The 5 Questions You Must Answer Before You Can Start A Podcast
There are a lot of people out there with podcasts in 2018. There are even more people who want to start a podcast, but haven’t gotten around to it yet. If you are one of the latter group, you should know that saying “I’m thinking about starting a podcast” to your friends and family will definitely invite some follow-up questions.
Before you go trying to start a podcast, you owe it to yourself to set aside some time to write down answers to these 5 questions. Most of them are pretty simple, but having a prepared answer to them will go a long way towards making you seem professional to friends, family, and even strangers who are curious about your project.
1) What is your podcast about?
This is usually the first question people ask when you tell them you want to start a podcast. It is a simple question, but answering well will make you seem like someone who has done all their homework, and knows what they are talking about.
So, what is your podcast about? Have a 2-3 sentence answer that you have memorized, and be ready for this question when you tell people you want to start a podcast. You could potentially earn or lose a lot of interested based on how you answer this simple question, so make sure you have a good answer before moving onto the next question.
You can also consider this as practice for your “elevator pitch” for when you are speaking to sponsors, guests, or other podcasters.
2) What is your podcast called?
This is another simple question, but it is just as important as the first. Why? Because good names matter! You owe it to yourself to pick a name that creatively fits into your podcast’s category. A good, funny name can get a lot of attention for your podcast, and if it can also make a great story to tell people, that’s even better.
I recommend that you take some serious time to decide on a name, and not skip this step just because you are in the planning period of starting a podcast. When people know the name of your podcast, they know what name to eventually start looking for when you actually start recording!
3) What made you want to start podcasting?
To anyone who is not aware: there is a secret message encoded in this question. When people ask you what made you decide to start a podcast, they are really asking if you’ve got something interesting to say. Most people are really asking “why should I care about your podcast? Do you have something interesting or unique to say, or do you just want people to listen to you”?
Maybe you’ve been to Cuba so many times that you could map out the entire island on a napkin. Maybe you’ve watched so many episodes of Star Trek that you can recite them in your sleep. Maybe there’s something unique and interesting about your job that no one around you realizes. Either way, no matter who you are, you have SOMETHING to share.
4) Do you have an ‘____’? (piece of audio or podcasting equipment)
Congratulations. If you’ve gotten this far, it means that whoever is talking to you is at least taking your plan to start a podcast seriously. The bad news is that now they are feeling threatened by you, most likely because you have awakened their own latent desire to start a podcast, or some other creative enterprise that they have been putting off.
You can answer honestly, for the most part; there’s no need to inflate the truth for strangers or family members that are feeling threatened. Be honest about what you’re doing, but don’t feign ignorance for the sake of a smooth conversation. You’re allowed to sound like you know what you’re doing!
5) Can I be a guest on your podcast?
Don’t be surprised by this question, because you might get it more often than you think. Whether or not the person asking you this question is trying to genuinely add value to your work or just ride your coattails is the subject of a different discussion, but the important thing is to have a response prepared. Whether you say yes or no, don’t beat around the bush because it makes you look indecisive. You don’t need to be rude, but you can straightforward if you need to.
And look at it this way: if this person sees the obvious value in your idea to start a podcast, it’s likely that other people will too!
Once you’re ready to hit that record button, start with TalkShoe!
Once you’ve passed the planning phase and are ready to finally start creating, why not make the most of the free features and benefits that TalkShoe has to offer? Record an episode today, and see what everyone’s talking about!
