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In this episode, we go back to basics and talk about hosting platforms. A hosting platform is where your podcast lives on the internet. It’s also how you link your podcast to the main podcast apps, like Apple, Spotify and Amazon Music.
Here are our 3 steps to getting started with hosting platforms:
Choose a hosting platform without overthinking, as they all perform a similar job - although some have additional features Pay attention to the settings when setting up your podcast, including the episode description and category. Connect your podcast to popular podcast apps and directories like Apple, Spotify and Amazon Music.Links:
The 10 best hosting platforms blog post from Descript:
https://www.descript.com/blog/article/the-10-best-podcast-hosting-platforms
A beginner’s guide to RSS feeds from Riverside:
https://riverside.fm/blog/what-is-an-rss-feed
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Editing is one of the hardest parts of podcasting, so it's important to get the process right. Here are Jules and Suzi's three steps to getting started with editing:
Being prepared will make the editing process much easier. Keeping an eye on the time helps ensure consistency and avoid excessive editing. Don't be over-ambitious with editing and embrace AI tools to help with the process. -
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Welcome to Podcasting in 3 Easy Steps and Back to Basics and in this episode we are talking about recording your podcast and getting a great sound.
It’s the key to keeping listeners and growing the podcast if the recording isn’t good no one will stay with you:
So here are our 3 steps:
1. Location- Ask yourself are your surroundings optimised for a good recording?
2. Mics- Test your equipment and settings before recording to avoid technical issues during your session. And wear your headphones throughout.
3. Have some scripted parts to your podcast, it helps you to get going and to remember your calls to action.
You can find us here on Instagram story_publishing or Decibel_podcasts
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Hey welcome to another episode of Podcasting in 3 Easy Steps and this Back to Basics episode were we are talking about managing the workflow of your podcast.
It can quickly become overwhelming creating a weekly podcast so here are our 3 steps to managing workflow well:
1 Use tools such as Trello, Asana etc to plan and manage tasks for your podcast- keeping you organised and on track.
2 Repurpose what you can and streamline new recordings, get audio and video to work well and less editing, plus know what you’ll talk about in advance.
3 Embrace the Al it can really help with managing what you need to do to keep your podcast workflow flowing!
You can find us here on Instagram story_publishing or Decibel_podcasts
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In this episode, we talk about how long your episodes should be. While long episodes are popular, they may not be suitable for all audiences. Here are our three steps to help you decide your podcast length:
Takeaways
Consider your audience's listening habits and how much time they have available. Maintain consistency in episode length to provide a predictable listening experience. Starting with short solo episodes can make it easier to get started and adapt to audience preferences.Chapters
00:00 Introduction: The Importance of Duration
01:07 Step 1: Consider Your Audience's Listening Habits
03:15 Step 2: Maintain Consistency in Episode Length
4:15 Step 3: Start with Short Solo Episodes
06:08 Round-table or multiple guests will need longer episodes
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How often should you release your podcast? The more frequently you release, the easier it is to build an audience. But a weekly podcast can quickly feel relentless.
Here are Jules and Suzi’s 3 steps to help you decide how frequently to release your show:
How much time do you have? If you can only dedicate a short amount of time to it each week, releasing regular episodes will be hard. Have a consistent schedule whether that’s weekly, fortnightly or monthly. Create quality content over quantity.To learn more, here’s a blog post from Pacific Content on how often to release episodes:
https://pacific-content.com/how-often-should-i-release-new-podcast-episodes-fe6e274d188b/
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In this episode, Jules and Suzi discuss the importance of scripting in podcasting and provide three steps to help you get started with scripting. They emphasise the need to sound natural and avoid academic or complicated language. The steps include scripting the series introduction and outro, keeping the language simple, and avoiding over-scripting. Suzi and Jules also encourage practice and improvement by recording and listening to yourself. The episode concludes with a recap of the steps.
Takeaways
Scripting your podcast helps maintain structure and professionalism.
Listen to different podcasts for inspiration on introductions and endings.
Keep the language simple and avoid jargon.
Allow for ad-libbing and use bullet points instead of scripting word for word.
Practice and listen to your recordings to improve your delivery.
You can find us here on Instagram story_publishing or Decibel_podcasts
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In this episode, Jules and Suzi discuss different podcast formats and provide advice on how to choose the right format for your podcast. They emphasise the importance of keeping it simple and straightforward, especially for beginners. They also highlight the popularity of narrative or documentary-style podcasts and recommend not attempting this format when starting out. The hosts then provide three steps to help decide on a format: starting with a solo podcast, keeping it simple and manageable, and being consistent. They also encourage trying new formats while keeping the audience informed.
Takeaways
There are different podcast formats to choose from, including interview, monologue, round table, and packaged formats.
