~ By Mark Antony Rossi

If the Digital Age had a Bible, one of its quotes would be “be fruitful and podcast.” Every time I turn around someone, I know is starting a podcast. Which is fine except I wish I would get a direct memo once in a while instead of learning through social media or the grapevine. It seems strange not to mention something so grand. Unless these folks actually think podcasting is an easy task that needs no introduction, information or appreciation. So, I going to outline a short crash list of podcasting tips folks need to know. Will any listen? We will know in a few months.

When I first started, I was told the average life of a podcast is eight episodes or about three months. People who haven’t done basic research fail most times. What appears easy isn’t always that easy. Your motivations need to be genuine and appealing. You need to stand out and not be another mouth blabbering what others already serve to an audience.

1. Create a unique show title and pod cover art. Apple/iTunes which can take up to two weeks to enroll you feeds into podcast directories around the world. They constitute nearly 75% of the podcast audience. If you want to start being noticed an original show title, show description and pod cover art is essential.
2. Submit to as many free podcast directories as possible. Not all connect to Apple so your inclusion is a manual choice to keep your show in the public eye as much as possible.
3. Ask friends and family to listen and share your podcast link to their social media sites and share to their friends and family. Sharing is succeeding in podcasting.
4. Create a blog or website to help attract more listeners. Short articles about the topics you cover usually search well on the internet and can increase your pod downloads.
5. While it is possible to be a writer and not have much of a personality, podcasting if a different animal and requires a personality. It’s not something you can learn from a book or listen to a show and mimic. Most fail in podcasting because frankly they are not passionate enough to keep an audience from wanting to leave.
6. Content is king. You need consistent material to keep a podcast on the air. I average 7 to 9 shows a month. In the beginning it might be necessary to physically outline what shows are going to discuss and go forward. Have a decent plan and carry it out.
7. Interviewing other interesting people is a great way to bring quality and attention to the show. Often their marketing of the show helps you grow your audience and many of those listeners decide to stay and listen to more of what you do. But the cardinal rule is: interviews are hard to schedule. Do not count your schedule around an interview. Always have enough content to cover weeks at a time when interviews are not available. The average interview scheduling gap is four weeks.
8. While podcast shows can be entertainment, ultimately, they are not fun. Podcasting is work. You as a Host is also the Booker of guest, the Marketer of the show and the Producer making sure it sounds good enough to broadcast. All needed roles. None actually fun.
9. Podcasting is rewarding. You meet interesting people. You get to press your work and publications while helping others do the same. You get to say things you might not normally express through other mediums like writing, song or theatre.
10. Building an audience takes time. Be daring and be different. If you want to be safe, go hang up with your boring neighbor and drink apple juice. But if you want to be original be yourself and let it loose.

http://arielchart.blogspot.com

https://strengthtobehuman.podbean.com