So you want to start a podcast but You’re not sure how to get started and Maybe you’re even worried about putting All this time and effort into developing A brand new podcast show that won’t end Up being successful well in this video I’m going to set you up for Success Because this is going to be the complete Podcasting for a beginner’s guide if You’re ready to start your podcast this Is going to be a really great way to Reach a new audience become a thought Leader and set yourself up for a Potential new stream of revenue for you Or your business so for all my motivated Business savvy people let’s just get Right into it [Music] Here’s the agenda for today first we’re Gonna go through the basics on how to Get set up I’m going to walk you through How to pick a podcast concept that will Attract listeners we’ll go through how To Brand your podcast like how to choose Your podcast name and write your Description we’ll talk about the kind of Content that you should be publishing And how to write your scripts and then I’ll introduce you to some really sick Budget-friendly gears that you can get Started recording right away I’m also Going to show you some really cool AI Powered recording and editing software That will make your workflow a lot
This Week's Podcasting Limited Time Deal
Learn the Correct Way To Launch a Podcast
This Week’s Podcasting Limited Time Deal
Learn the Correct Way To Launch a Podcast
Quicker and easier to manage after we’ve Covered over the basics on getting set Up next we’re going to dive into how you Can grow and scale your podcast so I’ll Show you how to get guest speakers on Your podcast to enhance your reputation I’ll teach you how to get sponsors for Your podcast so you could start making Money while you’re doing what you love And then we’re going to dive into Analytics and Reporting tools that will Support your podcast growth and finally We’re going to finish off today’s video By talking about how you can work Smarter not harder with the magic of Repurposing content alright so who’s Ready let’s get into it but guys before We do get into it I just want to Introduce myself my name is Michelle Bailey I’m a creative strategist and I Am your host for today’s video and if You’re just stumbling upon this YouTube Channel welcome this is learn with Shopify where we teach you how to grow An online business so if you’re an Entrepreneur make sure that you’re Hitting subscribe so that you’re not Missing out on any future videos okay I Am so excited to get into this video so No more rambling let’s just do it Thank you Your first step is choosing your content Concept choosing a concept or an Overarching topic for your show is
Really important this is because when Someone thinks of a specific topic you Want them to immediately think of you And turn on your podcast the alternative Is if one day you’re talking about tips On how to live a healthy lifestyle and The next day you’re talking about how to Solve math equations it’s unlikely that An audience is going to think to turn on Your podcast for either of those topics Because they’re not going to associate You with one particular concept so how Do you choose a concept for your podcast Well first you want to pick a topic and Pick one that you’re particularly Passionate about passion is so important Because it’s going to safeguard you from Burning out and not only that your Audience will definitely be able to feel From you your enthusiasm and whether you Are genuinely passionate and at this Stage you want to pick a broad topic so That could be anything from Finance to Beauty for this example let’s use rock Climbing because I’ve been really into It lately throughout this video I reckon Recommend that you do put your ideas Down on paper so if you want to follow Along with me download the podcast Launch strategy worksheet that I made For you guys it’s going to be in the Description box and by the end of this Video you’re going to have a Comprehensive plan to start your podcast
[Music] So the next step is going to be the most Crucial step in planning your podcast Because it acts as the foundation of Everything that you will do going Forward your next step is to write your Guiding statement to write your guiding Concept statement you must fill in the Blanks of this sentence my blank podcast Blank Blank by blank right over here I’ll Explain so the noun would be the Overarching category that your podcast Is about so in my case I would write Outdoor rock climbing the verb is the Format in which you’re delivering your Podcast you might be educating Entertaining or inspiring your audience In this case I would put inspires The next fill in the blank is Identifying your audience Persona you’re Going to commit to who you envision your Audience to be and who you’re going to Aim to appeal to you really do want to Put thought into this so ask yourself Who is going to directly benefit from my Podcast what kind of people relate to Who I am as a person and what do I have To offer so for me my Persona is going To be us-based female and male novices This is just a snapshot of your audience Persona you can go into so much more Detail like what they value what their Fears are what kind of Brands they shop
With but that would be a really long Sentence if we cram that on here so if You do want to know more about how to Determine your buyer Persona we actually Have an episode from our free Shopify Course called first date to first sale And to access this lesson you can find The sign up link in the description box Below the final blank that we have to Fill in is the mission statement this is Your value prop this is what you Promised to bring to the table with Every episode that you record so I want To inspire these rock climbers but what Am I inspiring them towards and how am I Going to do it so here I’m going to Write to grow as a rock climber by Documenting and narrating my own Journey As a rock climber all right so now let’s Put all of that together my outdoor Climbing podcast inspires us-based Female and males to grow as rock Climbers by documenting and narrating my Own experiences as a rock climber notice How clear the statement is if I had said Something like my podcast inspires and Educates rock climbers and boulders and Swimmers by conducting interviews and Doing how-to content like it would be it Would be really hard to get a clear Picture of exactly what I do and what Kind of strategies I would use going Forward So some other examples of clear
