How to Find Time to Start a Podcast
By Kirsten Diprose, Founder of Rural Podcasting Co. (We have a Newsletter too… sign up here!)
How often have you heard: “this would make a great podcast," or “you should have your own podcast”? If people are saying that to you, it’s probably true. The biggest barrier people tell me they have though, is just not being able to find the time to make it happen. Yes, podcasting is a commitment, but once you get the momentum going, it’s much easier to continue.
So, I’ve compiled six of my best time-saving tips, to make podcasting as efficient as possible:
Batch Record
The key to managing your time effectively when starting a podcast is to batch record. Have a period of time where you focus on getting interviews recorded. Ideally, this should be BEFORE a series or season starts. Do lots of guest outreach in one go, even to your dream, ‘pie-in-the-sky’ guests, well in advance of episode release. Set aside time in your calendar for the recordings. For instance, for 6 weeks, you might dedicate Thursdays to recording interviews. This approach allows you to get a lot of content in the bank, ready to be released over time.
2. Scheduling and Forms
Use scheduling software such as Calendly. This allows guests to book directly into your calendar, and you can gather their photos and bios - without a series of back and forth emails. Programs like Acuity can help with sending docs and images in a questionnaire, or you can simply ask your guest for a link to a headshot. Jotform and Google Forms are also handy ways of getting pre-interview info. This reduces the administrative burden and allows you to focus on creating great content.
If implementing new software feels a bit overwhelming, just have some ready made emails for each stage of booking guests that you can simply copy and paste (but don’t forget to change the name!)
3. AI for Content (but be careful)
AI is your friend! It’s like an extra brain, to help get your creativity flowing. You can use it to help with content - AI language models can help you to brainstorm ideas, outline scripts, or even generate content for your podcast episodes. Tools like ChatGPT are useful for this. Canva is great for images, social media and converting one type of content into another. For instance, I made this post initially as a carousel for Instagram. The magic of AI helped turn it into a blog post, and I have filled out the content a bit more for this article. (Yes, hello, it’s Kirsten here - I am still a real person!)
And that would be my main warning about AI. Use AI to gather information and brainstorm. Yes, you can get it to write content for you. But generally, the writing is not that good and you need to fact check EVERYTHING. Your unique style is what has made your podcast popular in the first place and the same is true for your writing (including show notes, episode titles and social media). Don’t erase yourself in favour for the fast (but boring and sometimes untrustworthy), AI.
4. AI for Audio Editing and Transcription
The best part of AI, in my opinion, is in the editing software that can save you a lot of time. Software like Descript or Adobe Audition with AI features can assist in tasks such as noise reduction, audio enhancement, and even automatic transcription. I love software that has the automatic transcription which allows you to edit via the transcript, as well as via the audio wavelength. This means you can ‘see’ the easy edits, such as the chit chat at the start or the part where the dog was barking. It makes your first edit quick and easy.
5. Work in Seasons
Working in seasons is another excellent way to manage your time when starting a podcast. If you are worried about committing to a weekly or fortnightly podcast release for the rest of your life... just commit to a season. A season is usually 6 - 10 episodes. When you are ‘in season’ stick to your schedule religiously. However, the beauty of working in seasons is that you can choose when you want to bring your podcast back, to suit you. Plus making people miss you is not a bad thing! It builds anticipation for your next season.
6. Just Start!
The final, and perhaps most important hack, is to just start. Figure things out as you go... your 10th episode will be better than your 1st. But you’ll never get there if you don’t start. Don't let perfectionism hold you back. The most important thing is to get your voice out there and start engaging with your audience. You can refine and improve as you go.
And remember, when it comes to media and technology, the game is always changing. So the way you’re doing something now, will not necessarily be how you’re doing it in the future. So keep abreast of new technology to keep discovering even more efficient ways of getting your pod out there!
Like these tips? Join our Newsletter! It’s full of podcasting tips and great podcast recommendations. It’s short, sharp and comes out once a month.
If you’re interested in starting a podcast, then book a call! I’d love to hear all about your idea and how we can make it happen.