Podcasting in 3 Easy Steps

Hi It's Suzi and today I want to chat to you about The Podcast Show and how to get the most out of it…

Ok so if you are a podcaster in the UK you’ll know the biggest podcasting show is happening in London on 24th-25th May. We went last year and so we wanted to share our thoughts on it and how you can get the most out of the show if you’re going.

(Side note if you’re not going - we will be sharing our key takeaways in a future episode of Podcasting in 3 Easy Steps… so you don’t have to move a muscle!)

But if you’ve grabbed yourself a ticket… Here are my 3 things you’ll want to do:

1.    Pick just a few sessions you want to go to each day. The programme of talks is already available online and there’s loads to do and see.  Have a read through and decide what you’ll get the most out of. If you are already creating podcasts it might not be the big headline names – it may be a session that will really help you with a certain aspect of your podcasting. 

2. Factor in quiet time. Meet ups for coffee with fellow creators and people in your community. Use it as a chance to nurture and build  your community - plus it’s a chance to tell people about your podcast. The show is in a massive space with lots of areas you can catch up and plot your next podcast episode. You could even record one there.

3.    Take time to visit the stands – its easy to think that it’s all about the talks but this is a great opportunity to explore new technology and devices that make your podcasting easier. Try things out, get yourself a goody bag and make sure you factor in time to explore what’s new.

Are you going to the show? Let us know if you are and come and say hi!

If you're listening in Spotify let me know what you're looking forward to most in the questions.

Resources

Are you an introvert?

In this episode of the podcast Suzi talks through how podcasting can really work for you if you are an introvert (or leaning towards introversion)

Here are the three ways it can work for you:

1. You don't need to speak in front of a big room - you can research and prepare your topic and share the information through a 1-2-1 with your guest and you can hold that conversation together. You get to take your time to consider the content, edit and script words which in turn gives you the freedom to explore more.

2. Networking - do it in a way that’s comfortable to you- rather than a busy room and competing to talk - you can focus on someone you’d like to talk more with and do this at depth. You can also gently nurture a community around your podcast who are ready to listen to you when they can and build and grow on this

3. You can give other people the confidence to share their stories through your enthusiasm during your recording. Yet you can retreat to the calm and solitude to pull it all together. Giving out socially you can retreat and reset.

So what do you think? are you more of an introvert? here's the definition:

Noun

a person who prefers calm environments, limits social engagement, or embraces a greater than average preference for solitude.

Adjective Also in·tro·vert·ed .

having a disposition that is taxed by social engagement and energized by calm environments, resulting in the preference for quiet solitude.

If you are listening on Spotify let me know on the Q&A how podcasting helps you as an introvert.

Resources Contact us @story_publishing or @decibel_podcasts

Have you thought about starting a podcast for some time, but don’t really know where to begin? Perhaps you’ve been put off by the sound of your voice….or your lack of technical know-how?

Then you’re in the right place! From 16th May, we’ll be running ‘Step by Step to Podcast Launch 3’. This course will take you through each step of the process you need to get started with your own podcast. We’ll help you develop your voice and your confidence. We’ll keep things simple. We won’t baffle you with complicated terms or technology.

How to get your motivation back (to podcast)

It happens to us all, especially after a short break (we’ve just had 2 weeks off our podcast so I know the feeling ;) If you are looking for some motivation to get back to your podcast here are 3 steps to do it, that have helped for me. Let me know what works for you- if you listen in Spotify answer the question on your screen or drop me a message @story_publishing on Instagram. Links below

So in 3 easy steps:

Resources:

I mention Trello.com for creating lists and plans which help with my workflow

Hi, it's Suzi and this is Podcasting in 3 Easy Steps and today I want to share how to create short podcasts; those under 5 mins in length.

There can be a real benefit to creating short podcasts. They can be a great way to remind your audience you're there - for coaches creating daily 'prompts' they can be a great tool. It's a good way to start a podcast because you are not having to find guests and edit for hours, you can quite simply repurpose content you already have.

