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A Beginner’s Guide to
Podcasting
Tiffany Campbell, WBUR, @tiffanycampbell
Michael O’Connell, It’s All Journalism, @frolixmike
1:30pm - 2:30pm | #ona15pcast1

an introduction to
the tech ....
*A shopping list compiled by Michael can be found in our
resources handout.
@frolixmike / #ona15pcast1

5 easy steps to
launch!
The first barrier all new podcasters encounter is a technical one
— How do you get people to hear your podcast? That barrier is
actually very low. It takes five easy steps to launch a podcast.

step 1: record
To record your first podcast, you’ll need microphones,
headphones, a digital recorder or laptop with a recording
program to create an MP3 file.

step 2: edit
Once you’ve uploaded your MP3 recording, you’ll need to
open it in an editing program, such as Audacity, to edit the
interview and add music, an intro and an outro.

step 3: post
Upload your edited MP3 file website server. You can use a
hosting service such as Blubrry, PodBean, Libsyn or
SoundCloud. Send your RSS feed to iTunes.

step 4: promote
Once you’ve posted your podcast, share it out on social media.
Services like SoundCloud or Stitcher provide an embeddable
player you can put on your website.

step 5: repeat
A single piece of online audio does not make a podcast. You
need to post regularly to build your audience. This applies to
limited run podcasts as well.

posting a podcast is
easy, but ...

… creating content is
hard!
The things that have the greatest impact on creating a
successful podcast are not always the things you consider first:
Who is your audience? What is your theme? What do you want
to say? How much will the podcast cost in time and money?

so, you want to make
a great podcast …
@tiffanycampbell / #ona15pcast1

find your NICHE ...
“… podcasts I love the most use their host(s) as a tourguide to
a world or subculture, bringing me along and introducing me
to things or people I don't know.”
- Caitlin Thompson, Acast

“As a longtime radio producer, I have found podcasts to be
liberating … People aren't necessarily listening to your show
because they love your show, they're listening to your show
because it's on the radio, and that's what's on. With
podcasting, you know that whoever is listening is there
because they want to hear your show, and they're into what
you're doing. So I think it frees you from some concerns about
trying to appeal to everyone.”
-Lisa Tobin, Dear Sugar

find obsessions;
think about mood
“Podcasts seem to be uniquely suited to pair with mood and
situation - like workout music or party music - and for life
experiences that can be all -consuming, like parenting.”

success looks like ...
“Success is a show that grows virally. Most of the ways that
podcasts have found an audience is by using a huge platform
of a network or a radio station, and/or logrolling other shows.
The Ira Effect is real, but it's also an indication that shows will
continue to attract the same kind of audiences - in effect
cannibalizing current audiences or deepening listening.”

find your passionate
audience
“Dear Sugar Radio isn't going to be for everyone, it's asking
the listener to take on some pretty heavy emotional stuff. But
the people who do like it really like it … listening to a podcast
is an individual choice, the people who listen to us are people
who deeply appreciate the content.”
- Lisa Tobin, Dear Sugar

on (not) finding
audience
“It's a mistake to rely on your audience to find you … Thinking
of who your audience could be, or who they will be, should be
one of the first steps in creating any content … Will you be
part of a podcast collective? Will you use the social media that
that audience is using to drum up listeners?”
- Teresa Gorman, AIR

more audience, please
“Maybe just as important as the idea of a podcast is
defining who the target audience is for it. Who needs
this? Who wants it? Why will they listen? … And once
you've defined the audience, then you can go out and
find them. Literally - make a list of the people who
would want your podcast.”
- Eric Athas, NPR

long(er) shelf life, time
shifted consumption
“Many of the most successful podcasts have longer shelf lives
that can be discovered on a different timeline, like the best of
Netflix for audio. Think about topics that will retain relevance
over time or have an indefinite shelf life (fiction podcasts or
parenting like ‘The Longest Shortest Time’ or ‘Call Your
Girlfriend’) Newsy or time-sensitive topics have less time to
get discovered and be consumed later.”

