Starting a Podcast Career: A 7-Fold Comprehensive Guide

Welcoming to the podcast era! The best moment for starting a Podcast career of your own is right now because more people than ever are listening to them. Even though launching a podcast only needs a little amount of resources and expertise, there are still a few things you need to be aware of before you go live.

Fortunately, you’re at the right location. Nevertheless, there are currently over 850 000 podcasts. Although this amount might seem scary, it actually pales in comparison to the number of blogs, social media accounts, and other online publications. This means that compared to other channels, podcasting makes it simpler to stand out and be noticed.

Listeners who regularly consume audio content have more options than ever before. While many people don’t have the time to frequently visit your site, a podcast is something that they can easily incorporate into their daily routines. You may establish a following, generate other revenue streams, and establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry. Additionally, it is more intimate because your audience can hear your voice. It’s comparable to having a direct channel of communication with your best fans.

Starting a podcast career may be the appropriate choice for you if you are passionate and knowledgeable. Whatever kind of podcast you produce, there is a market where you can be heard. Are you prepared to move forward? This is the whole manual for starting a podcast career. No of your level of experience, starting your podcast out on the right foot is simple with our professional tips.

How much do Typical Podcasts make?

The amount of money that podcasters make varies greatly across the industry, but podcasts may be a very effective source of income. Smaller-scale producers may only make a few hundred dollars, while many successful podcasters make thousands or even millions.

An average podcaster with 10,000 downloads per episode might anticipate earnings of $500 to $900. Very popular podcasts can bring in even more money, up to $30 million annually.

A few variables will determine how much money you can make through podcasting. Podcasters that consistently release content and target a niche audience that is highly engaged are likely to make more money than those who only sometimes release podcasts and provide less in-demand content.

Your marketing and advertising plans, together with any additional income sources, may also have a big impact on your overall podcast earnings. Successful marketers that experiment with a variety of monetization techniques often make more money than those who don’t.

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How to Monetize your Podcasting Career

Podcasters mostly make money through a few different channels. Here are some earning techniques you might try if you’re ready to earn money as a podcaster.

1. Promotional Activities and Advertising

One of the main methods for podcasters to make money is through sponsorships and advertising. When you collaborate with sponsors or marketers, you can get money just by passing along a few brand mentions in your podcast! This type of advertising space is a well-liked marketing tactic and is appearing more frequently in the expanding podcast sector.

2. Affiliate Marketing

Another typical source of income for podcasts is affiliate marketing. Every time someone makes a purchase using one of your affiliate links, you can get paid through affiliate sales. Affiliate sales may initially only bring in a few bucks here and there, but with time, they can develop into a significant source of income.

3. Consulting and coaching

Hundreds, thousands, or even millions of people will tune in to hear what you have to say if you create a popular podcast. Your audience is probably curious about your accomplishments and how you can support them. A wonderful method to supplement your show’s revenue and broaden your entire financial plan is to offer coaching and consulting services.

4. High-end Content

One of the most well-liked ways to make money off of podcasts is by producing exclusive content. This is because it expands on your audience and content generating skills already in place. You can ask podcast viewers to make a donation in order to access more content. Always make sure that any additional sponsored material you produce is consistent with your brand and of the same caliber as your core podcast episodes. The more quality your premium material is, the more probable it is that listeners will continue to pay more for it.

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5. Creator Partnerships

Another way to monetize your podcast is through creator partnerships. They also provide fantastic chances for you to expand your podcast’s listenership and increase your ability to earn money in the future. If you’re thinking about working with other podcasters, attempt to find people who are in your industry’s same market. By doing this, you increase your chances of connecting with listeners who have a high conversion rate. You will be able to collaborate with a colleague to learn podcasting tactics and investigate brand-new podcast monetization strategies throughout the length of your partnership.

6. Donations and Crowdsourcing

Many popular podcasts rely on listener donations and crowdfunding to make money. With this monetization model, your podcast’s financial support comes directly from the listeners. How much money podcasters make is frequently significantly influenced by donations. The majority of podcasters use donations and crowdfunding to pay for production costs like software or equipment for podcasting. Crowdfunding can be accessed through websites like Patreon and Kickstarter. It’s crucial to provide contributors with a return on their investment while asking for their money. This means that the people who make donations ought to be able to see how their money is being put to use to improve your show. A good way to express your appreciation is to grant donors access to premium material.

7. Sales of Physical Goods

The money you make from your podcast doesn’t have to end when an episode finishes. As a means of generating clever passive income, many podcasters transition into merchandising by designing and selling tangible goods. The products you sell will probably change depending on the podcast’s audience and topic. If your program is instructional, you might sell a book or learning resource. Podcast hosts who focus on entertainment frequently offer common merchandise, such as clothing and household goods.