So what are the things to remember when you want to create short podcasts?

1.    CONTENT - What can you repurpose simply and easily –break it down into simple bitesize  points for your audience, don't overload them with loads of information.

2.   RECORDING - How you record it, recreating a voice note for your audience – keep it chatty and connect with them.

3.   PLANNING – short podcasts need good planning –record a number at time – 'batch' them, recording and editing will be shorter.

Short podcasts can be a great way to start a podcast- they're more manageable and can be quicker to produce plus they’re a great way to highlight your expertise and knowledge with your audience.

In this episode, Jules looks at what you need to know about recent changes to the hosting platform Anchor. 

Hey it's Suzi here and I want to help you to understand what a hosting platform is and how it works.

So we’ve got our beautifully crafted podcast and now what? we need our audience to listen to it of course. We use a hosting platform to get it to the podcast directories where our audience can stream and download it. 

So here is understanding the hosting platforms in 3 easy steps:

1. Your platform can be free or you can pay a subscription to use the service. They all work in a similar way and that is to host your podcast on the internet. 

2. The hosting platform generates an RSS feed for your podcast. That will then get sent out to the podcast directories, the feed will update the directories whenever you update your show.

3. Paying for a hosting site will give you extras, this could be more analytics and data about your audience, on some you can create your audiograms or edit your podcast directly. 

So to sum up on hosting platforms; they all do a similar job of holding and distributing your podcast. It just depends whether you want to pay for the service or not and how interested you are in the analytics and the extras you can get on some of the platforms.

Resources

In this episode of Podcasting in 3 Easy Steps I talk about how I use artificial intelligence (AI) in my podcasting. 

There's been lots of chat recently about using AI in writing but I want to talk to you about using it in podcasting. There's no doubt that if you make a podcast that you'll find lots of parts of the production to be time consuming. That's where AI can help us to streamline. I want to say first of all I am all for the humans here, I think that there's lots (at least at the moment) that AI cannot do as well as us. For me scripting, researching, editing and choosing my clips for audiograms is something I want to do and for my it's the areas where my experiences and expertise can shine. But there are a few jobs that I am more than happy to give away. 

So here is 3 Easy Steps - the AI edition by Suzi. 

1. Transcriptions –Ok so who wants to sit and type out an entire show? Transcription services are good and it can really help you streamline your shownotes so you can repurpose easily for other content like blogs and social media quotes. Word of warning - you'll want to read through first as mistakes do happen (especially if you or your guest have strong accents!)

2. Mastering  audio – When I'm not working with a sound designer or engineer I'll use Auphonic to help me get a more polished and professional sound for my mix down. 

3. Audiograms -I use Headliner – it  transcribes your clips in app and it'll mix them with your image. You can use Headliner to automatically generate audiograms across your social media- it’ll listen to your full episode to suggest clips. Clever but I prefer to do this myself. 

How do you use AI in creating your podcasts? Let me know

RESOURCES

Read more about AI and podcasting here : https://podcastle.ai/blog/ai-in-podcasting/ and here: https://www.makeuseof.com/best-ai-tools-for-podcasters/

In this episode, Jules looks at how often you should release your podcast. The more often you release your show, the easier it is to build an audience. BUT if you try and put out a podcast every week (particularly when you’re starting out) it can quickly feel relentless.

Stories have the incredible power to engage your audience in a way straightforward facts and figures can’t. And you can use stories to convey all sorts of information and ideas entertainingly and memorably throughout your podcast.

As this week is National Storytelling Week we’ve teamed up with a storyteller, who spends her time supporting others to share their stories. 

Hilary Salzman- runs 22Stories and is the voice of the brilliant The Everyday Storyteller podcast, which helps women to share their voice and their stories through short daily prompts.

Here are Hilary’s three steps to using your story to connect with your audience.

1. Start by identifying the key message of your story - the one thing you want your audience to take away from your story.