Statements could be my bedtime podcast Calms overthinkers all over the world by Narrating mundane and relaxing stories This is fun so let’s do another one my Cooking podcast Educates female food lovers over the age Of 50 who are living with arthritis by Sharing exciting accessible tools and Recipes You’ll know you have a good guiding Concept statement if it does all of These things so ask yourself Do I have a unique angle that hasn’t Been covered extensively before is my Value proposition clear enough that Listeners will know what they can expect To gain from listening to my show do I Deeply understand my target audience and Are they one that will be loyal over a Long period of time does this podcast Allow for me to create endless amounts Of content rather than running out of Topics after a few episodes and lastly Does my concept support good Storytelling that will bring content to Life making it more relatable and Compelling to listeners now that you’ve Established your guiding concept you’ll Be able to confidently choose your Podcast category choose your podcast Category wisely because this is how Spotify and apple will make your show More discoverable towards listeners that Will be most interested luckily you can
Choose the main topic and some Subcategories if your content can fall Into many buckets a good tip is to Choose specific subcategories that would Put you in a low competition Niche so That you have a better chance of being Discovered if you guys are finding this Video helpful so far make sure that You’re hitting the like button it is a Small thing that you can do to help me And this channel out and guys don’t Forget to subscribe to get more Knowledge just like this on how to grow A digital forward business Now it is time to get creative and Develop our podcast brand and we’re Going to start with a name choosing the Right name is really important because Listeners should be able to get what You’re about in under two seconds so Choosing a name that is catchy memorable And descriptive is definitely going to Be your best bet now if you are stuck And you can’t decide we have created a Free brand Essentials worksheet that is Part of our free online course called First Aid to first sale that I was Talking about so if you’re interested The link will be available in the Description box below Otherwise you can also check out a free Online tool called copy AI copy AI is an AI powered copywriter that generates High quality copy for your business and
For your marketing needs so I’m going to Hop in right now and show you guys how To work this if you haven’t already Create a free account and then you’ll Want to create a new project and right Away I’m going to type I’m starting a Podcast for novice rock climbers who Need inspiration to keep going what are Some fun clever show name ideas for this Podcast and guys your responses are only Going to be as good as your prompt so Make sure that you’re setting the stage Properly and just giving the bot as much Information as possible and as you can See it’s giving some pretty amazing and Pretty Woody responses here it says Climb on a podcast for novice rock Climbers rock on inspiration for novice Rock climbers Rock Solid a podcast for Novice climbers looking to build Confidence make sure to include keywords That potential listeners would be typing Into the search bar so that you can Easily get discovered Hey Next craft your podcast description this Is not just an arbitrary paragraph that No one will read in fact this is Actually going to show up on your Podcast directories like uh podcast Player apps like Spotify and apple and Search results as well so you definitely Want to make sure that you’re being Strategic with this get straight to the
Point with what your podcast offers in Terms of value and also include those Keywords like we mentioned also don’t Forget to inject your personality into This piece of copy and guys given the Visibility of the podcast description And the fact that it could be the Difference between why a listener Chooses to hit play or not you want to Put Research into what your competition Is doing and put some real thought into This and don’t forget you can always Rely on your copywriting assistant copy AI if you do ever get stuck [Music] Now it is time to create your cover art So guys this could be the deciding Factor as to whether someone decides to Listen to you or not so you want to make Sure that the artwork appeals to your Target audience since I’m making a rock Climbing podcast I would create Something that probably feels sporty Adventurous maybe even technical Something like this here And on the flip side if I were to be Making a podcast that appeals to gen Z Females I may be something like a little Bit more bright and fun and Youthful Maybe something like this here The format guys is going to be square so For Apple podcasts the artwork must be a Minimum of 1400 by 1400 pixels all the Way up to 3 000 by 3000 pixels the
