Should I Start a Podcast?

Aug 31

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If you've been thinking of starting a podcast, be sure to listen to today's episode as podcast consultant Beth Gibbs and Katrina discuss what to know before you decide if podcasting is right for you.

Beth K. Gibbs is the founder of Lift Podcasting where she helps new and experienced podcasters launch and grow their podcasts through production support, consulting, and education.

Website // Instagram // Twitter // Create a Podcast Pilot Guide

The episode:

Katrina Widener: Hello everyone and welcome back to the Badass Business Squad podcast. I am here today with Beth Gibbs and we are gonna be talking about podcasting. And let me tell you guys, this podcasting experience has been a ride, and I am so glad that it is Beth on the other side of this, because we have been having so many issues! It's okay, we're still gonna bring you a great episode. But thank you so much for being here Beth, I really appreciate it.

Beth Gibbs: Yeah, thanks for having me!

Katrina Widener: So I am also really excited because we're gonna be talking about podcasting and specifically for anyone who's out there who has been thinking about whether or not podcasting is something they wanna get into, who have been kind of wondering if maybe that's the route for them, we're gonna talk a little bit about how to figure that out, first steps to take, and really some like implementable tips on what you can do to get started. So I'm really, really excited to bring that information for you guys today. I know when I first started my podcast, I was a little intimidated but it's gonna be great.

So before we dive in Beth, if you wouldn't mind just briefly introducing yourself and who you are in your business, so people can get an idea of what you do.

Beth Gibbs: Yeah. I'm Beth Gibbs and I am the founder of Lift Podcasting and I help podcasters get their shows off the ground and keep them there. So if they are a new podcaster, I help with the launch process and making sure that they know what equipment to buy, and there's a lot of things when you start podcasting that you need to figure out right off the top. I would say it's like the biggest hurdle of podcasting. And then the podcasters that have shows already, if they find that they are running out of time production wise, I do a lot of editing and production work to support them in their show creation. So that's what I do over at Lift.

Katrina Widener: I will also say anecdotally that in this mess of a podcasting experience, this whole comedy of errors, she has also already brought me some new tips and tricks that I didn't know about. So like, I can toot your horn a little extra too because hoo this has been a ride.

Beth Gibbs: You know, technology never works the way you want it to.

Katrina Widener: Right.

Beth Gibbs: So I've picked up a lot of skills along the way.

Katrina Widener: So, okay we're just gonna dive right in and really for anyone listening who is like, " This is perfect. I've been thinking about starting a podcast. I'm really curious if this is the right choice for me." What would you immediately say to them about really figuring out whether or not podcasting is the right fit for who they are, for who their audience is, for what their business or what their goals are, et cetera, et cetera?

Beth Gibbs: Yeah, I would say that podcasting is an interesting thing because a lot of people think, "Oh, I have to have a podcast because everybody else has a podcast." And the truth is podcasting is not for everyone. If you don't have the time to create one, or if you don't really like having conversations, you know if you're not a super talkative person, it might not be the right fit for you. It's just another way that you can kind of craft your message for your audience. And so podcasting could be possibly something that you are like, "You know what, that's not my thing." Or it could be the thing where you're like, "This is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love doing this." And so the thing that I always recommend that people do is try it out.

So make a pilot episode, see if it's the right fit for you and if you really like making it, then keep doing it. That's the thing that you should pursue. I always encourage people to do the thing that feels good for them, not the thing that they think they have to do.

Katrina Widener: Yeah I really appreciate that approach too, because I mean, that's my entire approach as a business coach, right? It's very much, you don't have to do all of the things. It's about finding the things that work for you and for how you operate and for your clients and actually convert. For some people maybe that is doing a podcast. For other people, maybe it's being an influencer. For other people maybe it is a blog format style. There are so many different ways to get content out there that I think shifting that idea from "I have to do all of them", to "I find out which one is super fun and is super natural for me," is really, really important.

And I love that you talked about that podcast pilot as a way to really get into that idea of "This is what it's gonna look like. This is how much time it's gonna take. This is what the journey's gonna be." Because I think that's gonna be so, so helpful for people.

