In one year, between 2018 and 2019, the number of active podcasts rose from 550,000 to 850,000. The number of episodes also increased from approximately 18 million to 30 million. This number is envisaged to cross 54 million chapters in 2020. Such exponential growth will continue in a market segment that is projected to generate more than $1 billion in advertisements only by 2021. The good news is that the entry fee into this party is an ordinary podcasting iPhone.
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Popular Podcasting Ideas
A phone may make podcasting easier and affordable, but that is not everything about podcasts. They should be about sharing valuable information with your target audience. It is this audience that will generate the traffic and attention that will make your podcast popular.
Here are some of the podcasting ideas you should explore.
- Society and culture– the world is curious to know about people, groups, and communities across the globe. Information about society and culture is also useful for educational purposes.
- Business– money is in business, and everyone is looking for that money. If you can research extensively on businesses, you already have a considerable clientele waiting for this information.
- Comedy– laughter is said to be the best medicine, and it appears like everyone is looking for it. Furthermore, comedy remains one of the most popular podcasting ideas to explore.
- News and politics– since no one wants to be left behind, you can package news episodes into podcasts. The entire world will be camping at your channel.
- Health– a lot of focus has gone to health issues in the wake of increasing cases of lifestyle diseases. Governments want people to remain healthy while individuals also want to improve their quality of life. It explains why health ranks among the most popular podcasting topics.
It does not mean that you cannot pick any other idea. In fact, podcasting experts insist that the choice of a topic be guided by passion. The enthusiasm with which you hold an idea should be felt in every word of your podcast. Do not be restricted by the popularity of a topic when creating your podcast. Create interest around your favorite topic, and it will eventually be rewarding.
Why Create a Podcast
Before you even choose a topic, you could ask yourself, why should I create a podcast? It would be unfortunate to begin podcasting because other people are doing it. Even if you have thought about the idea, here are the reasons why you should start a podcast channel.
- To boost your brand- do you have a product or services you are offering to the market? Use podcasting to expand how you reach your target audience. The Millenials forms the largest consumers of podcasts. They are more interested in listening more than reading. A podcast is, therefore, one of the ways to create and boost brand awareness.
- Generate revenue- revenue from podcast advertising only is expected to hit $1 billion in 2021. Starting a podcast will give you a chance to get part of this revenue.
- Thought Leadership- marketing experts point out that it is not automatic that people will buy the moment they interact with your brand. However, they will remember a product when it is time to purchase. By sharing tips and ideas about a product or industry, you will be creating future customers for your products.
- Part of your marketing campaign- podcasts complement your marketing campaign by reaching an audience that would not have visited your website or seen your content on social media. It will expand the effectiveness of your marketing campaign online. The podcast acts as a repeat touch-point for your clients.
A podcast is a definite marketing game-changer. However, the cost and logistics of creating a podcast have discouraged a lot of businesses from starting their channels. Fortunately, an iPhone is all you will now need to start and run a vibrant podcasting channel.
How To Use A Podcasting iPhone To Create Podcasts
The iPhone is today a multipurpose tool for businesses. Apart from podcasting iPhone, it will help you to communicate, keep records, and market your business, among others. It can
Let us look at the iPhone as a podcasting marvel.
1. Capturing Audio
The iPhone can capture sound, edit the file, and upload it on any podcast carrying channel. However, the quality of your audio is one of the factors that determine the popularity of your podcast.
To boost the quality of your broadcast, invest in an external microphone. There are excellent iPhone mics that will help you to capture high-quality sound. The receivers are small in size and will easily fit into your pocket. Moreover, they are also easy to carry around if you are traveling.
The lavalier microphone offers another sound-capturing option for iPhones. Just clip the microphone on your shirt or top, and start recording from anywhere. It comes with a shorter recording distance that will reduce background noise.
Having looked at the podcast sound quality, it is time to create the actual podcast.
