TPU124 – 5 Simple Tips to Decide If You Should be Starting a Podcast?

You are looking at starting a podcast and you have learned everything about getting started by watching some of the videos on YouTube, reading blog posts, and listening to some podcasts.

And now you are ready to hit that record button!

But wait!

There is something even more important to do before you get started.

And that is deciding if podcasting is something you are even ready for.

In this episode, we look at a few very simple methods to assess if podcasting is really something you should get into and if you should even consider starting a podcast.

Starting a Podcast – How to Decide if you are a FIT?

The temptation of sharing your voice with the world and connecting with an audience is exciting, isn’t it?

Most people start off because they hear everybody around saying that “podcasting is easy”, which truthfully is far from the fact.

Podcasting isn’t easy. It is very difficult to continue showing up for weeks and months before you see any success.

Soon, all of the excitement with which you started off will die. You will find it hard to push yourself to show up week after week.

And at this point, if your personality isn’t cut out for podcasting or, for that matter content creation, then it is going to be all the more difficult.

Follow these 6 simple tips and ask yourself a few questions. If you are able to answer all the questions in the affirmative, then you are good to go to get started.

Time Commitment

Podcasting demands time – a lot of it.

From researching and content planning to scripting, recording, editing, and promoting, it can easily take up 5-10 hours a week, especially if you’re looking to release a weekly episode.

You might want to ask yourself if you are prepared for that kind of time commitment.

If you have a full-time job, are you willing to stretch yourself to make room for podcasting?

These are questions you need to answer honestly.

Interests

Why are you starting a podcast?

Most beginner podcasters don’t really have a reason to start their podcast. They just start it because that’s the most happening thing or, because somebody told them that they should start a podcast.

That isn’t really how you get started.

You need a genuine interest in content creation. Your podcast should have a clear goal or objective, a driving force that compels you to help and engage with your audience.

You need to have a genuine interest in helping people with solving their problems.

Unless you have that purpose, it is going to be difficult to continue creating and releasing episodes. You are sure to face pod-fade.

Budget Commitment

If you thought that starting a podcast doesn’t cost a thing then you are mistaken.

There are expenses involved if you want to succeed with podcasting.

Podcasting gear like microphones and accessories, podcast hosting, promotional tools, email autoresponders, and website hosting – these are just a few expenses to consider.

Do you have the budget commitment to support your podcasting journey?

Some of these expenses are non-compromiseable, especially if you are looking to grow your audience.

Start only if you think you are ready for that expenditure.

Plan

Do you have a plan for your podcast?

Starting off without a plan can be the most disastrous thing to do.

You will need –

• A content plan detailing how you’ll source content – If you are planning on running interviews, where are you going to find your guests and what are the questions that you are going to ask them? All of these go into the content plan.
• A promotional plan outlining how you’ll get the word out – Social media promotional strategies and other methods of promotions should all go into this plan.
• A monetization plan to sustain your show – At some point, you will want to earn money from your show. But it is not something that you should be thinking about only once you start getting a million downloads. It needs to be thought about even before you start your show.

If you don’t have a plan yet, it might be wise to hit the brakes and strategize.

Willingness to Learn

Podcasting isn’t as simple as grabbing a microphone, talking into it, and recording.

It involves a steep learning curve.

You’ll need to research your audience, understand what content resonates with them, script your content effectively (especially in interviews), navigate the technical aspects of recording, and master audio editing.

The question you need to ask yourself is, are you willing to invest time in learning these skills?

Also, do you have the time to spare to learn these skills?

If not, then don’t start.

Personality Traits

Consider your personality. What kind of personality are you?

Are you someone who gives up easily when faced with challenges?

Does your interest in things fluctuate rapidly?

Do you genuinely enjoy content creation, and are you organized?

Content creation and promotion involve getting out of your comfort zone and doing things that are not pleasant.

Your productivity, perseverance, and willingness to show up even when tasks are less than pleasant play a big role in podcasting success.

Are you ready to do that?

Ask yourself these questions before you get started.

Conclusion

Podcasting isn’t for the faint of heart.

It’s a journey that demands time, dedication, and a genuine passion for content creation.

Before you hit that record button, take a moment to reflect on these factors and assess if podcasting aligns with your goals and personality.