Beth Gibbs: Yeah! The thing too with making a pilot, you are figuring out, "Is this something that I wanna invest in and take time to actually create?" And then if it is, then you have kind of a basis that you can get feedback from. So you can take that pilot and send it to friends and family and people you work with and say like, "Hey, is this valuable to you? Is this actually something that I should keep doing? And what parts of this are good? What parts of this did you not like so much?"

And then you can keep making different pilots until you're like, "This is exactly what I wanna make." And then you can go forward and make that. So making a pilot is like, it's a fun thing to do and also a really informative thing to do.

Katrina Widener: So for anyone who is like, "Okay, so you've convinced me, I've been thinking about this for a while now I'm gonna do my pilot episode." What recommendations would you give them for like getting started? Cuz I know for myself it was pretty intimidating to sit down and figure out what I'm actually doing. So where would you tell them to start?

Beth Gibbs: I would recommend listening to podcasts that are kind of in the same realm as your podcast and figuring out, you know, what you like about those shows, what you don't like. And kind of nailing down a tone of your show. "Do I want it to be super serious and straightforward? Do I want it to be long? Do I want it to be short? Conversational? Just me talking?" Kind of get the idea of how you want the show to sound and feel, and then I would think about value.

So the thing about podcasting is that it's free. You can download it anywhere. Anyone can just listen to it at any time, no cost. Except for the cost of their time. So when you're making a podcast, you really have to think about, "Is this providing value for my listener?" And if it's not then they're not gonna listen, cuz that was a waste of their time. So really think about, "What am I giving my listener when I'm creating this show?" And then when you have those two things, your tone and your value, you can start to form the structure of the show. You can create an outline of how you want it to sound, and once you have that, then you are ready to record your first kind of trial episode.

Katrina Widener: I really love that, cuz I think a lot of people when they think about getting started podcasting immediately jump to "What equipment do I need to purchase? What software should I be using? How do I logistically edit things?" But you're incredibly correct where it, it really is about just like. "What's the point?"

Beth Gibbs: Yeah.

Katrina Widener: Right? "What are the goals I'm trying to achieve with this podcast?" I know for me, it was very, very early on before I ever even touched any of the software, microphones, et cetera, et cetera. When I was like, "I know I want it to be one, short form. So I want it to be like 20 minute episodes. And number two, I knew that I wanted it to be very much like implementable advice." So we've all listened to the podcasts where you learn someone's entrepreneurial journey, or you get this like 45 minute to an hour long episode talking about something six ways till Sunday. And I was like, "I want it to be short. I want it to be straight to the point."

Beth Gibbs: Yeah.

Katrina Widener: And getting that clarity is a thing that actually got me to launch the podcast. It was something that had been floating around, and I had an idea that maybe it would be the right thing for me cuz I know that I am a natural speaker. I love to talk to people, I love to have these kind of interactions with people. But it wasn't until I figured out what was the point for me to have a podcast that I actually then got started figuring the rest out. So I really, really love that approach.

So for those people who are like, "All right great. Gonna go do that. Gonna go figure this out, but it still sounds really freaking Intimidating. How do I get the pilot figured out? How do I do all the software and microphones and all that kind of stuff?" What recommendations would you have for them?

Beth Gibbs: I would say when you're making your pilot, don't even worry about that stuff because the whole point is to give it a trial run for yourself.

Katrina Widener: Perfect.

Beth Gibbs: Here's what happens to a lot of people. A lot of people are like, "I need to make a podcast." And so they go out and they're like, "What microphone should I buy?" And they spend hundreds of dollars on a microphone and hundreds of dollars on recording equipment, and then they record two episodes and they stop because they don't like it.

They don't wanna do it. It was either too much work or it's just not the right fit. And so they just spent all this money and energy, you know, for something that they ended up not wanting to follow through on. So for the pilot episode, I would just record it on your computer or your phone. So like on iPhones, there's the voice memo app or... I can't remember the one that's on Android phones.

Katrina Widener: I have no idea.

