5 Things We Wish We Knew Before Starting Our Podcast
Hey! We are so glad you’re here! If you’re checking out this blog then that probably means you’re thinking about starting a podcast or have already dipped your toe into podcasting. If you’ve been following us since the beginning of Elevate Ag then you’ve watched our own journey starting, launching, growing, rebranding, and ultimately monetizing our own podcast. We wanted to share with you the top five things that we wish we had known when we started our podcast. Then make sure to grab our free Launch Your Podcast Checklist + Planner at the bottom of this post!
Podcasting has grown exponentially over the past few years, and it's not difficult to see why. With its accessibility and the ability to reach a global audience, podcasting has become a popular platform for individuals and businesses alike. But before you jump on the podcasting bandwagon, here are the five things you need to know before starting your podcast.
Know Your Niche & Audience
While we had a pretty firm grasp on our audience when we started out, we paid close attention to what our audience was wanting more of and changed our content based on our audience. That just goes to show that what you start with will not always be what you end up with. By being able to clearly define your niche, you will be able to zero in on your content to provide what your audience is really wanting to hear from you. Our most important tip here is to make sure you are creating content that your audience wants to listen to versus the kind of content you want to create. It should be a balance of the two!
Plan Your Content Out Ahead of Time
While we were set up with a project management system when we started, this was something that was an essential part of our podcast process. We use Trello to map all our episodes out visually and usually plan for at least 2-3 months out. Planning out your content is critical for a successful podcast. By creating a content calendar and planning out your episodes in advance, it will help you stay organized and ensure you have a consistent publishing schedule.
Have a Marketing Strategy
While podcasts are fun, if you want it to pay you like a business, you need to treat it like a business. With that being said, having a marketing strategy right off the bat is a hard must when it comes to launching your podcast and sustaining long-term growth. Our recommendation is similar to advocating, pick a platform you feel confident and comfortable with and then expand from there. For example, we started out with strictly Instagram, then expanded to LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok.
Be Patient and Stay Committed
Building a successful podcast takes time, patience, and consistency. Don't get discouraged if you don't see immediate success. Keep producing quality content, promote your show, and engage with your audience. Make sure that you have goals set that you want to reach and have marketing strategies set up to help you reach them. Over time, you will build a loyal following and reach a wider audience.
Our Top Tip: If you Want to Grow Your Show, Be a Guest on OTHER SHOWS
This is our number-one-asked question when it comes to our podcast, “How do you grow your listenership?”. We tried a lot of different strategies, but honestly, appearing as guests on other shows helped grow our show the most. The best way to do this is to start making a list of shows that share the same audience demographics and pitching yourself to them as a guest. Sometimes you might need to swap episodes or offer a podcast promotion, but if you plan accordingly it will be worth it!
Make sure to download our “Launch Your Podcast Checklist + Episode Planner” to get your podcast off to a great start. If you have questions, you can hop over to our Free Facebook Group or join us on Instagram for Coaching Mondays. We can’t wait to support you on your new podcasting journey!