Minimum is going to be the same for Google and Spotify podcasts as well so Hopping back into our checklist and some Design tips when creating your cover art First keep it simple and make sure that You’re keeping it large don’t forget That listeners will be on their tiny Devices so if you have a really crowded And intricate design it’s gonna get lost At a small scale your text and images Should be readable and recognizable on Small devices and you should only Include five words or less communicate The value with your cupboard so if the Point of your podcast is to get people To fall asleep faster with your bedtime Stories then maybe including a drawing Of someone sleeping in bed underneath a Moon would be cool I don’t know but in My case I’m going to have a plain Background with my title in big bold Letters saying rock on and I’m also Going to include a graphic of a Rockheimer now obviously not everyone Who wants to start a podcast is going to Have graphic design skills so no worries There are AI tools that can help you With this so check out Dolly so dolly is Incredible because you can type been What kind of artwork you’re looking for And it will make a brand new design for You for commercial use Just like this here also check out canva This is a free online graphic design
Tool for anyone that has a bit of Graphic design skills and wants to you Know take some control over the exact Look and feel of their cover art so this Is also an amazing tool [Music] Studio this is a little behind the Scenes of where we film our content and We’re just going to hop right into the Equipment that you’re going to need so Choosing the right mic choosing the Right mic for your podcast will be a Determining Factor as to how good your Sound quality is because guys 73 of People who listen to podcasts are using Their smartphones and a big chunk of Those people are tuning in with their Earbuds so if you have a mic that’s Scratchy and noisy or even like a little Echoey it’s going to make it really hard To hear and this is going to make people Drop off and affect your retention rate Also poor sound quality can be hard on The ears so there are definitely Different types of mics that you should Be looking into and their pros and cons So here’s the list All right USB microphones so the pros Here are that USB microphones are Convenient and they’re easy to set up Since they connect directly to your Computer they often come with a built-in Headphone jack for monitoring and they Are generally affordable and beginner
Friendly the cons are that they may not Offer the same level of audio quality And versatility as an XLR mic which we Will talk about in a sec but as well They can also be limiting in terms of Adjustability and they may not be Suitable for more advanced recording Setups if you are set on getting a USB Mic I have done a little bit of reading And found that the Blue Snowball ice mic Is a simple cost effective option but do Keep in mind that it may not offer the Same audio quality as some of the more High-end options Foreign mic that we have is the dynamic Mic so here are the pros of a dynamic Mic first of all they’re going to be Super durable and they’re also going to Be less sensitive to background noise so If you’re recording from your house and You don’t have access to a completely Quiet space this could be a really good Option for you now the cons guys they May not capture as much detail so that Means that you may have to toy around With the gain or the amplification which Can introduce some of that noise so in Terms of options Shure sm58 is a popular Choice amongst podcasters as well as Musicians and broadcasters because it Has really great performance and Reliability and depending on how much You’re willing to spend this is you know A little bit on the higher end of those
Entry-level microphones but not totally Unaffordable when it comes to comparing Them to Studio grade mics And we have condenser mic Okay that’s this one here in the back so The pros of condenser mics is that they Offer a greater sensitivity capturing More detail and recordings they’re often Used in studio environments and they Definitely deliver a high quality audio And now the cons guys so condenser mics Are definitely more sensitive to sound And so they can pick up some background Noise and also they usually require Phantom power okay so phantom power Would be via an audio interface or a Mixer so that’s a totally separate piece Of equipment that you would need to Purchase as well as a cloud lifter this Mic will not work without both of those Things you would need that or batteries To operate it which of course guys will Add to the cost of the setup and the Complexity if you’re looking for a Condenser mic the Audio Technica At2020 is also a best-selling very Popular mic for its audio quality and Versatility plus the price is relatively Affordable as far as these mics go but Like I did say the mic does require some Phantom power and a cloud lifter so that Is you know an extra piece that you Would have to get if you are looking for A condenser mic
And the last option is our lavalier or Clip-on mic so the pros here is that Lavalier mics are going to be small They’re going to be clip-on mics that Are suitable for recording interviews on The go now the cons are that lavalier Mics may not provide the same level of Audio quality like these larger mics That we have been talking about and they Are typically omnidirectional which Means that they may capture a lot of That ambient noise around you so that’s Definitely a con there but if you are on The go and you’re looking for a lavalier Mic then definitely check out the rode Smart lav plus it’s going to offer very Clear and crisp audio quality and it’s Made by a reputable brand which is Always nice this guy’s gonna plug into Your smartphone and tablet so that’s Awesome but I just want to bring you to Your attention that it may not be Compatible with all recording devices so Just make sure that before you make that Purchase that you’re checking its Compatibility [Music] All right moving on to interfaces so an Interface is a piece of Hardware that Allows you to connect your computer to Your professional mics so if you’re Using a USB mic you actually are not Going to need this piece of equipment But if you do need it though I know it
