Podcasting 101. Tips to get you started with your podcast in Uganda.

Starting your own podcast can be a great way to share your ideas, knowledge, and experiences with a wider audience. The beauty about podcasts is that one can passively consume useful information while on the go and with podcasting on the raise in Africa, it's such a ripe department to venture into.

However, starting a podcast can be overwhelming and nerve-racking. In my experience, it took me close to 4 months from the inception to actually publishing my very first episode. The good news is you do not have to wait that long too to start.

With these easy steps, you can get started with your podcast sooner than you thought.

1. Find your “why” first. At a time when there is an overwhelming bunch of content on the internet, find the reason why you want to start a podcast. Your ”why” will be the reason why people listen to you amongst other podcasters.

2. Choose a niche. This is a specialized segment of the market in particular for example food, sport, marriage, etc. This will make it easier to narrow down to a number of topics to discuss in that particular field without being all over the place.

3. Define your audience: Consider who your target audience will be and what kind of content they're looking for. What problems will you be solving for them with your content? and what solutions are you providing? What value are you bringing to the table of your audience?

4. Choose a name: This one is delicate, it has to represent what the podcast is all about and also speak for the brand. Choose a name that is catchy, memorable, and relevant to your podcast's topic.

5. Make research. Is what you're going to discuss over your podcast being done by someone else? Chances are yes there is, so how can you package a similar niche differently? Are you going to tell stories, educate or analyze?

6. Equipment: If you're starting out on a low budget as i did, use what you have to get started. A microphone is a must-have for quality sound, and your smartphone has one. Do not let your lack of equipment be the reason you don’t get started.

7. Plan your episodes ahead of time. Script your intro, body, and conclusion. You can do several voice trials while speaking into the microphone to get comfortable and manage your breath. Sitting posture is important so you can speak audibly into the microphone. Ensure that your background has no noise too.

8. Record and Edit your episode: The best way to avoid doing a lot of editing is to prepare enough so you don’t have a lot of breaks within the recordings. If you must edit or trim any unwanted parts, add intro/outro music, or enhance the sound quality; I suggest you use Anchor for editing since it's free and very user-friendly.

9. Publish your podcast: Anchor still offers free hosting and distribution, it will automatically do it once you follow the required procedures.

10. Share your podcast. Now that the hard part is behind you, go ahead and share your new podcast on social media to build an organic following with your audience. Don’t be afraid of asking your friends and family to listen and provide feedback.

In my experience, the most difficult step in starting my own podcast was taking the initial plunge. Once I’d gotten past that, the pressure did wear off eventually. My two cents are to be patient with yourself too and allow yourself to suck at it at first before you can gradually get better.

If you need hands-on help with launching your podcast, send me an email.