Beth Gibbs: Essentially voice recorder or something like that. If you type it in Google, you'll find it. Or I'm sure if that's your phone, you probably have already gotten it. So yeah, you can just record your episode right on your phone and then there's kind of almost an iceberg part of podcasting. So people are like, "Yeah, you just sit down and record a conversation." There's so much more to that. There is so much like pre-production, you have to do research, and schedule your guests and figure out, you know, all that kind of stuff there. And then there's the post production part of actually editing it and distributing it. So those parts are kind of hidden to new podcasters.

Katrina Widener: Mm-hmm.

Beth Gibbs: And so in this process, what you're able to do is try out that stuff that's kind of hidden, and see if that's something that actually fits into your schedule and something that you like to do. Because if it's not something you like to do, then podcasting might not be the right fit. But if you really like that process, then you know, "Okay, now I can go out and spend couple hundred dollars on microphones because this is something I really wanna do, and continue making." So I would always recommend going the free route first, and then seeing if it's something you like before you decide to commit to the actual equipment buying and all of that. I will say, there is a program called Audacity that you can use for audio editing. It is free. You can get it on a Mac, PC, Chromebook, whatever you wanna use. And it's pretty simple. So if you are just looking to try it out I would recommend that as a free software option.

Katrina Widener: I actually used Audacity when I first got started just to be like, "How does this work? What do I have to do?" Now I have my podcast editor, so shout out to Carolyn. They're amazing, and I don't have to do that work. I will say for anyone who is just getting started, just to like piggyback off what you were saying too, don't gauge it too much on how long it takes you to edit the very first episode.

Beth Gibbs: Yes.

Katrina Widener: Or even like the very first couple episodes.

Beth Gibbs: That's a good pro tip.

Katrina Widener: Yes! There is a learning curve and for a 20 minute episode, what we're recording right now, it could take me hours to do the prep work. Gauging including all of the transcription work that I do, editing the transcription, creating the graphics, creating the blog posts. All of that kind of work ended up taking me probably three to four hours per 20 minute episode. So just also for people to kind of get a really clear and like transparent gauge of what this could look like for you.

But I will say for myself, I loved the podcast so much. Having the conversations and the value that it was providing, that I did it myself for a long time before I hired Carolyn. So it does get to be one of those things where I knew it was still worth it for me, even with the amount of work I was doing. And now I'm also to be honest, very grateful that if I needed to last minute go in and edit something, I can. I know how to do that. I'm very grateful I had that trial period, exactly what you're talking about, to figure it out, to see what it looks like. Because I figured it out, right? I was able to do it myself and now I know I have that skill if it's needed, and I'm also happy that Carolyn does it for me instead.

Beth Gibbs: Yeah! I mean, that might be something that you learn when you make your podcast is like, "I really did like this part of it. I liked the conversation part. I liked doing the research and figuring out who I wanted on the show. What questions I wanna ask them. But I hated editing!" You know, there might be something like that. And then you know, "Okay. So that means that I'm gonna invest in equipment and also an editor. Figure out, you know, data research. "Who can edit my podcast and help me do that kind of thing?" So it's so informative to just make this episode and try it out. You can really learn a lot.

Katrina Widener: I will also say for me, I love doing the guest episodes and I had a higher learning curve doing the solo episodes. And that was even something that I was able to find out at that very beginning when I was playing around with it, seeing how it looked. I needed way more of an outline. I needed way more of a very specific route to take in a solo episode than I do with a guest. And that was great clarity for me too, moving forward. So I absolutely love that this is the advice that you're giving everyone, cuz I can totally see and I'm like "This is so helpful!"

This is what makes it feel like something that you can actually own and understand. I talk a lot in my business about feeling like the CEO versus feeling like someone who's figuring it out. And to have done the figuring it out stage though is often how you feel like the CEO, and you step into that CEO mindset. So I really appreciate that we're not just like, "Go buy this equipment," but it is way more of like a, "Let's figure this out first. Let's get the foundation first." So thank you so much for that approach. Just tooting your horn again. So what pro tips would you give anyone who's thinking about getting started doing this?