Narrative or documentary-style podcasts are popular but can be challenging for beginners.
Start with a solo podcast to make it easier and more manageable.
Keep the format simple and straightforward to streamline the production process.
Be consistent within a series to provide a predictable experience for the audience.
Don't be afraid to try new formats, but communicate with your audience to manage their expectations.
You can find us here on Instagram story_publishing or Decibel_podcasts
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In this episode, we're going back to basics and looking at how to create podcast artwork. The emphasis is on bold, easy-to-see artwork. Avoid fancy or overcomplicated designs.
Simplicity and legibility are key to creating effective podcast artwork.
The artwork must be original (you can't copy someone else's) but it doesn't need to be anything complicated.
It must be the right size and format: 1500 - 3000 px square and a jpg or png file.
For more info, see Apple's guidelines here:
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In this episode, Julie-Anna and Suzi go back to basics and look at how to choose a name for your show.
Many get hung up on this and it can become a barrier to getting started.
So here are three tips to help you get started with choosing a name:
Check online and major podcast apps if anyone else has the name already
Keep it short and simple - can you say it and spell it?
Is it relevant and searchable?
If you get really stuck, try a name generator.
Here’s Riverside’s: https://riverside.fm/podcast-name-generator Here’s Spotify’s: https://podcast-name-generator.spotify.com/To join our next podcasting course which starts on 16th January click here: https://www.decibelpodcasts.com/store
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In this episode of "Podcasting in 3 Easy Steps," Julie-Anna and Suzi take you back to basics, helping you to discover where your podcast ideas are hiding and how to hone them. It all comes down to - what does your audience need from you?
Here's where to find those ideas and keep it simple:
Repurposing. Ask yourself what you can repurpose that you are already creating. AI can help here.
Keep it simple. Easy for you to do and continue. Straightforward content is clear in your mind. 1 topic per episode.
FAQs. Which questions come up time and time again, keep a note and answer them for your audience.
Our next Podcasting course starts 16th January. Book on here
You can find us at story_publishing or decibel_podcasts on Instagram.
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In this episode of "Podcasting in 3 Easy Steps," Julie-Anna and Suzi take you back to basics, guiding you through the essential podcasting equipment you need to kickstart your journey into the world of podcasting.
3 essential bits of kit are:
Headphones. We cover: Understanding the importance of quality headphones for monitoring audio while recording. Recommendations for budget-friendly and professional-grade headphone options. How the right headphones can be so much better for your ears!
Microphones. We cover: The role of microphones in capturing clear and professional-sounding audio. Different types of microphones and their suitability for various podcasting setups. Recommendations for microphones suitable for beginners on a budget and those looking to invest in higher-end options.
Software. We cover: Exploring podcasting software options for recording and editing. Discussion on user-friendly software for beginners. And some tips on storage for your episodes Mentioned in this episode:
(prices correct at time of recording in November 23')
Snowball microphones - Blue Snowball Ice - £47 Also from Blue is the Yeti - really popular podcasting mic - £109 Rode -NT USB £140 Shure MV7 - £269 - usb microphone.
Headphones - over head, over ear, plug in; JBL Tune 500- £18.99 Audiotechnica - M20x - £49 Audio Technichnica - ATH-M30x - £68 Or ATH-M50x - £129 Beyer Dynamic DT 770 around £140 Seinheser HD 206 £17
An app to record on - going; Spotify for podcasters FREE Riverside - $0 or $15 standard - 2 hours vs 5 hours
Our next Podcasting course starts 16th January - get in touch to find out more details. You can find us at story_publishing or decibel_podcasts on Instagram.
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Want to know the easiest way to get started in podcasting? Be a guest on someone else’s show!
Here are Jules’ three steps to help you get going:
Make a list of podcasts where you can add value (and be realistic).
Approach the hosts with a short, personal pitch outlining why you like their show, what you can talk about, links to previous talks you’ve done and how you can help promote that episode.
Sign up to a podcast guesting service. Some of these are free, and others you need to pay for.
Links to podcast guesting services:
PodMatch $26/month standard, $57/month professional PodcastGuests $10/month basic, $29/month premium Podchaser Connect message for info The Podcast Network - free Facebook groupJoin waitlist for September launch course & get early bird discount here.
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Hey today we have a great episode you won't want to miss all about marketing your podcast from marketing expert and our good mate Helen Perry.
She runs her own business teaching creatives to market what they do successfully. And of course she has her own awesome podcast #justbloody post it podcast which is about to go into its 7th series with 121 episodes. If you haven't listened yet do check her out it's full of great advice.
