Almost every business needs a blog or Facebook page. But, does every business need a podcast?
To be honest, no probably not.
My podcast started as more of a personal project, than part of my business. When I went to journalism school I had no interest in broadcast because my face is very round and I happen to have an accent from upstate NY (which, for those who don’t know, actually sounds a lot like Wisconsinites!)
Any kind of broadcast medium is scary, but for me audio and video are EXTRA scary.
So, I never thought to do anything other than write a blog.
Podcasting was and still is, a new territory that feels much more vulnerable than just putting words down. Confidence is easy to portray in a writing, it’s a lot more difficult when you’re talking and recording!
When I started my podcast I did some research and pulled together what I thought was a decent production.
However, I made some key mistakes along the way.
Learn From Mistakes
For a few months I recorded one podcast a week and shared it on my blog and social networks. Only a handful of listeners trickled in. Most likely because I only promoted a few shows, to just my friends. Like I said it’s kind of scary!
This was Mistake #1: Not Sharing. Get over yourself! Jump in and just let people listen. They will give you important feedback.
As the months continued I found it hard to keep up the pace of a weekly show. I’m a working mom and there are only so many minutes in the day! So, in the summer I took a break. Which you’ll notice here again on my SoundCloud account.
Mistake #2: Not having a set schedule. Two months on and two months off is not a way to grow an audience. Pick a schedule and stick to it. EVERY SINGLE TIME
Instead of simply reporting social media news, I should have come up with something original and unique. I assumed listeners would rather hear fact (news) over opinion (interviews). Turns out I was wrong.
Mistake #3:Not having a clear opinion. I was trying to produce a small news show, not a thought-provoking podcast. Anyone can find the news, its called Googling. Create a niche and rock it.
I also failed to properly brand the podcast. Sure I had a good name, but I lacked cover art. Even iTunes suggested a vibrant 1400 X 1400 pixel image.
Mistake #4: A name isn’t a brand. Secure a great name and invest in an awesome graphic.
While SoundCloud is a very cool, easy-to-use platform, it doesn’t have the same huge user base iTunes has to offer.
Mistake #5: Overlooking technology because you don’t know how to use it. If you do anything find a way to get your podcast on iTunes.
Still want to start your own show? Go for it!
Grab your computer, a mic and find your niche topic. Record an introduction, outro and don’t forget to include a soundtrack. I found mine on BeatSuite. (Make sure you purchase a royalty-free song or have a musically inclined friend whip you up a custom clip.)
Good luck, be yourself and just be sure to avoid these 5 mistakes I made!
Photo uploaded to Flickr Creative Commons
