How to start a successful podcast

Is your brand ready to jump on the podcasting train? Excellent! There is no better time than the present to start, especially in the post-pandemic (and increasingly digital) world.

But like most other new initiatives in business, podcasting is easier said than done. A quick Google search would yield plenty of checklists for how to get started, types of software to use, equipment recommendations galore, distribution tips / tricks, and general podcasting trends. We all know there is more to it than that - there has to be some kind of secret sauce that would increase the likelihood of success.

To learn more about that secret sauce, I had a quick chat with Reilly Anspaugh and Geoffrey James, the hosts of the popular weekly podcast Review Revue , from the Headgum podcast network. Headgum was founded by Jake Hurwitz and Amir Blumenfeld of CollegeHumor, and as stated on their site , Review Revue is known for "combining improv talk and comedy based on silly reviews on the internet."

Although Anspaugh and James did not start Review Revue from scratch (thanks to the support of the Headgum network), all responsibilities related to creative control, content, and marketing efforts fell on them. If its content, which started as a weekly comedy sketch on YouTube , hadn't previously achieved a notable level of success as a podcast, it wouldn't have continued. The pressure was on them from the beginning. Despite everything, they prospered and learned many lessons along the way.

Here are some of the highlights from our conversation about how entrepreneurs and their teams should work smart instead of trying hard when entering the world of podcasting.

Focus more on content and less on marketing

If you build it, they will come. When creating content, it's important to focus on the things that grab and hold attention. Don't go overboard with jargon or topics that can make the content too self-promoting. First of all, your audience must be entertained. Even if they are tuning in to learn heavy material from your podcast, they should find it entertaining enough to stick around and eventually share it. Organic and unique actions have the biggest impact. The only key detail to focus on (which ensures that the content is good) is passion.

According to Anspaugh, passion in your own content is what drives natural growth. She claims that when you create something that really matters to you, you have an intrinsic motivation to do it. This momentum translates into productive brainstorming, streamlined workflow, and consistency.

You may be interested in: 7 reasons to reach your audience with a podcast

To properly address the angle, the priority would be to identify a target audience. While it may be tempting to go wide in an effort to attract the masses, isolating a niche simplifies marketing efforts and generates more fanfare. The message of the content would be the next priority. Whether through a podcast, video, or any other form of digital medium, the creator must focus on what his audience will get out of him. When content creators consider their niche, what they are looking for, and what they hope to get from the content they consume, they are able to offer much more value and inherently market content more naturally.

"Universality through specificity is key," Anspaugh says. "Trying to please everyone creates hollow content."

Take on growth from every angle

After establishing an audience, it is important to plan how to reach them through multiple touch points. With the rapid digitization of the world, advertising has become more accessible than ever and cross promotions can be your best friend, especially when budgets are tight. Cross-promotion can take many forms - from collaborating with other podcasters to earn features, to agreeing to give each other praise, to sharing each other's posted content on social media, to linking to each other's websites, and creating blog posts with Integrated content with partner podcast episodes. The possibilities are endless.

Partnerships are beneficial for growing companies, as working together exacerbates the effect of everyone's efforts. Finding the right partner involves comparing mission statements and sharing an audience. When collaborating with other brands, it is imperative to establish a plan that incorporates an understanding in terms of content, style, frequency, marketing / promotional efforts, and timelines.

Anspaugh and James urge entrepreneurs to create content on multiple platforms, because businesses remain relevant (and much more accessible) through a strong social media presence. It's also important to branch out and find opportunities to host or be interviewed by others. Looking for new opportunities to post helps promote brand image while establishing a voice, and touches on the always crucial element of thought leadership.

While video consumption remains prominent thanks to popular video-centric social media, it is important to consider the growing popularity of audio media, as audiences for podcasts have grown rapidly during the course of the pandemic. "It's easy to ask someone to listen to a podcast," says James. "They don't require the same commitment as a book or a movie." After all, audiences these days love multitasking. They can easily listen to podcasts in the background while traveling, running errands, or just about any other activity.

Approach time management wisely

Time is money and proper time management goes hand in hand with productivity and avoiding burnout. It is not ideal to stop a project completely to start another, when both can be done in parallel. When projecting a timeline, it is recommended to consider as many variables as possible. These variables include learning curves, technology problem solving, A / B testing, research, and potential bottlenecks that may appear in the early stages. Then there is also the element of personal time that must also be taken into account. In Anspaugh and James's case, they refined their schedules to allow them to stay committed to growing their podcast, while allowing them to grow professionally outside of it, for their own personal branding purposes.

Practice makes perfect. That is one of the main, albeit obvious, points that entrepreneurs and their marketing / promotions teams should keep in mind when entering the world of podcasting. The first few episodes would probably be a bit shaky as the hosts find their groove. Only through constant efforts will comfort, dominance, and visibility be achieved.

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