096 - 5 Essentials I Wish I Knew When I Started My First Podcast In 2020

If you're a new or aspiring podcaster, this episode will give you a real-world look at what it’s like to build and grow a show. I share what I’ve learned the hard way after five years and two podcasts.

In this solo episode, I share the techniques I wish I knew when I started podcasting 5 years ago. From choosing a format to staying consistent, these lessons come from experience — not theory.

Some of the things I highlighted

🔹Start with a clear format and platform. Audio-only or video? Free or paid hosting? I recommend paid platforms like Buzzsprout for wider reach and support.

🔹Solo episodes position you as the expert. Interviews are great for shining the light on guests, but solo content builds trust with your audience.

🔹Use episode numbers. Makes it easier to reference past episodes on-air, in writing, or while guesting on other shows.

🔹Leverage transcripts and video clips. They boost discoverability, accessibility, and give you great promotional content in less time.

🔹Be consistent. Listeners build routines around your show — if you disappear for weeks, they may not come back.

🔷 Thank you for listening. If you found this episode relevant don't forget to hit that Follow Button to keep learning and growing with us.

*********************************************
⏬ If you're spending 2-hours to create a 2-minute video DOWNLOAD my FREE 5-Step Time Saving CHEATSHEET today!

Go to ContentMarketingSchool.org/5stepvideo

➡️ Need more? Check out the 300+ videos on my YouTube channel Click here for my YouTube channel

💙 Find me on Bluesky @annetterichmond.bsky.social

********************************************

For additional insights, follow Annette Richmond and Black Dog Marketing Strategies on social media.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annetterichmond/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/annetterichmond.bsky.social
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@blackdogmarketingstrategies
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@annetteadvises
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annetteadvises/
LinkedIn Company Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/black-dog-marketing-strategies/

Transcript

Annette Richmond (00:32.046)
Hi, I'm Annette Richmond. Thanks for joining me for this episode, which is going to be all about podcasting. The episode is actually based on some advice I shared at a recent networking event a couple of weeks ago. So I figured why not read here as well.

Annette Richmond (01:46.38)
Now, first you have to decide, are you going to have an audio only or a video podcast? My podcast is currently audio only. I've been with Buzzsprout since I first started doing my podcast back in 2020. I can't believe that this month it's five years. I started my first podcast in the spring of 2020, right after everything shut down due to the pandemic. Like many of my colleagues, I had no work.

So one of my colleagues was doing a podcast. So I asked her about it, how she was doing it. And I figured I would give it a try. And here I am five years later on my second podcast. Again, right now audio only for me because I still use Buzzsprout and I absolutely love the platform. They are super helpful whenever you need anything.

Now there are many free podcast hosting services out there. I've never used one, but from what I understand, your directory listings can be really severely limited. A friend of mine hosted hers on a free platform and it was only listed in three directories. My podcast, this is my second one, have always been on every major podcast platform, which makes it way easier for listeners to find you.

and for you to share it with others as well. You can just say, find it on your favorite podcast platform instead of listing two or three platforms where it's available, which is why I suggest going with a paid podcast host. Again, I love Buzzsprout, been with them for a long time, but there are other solid platforms available.

Annette Richmond (03:42.078)
Next, you want to think about what type of podcast you want to have. You could do solo episodes, you can do interviews, or like I do, a mix of both. Now, if you have a podcast or are interested in starting one, check out Podcasting Business School Podcast, which was recommended to me by my good friend, Brenda Miller. It's a great, great podcast. Actionable advice, no fluff, no BS.

The host Adam Schnabel, I'm sure I'm mispronouncing his name, is super generous with his knowledge. I learned so much from him. Things that helped me grow my current podcast significantly more than the first one. Just to give you a quick comparison, my old podcast, Smarter Career and Business Moves, which is still up and running, which I started in 2020 and updated through most of 2023,

has 12 or 13 followers right now. My current podcast, this one, is just over one year old. And even though I've only recently started trying to get followers, it's already got close to 150 followers. And much of that growth is thanks to what I learned from Adam on Podcasting Business School. One thing that he really emphasizes is solo episodes. And I get that now.

Interview episodes are great, especially if you're bringing on industry guests. And when you do interviews, as I have done for years, the focus should be on them, on your guests. You want to always shine your light on the guests.

Annette Richmond (05:27.822)
You always want to shine light on your guests. The same thing goes when you're a guest on someone else's show. The spotlight should be on you. Which is why solo episodes are so important. During solo episodes, you are the expert. That's how people connect with you and your voice. Although I would totally rule out interviews, particularly after something I learned at

in January, which I attended for the first time and it was amazing. And what I heard someone say is, people may come for the guest, but they stay for the host. And I totally agree with that. I have found new shows because I wanted to hear a particular guest, but if I didn't click with the host or the podcast is heavy on ads or, and light on content, well, I don't follow the show. Now doing a 50-50 mix of interviews with experts and solo episodes like this one where I share my own advice works for me.