8. Online Training

Creating an online course may be the secret to increasing podcast revenue. An online course can give you the opportunity to impart knowledge and information in a fresh and interesting way, much like other goods and services.

If an online course is self-paced, it is simple to design and sell to big audiences. You can interact with your audience directly through your course and provide assistance so they can learn more from you.

You must effectively market your online course if you decide to create one. Share links to it on your website and social media sites, and mention it in your podcast episodes.

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Tips for Starting a Podcast Career

Describe the kind of Listeners you want and what they should hear.

You need to plan ahead first. While it may be tempting to record your first episode straight away, a little amount of planning will go a long way. Prior to starting, be sure to provide answers to the following important questions:

• Whom am I using this podcast to serve?
• What audience am I trying to reach with this podcast?

After that, consider your audience. What specific details are they seeking? Your podcast should be targeted towards a certain audience or specialty. For good reason, there aren’t many podcasts available on every topic. Unless there is some sort of point, most people don’t like to listen to someone ramble on about their opinions.

Instead, focus on a single specialty using your knowledge and interests. Think up a subject that you could cover in more than 50 episodes. This shouldn’t be so general that your readers won’t find it interesting. Later on, you might decide to enlarge to related subjects, but for now, you should be very clear about who your ideal listener is and what kind of content they want to hear.

If you’re an expert in marketing, you can decide to focus only on video marketing as your expertise. This is the ideal example of a niche that works for a podcast because the topic of video marketing lends itself to an infinite number of themes. Uncertain about where to start? What makes you anxious? What subjects can you talk about indefinitely? Discover your niche here because it is where your passion rests.

Pro tip: Come up with a couple straight away to make sure you have enough concepts for your market. This may be too specific of a specialization for you if you have trouble coming up with a comprehensive list (10+).

Seek Inspiration from your Rivals.

Next, consider your rivals. While you should never duplicate another person, you shouldn’t be scared to look around you for inspiration. Conduct a competitive analysis to identify any potential holes in your sector. This is a fantastic chance to stand out. It’s crucial to conduct market research, much like when you’re launching a new product or service. You wouldn’t make something available unless you were aware that there was a market for it in the first place, right?

Checklist for Competitive Research:

Uncertain about where to start? It doesn’t need to be difficult. Use the market research steps listed below to evaluate your competitors in a practical way:

1. Competitors: Start by identifying your top rivals. You can accomplish this by conducting a keyword search in any podcast directory. For instance, if we take the same example as before, you may look up “video marketing.” This will make it easier for us to locate the best podcasts in that field.
2. Look at their content: Read descriptions after listening to a few episodes. What about their content is effective? What could they improve upon?
3. Marketing: Next, think about the audience-targeting strategies used by these podcasts. Do they run advertisements, maintain a newsletter, or do they post on social media? Knowing this is helpful when developing your own plan.
4. Reach: Do these podcasts have strong connections? Do they work together with others in the field and do they give off the impression of being true thought leaders?
5. Reviews: Check out the podcast ratings of your competition. You’ll discover their advantages, disadvantages, and places where you can excel.

Create the Branding and Episode cover for your Podcast.

The third step is to produce branding components. Your podcast should have a similar brand to any current websites, blogs, and social media pages because it is an extension of who you are. You establish a recognizable persona by developing a distinct, consistent voice.

Don’t overcomplicate it, even if you should align your podcast branding with your personal branding. Less is more when it comes to branding for your podcast. Cover art, a logo, and entrance music are the three main components you need to get started. The first thing that listeners will notice about your podcast is its cover image. According to statistics, 62% of new listeners are more inclined to give a podcast a chance if they enjoy the cover art.

Consider the specifications of podcast platforms carefully while creating your branding. For instance, Apple Podcasts mandates a 3000 x 3000px resolution. It will be simpler to promote your podcast later on if you create the cover graphics in several sizes. For your podcast’s branding, you may either utilize a program like Canva or Photoshop or hire a specialist.

Last but not least, avoid overused images. The use of headstones, pop filters, and microphones is excessive. It’s pointless, like including an image of a camera on a movie poster. Instead, maintain your brand’s consistency and profit from your choice of colors and visuals.

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Plan out the steps required to create a podcast episode.

Fourth step, you’ll quickly learn that creating a podcast episode involves much more than just recording. Each episode requires a lot of steps, which, if you’re not careful, might become overwhelming. We strongly advise making a detailed strategy in advance so that you can start with a system in place.

