How to Start a Podcast: Getting the Basics Right

Discover your why for starting a podcast, identifying your motives and how they guide marketing, guest selection, sponsors, and sustaining you through challenges.

Identify your big motivating factor for starting a podcast through the peeling back the onion exercise, deepening self-awareness and clarifying why you want to share expertise or grow your brand.

Define your podcast's focus and set smart goals—specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely—to guide actions, track progress, and achieve targets like downloads, featured status, or monthly earnings.

Set measurable goals by defining quantifiable targets and deadlines, track progress with clear milestones, and convert ideas into action to boost motivation and achievement.

Set attainable podcasting goals by identifying stepping stones and adjusting targets to realistic levels. Use milestones like downloads, guest spots, and monetization to stay motivated and on track.

Identify and define a precise target audience to align your podcast topic, marketing, and monetization strategy, ensuring content stays in a specific niche and engaging listeners.

Set a tone that fits your topic, map listeners through related interests like road cycling, grand tours, cyclocross, and triathlons, and explore where they live and their challenges.

Wrap up clarifies your podcast target audience and ties it to your launch prep, guiding you back to the audience description and offering team support.

Plan timelines with smart goals to define your podcast launch and craft a launch strategy that builds buzz, attracts listeners, and sets your show on the right course.

Plan stage one pre-launch strategies by recording multiple high-quality episodes to make a strong first impression, help listeners get to know you, and set deadlines with your workbook.

Launch your podcast with a buzz by promoting ahead on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, and share the launch date via email newsletters; host a live virtual launch party.

Explore post-launch strategies to sustain momentum: maintain high-quality content, engage audiences on social media, build community through live events and newsletters, and test what works.

Identify your podcast niche by exploring your passions and curiosity. Brainstorm broadly, refine ideas through targeted questions, and carve out a unique show.

Identify your audience’s problems and craft your podcast as the solution, guiding your topic focus and delivering value through guidance, learning, or entertainment.

Identify your podcast niche and differentiate yourself by listing your unique selling points—your experience, studies, background, humor, and personality—so audiences choose your show.

Align your podcast format with your niche and topic, using feedback from close peers to refine your unique angle. Decide among scripted storytelling, unscripted commentary, solo, or interviews.

Define your podcast niche and write it in the center of your target; refine passes to the sweet spot where what you love, your unique viewpoint, and audience needs intersect.