Beth Gibbs: Yeah. One of the things that I hear a lot with new podcast is what I would call a weak intro to their show. So a lot of podcasters when they're starting out, it's kind of like they're almost testing the waters. If they're having a conversation with someone it's a lot of like, "Hey. How are you? I'm good. How are you? How was your weekend?" And I just want to remind everyone that if this is the first time that a listener is listening to your show, they're there for whatever the content is that you're providing, not necessarily to find out how your weekend was. So really think about your introduction as like an introduction not only to that episode, but you and your brand.

How do you want people to feel when they first come across you and they first hear your voice, they first hear what you have to say? Make sure that you are conveying right away, this is what this episode is gonna say to you and then say what you're gonna say. You aren't starting off with that, "Oh yeah. We're all just kind of showing up here for this episode." Like you are here to provide value. So really think about your introduction if that's something that you're gonna start off with. As far as like equipment goes free is a good way to start, but if it's something that you wanna invest in I would start out with lower to medium budget kind of equipment.

A lot of people are like, "Oh, I'm gonna buy this $400 microphone." It's not necessary, really. You can have a pretty high quality sounding podcast with maybe like a hundred dollar microphone. There's a USB microphone called a Samsung Q2U that I always recommend for people who are recording just online cuz it's a really easy microphone to use and it sounds really good. So you don't need to build a studio inside of your office in order to have a high quality sounding podcast. Unless you're like, "We're doing a podcast every single day. It's an hour long."

Katrina Widener: Yeah.

Beth Gibbs: You know, that kind of thing. If you really, really are going for it, that's when you really wanna spend that money. But you don't need to spend outlandish amounts of money to have a good sounding show. But I will also add that sound quality is an important thing to think about. There's actually been studies done and they've found that people trust people more when their audio quality is better. So in the study they had a physicist do a talk and one of the audio qualities was really poor, and then the other one was really good. And the people who listened to the high quality audio trusted that person more and they thought that they were smarter. So if you are considering making a podcast, make sure that you are thinking about your audio quality. You're using a microphone. Like I said In the pilot, you can record into your phone but I wouldn't do that if you're trying to build a podcast for your brand.

Katrina Widener: I really appreciate that. I would say for people too, as you record a podcast longer, as you get into this routine and this world, you also pick things up and learn things and can reuse things. So if anybody is like, "Oh my gosh, there's so many things to think about and I'm feeling overwhelmed," or whatever. It also is the same as anything else where the more you do it, the more natural it feels. So I have notes that get sent to guests before they come on as a reminder to wear headphones so there's no echoing, or whatever it might be. I have notes for myself for when I get started on recording. It also gets to be a living, breathing document so I can add to those. I can be like, "Oh, this happened in this episode. I'm going to make a note on it here. This happened in this episode, I'm gonna make a note on it there." So also just like allow yourself to grow as your podcast grows and don't feel like you need to know everything right off the bat.

Beth Gibbs: Right, yeah. Yeah. That's something that I tell people too, is that getting started moment of podcasting is definitely the hardest part. It does feel overwhelming, there's a lot of things to learn. But every episode you make, it gets easier and easier and you become more at ease behind the microphone.

Katrina Widener: Mm-hmm.

Beth Gibbs: You know what's happening, you don't feel stressed out. If there's a technical issue, you know how to deal with it because you've dealt with it before.

Katrina Widener: Mm-hmm.

Beth Gibbs: It's definitely a learning process. And at the same time you can also, you know, provide a lot of value, even if your podcast is not exactly how you want it. It can still be super valuable for listeners.

Katrina Widener: Awesome. Thank you so much for coming on here, I really appreciate it. My last question is just where can people find you after the episode if they want to work with you or learn more, et cetera.

Beth Gibbs: Yeah my website is Lift Podcasting, liftpodcasting.com. I have a podcast myself called the Podcast Guidebook. Each episode is about a different topic. I'm actually, I just hit the last episode of the season and it will be coming back November 2nd, and that season will be all about marketing your podcast. So if you have a podcast already and you wanna grow your audience, there'll be a lot of actionable tips on that episode. So that's the Podcast Guidebook, and that's anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Katrina Widener: Perfect. Well, thank you so much for coming on, I really appreciate it!

Beth Gibbs: Yeah. Thanks for having me, I had a lot of fun!