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Everyone seems to have a podcast these days. Some people even have more than one podcast! But then there are others who have never listened to a podcast! However, these people are in the minority. According to Buzzsprout, 62% of the population over the age of 12 has listened to a podcast, and more than 1/3 of Americans listen to it regularly. That’s about 104 million people… is it no wonder that people consider podcasts to be a hugely effective marketing tool?
If you’ve thought about it, but you’re intimidated by how complicated it seems and how much it can cost you, this article is for you. I’ve wanted to start my own podcast for several years, but put it off because I assumed it would be too hard to do and cost way too much money. However, at the beginning of this year I took the plunge and decided to just go for it.
I started slow and didn’t commit too much, but I managed to get the show out there, gain over 40,000 listeners and make a name for herself. Next season I plan to upgrade things, but this article is all about how to start your podcast on a budget:
Related: Starting a Podcast With Almost No Money
Video podcast or just audio?
I know everyone is talking about the power of video and how you can use it to grow your social media, but if you intend to do it in the simplest way, ditch the idea of ​​using video now. It makes things so complicated.
Stick with an audio podcast in the beginning and you can still create videos for social media using the audio. By making podcast audiogramsyou can trick social media algorithms into thinking you are using video, and it will increase your reach.
Budget podcast equipment
You definitely need a good microphone, and there’s no getting around that. However, this microphone does not have to cost you the earth. Sure, you can get nice mics, but I personally use the Blue Yeti, like many other podcasters. The sound quality is fantastic, and it’s very affordable. The other accessories it offers are optional.
Then that’s it! You just need a quiet room to minimize all the background noise and then you hardly have to edit anything. The rest all depends on how you record the podcast, which we’ll discuss next.
Related: The 7 Step Process to Start Your Podcast for Free
How to record your podcast
This really depends on how you choose to structure your podcast. You will have to make some decisions about what is the best format for your podcast, and it will depend on your expertise and your niche. Are you going to record the podcast solo, or do you have guests?
Either way, there’s great podcast recording software out there, many of which are free! Not only this, they even include free audio editing software – meaning you can record and edit your podcast for free. You can’t get more budget friendly than that.
Some of these have built-in options so you can even record a conversation with your guest, but these often require a paid upgrade. You can also do this for free on Zoom, but the quality is not that good.
Here are some of the places where you can record your podcast for free: Riverside FM, Alitu, Audacity, Podbean, and the one I personally use, Anchor FM.
I recorded my podcasts via Zoom (even though I know it’s not very good quality!) and uploaded them to Anchor, without using their embedded platform, even though it’s super simple. However, I wanted to use video so this was a bit more complicated. You can also add songs from Spotify (they are the ones who own Anchor!), add transitions and free music to them.
Choose a niche
The easiest way to get noticed with a podcast is to super niche with it. My podcast is for entrepreneurs and celebrity entrepreneurs, which is definitely not niche enough! The more niche you go, the more likely you are to stand out. I know this might not be for everyone, but it sure is a way to make your marketing a lot easier.
Related: Learn How to Start and Market High-Quality Podcasts
Marketing your podcast on a budget
You’re not going to top all the podcast charts right away with no advertising spend behind you, but you can still make some noise and build a loyal following. Use your current network and ask them to tune in and leave a review for you. This will help your podcast reach more people if the podcast apps think the podcast is well received.
Repurpose your podcast content to get the most out of every episode. Create audiograms (we mentioned them earlier) and stick them to your social media channels, transcribe your podcast into a blog post (some platforms do this for you automatically!), send out a newsletter with the episodes in it, then collect themed clips from different episodes to create guides on specific topics.
So I just gave you a guide on how to make a successful podcast for just the price of a microphone. Everything else is free. What’s more, if you follow the advice in the last paragraph, you can create enough digital content to last a whole month! You now have no more excuses not to create your podcast!