We’ve talked before about how easy it is to start a podcast. You don’t need a ton of fancy equipment, but you do need some time. For many business owners, finding the time can be a struggle, especially when it’s easy to get analysis paralysis about what exactly you need to do. This article breaks down the system you should adopt to produce your first (or next) episode.
1. Select a Topic
This could easily be the most difficult part. Oftentimes you have so much you want to talk about that you struggle to decide on one single thing. For our Law Firm Marketing Minute episodes, we keep a running list of future ideas, talking points, and subjects to cover. These points can come from things we hear from our clients, conversations we have with people we meet at events, articles we read from other industry sources, or even our own internal conversations.
You can also source episode material from past blogs or videos you’ve published to your website. The key is to just pick one, knowing you’ll cover the others eventually. From there, you’re free to dig as deep as you want on your selected topic.
2. Press ‘Record’
You don’t need to script out your entire episode, but it can’t hurt to have some bullet points of what you want to make sure you cover. Additionally, you might want to listen to some other podcasts to see how other hosts begin and introduce each show. Find a rhythm and cadence that works for you and replicate it each time.
As you record, focus on the core of what you’re talking about. Don’t worry so much about “uh” and “um” and long pauses. Just act as though you’re having a conversation with someone in the room. After all, that’s why podcasts are so popular—people feel like they’re part of the conversation.
3. Post Production
The first big time saver here is to create a podcast template in your audio software, whether it’s GarageBand, Audacity, or something else. In other words, create a file that already contains your main audio track for your recording, and then another audio track for your intro/outro music beds with your ideal volume levels. This will save you a few minutes as you produce each episode.
When it comes to production, here’s the thing: No one is expecting an NPR-level production. All you need to do is drag and drop your audio file into your template and export your new file. If you have a lot of crutch words or long periods of silence, you can cut those out. However, a few “uh” words here and there or an occasional noise in the background isn’t going to hurt. Some of the most popular podcasts out there have very little production after the fact.
4. Upload and Share
Once you have your final file, upload it to your podcasting host, embed the episode on your website, and share it on your social channels!
That’s it. The most time-consuming element of this process is actually recording your episode, which is honestly the most fun part! If you’d like to chat more about the finer points of podcast production, feel free to reach out to us!
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