Annette Richmond (08:25.24)
Here are a few things that I've learned that I wish I knew earlier. The first one is to number your podcast episodes. Luckily, I learned this when I had only published about 20 to 25 episodes of Content Marketing School. Numbering your episodes makes referencing them so much easier. If I'm talking about time savers and I mentioned content repurposing, I can easily say for a deeper dive, listen to podcast episode number 88.

It also makes it easy to share when you're guessing on another show, writing a post, speaking from the stage, or just referring to past episodes. Number two, choose a clear podcast name and expand it. My podcast title is obviously Content Marketing School, but I've added strategies for business growth, social media marketing, LinkedIn growth, live broadcasting, AI content creation,

and business tips for B2B professionals, consultants, and entrepreneurs. I know that's long, but it helps people find it when they're searching. Number three is adding transcripts. Adding a transcript helps to optimize discoverability and accessibility. Later, I'll talk about how I use my transcripts as part of my current workflow.

Annette Richmond (09:58.648)
Speaking of workflow, let me share what I do to create my podcast episodes. While all of my interviews were recorded on video, mainly because they were audio from live broadcast, I always had recorded my solo episodes audio only. But after attending PodFest, I made a change. Now I record my solo episodes on video too. Now I record my solo episodes on video too, and I use Riverside for that.

Here's what's great about it. I record in video, I get the audio for the podcast, I pull short video clips to promote the podcast on social, I get a full transcript, which I post with the episode, and I drop the transcript into ChatGPT to generate a short summary and takeaway for each episode. All of that usually takes me about 90 minutes or so. So in an hour and a half, I report the...

So in an hour and a half, I record the podcast, get several short clips, add my intro and outro and upload it to Buzzsprout. Basically, I'm done.

Annette Richmond (11:37.048)
You also want to think about music. Now, I do have music in the intro and outro of my podcast. If you're looking for music, make sure that you use royalty-free music that you have purchased. Two sites to check out are Epidemic Sound and Deposit Photos. Before choosing a hosting company, find out what features they offer. 

One of my favorite Buzzsprout features is called dynamic content, which includes pre-rolls, mid-rolls, and post-rolls. When you upload dynamic content, a pre-roll for example, it gets added to all of your episodes. And that makes promoting a download, a workshop, or whatever incredibly easy. I've used dynamic content on content marketing school to promote giveaways and also products.

And I also use dynamic content on my first podcast to promote my current podcast.

One thing it's important to remember is with any other content, consistency matters. Sharing your podcast, again, is like any other podcast. If you publish twice a week for a month and then disappear for two months, guess what happens? People may lose interest. One thing I've learned from many people, including me,

Annette Richmond (13:18.868)
Listening to podcasts goes with another activity. So if a new episode isn't there when someone is, say, walking their dog on Tuesday morning, they will likely look for something else to listen to.

Annette Richmond (13:35.81)
Now I try to post twice a week, interview episodes on Tuesdays and solo episodes on Thursdays. Of course, life happens and sometimes I miss one or the other, but I really try my best to publish at the minimum once a week to be consistent. Because here's the deal. Again, if your podcast isn't showing up regularly, listeners will go someplace else.

because there's no shortage of content out there and they may or may not come back.

Annette Richmond (14:11.475)
So just to recap what I've been talking about, these are a few things that have made a real difference in my second podcast, Clear Podcast Name. I'm a writer. I was a magazine writer by trade. So

Annette Richmond (14:29.806)
Ahem.

Annette Richmond (14:40.654)
podcast name. My current show is called Content Marketing School. Now I'm a writer by trade. I was a magazine writer in another life. So I love snappy creative titles, but for your podcast, that's not really what you want to have. You want to have a name like the one I'm using now that says what it is, who it's for, and what kind of value it offers.

But of course you can add a descriptive subtitle, the tagline that provides info on who it's for, in my case, B2B professionals, consultants, and entrepreneurs. And what listeners will get helps searchability and attracting your target audience. Again, a reminder, episode number, start numbering your episodes now. If you don't have many,

Go back if you can and number them. It makes it so easy to reference past episodes, especially when you're guesting on other shows, wanna refer to previous shows for people to take a deep dive, et cetera. Transcripts. Upload transcripts on your podcast. It helps with discoverability and accessibility.

Annette Richmond (16:02.798)
Ahem.

Annette Richmond (16:08.78)
And if you decide like I did that it's time for a shift to a different topic and a different show, make sure that you archive your older shows. Smarter Careers and Business Moves is still online, archived through Buzzsprout, and I pay a relatively small fee every month, but it's a great way to keep that content alive and available for people to use.

And I also, as I said, direct people to my current show. So that's it for today. That's my advice on podcasting, all the stuff that I've learned from experience, trial and error, and some great mentors along the way. So thanks again for joining me for this episode. And if you found it valuable, please share it with a friend. I bet they'll thank you.

Annette Richmond (17:02.485)
Mm.