2. Spend the time to figure out your hook; you’ve only got a couple of seconds to make an impact.

3. Use anecdotes and examples to bring your story to life - avoid listing out facts and figures and use real-life examples to show listeners what you mean and how this can help them but keep it concise and easy to follow.

Whilst we’re big fans of audio-only here at Podcasting in 3 Easy Steps, there’s no escaping that video is one of the most effective ways to build an audience.

So here are three easy steps for including video as part of your podcast from the very beginning.

Links:

Once you’ve chosen somewhere to record (listen to the previous episode 11 to help you choose the best recording spot), then you’ll probably need to get it set up to maximise the recording quality.

In this episode, Jules explains how to get a room ready for recording by:

Links:

Buy acoustic paneling from Amazon:

Hey Happy New Year to you! 

In this episode of Podcasting in 3 Easy Steps I'm sharing how to get the confidence to start YOUR podcast this year.

We have helped lots of people to start their own podcasts and one of the things that stands in their way is confidence; in their voice, their opinions and thinking about what other people will think. If this is something you're struggling with BOOK NOW for our next course which starts 24th January- details below.

So 3 easy steps to getting the confidence you need to start your podcast: 

1. Talk about stuff you know. The things you talk about all the time will feel 'comfortable' we tend to get discomfort and unconfident when we are unsure of what we are sharing or things we need to do loads of research about. 

2. If not you now, who and when? We get one life, and if you need a kick up the ass,  read some Brene Brown (link below to a brilliant video) Start sharing now, because if you aren't talking about it someone else will. Confidence is a grower. Surround yourself with positivity and supporters. 

3 Start simple. Keep it easy, that way you'll want to and be able to keep creating. Too complex and you'll stop (and guess what you're confidence will dent)

This is the third TAKEOVER of the podcast by voice coach and voice over artist Nic Redman.

This topic is probably one of the most discussed when we are helping people to start their own podcast. They struggle to sound conversational when they are reading from a script- which we need because we can't remember everything can we!?

So in this the last of voice coach Nic Redman's takeover she's back to share her tips of sounding relaxed and just like you. 

So 'How to sound conversational reading from a script in 3 Easy Steps'...

Here are Nic's 3 Easy Steps:

1. Write your script as you speak - this takes time to perfect

2. Warm up, you’ll then be able to access your voice fully!

3. Tweak your environment

Resources

Find out more about Nic on Instagram @nicredman and https://nicolaredman.com/

This is the second TAKEOVER of the podcast by voice coach and voice over artist Nic Redman.

Do you want to create a deeper connection with your audience? We all know that audio is powerful, whether it be radio or podcasts it creates an intimacy between broadcaster and listener. So in this episode of the podcast Nic shares 'How to connect with your audience using your voice in 3 Easy Steps'

Here are Nic's 3 Easy Steps:

1. Picture your audience as 1 person

2. Change the focus of your voice – it’s not about you it’s about your listener

3. Prepare your voice and body – the power of the warm up!

Resources

Find out more about Nic on Instagram @nicredman and https://nicolaredman.com/

This is the first of 3 TAKEOVERS of the podcast by the brilliant voice coach and voice over artist Nic Redman. 

If you have a fabulous accent but have concerns about how it's going to sound on your podcast this episode is for you! 

Nic is here to share her 3 Easy Steps of 'How to work with your accent as a podcaster'. In short, she's all about EMBRACING your accent and sharing it with your audience and she's going to share her ways of doing it well. 

Here are Nic's 3 Easy Steps:

1. Get used to your accent, get to know it

2. Involve your accent in your podcast!

3. Use your intro to get people used to your accent

Resources

Find out more about Nic at @nicredman and https://nicolaredman.com/

In this episode, Jules explains how to choose somewhere suitable to record. It may not be the most obvious choice. She explains why you should:

Resources

Choosing the right room to record in:

Want to get your dream guest for your podcast?

In this episode Suzi explains how to approach a guest and do it well!

