42. Busting the Biggest Myths About Starting a Podcast

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Laura: Welcome to Podcasting for Business Owners. I’m Your host, Laura McRae, a podcast consultant, educator, and self confessed podcast nerd. If you’re thinking of launching a podcast or want to grow the one you have, you’re in the right place. Hold on to your headphones and let’s go. Hello and welcome back to Podcasting for Business Owners, the podcast that helps you share your story, lead your industry, and grow your network through podcasting. I’m your host, Laura McRae, and today we’re going to talk about that weird headspace you get yourself in when you’re thinking about launching a podcast. Maybe you’ve had an idea for ages. You’ve probably imagined what the intro will sound like, maybe written down a few episode titles, and you may have even bought a mic. But when it comes to actually pressing, record or launching your podcast, you. You just don’t get round to doing it. Well, you’re not alone. I’ve met so many people who’ve even recorded podcast episodes, but actually never launched their podcast. The hesitation usually has nothing to do with time or motivation and everything to do with feeling unsure or how to actually do it. There’s so much talk out there, people telling you there’s a right way to launch, a wrong way to launch, and a whole list of must haves before you’re even allowed to start. So no wonder you’re feeling overwhelmed. One of the biggest things I see holding people back is this belief that your podcast has to be perfect from day one, that you might need a studio, that you need to be a confident public speaker, and that you need to have thousands of followings before you even launch. But none of this is true.

A lot of people think that you have to launch a video podcast straight away

First of all, I want to talk about video. If you’ve listened to episode 36, you’ll already know how. This is my pet peeve. A lot of people think that you have to launch a video podcast straight away, but starting with audio only is absolutely fine. I had a client who wanted to go all in with video podcasting. She bought two sets of cameras and professional lighting. But when she watched the footage back, she didn’t like how she looked on camera. She said she didn’t feel animated enough and the video quality wasn’t what she’d imagined. She ended up feeling embarrassed of what she’d recorded. She spent all that money and she couldn’t even bring herself to publish the video. Eventually, she decided to ditch the video and do an audio only podcast. And, my story’s not that much different. Even though I help people launch podcasts for a living. I chose to start my own as audio only, not because I don’t believe in video, but because I knew I’d never get it off the ground if I tried to do both. I still don’t feel confident to be on camera, but audio podcasting gave me a way to start. And starting is what builds your confidence. Another common myth is that you need a huge following before you even start your podcast. Two of my clients had just over 2,000 Instagram followers when they started their podcasts. And even now, both of them have been podcasting for around two years, and their Instagram following is still at 3,000. But they’ve got clients all around the world because podcasting gave them a way to build trust, not just visibility. Having a fairly small social media following doesn’t mean that your podcast isn’t going to take off. Your podcast reaches people in ways your social media posts can’t. It lets your audience hear your voice, your tone, your ideas. And it stays online for years, working for you long after you publish that episode. The next thing is something I feel really passionate about. You don’t need to be a professional speaker to start a, podcast. You just need to care about what you’re saying. I am definitely not a confident speaker, but I’m working on it. Through every single episode, I’m building that confidence. Your confidence will grow, too. With every episode. You’ll find your rhythm and your message will get clearer. But first, you just need to begin and maybe not sound as polished as you might like.

So what do you need before you launch a podcast? Well, first things first

So what do you need before you launch a podcast? Well, first things first. It’s really important to know who your ideal listener is, your goals, and your mission for your podcast. Too many podcasters skip this step and regret it later on, when their podcast goes off track. I must admit it’s not a fun exercise, but it’s a really important one. I talk about this in more detail in episode three of the podcast. It’s called the Crucial First Steps to Take before youe Start yout Podcast. So when you start your podcast, you also need a name for your podcast. You also need to have recorded a trailer episode that tells your listeners what your podcast is about. And I recommend recording three episodes to launch a podcast with. These will all go out on the same day. And then

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I recommend just a buffer for you is to have at least three episodes recorded ahead of time so you’re not rushing to get that next episode out next week and the week after. You know you’ve got three in the pipeline already, so you need A trailer, three episodes to launch with and three episodes to schedule for the next few weeks. You need a decent microphone. A common one is the Blue Yeti. This generally costs less than 200 Australian dollars. You also need software to record and edit your podcast. For interviews, you could just use Zoom if you have it already. But if you want better quality audio, then you might want to use something like Riverside fm. If you’re recording solo episodes, then you can use free software like Audacity and GarageBand. You can also use Audacity and GarageBand to edit your podcast. If you plan to edit your podcast and record interviews, you’re going to need a decent set of headphones. I’ve got the audio Technica ATH M, M20X. These cost me less than 90 Australian dollars. And then finally, you’ll need somewhere to host your podcast. So, I really like Buzzsprout, but Captivate is a good one too. And that’s it. That’s basically what you need to start your podcast. One of my clients who took my course, the Podcast Launch Programme, launched a podcast to empower parents to stay calm and raise kind kids. She thought about launching her podcast for years, but she kept getting stuck on how to do it. After working through the programme she launched, and she’s now building a really strong and engaged community. Another client uses her podcast to position herself as a thought leader in her mediumship industry. She now gets invited to speak on panels and collaborate with other experts, all because her podcast helped her build that credibility. And that’s what I want you to see. A, podcast can open up so many doors for you.

Your podcast can evolve as your business evolves

And let’s finish with a few of the what ifs I hear all the time. So a lot of people don’t start a podcast because they say, what if I change my mind about the topic? That’s great. Then you just pivot. Your podcast can evolve as your business evolves. You’re not locked into it forever. Just start with where you’re at at the moment. I’ve supported business owners to rebrand their podcasts. This is when your listeners haven’t changed, but you’ve pivoted slightly in your content. So you may need to change the name of your podcast and the artwork, as well as your mission and goals. But as long as the listeners are still the same, you just need to rebrand. If, though, on the other hand, you have a whole new audience for your podcast, then just start a new podcast. It doesn’t mean the first one dies. You can just leave it up there and start a new one and have two podcasts or three podcasts. You can have as many as you like. And, for those of you who hate the sound of your voice, Me too. I’m guilty of this too. Most of us cringe when we hear our own voice. But I promise that gets easier. You’ll get more confident. And those early episodes, you’ll listen back and see how much better you are in time. Another common question is, what if I run out of ideas? If your podcast is aligned with your business, your ideas will never run out because your business keeps growing. Focus your podcast content on what offers and services you want to promote in your business. You can answer questions that you regularly get asked. You can talk about things that happened to you that week that you think your audience will be interested in. You can even ask your listeners to do a survey and get their feedback. Or on social media accounts, you can ask your followers what topics they’d like to cover. And that’s why I created the podcast launch programme. It’s self paced, simple and based on the same steps I use with my one on one clients. You’ll get templates, tutorials, and all the checklists you need. And if you want extra help, you can book a discounted call with me as you go. It’s for people who are ready to stop thinking about a podcast and get going with it. It’s more simple than you think. You don’t need to be polished, you don’t need to be a tech wizard. You don’t need thousands of followers or a perfect voice. You just need a message you care about and the courage to start before you’re actually 100% ready. Thanks so much for listening today. If this gave you that little nudge you needed, I’d love to hear from you. Send me a DM on Instagram, podcast support services. Let me know what podcast idea is on your mind. Your voice matters and your podcast is more possible than you think. See you next time. If you found value in this podcast, please leave. A five star rating and a review would be even better. Your support shows that this is a good show which will attract high profile guests and in turn deliver greater value to you. This podcast is produced and edited by me. Don’t waste your time on editing.

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Let me help you with your podcast. Check out the links in the show notes to get in touch.

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