So I asked Helen if she'd takeover 3 easy steps and share what she's learned about marketing her podcast. And you won't want to miss what she says:
Helen Perry's 3 steps to marketing your podcast:
1. If you want more people to listen to your show, you're gonna need to tell people about your show. Podcast discoverability is notoriously difficult. So just making one and uploading it and hoping someone will listen and it will take off and awards will follow is probably just wishful thinking. So ideally, we need to think multiple ways to promote every single episode of your show to the rest of your online audience.
2. This will be controversial among some podcast purists but use video promoting an audio show on social media. So whether that's tick tock or Instagram or LinkedIn wherever, in other words, visual platforms is really really hard. Since I've started videoing my podcasts -I use the online recording studio Riverside which also allows you to video yourrecording, as well as the sound and sharing clips of these on my Instagram - the number of views and shares has shot up it is multiple times more effective than sharing a quote or an audiogram.
3. Ask for help spreading the word about your podcast in almost every episode of your show. I will explicitly say support us, do us a favour, Share this with your friends on social media if you think they'll love it and go and leave me a five star review on Apple podcast please and do subscribe so you don't miss an episode. If you don't ask these things you don't get -people aren't mind reader's.
Thank you so much to Helen for your marketing tips... Let us know how you market your podcast and what's working for you.
Find Helen Here
The Just Bloody Post It podcast https://podfollow.com/1566599200
and she's @_helen_perry_ on instagram
Find us at story_publishing and decibel_podcasts
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Hi it’s Suzi I’m back and sharing my thoughts on putting your podcast in for an award. Last episode I shared why it’s a great idea to submit your podcast for an award… that's episode #39 and today I’m sharing tips on how to do it in a way to grab the attention of the judges.
I’ve had some recent experience of looking at and judging submissions and here are my thoughts:
1 Context - the judges need to understand your podcast from just the submission. They may never of heard of you and your podcast. Get your audio (as well as your write up) to do the work for you. Including a trailer or an episode introduction can explain to the judges what your podcast is about, what are its aims and how it exists to help the audience.
2 Include feedback - I’ve seen this done really well recently, where a quote or testimonial from a listener is included in the submission. It highlights how your podcast helps or has impacted them. Social proof for the judges.
3 Max out the track listings - sometimes you are limited by a word count, if that’s the case use your track listing to share more details about your podcast; things like background to the guests or topics, impact of that episode on your audience or how this episode fits with your wider series. All this allows you to paint a picture to the judges about your podcast and gives them more context again!
And finally re read your submission a few times and listen through to your audio, even better if you get someone with a fresh set of eyes and ears to do this. Check it all makes sense and tells your story.
Thanks for listening.
Resources
Awards which are currently open:
https://everybody-media.com/awards/
https://independentpodcastawards.com/live/en/page/home
PS if you need help telling your story check out the Everyday Storyteller podcast with Hilary Salzman, it really can help you.Find us @story_publishing or decibel_podcasts
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Hey it's Suzi and this week I'm sharing some reasons why it's great to enter your podcast for an award. There are a few podcast awards open at the moment - see details below for ones I mention in the episode.
Entering your podcast for an award can have loads of benefits; from time to reflect on your podcast to networking opportunites. It's alawys work doing. Just take time to gather all you need for your submission and choose the awards that work well for you and your brand.
Come back next week for my tips about putting your submission together.
3 reasons why it's a great idea to enter your podcast for an award:
1. Recognition and Prestige: Winning an award or even being nominated helps to recognise your hard work and it's a great thing to have ;)
2. Makes you more visible and shares your podcast with a wider audience. Marketing potential has a boost!
3. Time to reflect and get feedback: thinking about your entry and your podcast is always valuable. Getting feedback from judges will show you areas you can improve on
and I share even more reasons in the episode. So what's stopping you?
Resources:
International women's podcast awards : https://everybody-media.com/awards/
Indie podcast awards:
https://independentpodcastawards.com/live/en/page/home
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In this episode Jules talks through three podcast formats for coaches and consultants.
Solo. Just you and your microphone. This is the easiest way to get started.
Co-hosted. You and a colleague, friend or peer.
Case study. Either with the case study being interviewed. Or you can do without a guest and talk through a client that you’ve helped (anonymising if necessary).
Join us for our workshop ‘Podcasts For Coaches’ at 10 am on Tuesday 27th June. Book here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/656689906187
Podcasts mentioned:
Lessons in Resilience https://open.spotify.com/show/3ugidcQEktWjPURjR5Q8Rv?si=4f50f9e518ce4d0f
Career Espresso https://open.spotify.com/show/6VLD4xHAGzxmECXPIoOsZs
Self Care Club https://www.theselfcareclub.co.uk/
Where Should We Begin? https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/where-should-we-begin-with-esther-perel/id1237931798
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Hi it’s Suzi and welcome to podcasting in 3 Easy Steps, so today I’m going to tackle the summer holidays which are coming up and the topic of taking a break from your podcast. we know that a lot of people take time off in July and August, so I guess it’s just about being prepared for that.