2. Creating An Account On iTunes
An Apple ID helps you to enjoy all the services they offer. If you are already using their services, it means you already have an Apple ID. What you need now is to activate your podcast account.
If you do not have an Apple ID, do not panic. You create an Apple ID when setting up your phone. Apple will ask for the following, among other personal details when registering.
- Name
- Birthday- you select from the prompts provided
- Email address
- Password
- Country
- Payment method
Read through the terms and conditions provided, and agree. At the end of the process, Apple will require you to confirm your phone number. A verification code or link may also be sent to your email. Once you make all confirmations, it is time to begin using the account.
3. Audio Editing Software
An audio file will require editing before turning it into a podcast. The editing phase allows you to remove blooper parts, cut the podcast to the required length, and add background sounds. Editing also allows you to include direct adverts and add segues to your podcast. It is one of the most critical phases of developing a podcast.
The market has provided excellent voice editing apps for iPhones. Choose an app whose features will enable you to achieve the desired editing quality. It must also allow you to upload desired additional sound files easily during editing.
Always choose an app that allows you to share the podcast on several platforms. While you might produce the audio on the iPhone, your listeners could be using other types of gadgets. You have to make your podcast available to all members of the public.
Types of Hosting Platforms Supporting your Podcast
There are several podcast hosting platforms where you will direct your audio files. Each platform comes with unique features that make it the preferred platform of choice, serving a particular market segment. Here are some of the platforms to consider.
i) iTunes (For Podcasting Iphone)
Apple is one of the most recognizable technology brands. Hosting your podcast on iTunes helps you to access one of the largest podcasting markets. The iTunes platform has streamed more than 750,000 shows. The platform has also witnessed more than 20 million episodes. The statistics provide confidence to podcasters who are looking forward to earning from podcasting.
Some of the features that make iTunes favorable for podcasting include
- Free subscription and availability of notification whenever a new podcast is uploaded
- Downloading the file to listen later
- Ability to listen to the podcast across different Apple devices
- Curated episodes that make categorization easier
- Featured podcasts chosen by editors based on popularity
Apple has also invested extensively in securing their iTunes platforms to eliminate the bugs that might bother gadget users. Reviews from iTunes users are signaling an excellent platform that is changing the podcasting landscape. There is 24/7 support from the Apple technical team to keep your channel running throughout.
ii) Podbean
The podcast hosting site offers dynamic hosting plans and unlimited bandwidth for your channel. The platform is beautifully designed to give the best customer experience. With customizable themes, you can create the type of podcast you think will serve your needs.
Podbean allows you to add the channel directly to your website. The popular podcasts will be featured on all top podcast directories for promotion purposes. It also comes with monetization options, allowing you to earn from the podcast. A plan with limited storage is free, but you can enlist for the $9 monthly subscription that comes with unlimited storage.
iii) BuzzSprout
Are you starting on your podcasting journey? BuzzSprout is the platform to host your podcast. For more than a decade the platform has been running, BuzzSprout has hosted some of the best podcasters on the internet. It helps you to create an appealing podcast once you upload the audio.
BuzzSprout allows you to link the podcast easily with your website. The platform also allows you to create a website to host your business. The podcast will be available to gadgets running on all operating systems. You’ll get a free 90 days upload after which you pay $12 per month to host your podcast.
iv) Sound Cloud
Sound Cloud provides three free podcasting hours, a perfect incentive for beginners testing the waters. It then allows you to upgrade to a paid plan from where you can expand your podcasting business. The paid plan comes with easier monetization, distribution, statistics, and more bandwidth. The paid plan is affordable and reasonably priced to support your podcasting business.
The choice of a podcasting platform is an essential factor in the growth of your channel. A podcaster should review the package by each host to see whether it aligns with your podcasting expectations.
Conclusions
Technology has made podcasting easier for seasoned as well as amateur podcasters. With a simple gadget as a podcasting iPhone, you can launch one of the most successful channels today.
Try your hand in podcasting using an iPhone and see the resulting transformation on your channel.
