5 Things That Every Podcast Needs

As we’ve said before – we love podcasts. we love the flexibility of them, the accessibility of them; we can listen when we want and where we want.

We’re also committed to getting more UK businesses into the world of podcasting, either through production or through our podcast workshops, courses and webinars. At the moment, the US is increasingly becoming the voice of authority and expertise in so many areas – and it’s about time that stopped. We should break out of the ‘stiff upper lip’ mentality and shout a little bit more about the immense knowledge that we have in our chosen area of business.

So – with that in mind, we’re putting you ahead of the game with the 5 Things That Every Podcast Needs. Or, at the very least, needs to think about.

1. A Title

Now – we know that this may sound like we’re teaching you how to suck eggs – but we’re not. We’re not saying that you should have a title for your podcast – that’s pretty much a given – but you need to make sure that you’ve got the right title for your podcast.

Let’s say that your podcast is all about knitting. Don’t laugh, there are some excellent knitting podcasts out there, our favourite is The Yarniacs: A Knitting Podcast. What should your title be? The Knitting Podcast? The Wool Podcast?

First things first – you don’t have to have the word podcast in there. If people have found it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or Stitcher or Podbean, it’s pretty much taken as read that this is a podcast. The word Podcast should only appear in your title if it works there. So, going back to the knitting idea, you wouldn’t necessarily call it Knit One, Pearl One Podcast – Knit One, Pearl One works well enough. However, Nana’s Knitting Podcast (that’s a real one!) works well as a title.

You need to think of it as the first bit of your Podcast Marketing. What will people think the podcast is about, just from the title? Will they know what the podcast is about? Can you take the risk that people will still listen if the title is too esoteric? That’s not going to help your business, is it?

2. The Image

Very similar to the title, this one. You can make the image just a simple title image – something you could design yourself on Canva or similar; or you could have your company logo, and add the title of your podcast in Photoshop or another photo editing software.

If you’re starting from scratch, think of typeface and colours. The logo of your podcast is going to appear pretty small on people’s phones and desktops so you need bold, simple designs and colours. Remember – yellow and black is more eye-catching than white and black. Also, blues tend to stand out more than reds.

3. Equipment

This is where so many amateur podcasters fall down. We’ve said time and time again you can create a podcast using just your phone and your laptop – but there’s a high chance that it won’t be a very good podcast.

• The microphone – A good USB microphone can be bought for as little as £60-£70
• Headphones – You need to hear that what you’re recording is good quality. You can get a decent pair from about £25
• Soundproofing – You can buy a mic guard from about £35. Or soundproofing panels from about £12. This will prevent you sounding like you’re recording your podcast in your bathroom, or in the middle of a warehouse. (Quick word on sound quality – unless you’re going to buy some time in a professional recording studio, you’re going to get some echo on your voice. Try and record somewhere quiet and with lots of soft furnishings (curtains, coats, bedding etc) to help absorb the sound and this will cut down on echo)

4. Content

When you’ve got your title and your image and your equipment, you’re ready to record, right? Not quite. You need to think about content. Is it just going to be your voice? Will you have interviews? How are you going to record them? (We can heartily recommend a program called ecamm Skype Recorder) How are you going to edit it? (Again, we can recommend a free online editor called Audacity)

Do not think that you can just turn the microphone on, or your phone’s voice memo app – and a fantastic podcast will just come spilling out. That’s not going to happen – or it’s very Very VERY unlikely.

So – think about your content. Script it, if necessary. That way, each episode will have focus, direction, and arc, instead of several minutes of you jabbering on

5. Marketing

So many of my clients ask about marketing their podcasts when they first start – how should they go about it? Is there a platform that is better or worse than any other?

First things first – your podcast should have it’s own social media presence. Create accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, just to get you started. Then – flood them with the news about your podcast. Don’t rely on your friends, families and clients to spread the word – you’re going to have to do it yourself. Post 3-4 times A DAY in the beginning, with the link to your podcast included in your post. Don’t miss an opportunity to tell people about your podcast – and give them a chance to listen to it too!

So, there you have it. 5 things that every podcast needs.

These 5 tips apply even more if you’re thinking of making a podcast for your business. Now – get out there and start podcasting! You know where we are if you need us…