It is advised that you automate your production duties using the project management software Asana. Even though each podcast may have its own procedures, feel free to use this one. An illustration of what to include in your manufacturing system is given below:

• Create the episode’s synopsis and interview questions (if joined by a guest)
• Thank you and ask who else you would recommend for the show in an email.
• Write the episode’s name, synopsis, and show notes.
• Create a podcast episode cover, a featured image, and a video thumbnail.
• Purchase MP3 + Video
• Ordering a transcription
• Schedule a podcast episode for YouTube and your preferred podcasting service.
• Plan for your website
• Launch a website post
• After it becomes live, send your visitor an email and let them know the website’s URL.

It’s lot simpler to keep track of everything when these are incorporated into your process. Your comfort level with podcasts will increase as you get used to them. For guest emails, website postings, and other uses, templates can be made. Working smarter, not harder, is the key; yet, don’t neglect the little things.

Decide who will attend and when you will meet to record

The next step is to make a guest list. In the alternative, if you don’t intend to invite guests, use this time to schedule a few episodes. Although it depends on you and the tone of your program, having guests is a wonderful alternative if you want to make your show interesting for the listener.

To discover guests for your program, you may either make your own list of potential guests from memory or utilize a site like PodMatch. Take into account people around who you believe might be a good fit for your target audience. If you already know them, that’s an added bonus. Reach out when you’re ready to do so.

How many individuals are thrilled to be asked to talk on podcasts will surprise you. It acknowledges their knowledge and gives them a chance to market themselves. It’s a good idea to provide a few possible topic ideas when inviting a visitor so that they don’t have to worry about planning.

Determine the equipment required to produce your podcast.

We must now pause to talk about the technical details. When you initially start out, you don’t need to splurge on pricey equipment, but you do need some essentials. Contrary to popular assumption, you can start a podcast without expensive, studio-quality equipment. Content and consistency are significantly more crucial.

What you actually need to launch a podcast is as follows:

1. Hosting: Your show must be hosted online for podcast syndication platforms to use it. Don’t make your choice too difficult; you may always change your mind afterwards.
2. Recording: Although you may record your podcast straight from your computer or mobile device, Zencastr or another similar program is useful for audio and video recording.
3. Microphone: You need a microphone, of course. The built-in microphone on your computer or smartphone is probably of mediocre quality. When just starting out, a cheap microphone ($30–$50) and pop filter are more than sufficient.
4. Headphones: In order to hear your guests and yourself clearly when recording, you will need a set of headphones. Once more, these don’t have to be pricey.
5. Secluded Area/Quiet Area: Even if you may not consider it, you must find a peaceful area to record your podcast. This should be a quiet area without any echoes or background sounds.
6. Editing Programs: Finally, you must a location to modify your podcast. Many of these, like Garageband or Audacity, are free.

Every Episode should end with a call to Action.

Your podcast episodes need to be more than just informational. You must leave a lasting impression if you want to establish yourself as a thinking leader. You don’t want your listeners to finish the audio and then completely forget about you. You want people to behave in a real way, not just talk.

Every episode has a call to action that encourages viewers to sign up as leads. Like other social media platforms, your podcast is at the top of your marketing funnel. You want to intrigue them in your brand and compel them to take some sort of action. They should be intrigued by your brand even though they are probably not prepared to make a significant buy.

There are numerous actions you can request from listeners, including:

1. Read your show notes to find a promotional offer or unique landing page link.
2. Subscribe to you on Social Media
3. Visit your blog for more details on this subject.
4. Sign up for your email list
5. Discover more about a good or service

Frequently Asked Questions about Podcasting

Conclusion

Avoid quitting too soon in the process!
Finally, keep trying. Making podcasts isn’t always simple. Don’t expect instant gratification because overnight achievement is extremely uncommon. The race is won by steadiness and pace. It usually takes some time to establish an audience in your specialty because there are more podcasts available than ever before.

At the end of the day, who wins? Consistency. It takes time to develop your idea and hone your talents, just like with any kind of content. With each experience, your level of familiarity increases until eventually it feels second nature. There is a lot that goes into producing good episodes, as you can see from the starting a podcast instructions above. It’s acceptable to learn as you go, from having the best tools to creating the ideal publication schedule.

Although vital, monetization and listenership are not what determine whether a podcast succeeds or fails. It all comes down to being consistent and following your passion. Your listeners will come naturally if you are genuine with your audience. It could take some time to build your voice and your target audience, just like with any other aspect of your business. Simply keep trying, especially not right away. Finding the correct stride may take weeks or even months.

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