a part of your listener's routine.

Maybe your listener looks forward to walking their dog during your podcast, on a drive to work, or while cleaning the house Sunday mornings.

If you can seep your way into a person’s natural weekly routine, you’re golden.

Actionable Step: Choose an upload day and a consistent schedule.

6. Content Evaluation

A belief in the podcasting community that there is an “8 episode fall-off.”

Essentially, many podcasters find out after 8 episodes that it’s harder than they expected or they aren’t seeing the results they were expecting.

Our consulting will always level your expectations, but one fantastic way to avoid this burn-out or frustration is by over-preparing at the beginning.

We like to outline 8 to 10 episode topics that we can knock out and set you up for success.

This can include full scripts or strong bullet points to keep the discussion moving along.

If you plan on being an interview-based podcast, then we will need to line up 8 to 10 guests.

Another benefit to this process is you’ll find out really quick if you chose the right podcast topic. 

If you struggle to choose 8 to 10-episode topics, then we need to take a few steps back and re-evaluate the podcast focus.

Actionable Step: Plan out your content.

7. Batch Record & Edit

Batch recording makes life much easier.

What exactly is that? Recording multiple episodes in one setting or a short stretch of time for multiple weeks or months in advance.

Now, you don’t necessarily have to record those 8 to 10 episodes in one sitting.

However, if you post weekly and record 4 episodes in a short period of time you just knocked out a month worth of recording.

In addition, our team will listen to, edit, and send edit drafts to you for your approval.

This way you can properly analyze your style, choose your sound and make any necessary edits before you even launch.

Actionable Steps: Record, edit, and send drafts for approval.

8. Create Social Profiles

Regardless of your topic, you already know where to find the majority of your listeners - social media!

Every podcast should at least exist on the main channels, which include Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

More and more TikTok is taking over the social world, so if you feel like you’ll be able to dedicate a significant amount of time to short video clips, then TikTok is where you should be placing your effort.

There are additional platforms that may be relevant to your podcast, such as Reddit and LinkedIn, that could be beneficial. 

For better or worse, people are glued to their phones.

If you want to grow your podcast you need to be visible, which means being front and center on social media.

Actionable Step: Create optimized social media profiles that are brand-specific and professional. In addition, consider which social media platforms are the best fit.

9. Create Social Posting Strategy

Hand-in-hand with creating social profiles is constructing a weekly social media posting strategy.

When you get into the thick of podcasting it is easy for things to fall through the cracks.

Tasks that aren’t pre-planned and require in-the-moment decision-making are typically the first to fall.

Rather than rack your brain day in and day out on what to post, just create a social posting strategy template.

We will help you come up with a weekly gameplay on different types of posts you can use and which days they should be posted.

That way you know “Monday I post this, Tuesday I post that, etc”

Our team has tons of content post ideas to help you craft the perfect strategy for your podcast and tips to repurpose content you already have.

Actionable Step: Create a weekly/monthly social media posting schedule along with a list of post ideas

10. Build a Facebook Group and/or Discord

When your podcast listeners merge from merely folks that like to listen to a legitimate community, you’re headed in the right direction.

Utilizing Facebook Groups (for older podcast listener demographics) and Discord (for younger podcast listener demographics) is a great way to facilitate this transition.

Let your audience mingle. Let them create topics and ideas and suggestions long after your final word is said on your previous episode.

Plus, you can interact and pose questions, gather insight, and create relationships.

This strategy can be time-consuming but turning a listener into a fan and community member goes a long way for podcast growth.

Actionable Step: Create a Facebook Group or Discord (depending on target audience)

11. Create Paid Social Media Campaigns

If you reach out to a handful of podcasters you’ll likely hear horror stories about how Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok ads are a waste of money and you’ll get no ROI.

I would argue there are two main categories that these podcasts likely dropped the ball:

1. Audience Targeting
2. Ad Messaging

We are experts are creating incredibly precise and targeted ad campaigns where you know the folks that see your ad will be on their phone, interested in podcasts, and in your relevant niche.

While you would be in the best position to speak to your podcast and your content, we will help you every step of the way in crafting your message to make sure it positively reflects your podcast and brand, creates urgency, and incentivizes taking action.

The best part is you don’t have to break the bank!

The better you target your campaigns and the compelling your copy the lower budget you can work with.

Fun Fact: We started with campaigns running on just $3 a day!

Actionable Step: Create efficient and properly targeted social media ads

12. *Podcast Website Creation*

I’ll be honest, having your own website and domain really heightens the professionalism of your podcast.

We offer podcast website creation, but I will be transparent that it is a separate charge because we do not create "cookie-cutter" style podcast websites or use services like Podpage or Wix.

The websites we create are intricate and set you up for optimal SEO utilization - including detailed show notes with the opportunity to rank.

Let us know if you have interest in our team building your podcast website.

Where are we at now?

So far, we have accomplished the creation of the podcast, dialed in your structure and branding, created your web and social platforms, and recorded your initial episodes.

Now it is launch time! 

We’ll optimize everything you need to get your episodes out into the world while giving you the best ROI without having to sacrifice your time and energy.

It can be stressful creating a podcast, but it doesn’t have to be.

Plus, if you work with Alien Waves to get your podcast running, we offer a lifetime 15% discount on all future services, including ongoing marketing, management, audio production, and consultation.

Click below to schedule your free 30-minute consultation and take the hassle out of starting your dream podcast today.