If it does, get started. Otherwise, you might want to reconsider your decision.

Show Notes:

Here’s what we discussed in the episode –

1. 6 Simple aspects to consider before starting your podcast.
2. How to evaluate if you are ready to get started
3. Important questions to ask before you get started with your podcast.

This episode is sponsored by Zencastr. Use my special link here to save 30% off your first month of any Zencastr paid plan. 

Thank You for Joining

Thank you all for joining me on the show today.

If you enjoyed this episode then I am sure you will love some of the previous episodes as well. Pick your favorite ones and give them a listen.

The podcasting university is available on all podcasting platforms. You can pick your favorite one to listen to the show there. The links to some of the prominent ones are mentioned below.

CASTBOX: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/castbox
STITCHER: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/stitcher
TUNEIN: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/tunein
GOOGLE PODCASTS: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/googlepodcasts
APPLE PODCASTS: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/itunes
PLAYER.FM: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/playerfm
SPOTIFY: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/spotify
HUBHOPPER: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/hubhopper
AMAZON PRIME: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/prime

Recommended Resources for Podcasting

Here are some of the recommended resources for Podcasting. These are the ones that I personally use and am satisfied with and hence am recommending them.

• Acast Podcast hosting – Acast is my favorite podcast hosting company. They have excellent customer support, have a pocket-friendly plan, and even have a free option with no limits.
• Behringer Audio Interface – You will need an audio interface if you are using an XLR microphone. This is my recommended audio interface.
• Zencastr – Zencastr is the easiest option to record interviews, both audio-only and audio+video. This is a must for an interview podcast. Go to zencastr.com/pricing and use my code “thepodu” You’ll get 30 percent off your first three months of Zencastr professional.
• Audacity – This is the best and the most feature-rich free audio editing software. It gives you a lot of options while editing your interviews.
• Blue Yeti USB Microphone – My recommended microphone
• Tidycal – My recommended calendar and booking solutions
• Fusebox – Embeddable Podcast Player
• Descript – Audio Editing, Transcription and Video editing software

AMAZON DISCLOSURE: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The Podcasting University is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

MICROPHONES –

1. ATR-2100x
2. MAONO AU-HD300T : https://geni.us/ro48q
3. Maono AU-WDM01 : https://geni.us/PhZ3V2v
4. Samson Q2U – https://geni.us/k9cuk
5. Audio Technica AT 2035 – https://geni.us/g2URDI
6. Rode NT USB – https://geni.us/O6b65K
7. Shure MV7X – https://geni.us/w7rZ4

LAVELIER MICROPHONES

1. Boya ByM1 Auxillary Lavelier Microphone – https://geni.us/boyabym1lav
2. Boya ByM1 Pro Lavelier Microphones – https://geni.us/boyabym1prolav
3. Digitek Wireless Microphone – https://geni.us/R3cGd
4. Boya – BYXM6 Wireless Microphone – https://geni.us/OS6gq
5. Vook Dual Channel Wireless Microphone – https://geni.us/V9YBO1i

PORTABLE RECORDERS –

1. Zoom H5 Portable Recorder – https://geni.us/rVTAIAV
2. Zoom H1N Portable Recorder – https://geni.us/dOaDg

AUDIO INTERFACE –

1. Behringer U-PHORIA UM2 – https://geni.us/gBCjm
2. M-Audio M-Track Solo – https://geni.us/RnhHr
3. HAYDEN HY-229 – https://geni.us/c80KbWB

MIXERS –

1. HAYDEN 4 Channels – https://geni.us/cXQ0
2. Behringer Q502USB

MONITORING HEADPHONES –

1. Oneodio Studio Pro-10 : https://geni.us/IQI88Se
2. Maono AU-MH501 : https://geni.us/AbNrU
3. Audio-Technica ATH-M20X : https://geni.us/eEUf9

POP-FILTER –

1. JEYANG Metal Pop Filter – https://geni.us/JMfuY
2. Wright WP 101 – https://geni.us/OcOAzj

DESK-STAND/BOOM ARM –

1. MY-STANDS MC 18 : https://geni.us/Lwnb
2. Bulfyss Professional Recording Microphone Stand: https://geni.us/mV4S

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