Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
By Jared Correia, Red Cave Consulting
Podcasts have taken on an inordinate share of media consumption over the last decade or so. One of the reasons the public loves podcasts so much is because folks can multitask while listening. People listen to podcasts while they’re doing the dishes, folding laundry, mowing the lawn, driving around, etc. You can’t do those things as well (or do them at all, in some cases) and read an article online or watch a video. Audio can be omnipresent. So it’s not a surprise that business owners are launching business-themed podcasts as part of a content marketing plan, focused on drawing in new leads and referral sources. Maybe you’ve been thinking about launching your own podcast and wondering what the technical requirements might be. Well, look no further. We’ve got you covered.
First, you’re going to need some hardware so that you will sound good. (Please don’t just yell at your computer. You’re going to sound like you’re speaking from a large shipping container.) You’ve actually got to sound good on a podcast; there’s nothing worse than listening to a podcast with bad audio. They’re pretty easy to turn off. So, get a good microphone. Shure has tremendous mics, and you can look at the M58 as a reasonably-priced option. Blue also makes really great and affordable microphones, including the Yeti and the Snowball, which you can get for a good price on Amazon. You may also want a “wind shear,” which is basically a microphone cove, and which will improve your sound and keep you from spitting all over the microphone. You could also consider a sound mixer, like the Scarlet from FocusRite, which will allow you to have more control over your audio settings.
With respect to software, you’ll just need a tool through which you can record and save audio files. Zoom may do the trick, and with it, you can even record separate tracks for you and your guest(s). Riverside is a viable recording option, as well, which allows you to save audio and video files, as does Zoom. (You may also want to publish captioned videos with your podcast, as well.) A program like Audacity or OBS Studio are more audio-focused but are also solid recording models.
Now, you could theoretically edit and publish your own podcast. But there are also affordable options out there for contractors who can do that for you. A reasonable cost for editing and publishing could be around $200 per episode.
Once the show audio is finalized, you’ll then want to publish it to a podcast hosting platform like Libsyn (liberated syndication) from which you can publish episodes to the most popular services like Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, etc. Before you launch your first episode, create a short trailer (like a movie trailer) to give folks a quick idea of what you’ll be talking about. Then, begin to track your downloads and subscriptions as you produce regular episodes.
It’s just that easy (listening).•
The Indy Bar offers FREE law practice management consulting services through Red Cave Law Firm Consulting.
To request a consult, visit the IndyBar law practice management consulting landing page and start running your law firm like a business.
Jared D. Correia, esq., is the founder and CEO of Red Cave Law Firm Consulting. He is a regular presenter at local, regional and national events.
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.