If you are podcaster you may think of taking time off completely and pick up your podcast again in September. Or will you put something out something but not the full podcast to get a break... or are you going to just continue to put out your podcast as normal?
I guess what it comes down to really is what your audience are doing- who are they and what do they want from you? Are they likely to be taking time off or do they need what you can create?
I’ll be honest - if you do completely drop it and you come back in September you should expect a dip and have to rebuild your audience - It’ll take them time to know that you are back and you should be expected to put in the work to get them back into the habit of listening to you.
Whatever you decide to do just really think about your audience and what they want and need from you. And also I’m all for not getting burnout and fed up with podcasting - if you need a break you need a break- it’s better to come back and feel inspired and refreshed.
So I’m going to talk about a hybrid option- something in-between and some things I've learned about how to get it done easily.
1. Make a list of 10 cracking episode that you’ve put out in the last maybe six months.
2. Find 10 minutes within each episode which hooks people in, a juicy bit that reflects the conversation. Take 10 minutes of the episode out and save it into a folder. Copy and paste the show notes from those episodes and put them in the file too - so you’ve got 10 episode and 10 show notes.
3. and now write a couple of sentences for a new short intro for the episode… and rewrite your outro with new call to action and remind the listener which episode it’s from and where they can listen in full.
And it’s then a case of refreshing your artwork, editing and scheduling your eps… and trust me your September self will be grateful you’ve done it.
Are you taking a break? if you're listening in Spotify answer the question to let me know your plans.
Thanks Suzi
Resources
@decibel_podcasts
@story_publishing
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In this episode, Jules explains how to improve the podcast experience for your guests. As well as preparing your guests in advance (listen to Episode 34) you can make the process as enjoyable as possible for your guests. Plus if your guests are happy, they may become clients.
Listen to what they’re saying & engage fully in the conversation. Book an hour long slot with your guest, even if you know your recording will last less time. This gives you the chance to continue the conversation after you’ve stopped recording (which is often when you'll get the best from them as they'll feel most relaxed). Follow up with your guest by thanking them for taking part, and sharing social media assets and/or a blog post with them. Also, let them know when the episode is live.This episode was inspired by a talk at The Podcast Show in London in May by Arielle Lisenblatt who was speaking to Toby Goodman so thanks to them for the idea.
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Hi this week we have something a bit different for you, both Jules and I were at The Podcast Show last week so here’s our chat where we digest and debate our three takeaways (each) so you’ll get 6 things to takeaway this week ;)
Here are the picks from Jules:
1. What can we learn from the YouTubers. The onward march of video into the podcasting space and the increasing presence of YouTube was evident at the event with some big YouTubers (and their managers) there. They spoke about how they create content, how they focus on some of the tiny details and the cross over between creating a podcast and creating a show. One described YouTube as the cornerstone of the creator economy, as it's the place where you can actually make money from your content.
2. The AI tools for podcast content reformatting will make your life easier. They allow you to upload your audio podcast. From that a transcript, a blog post and social media shareables will be created. Two apps that we're keeping an eye on are Capsho and CastMagic. We'll try these out and report back in due course.
3. The importance of packaging and branding your content. Whilst content creators with a team of designers, videographers and producers behind them obviously have the upper hand here, small independent podcasters can benefit from having a consistent brand and content that's packaged across different channels (website, podcast, social media). This links to my two earlier points above.
And mine:
1. Make a podcast not a ‘have to do’… it needs more thought. This was what Holly Tucker MBE - founder of Not on the High Street and presenter of Conversations of Inspiration She says don’t think of creating a podcast as a tick box exercise for your business - you can’t build a podcast because you need to, instead ask yourself what are you trying to change, who can you help, what is the mission?
2. Growing your podcast and reaching an audience. This was a talk with Carver PR and journalist Miranda Sawyer. Don’t underestimate niche communities- specialist magazines and podcasts - where are your adjacent audiences? If you know your audience demographic you can target them- but break out of the echo chamber- where else is your audience? and look local, share your story (and your mission) with local press and radio.
3. Keep it fun- that was the message from The News Agents team. If you're creating a podcast you have to make it fun. You can’t argue that Emily Maitlis, Jon Sopel and Lewis Goodall have fun on that show- which is now one of the biggest podcasts in the UK (and they revealed will shortly have a News Agents USA spin off to tie in with the US elections run up) Presenter Emily Maitlis also said regarding the stories you decide to cover (whatever your podcast may be about) ask yourself would I click on that? This should be your only deciding factor on what you run.
Hope you’ve found this helpful. If you went to the show let us know what you are taking away from it.
You’ll find us @decibel_podcasts and @story_publishing
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