Here are your 3 easy steps:

1. Be bold and ask - they can either say yes or no, the more you do it the bolder you’ll get

2. Get your pitch right and do your research

3. Talk about your audience and the interviewees ‘fit’  with them

Resources

How do you find music to go into your podcast and make it sound great and what things do you need to consider?

In this episode, Jules talks about finding music for your podcast.

Here are your 3 Easy Steps to finding music for your podcast... 

Please let us know how you get on choosing music for your show.

Resources:

In this episode, Julie-Anna explains how to start your podcast script. 

Here are your 3 easy steps:

1. Listen to the beginning of other podcasts for how to start your script.

2. Keep it simple. Don’t overthink it or overcomplicate it. You’re not writing a novel. 

3. Don’t write it out word-for-word. Allow for a degree of ad-libbing.

Resources:

How to get a great remote recording for your podcast

In this episode Suzi explains the 3 easy steps to getting it done well, and it's not just the technical stuff to think about.

Here are your 3 easy steps:

1.  Whatever software you use try it out before recording with a guest. Practice makes it better!

2. Give your guest a checklist, direct them into making a good recording too.

3. Take the time to break the ice with your guest. Remote is different to studio in other ways too!

Resources:

Want to grow your podcast and discover new audiences? well audiograms are one way to do just that.

In this episode Suzi explains why audiograms are a great way to promote your podcast.

Here's your 3 easy steps:

1.  Don't be afraid to reveal all. Hook audiences in with a juicy clip and they'll feel compelled to find out more.  You don't need to keep the good stuff just for the episode. 

2. Your accompanying picture should explain the who, what, why etc. When someone sees it they need to be able to identify you and your podcast - make it easy for them if they are discovering you for the first time.  

3. Make sure your audio is good quality; edited and still makes sense. Don’t make selecting your audio an afterthought. We want this to be highly shareable content we can put on social media and share with your guests.

Resources:

So the thing that many creators really struggle with; choosing a great name for your podcast.

In this episode, Julie-Anna's looking at how to pick something that will attract your audience and not leave them bewildered 

 Here's choosing a name in 3 easy steps:

Resources:

For further reading, have a look at this blog from Castos:

Want to create artwork for your podcast that's going to cut through the noise and attract the right listeners?

In this episode, Julie-Anna talks about podcast artwork.

Here are your 3 easy steps: 

1. Make it bold, eye-catching and ensure the text is easy to read when it’s shrunk down to a thumbnail image, which is how it will appear on a mobile phone.

2. Keep it simple. Don’t clutter it up with too many images, branding and text. This will also make it easier to create.

3. Make sure your artwork is a square image. Have a look at Apple Podcast’s homepage for some inspiration.

Resources:

Welcome to ‘Podcasting in 3 easy steps’ with Julie-Anna Needham and Suzi Dale. We’ve spent years as radio and audio producers, creating award-winning podcasts. 

Now we want to share what we’ve learned with you: to help you get your podcast off the ground and out to your audience.

In each short episode we’ll share three easy steps you can take to create and market an awesome podcast.

We’ll aim to take the mystery out of the process. If you’re someone who’s been put off by the tech or the skills involved…then this show is for you. 

We’re passionate about podcasting. It’s a powerful way to connect with your clients, build a community, and it helps boost your confidence

We’ll cover everything from finding a great idea…to the kit you need to get started. We’ll explain how to do all it on a budget ….and be honest about when you might some back up.

We’ll help you write simple scripts and develop a manageable schedule. We’ll share what we’ve learned about marketing your podcast and finding your audience.

We’ll also share the mistakes we’ve made and how you can avoid them.

We’ve worked in radio, journalism and podcasting for more years than we care to remember and are experts in sharing stories.

So if you’re ready to start your own podcast, subscribe to Podcasting in 3 easy steps, so you won’t miss a thing.

Find us on Instagram:  Suzi @story_publishing  and Julie-Anna @decibel_podcasts 

Online:  www.storypublishing.co.uk  and www.decibelpodcasts.com