Podcasts are the new black. Everybody with a voice and an opinion has one. We talk about choosing names, hosts and platforms. What works and will get you noticed.
Historically people listened to the radio. They huddled up next to their wireless radios to follow favourite talk shows, music presenters, and news.
Enter podcasts stage left.
What’s in a name?
“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” William Shakespeare knew a couple of truths. He realised that the substance of something is much more important than what it’s called. His insight still applies today. Well, most of it. Don’t sweat your podcast. Let’s first focus on the substance. We’ll get back to the name later.
First, let’s do a bit of reverse engineering. Why are you starting a podcast? Is it to generate leads for your business, build authority on a topic or earn a passive income? The answer will help you find the purpose of your podcast. Which will lead you to the topics you will cover in each podcast. If you can think of twenty topics, you’re on the right track. If you get bored after generating ten, your podcast is not sustainable. And if you get bored, listeners will as well.
Now close your eyes and imagine who will listen to your podcast. What will they gain from it, and why will they keep on listening? Think about their beliefs, activities, lifestyle and favourite things. Then cater for that.
Choose a name that will speak to these people, make them prick up their ears, and keep them listening. Names that are four words or less, are easy to pronounce and memorable. Do yourself a favour. Avoid words like “The” and “Podcast”. You can be more creative than that. Don’t stuff your name or description with keywords. People don’t talk like that. Machines do. The name you choose should speak to your target audience and make it easy for them to find. That’s it.
Single and multiple hosts
Think of a podcast as a conversation. It’s always more interesting listening to a couple of people talk than listening to just one. Well, unless it’s an extraordinary person. The same applies to podcasts. Multiple hosts can keep the conversation dynamic because people’s personalities and styles differ. They provide different angles on a subject, and they can build a rapport with the person you’re interviewing in different ways. Whether you choose single or multiple hosts, ensure that they can think on their feet, have a sense of humour and are good conversationalists. Being a good listener will also come in handy.
Choosing a platform
There are a couple of things you should keep in mind when you’re looking at different hosting platforms. They are crucial to your success. Be realistic about the size of your possible audience and choose a platform that suits your projections and your pocket. But don’t think too small either. Firstly you have to consider the platform’s storage and bandwidth limits. If you want to build a sustainable podcast that lasts for years, choose a platform that can accommodate this. You also want to get insight into your audience, how often they listen and other insightful facts. Check out which analytics the platform offers. Platforms like BuzzSprout, PodBean or Libsyn are great examples. Have a look at the Wix Blog for more options. Other important factors to keep in mind when you choose a platform is compatibility with devices and media players, how easy the platform is to use, and if they offer transcription services. If you want to monetise your podcast check out if the platform can process transactions. Finally, look at the price they charge and the packages they offer.
Here’s where Truevo is in the process of starting our own podcast. We’ve decided on the name #TruevoTalks. Yay! We broadcast from London every two weeks. Our host George Boot is a chatty Cathy, sharp, a quick thinker and swift on his feet. He’ll talk to various interesting guests about ecommerce trends, business news, digital marketing, entrepreneurship and growth hacks. In the coming weeks we’ll discuss various podcast ideas, podcast hosting, getting into podcast directories, Spotify, google and apple’s podcast platforms, generating podcast topics and ideas and much much more. Watch this space. All aboard!
If you want to Stay in touch to hear about our official Spotify Podcast launch soon please complete the form. In the meantime, you can listen to some of our #TruevoTalks prelaunch episodes on the links below
