Lessons Learned From Starting a Podcast

There is an audience for every topic, genre, theme, etc. 

When I first started podcasting I had free reign to what I wanted my podcast to be about and in the episodes I wanted to write and post. As a beginning podcaster, that is a very scary situation to be in because it rang in so many questions. What do I want my podcast to be about? Will I even get listeners if I talk about this? Will my episode do good? Is this a weird/uncommon topic? The list can go on and on. However, I quickly realized that there is an audience for everyone. My podcast is on the basis of self-love and the journey to get there (yes a more relatable, popular topic) however my episodes based on that concept were not so much. I did an episode on the pandemic and its effect on my mental health, a topic I believed people would get bored of, and it is now my most listened to episode in my podcast. So…do what makes you happy, start the podcast! 

You can start anywhere 

Now that I have hopefully given you the confidence to consider starting your own podcast your next questions may be; Where do I start? Do I have to buy expensive, professional equipment? Where do I record? I asked myself these questions a lot too. My answer is; you can start anywhere!! If you have a phone, computer, laptop, it doesn’t matter, pick it up and start recording! However, if you want better quality sound and more professional equipment there are places all around renting out rooms with the equipment for you to be able to record at an affordable rate! There are companies whose sole purpose is to provide podcasters with the right equipment and perfect ambience to record  (ahem… Hello Studios if you’re located in Dallas, TX) Your voice needs to be heard.

Growth happens with consistency and happens steadily 

I will not lie, I was very inconsistent with my podcast. I had other priorities I had to take care of before I allowed myself to focus on my podcast. So I didn’t always see the amount of listens I wanted to or saw as many people engaging as I wanted to; it was due to my lack of consistency. I recently started to put out more episodes within the same time frame and have noticed an increase in engagement in my podcast, taking it more seriously I know I will notice a change. So do not be like me and stay consistent. Post an episode once a week or even once every two weeks! Make your podcast known! This isn’t going to happen overnight but with patience you can start seeing the growth come in steadily. 

Not everyone will like your podcast 

Once your podcast starts growing, you will quickly learn that it is not everyone’s cup of tea and that is okay! There is a pressure when you are recording that you might have said the wrong thing or you are mentioning a topic that can be sensitive to some people. Yes, it is important to have caution when talking about certain topics and ideas but never change the route of your podcast because someone else doesn’t want to listen. This is a platform for your voice to be heard not to conform to everyone else’s expectations, it is a space for you to be you. 

Social media will be your best friend! 

If you want to publicize, promote, and expand your podcast outreach, social media will be your best friend! You need to become extremely comfortable in your video recording and editing skills. There needs to be a face to your podcast, to your social media pages! Instagram has reels that will pay the bills! Tiktok has videos that will make you viral overnight! Spotify has video support for podcasting now (here at Hello Studios, we offer video podcast recording…ahem.) You can livestream! Be consistent! Give people a behind the scenes of you recording your episode! A day in the life! Use sounds that are trending! Start forming your audience! Social media is such a powerful place regardless of the platform. DO NOT be afraid of it, but utilize it to your advantage! With social media, you and your podcast can go very far!