Is one extra piece of Hardware that you Need to buy but the good news is is that It’s going to give you really good sound Quality so definitely make sure that You’re checking out the rode Caster line Of products they are best selling audio Interfaces they offer really nice sound Quality ease of use and they are a Popular choice amongst podcasters and Content creators because they’re really Reliable and they are coming in at an Affordable price point you’re also going To need a few other pieces So that you monitor your audio while You’re recording and editing they’re Going to help you catch any issues that You might have maybe with sound quality Or background noise or any other Technical problems so these are great And then you’re also going to want to Check out a pop filter you can get those Online pretty inexpensive anywhere from Like 10 bucks to 30 bucks and what they Do is they help soften any P’s and B Sounds so that it doesn’t sound like You’re spitting into the mic you’re also Going to need a boom arm or microphone Stand so this is Boom arm right here This is a microphone stand right here And that’s going to hold your mic in Place at the right height and the right Angle because guys if you’re already Investing in a good mic you’re just Going to want to make that tiny little
Extra investment with a good stand to Support that amazing mic that you’ve Just gotten Now that we have all the gear out of the Way you’re gonna need some software to Edit your podcast I myself have tried Audacity it is one of my favorites I Love it but I’ve also heard really good Things about Cakewalk if you have some Coin to spend then Adobe Audition is not A bad option as well as logic pro and Pro tools now if you’re looking for eye Tools to help you streamline your Processes I think your mind’s in the Right place so here are some popular AI Tools d-script offers automatic Transcription of your podcast recordings Allowing you to edit the audio by Editing the text it lets you cut out Sections and even remove filler words Like um or uh so these nuggets are made From chicken so these nuggets are made From chicken alphonic is an online audio Processing platform that utilizes AI Algorithms to automatically clean up and Enhance your podcast Audio Level Adjustments and even remove any of that Background noise if you’re doing remote Interviews where you may not have Control over your interviewee setup then Check out squadcast it is a remote Podcast recording platform that Integrates AI based audio post Processing so basically what it does is
It automatically enhances the audio Quality of each participant’s local Recording and that’s going to reduce Background noise as well as Echo one More thing that I will mention is that When it comes to to recording your Podcast the space that you choose is Going to have a significant impact on The audio quality so try to find an Environment that is as quiet as possible Of course you always want to get away From the sounds of like pets and people And slamming doors and ringing phones Right but there’s also going to be some More of those subtle noises that you may Not even think of and those are going to Make their way into your audio recording So maybe you want to be cognizant of Footsteps or a fridge or the hum of your AC or even Street noise for example so Keep those in mind a great place to Record your podcast even though this is Going to sound like a little weird is Your closet I know I definitely can’t Fit in my closet so if that’s the case For you try using some blankets on the Inside of your walls just to drown out Some of that sound the more that you can Reduce Reflections the less echoey your Sound will be so for example an empty Room with hardwood floor is going to Have a lot more of that roomy sound Whereas a carpeted closet with a lot of Soft hanging clothes around you that’s
Probably going to give you the Acoustics That you’re looking for Okay great we’re making some really good Progress now that we have our setup down This is gonna be the basic foundation And what makes your podcast good but in Order to make your podcast great you Really want to think about how you are Going to scale it strategically so let’s Hop into some of these growth tactics Getting notable speakers on your podcast Is a great way to expand your audience And get people to take your podcast Seriously but how do you land Recognizable guests getting guests on a Podcast is pretty much like any Professional networking you want to Build strong relationships with people In your industry by attending events Engaging with them on social media and Building those genuine connections if You know someone that knows someone you Can also leverage existing contacts so You can ask friends colleagues Acquaintances if they can introduce you To potential guests and sometimes a Warming introduction really can make all The difference a great place to start is With local guests because it might be More challenging to land high profile Guests initially starting with local Experts and Industry professionals is Then going to be a great way to Establish a track record of quality
Interviews and start building Credibility this can help you increase Your chances of attracting bigger names Down the line and don’t forget that Building relationships and establishing Credibility does take some time so don’t Get discouraged if you do face some Initial rejections just stay persistent And continue to improve your podcast Quality and keep on reaching out to Potential guests your chance will only Increase as you continue to build your Presence so just keep at it Have you ever been listening to a Podcast and you hear this podcast is Sponsored by That is because you’re hearing a company That has just paid the podcast to Advertise their products or services on Their Channel getting your podcast Episode sponsored is a great way to Monetize your show and potentially Making podcasting a part-time or a Full-time career for you once you’re on A roll and you have a consistent Listener base you’re going to want to Consider these proactive ways to land Sponsor deals first research potential Sponsors identify companies or brands That align with your podcast theme and Target audience a great tip is to look For companies that have sponsored Similar podcasts next craft a Sponsorship proposal developing a
