Last week I published the 20th episode of my podcast. It’s been a great adventure but it was certainly not a walk in the park. Today I want to share with you my journey from 0 to 20 episodes and what I have learned so far about creating and producing a podcast.
Start with the end in mind -Steven R. Covey
WHY I created a podcast
One of the first podcast I listen to was the TMBA podcast. They had mentioned a business idea in an episode and I immediately took action and created my first website.
I would listen to them while working on my laptop and I felt like they were my best friends and advisors even tho I had never talk to them.
That is why I started podcasting. I wanted to help and inspire others just like I was once inspired.
You also need to find your WHY. A reason to podcast that will help you to keep going when everything seems to go against you, because it will.
Find yourself a kick in the but
Starting a podcast was way out of my comfort zone. I also knew that, alone, I might give up and that I needed some kind of incentive to put myself against the wall, to burn my bridges.
So I invested my money and I hired a coach. This really helped me push aside the doubts I had. Surely I would launch after investing all that money.
Obviously, not everybody needs a coach but you’ll want to find yourself a kick in the butt.
You can join a facebook group or start a meetup group on podcasting in your area. Some members of your group might already went through it and they can help you. It’s a great place to get feedback.
You can also have an accountability partner that you meet once a week. I currently have an accountability partner and I’m always on the lookout for new mastermind group to join because they really work.
Just Get Started
Getting started in podcasting is really simple. You just need to contact your first guest and schedule your first interview. The rest is just procrastination.
When I first started, I would get bug down on the details. I would work on my blog, brainstorm new ideas or do everything other than booking guest and scheduling interview in my calendar.
Having an accountability partner is key here to keep you moving forward. Set weekly goal and do everything you can to achieve them.
How to find your own voice
I made a lot of mistakes when I started, like forgetting to push the record button or calling my guest by the wrong name. My biggest error by far was failing to go with my unique voice.
I’d compare my work to others. I’d tell myself: “If only I could be half as successful as them.” I thought they had it all figured it out.
Someone I interviewed once told me that I needed to find my own voice, that no one could ever beat me at being myself. This was the best advice I ever got.
The only person you should compare yourself with is you yesterday. Are you better than you were 2 weeks ago? a month ago? If yes, you’re on the right way!
How to book great guests
When I started I was worried about being able to get great guest on my show. I found a few ways that works really well to invite people even if you never met or talk to them.
Cold email as work suprisingly well for me. Sending a short message asking to have them on the show got me most of my guests. Sometimes you have to circle back a few times before getting a response.
I use a tool called trello to track who I contact. If they say: “maybe later” or they don’t answer at all, I put them in the “circle back later” category. Sometimes, you just gotta be persistent.
Asking on social media like twitter or messaging people I know on facebook as worked a few times as well. Another great way to get guest is to ask for referral at the end of the interview. They usually gladly refer someone.
Using those techniques I was able to get on the show Multi-millionaires like Erik Voorhees and Roger Ver or marketing maverick Chris Brogan and many more.
The interview process
Doing great interviews is something I’ll keep working on but there’s a few tips I picked up over the last few months.
I remind myself to always slow down my voice. I tend to speak really fast if I don’t pay attention. I try to smile even tho the ther person don’t see me(this one still gives me a hard time)
I always have a set of questions but I always try to ask follow-up question to dig deeper. Often times, the interesting answer is hidden just a little deeper.
How to Outsource the work
If you are tight on time, editing and producing your podcast might seems overwhelming. Outsourcing the work can really help you manage the work more easily.
There is many things you can outsource
- Find the email address of your future guest
- edit the podcast
- write the show notes
- Post on social media
- schedule interviews
There is specialize company that offer those service like PodParrot or you can hire for each task on upwork.
If you really want to start a podcast but don’t want to be bug down with the details, hiring freelancer to handle some of the work might be a wise idea.
Never stop growing
Podcasting involve some work but it is really a lot of fun. You get the opportunity to talk with very interesting people and you learn something new everyday.
P.S. I just created a webinar where I share how I created my podcast and you can ask me question live. If you want to create your first podcast make sure to signup. It’s going to be next week-end: https://www.alexfortin.com/podcastwebby
Which guest should I interview next?