Before You Start A Podcast Ask Yourself the Why, Who & What
Author: Ona Oghogho
There are several stories online about podcasting, from what you need to get started to what a successful podcast entails; but of course, the question will always be how do I know what to listen to? Well here’s another list to add in the ocean of podcast insights lol.
Before investing time and energy into anything you should ensure you understand the landscape of the field. I know it’s easy to get a mic and start recording; but what’s the point of that if no one is listening? Hence, in part 1 of this 5-part series of So You Want to Pod, we focus on questions to ask yourself before you start a podcast.
What’s your why?
What’s your reason for starting a podcast? Is it to market a business, to get your voice out there or to turn your platform into a lucrative career? Regardless of your reason, it should serve as your starting point for your podcast. The purpose develops your brand, shapes your content and engages your audience. So always make sure you fully understand your why and take time to check on what your doing and how it ties into it.
Who’s your audience?
This is a big one, unless your podcasting for the sole purpose of having an internet diary; you should know as much as possible about your audience well before you hit record. You have to know your audience like you know yourself because it allows you to truly engage them.
Some key things you want to know:
Demographics: Age, Race & Gender
Educational Level & Income
What they do in their free time?
What are their interest?
These few items help you understand who your speaking to and subsequently develops your show identify and how it engages with others. In this stage think of your podcast as a person trying to develop a trusting and loyal friendship with someone new.
What are your measurements of success?
This is one that I don’t feel is discussed too often within the podcasting world, and that’s the isolation that comes with podcasting. Many podcasters don’t have a team of people assisting them, sometimes its just you and your mic and you start asking yourself why did I decide to do this again? Hence its important that early on you put together mile markers for what success looks like for your platform. This helps on days where recording may feel more like a chore than something you enjoy.
Though this list could go on for days, these three foundational items are great starting points on your journey to podcasting.