consider your structure
“Podcasts generally break down into three buckets: the more
straightforward ‘host and interview’ structure (think, WTF with
Marc Maron); more narrative story (think, Serial); or more
conversational or humorous (think, Call your Girlfriend)”

don’t be afraid to do
a deep dive
“A popup podcast WBUR recently tried – ‘eavesdropping on a
conversation’ with two reporters each day during the Boston
Marathon bombing trial. No host, just reporters debriefing
like they might do in a bar after work.”

freedom from format
“… freedom from a radio clock (and traditional radio
advertisers/underwriters) means creators can play with
length/concept/topics in ways that we haven't even fully
explored. Song Exploder is a great example of a show that
wouldn't remotely function on radio - it's too short, there's
not enough host presence, the narrative is linear but not
produced, and yet - it's magical.”

why podcast?
“For an individual, especially if you're just starting out, a
podcast could be an excellent vehicle for training yourself,
getting your name out, and helping you land jobs. Could a
podcast be the new news clip for young journalists? Use it as a
proof of concept for your talent, your ideas, your initiative. “
-Teresa Gorman, AIR

important work
comes after audio
“From the editing and producing side … to the getting the
podcast posted and plugged on the relevant channels there is
a lot of post recording work I do on a podcast [versus] the live
show … more work before air with pre-interviews and pre-
records and the like.”
-Samuel Hansen, Podcast Producer
ACMEScience.com and RelPrime.com

podcasts are more
intimate than radio
“I usually imagine the radio listener [hearing through speakers] - in the
car, in their kitchen, wherever - whereas I imagine the podcast
listener hearing audio through earbuds on their phone. … I think about
this when I'm editing, because I think podcast-listening behavior can
lend itself to longer form, more conversational, slightly more
meandering types of content. Someone chatting away in your ear.”
- Lisa Tobin, Dear Sugar

so you’ve uploaded
your podcast ...
Now the work begins.

ONA15: A Beginner's Guide to Podcasting

distribution
Soundcloud; newsletters; iTunes; social media; websites. Do not
underestimate the importance of a clean, clear, webpage with
information of what your podcast is about so people can FIND
it. Bonus points for visuals. Examples: Serial, Call Your Girlfriend

takeaway: audio is already hard
to find, don’t make it any harder

promotion
Just like building any audience online: Social media; Stitcher,
iTunes; newsletters; podcast networks; promotion within
other podcasts; related content; other platforms like
YouTube; partnerships; post show notes; transcripts; blog;
headlines; publish regularly/often; r/podcasts on Reddit;
submit to a podcast directory

and more promotion
Two important things to learn from Serial: power of web
pages; power of spinoffs
http://serialpodcast.org/
http://undisclosed-podcast.com/

analytics
Can be complicated: subscribers vs. downloads; track your
RSS feed, not third party metrics (e.g. iTunes); Podtrac or
Blubrry; LibSyn. True ‘listening’ metrics still elusive.

monetization
To start, focus on basics: create audience/traffic; mention
partner/product

… now that the
content is sorted ...

hardest thing about
podcasting?
“The hardest thing about any creative endeavor is being OK
with failing in public. You have to know to a certain extent
that things will not be quite as amazing at first as you want
them to be, but you still have to share it with people.”
- Robert Higgs, 10 Questions We Always Ask

be unique
“Don’t podcast to hear your own voice. … Make your show
unique, but have a purpose, and a clear picture of your
audience. Don’t hesitate to be creative and make your show a
personal expression of your message or talents.”
- Jennifer Crawford, The JellyVision Show

real conversations
“The most rewarding part for me is getting the privilege to
have a real conversation with people I respect and admire.
The byproduct of that is a super cool network of people that
had developed over time.
- Jennifer Crawford, The JellyVision Show

inspiration!
resources!
Find them here: http://bit.ly/1Jqrj9v
�ݺ�ߣs: http://bit.ly/1YBWVEv
Podcast: http://bit.ly/1ix4E5N
Find Tiffany: @tiffanycampbell
Find Michael: @frolixmike

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ONA15: A Beginner's Guide to Podcasting

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ONA15: A Beginner's Guide to Podcasting