Do you hear that sound? There is a global movement to get heard, connect, and amplify. The dull drumbeat has become progressively louder due to Covid-19. Witness the rise of Clubhouse, the social audio app, during the pandemic. It doesn’t matter where you are. Access to a smartphone is all you require. I’m talking of course about podcasting. According to recent research, there are over 2,000,000 podcasts and over 48 million episodes available at the tap of a button.
How can you emerge in this cloud? Let’s start where most people find their information; YouTube. Scanning the thousands of how-to videos requires you to be very specific on precisely the content you want to view. For those just beginning their journey, I found great advice and tips listening to Pat Flynn, Empire Podcast, Tom Bilyeu, and Tim Ferris.
Be careful, there are hundreds of would-be experts attempting to make you part of a sales funnel. Avoid that at all costs. Take your time and study. Instant gratification is not the route you want to take with developing a podcast.
Monetization? Get this out of your thoughts at the outset. Forbes list of top earners in podcasting include Joe Rogan, Dave Ramsey, and Bill Simmons. These guys are pushing content hyper consistently with amazing guests, bringing real sponsorship opportunities.
There is nothing wrong with striving to reach the top table. Nonetheless, you need to reach at least 5000 listeners every episode for sponsors to even notice you are there. At this point, getting started was all I needed to focus on. Before doing anything else I needed to answer one simple question: why start a podcast?
I’d tell anyone who wants to be a podcaster the same thing others have recommended: find a niche you’re passionate about and willing to be immersed in. –Sandra Sealy, Chronicles of a Sea Woman
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Many people will have their reasons. Mine was part of a wider approach that combined writing, vlogs, and guesting on others podcasts. Utilizing my life experiences to connect with others who could share their stories is what gets me out of bed in the morning.
Turning this into a podcast series is where the real work begins. How could I get people to become aware, connect and gain value from the guests? Never mind that though. How would I finance this operation? Given the rise in podcast platforms, I found one that was so unique and simplistic I sat studying whether it was real in disbelief.
Anchor FM (Spotify-owned) is leading the way in helping would-be podcasters (That’s me) get started for absolutely zero cost. Excuse the Belfast slang; Fill yer boots. (Get fucking moving).
Publishing on Anchor FM enables you to reach an audience through their distribution channels including Breaker, Apple, Google, Pocket, and Radio Public. Just let that marinate. For one podcast you can reach multiple platforms.
Podcasting has become one of the fastest and trusted tools for building and promoting brands. –Bernard Kelvin Clive
Downloading the app to the phone, I started to explore how the process worked. There is a range of functions available. Working through each one, I begin to gain some confidence in making this concept a reality. Choosing a niche, however, was giving me the sweats.
Podcasting topics range from comedy, lifestyle, fashion, sports, self-help, finance, parenting, mental health, politics, education, and everything else you can think of. Stories of transformation, redemption and real courage are where I believe humans connect.
We all have a story to tell. Listening to others might just provide someone with the inspiration they need to press go. Inhabiting this planet for the last 44 years has brought many life lessons for me. Far too many for this story. Quick tip: Review those in the column for real insight. Now back to business. We all want to belong, find our tribe and be happy.
Developing a podcast based on these principles is crucial for me. Just what would I call it? Boom. The anchor drops on my thoughts with as much weight of, well, an anchor. I hear people online constantly saying; I’m authentic. Whether that’s true or not is a discussion for another time. For me, I connect with people who wear their hearts on their sleeve, speak the truth, crap and all. Let’s Get Real Podcast. No fancy influencer marketing is required in that name.
Launching a podcast needs to be delivered with precision. Sure, you can make mistakes along the way. How would you learn what works otherwise? Guest selection is paramount. Why would people want to listen to them? The process requires research to discover what makes them tick, habits, family, interests. Depending on the guest you select this may not be possible on a google search.
Reaching out before the episode can give you a clearer idea of what they want to communicate. Now for the fun part. Editing, trimming, intros/outros were all alien concepts to me. After producing 8 episodes for series one, I can safely say I’m just above novice skill. Each episode takes around 6.5 hours to complete.
Recording can be done on a smartphone using WhatsApp. Simply open the app, put the phone on do not disturb mode, establish a solid internet connection, sit in a quiet space, press invite friends, and when the guest answers the phone recording begins. Slick, effective and can be learned by anyone.
My favorite part of podcasting is running my mouth for an hour. The only time I don’t like it is when I’m off. Then the hour feels like a day and a half. –Bill Burr
Series one of Let’s Get Real Podcast ended on 10th September 2021. The guests covered trauma, personal loss, transformation, life lessons, prison reform, business, gambling addictions, drugs/alcohol abuse, chasing your dreams, suicide, career choices, and relationships. They left everything on the court. These were some of the most explosive testimonies I’ve listened to. The only question now is: What are you waiting for?
Reflecting on the conclusion of series one fills me with great pride. Taking risks requires courage of conviction, discipline, and, above all else, commitment to impact the lives of others through story. Feedback from listeners and guests has already filled the slots for series two. Momentum is at juggernaut speed. Where will it stop? Who knows. Let the stories be a catalyst for change.
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