Sponsorship proposal that outlines the Benefits and value you can offer to Potential sponsors is going to be key Include informations about your podcast Target audience listener demographics Download statistics engagement metrics And any unique selling points highlight How sponsoring your podcast can help Achieve the sponsor’s marketing Objectives and then you’re going to want To send that proposal out so contact Potential sponsors via email social Media or their sponsorship contact Personalize your Outreach and explain Why you genuinely believe that their Brand is a good fit for your podcast Attach Your sponsorship proposal and Express your interests in exploring a Partnership as you gain sponsors make Sure that you’re consistently tracking And Reporting key metrics so that you Can demonstrate the value that you bring These metrics would be downloads Listener engagement and conversion rates This data allows you to negotiate better Terms with future sponsors and always Make sure you are building strong wrong Relationships with your sponsors by Delivering on your promises providing Excellent customer service and Delivering value Beyond advertising Spots long-term sponsor relationships Can lead to recurring deals and Referrals to other potential sponsors if
You’re doing Outreach and it’s slow to Start also consider partnering with Podcast advertising networks or agencies That connect podcasters with sponsors Examples include mid-roll advertise Casts or popcorn these platforms provide A streamlined process for finding Sponsors and handling advertising Campaigns podbean libson and blueberry Are podcast hosting platforms that Provide detailed analytics for your Podcast it offers insights into the Number of downloads geographic Distribution of listeners popular Episodes audience demographics and Listening platforms if growth is your Goal for your podcast then leveraging an Analytics tool is absolutely crucial This data is going to help you make Informed decisions about future episodes Topic and guest selections by analyzing Metrics you can identify patterns and Trends in listener behavior and Determine which types of episodes or Formats generate the most interest and Engagement analytics are going to be Crucial to Growing not to mention Analytics provide evidence of your Podcast’s value and reach this Information helps you justify Advertising rates negotiate deals and Track the success of monetization Strategies On the surface it sounds easy right
Record a few words make a few edits post But you’ll soon see that as your podcast Grows it will become increasingly more And more work to advertise and monetize Your content so repurposing your content Is a really smart way to save time and Make your hard work go miles further Than just one episode if you’re already Sitting down to record audio why not Just turn the camera on and record video As well Think about using chunks of your podcast To post on Tick Tock and YouTube shorts And you can even make your content Available on the YouTube podcast section And don’t forget to make sure that You’re posting your podcast to all major Platforms like Spotify Apple and Google This is a tip that is often overlooked But if you start to see your podcast Taking off you will maximize your hard Work and effort by taking a few extra Steps just to repurpose the beauty of This is you will get an increased Audience size more opportunities to Monetize and further establish yourself As a go-to destination in your niche did You guys know that here at Shopify we Also have a podcast and guys it is Called Shopify Masters each week our Host schwang and Benjamin sit down with Entrepreneurs and e-commerce experts as They share their experiences running Successful online stores so if you’re
Interested I will add the link to the Podcast here and in the description down Below but did you also know that you can Integrate your podcast to your own Shopify store it’s amazing you can turn Your active listeners into customers in Your eCommerce store if you have one you Can even send out private podcasts to Your existing customers after they’ve Made a purchase from you on your Shopify Store with this app called castos It’s Amazing but if you don’t have a Shopify Store yet then you can start one by Clicking the link up here or down in the Description box if you are interested in Getting started alright guys you made it This far congratulations on all the Learning that you’ve completed Throughout this video I know this video Was really long it was really long but You did it you guys are now ready to go Out there and create I hope you guys Have all the success and more Importantly I hope you guys have all the Fun creating your new podcast so drop me Down in the comment section below how Confident do you feel in launching your Podcast on a scale from one to ten after Watching this video I want to see Numbers in the comments section so make Sure that you’re doing that and yeah Guys thank you so much for watching my Name is Michelle Bailey I’m a creative Strategist I am also your host for
Today’s video and guys if you haven’t Already subscribed make sure that you do This channel that you’re watching right Now is called learn with Shopify okay Guys the best Channel and our goal is to Help give you the knowledge that you Need as an online and e-commerce Entrepreneur so if that’s you make sure That you’re hitting subscribe but yeah Guys thank you so much for watching and I cannot wait to see you guys next week Peace Thank you [Music]