How To Start Podcasting While Very Busy

Free sample of chapter 1

Executive Thinking

So I’m going to jump right into it because obviously, you’ve made it past the point of debating whether or not you need to do this. It’s in your destiny. And you have stepped into it.

In The Executive Thinking chapter of How to Start podcasting While Very Busy, I’ve outlined five major areas that you mostly have to THINK about as you prepare to establish your podcast. Notice how I emphasize “THINK” because, for the next three days, I’m asking you to work these five major items out IN YOUR HEAD alone or with trusted thought partners before moving onto the rest of the book. So, read only the Executive Thinking chapter…give yourself three days to think through this information…then come back to the book for the HOWTO. Ok? Promise? Alright. Let’s do this.

Number 1: Decide WHAT you want to talk about. This might sound like a no-brainer but think about this statement carefully:

“Podcasts are literally ALL TALK!”

You need to make sure that the thing you are about to share with the world is something you do not mind talking about, and matter of fact, WANT and CAN talk about in length! Otherwise, you will get bored, and your podcast will become one of those pods that go abandoned after a good 3 episode run, which leads me to my second point about deciding what to talk about. Make sure, especially if you want to do this for a while, that your podcast topic is rich in information! If your podcast is about the color blue, there is only so much spin that you can add before you begin talking about the same stuff over and over or simply do not have anything more to say. Further along in the book, we will discuss some essential keys to picking a topic that is a gift that keeps on giving.

Number 2: The most fun and most trivial: picking a name! I speak about this in length further along in the book because in the age of information and technology, naming something the right thing can be the difference between being seen or hidden. There are many tools out there that can help you indicate if people on the internet will organically search your podcast. In parallel to your name formation process, you also need to start thinking about the branding. In the case of a podcast, that takes three general forms. What will your podcast look like, what will it sound like, and how will it make people feel? This is a very delicate balance, and dance, you have to think real hard about, which should not be taken for granted. We will go deep on utilizing tools that can help you optimize and validate your branding ideas.

Number 3: Setting up your accounts. If you want to run a well-organized podcast, you need to have an organized system. And it turns out that all you need for this organized system to run smoothly is the proper accounts that complement each other to reach your goals. Now, what am I talking about when I say accounts? So you need a communication system for your podcast (email), a form system that keeps track of guests who may come on your podcast (intake forms), the social media platforms you want to use to facilitate your pods’ offerings (Twitter, Facebook, etc.), and finally, the most important, the platform your podcast will be streamed on. There are dozens of options that one can pick for all of these categories, and if you are new to the digital content creation world, we will walk through the configuration that will set you up for success.

Number 3.5: Do not think about this one. Just do it now. Make a separate email account. Gmail by Google if you can. Gmail has a multitude of free products that will assist you perfectly with your podcast journey. You want to make sure all of your podcast information is in one place.

Visit:
https://accounts.google.com/signup

Number 4: You need to think about how you want to get the word out about your podcast! There are four primary ways to do this, and considering podcasts are online, 3 out of the four are strategies implemented online. First, first-hand word of mouth/forced engagement. This model is simply directing people you know to listen to your podcast. That one is self-explanatory. I share some pointed guidance on doing that, so you’re not coming off as a charity case or a strong-armed robber. The three other major strategies are running ads, email marketing, and strategic social media placement. I speak in length about these three, and depending on what kind of podcast you want to run, I reason with you about what option might be best for you.

Number 5: Finally, the technology! Now, this is a highly contested topic. Since I am a technology enthusiast, people always hit me up asking about what kind of equipment they should use for the project they are trying to get off the ground. For podcasts, I always let them know that it depends on the goals of the podcaster! With the rapid development of technologies like the iPhone, the world of possibility opens up for so many! Especially since podcasts are indeed a multimedia project that utilizes text, audio, imagery, and sometimes video, the iPhone’s modern features can put on mighty podcast productions. All of the features are accessible to Android users as well. But like everything else, the almighty iPhone has its limits too. If you want to host multiple guests, or want superior audio quality, then the mobile devices become limited. Depending on your production goals, you want to make sure you have the correct equipment at your disposal. We will go deep on this too.

I remember when I was at the stage you are in now—bundled with more energy than the sun to start this journey. Between you and I, you are the more fortunate one because I didn’t have this book to guide me through every step (I’m jealous and proud of you). So please take all of what you have read so far and THINK! And as you think, just remember… you got this; the battle is already won. See you in three days.