#podcasthosting

SECTION 1: WHY SHOULD YOU PODCAST?

Whether you're a one-man show or a budding startup, you can start a podcast. And when done right, your podcast can make a huge difference for your brand and/or business.

Here are seven examples of what podcasting can do for you:

Share expert knowledge about a topic you're passionate about.

Publish interviews with experts of your field.

Establish yourself and your brand as an expert of your industry.

Interact and engage with your audience on a more intimate level.

Market and sell a product or service.

Generate and boost sales for your business.

Inspire and impact other people.

There is so much that you can do and achieve through podcasting, and all it takes is the initiative to start.

TASK

Write down a maximum of three clear objectives or goals you want to achieve through podcasting. It helps to note down numbers or deadlines you've set for yourself.

Here are some examples:

Hit a 50% increase in sales for your business.

Reach 500-1000 subscribers to your blog.

Help dog owners understand and train rescue dogs.

Publish 100 interviews of experts in your field or industry.

Finished? Great! Let's take a look at what you need to start a podcast.

SECTION 2: THE PODCASTER'S STARTER TOOLKIT

There are several things you will need to start a podcast that will effectively meet and achieve your three goals. It helps to have all of these in place before you even begin recording your first episode.

1. A memorable podcast title.

Choose a podcast title that people can easily remember and associate with your name or brand. You can use your blog or brand's name as the title for simplicity, or use a catchy phrase that gives your audience an immediate idea of what your podcast is about.

Tip: You can use a select number of keywords you want your podcast to potentially rank for on iTunes for your title. It should sound and feel natural, so make sure you don't stuff your title with keywords!

2. An eye-popping podcast cover art.

The first thing your viewers are going to see is your podcast cover art, so you want it to be eye-catching and on-point with your brand. It should also be available in several dimensions, 1400 x 1400 pixels being the standard size for submission to iTunes.

Tip: We recommend investing in a professional who can create a podcast image that sticks and lasts throughout the life span of your podcast.

3. A great podcasting voice.

Will you be hosting your podcast or have someone in your team do so for you? Whichever you decide, it's important to have a clear and attractive voice to lead your podcast. This is what will hook your listeners in from beginning to end.

Tip: Speak slowly and consistently to avoid rambling and stuttering. This keeps your listeners focused and less likely to get distracted.

4. A good quality mic.

A good microphone positioned properly can make a bedroom recording sound like a studio production. There are several affordable options in the market, including the Samson Meteor ($49.99), CAD U37 ($47), and the Samson Go Mic ($32).

Tip: Position your mic 4-7 inches away from your mouth and avoid touching or holding the mic while you're speaking to prevent unnecessary noise while recording.

5. Audio recording apps and tools

You'll need audio recording apps and tools to capture, save, and edit your audio recordings. You want each episode to consistently sound clean and professional. You can use the free Audacity (Windows/Mac) or GarageBand (Mac) for recording and editing. For recording Skype calls, Ecamm Call Recorder (Mac) and Pamela (Windows) are great apps to use.

Tip: If you find post-production a technical challenge, consider hiring a professional editor to handle the work for you. The last thing you want is a badly edited audio file annoying the heck out of your listeners.

6. A website to host your podcast.

Send your listeners to your podcast's official website where they can learn more about your podcast. If you don't have an existing website, iRadeo has the tools you need to create one for you without any technical know-how on your part.

7. A reliable media hosting service.

One of the biggest mistakes amateur podcasters make is hosting their audio files on the same server as their website. Upload and host your files with a reliable media hosting service like iRadeo to ensure that your audio streams flawlessly regardless of your audience growth.

Once you've got all of the equipment, software, and voice personality in place, it's time to put it all together.

SECTION 3: SET UP YOUR PODCAST WITH IRADEO

You're ready to launch your podcast and get it in front of your target audience. Great!

Hosting your podcast with a reliable host like iRadeo gives you the convenience you need to focus on what you do best: podcasting. Here are the benefits you'll get when you host vs. setting everything up yourself:

Bandwidth - you'll want your podcast to stream consistently regardless of how fast your audience grows. We offer podcasters the opportunity to host their podcasts without ever having to worry about bandwidth usage and caps.

RSS feed - podcasting directories require your podcast's RSS feed to stream, but the process of generating this feed can be tricky for most. We take care of setting your RSS feed up.

Feedback and analytics - smart podcasters pay attention to what their listeners like, dislike, and what they want to hear next. Feedback and analytics are great tools we provide to gather such valuable information.

Social sharing - we make it super easy to embed and share an episode on your website and to your social media channels.

Ready to start your very own podcast with us?

Simply sign up for an iRadeo account and choose the plan that best fits your podcasting needs. You'll then be able to enjoy dedicated hosting and bandwidth usage for your podcast, unlimited stations and audience capacity, listener feedback and analytics, and automated sharing to the major podcasting directories like Apple's iTunes.

To get you started, here's an actionable checklist to help you build a successful podcast launch.

ITEM #1: BUILD A WEBSITE THAT'S ON-POINT WITH YOUR PODCAST'S BRAND.

While iTunes may be the vehicle to deliver your episodes, your podcast's official website is where your audience can engage with you, learn more about the show, and get information about each episode.

Build a website that is easy to navigate, use, and is on-point with your podcast's brand and voice. You can find and select from plenty of themes for podcasts for your website.

ITEM #2: CREATE AN EYE-POPPING COVER ART.

While your podcast content is at the forefront of everything that you do, the first thing your audience is going to see is your podcast cover art.

The covert art will appear on all of your marketing materials, your website, your iTunes channel, and in each individual episode should your audience decide to download the files to their computer. It pays to get this right from the get-go. You can create one yourself or have a professional designer work on it.

ITEM #3: SET UP AN EMAIL LIST.

In this day and age, email is the most intimate form of online communication. What better way to let your audience members know about your podcast launch than updates straight to their inbox?

Set up an email list and an embeddable sign-up form as soon as you have your website up. This list will be your marketing channel throughout the lifespan of your podcast where you can connect, interact, and engage with your audience.

We suggest well-known services like Mailchimp, AWeber, Constant Contact, and InfusionSoft to handle and manage your email lists.

ITEM #4: RECORD THE FIRST 5-10 EPISODES OF YOUR PODCAST.

A big mistake new podcasters make is launching their podcasts with just the welcome episode up on their channel. Keep your audience engaged by launching with actual content the moment they subscribe to your podcast.

We recommend recording and releasing the first 5-10 episodes on Launch Day so your listeners will fully engage with your show. This also gives you ample time to gather feedback and work on your next 5-10 episodes.

ITEM #5: MAKE THEIR STAY WORTHWHILE.

The final step to a successful launch is all about creating that memorable experience.

Plan out a launch experience your audience will never forget by making their stay worthwhile.

You can use incentives (e.g. a free book or access to useful resources), social media contests, giveaways, and even guest appearances by well-known figures of your industry.

BONUS TIP: CREATE A CONTENT SERIES LEADING UP TO YOUR LAUNCH.

None of these things will matter if nobody knows about you and your podcast. There are several ways to bring in exposure, one of which is creating a content series leading up to your launch.