5 Tips for Podcasting Success in 2025 | EP294

Unlock the secrets of launching a podcast that not only captivates but converts, as we explore the essential strategies you need for 2025. Ever wondered how a podcast can transform your business landscape beyond just being another promotional tool? Discover how to identify your target audience and deliver the value they crave while aligning your podcast with your business objectives. From serving as a top-of-funnel tool to being a resourceful hub for existing contacts, we guide you through the steps to ensure your podcast builds genuine connections and achieves tangible business goals.

In our quest for podcasting excellence, we dive into the benefits of choosing the right hosting platform, like Buzzsprout, and the art of batch recording. Hear firsthand how expectations can shift when you focus on the joy of content creation rather than immediate returns. Learn why audio quality is non-negotiable and how to master it from day one. From recording in quiet spaces to using soft furnishings strategically, we'll share tips that guarantee your listeners tune in and stay engaged.

Ready to make a big splash with your podcast launch? I'll walk you through a comprehensive launch strategy that includes planning your first 12 episodes for consistency and impact. Uncover the power of pre-launch promotions, crafting an enticing trailer, and leveraging social media to create buzz. With insights on having multiple episodes ready on launch day and collaborating with guests, you'll set the stage for success. 

Headline Sponsor Jenni Donato  Altitude 

Speaker Announcement Nicola Tonsager

Jules White Podcast SEO

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Chapters

• 0:00 Starting a Podcast - Top 5 Tips
• 12:55 Podcast Hosting, Batching, Audio Quality
• 17:24 Improving Audio Quality in Podcasting
• 20:58 Podcast Launch Strategy Essentials

Transcript

Donna Eade: 0:50

You're listening to the Mindset in Action podcast, the place to be to grow and streamline your business. I'm your host, donna Eade. Let's jump into the show. You just need one person to listen. Get your message and pass it on to someone else, and you've doubled your audience. Robert Gerrish, welcome back to the podcast.

Donna Eade: 1:17

Everybody, I am so glad to have you here this morning for this episode, or this afternoon or this evening, depending on when you are listening. I am really excited to bring you this podcast today, where we're going to be talking about the five top tips for starting a podcast in 2025. So, before I jump into all of that goodness, I want to remind you that my live event to celebrate the fifth birthday of this podcast is happening on the 3rd of April. We're going to get together in person in my home county of Northamptonshire and we are going to have some live podcasting sessions that are going to help you grow and streamline your business. I have got a fantastic cohort of speakers coming to speak to you, and I have two very special cat sessions coming as well. We are going to have birthday cake, there are going to be goodie bags for you to take away, and it is going to be very, very exciting. So, first off, I want to announce the first headline sponsor of the event, and it is going to be very, very exciting. So, first off, I want to announce the first headline sponsor of the event, and that is Jenny Donato. She is supporting us through the Altitude Coaching Program. There is so much goodness about it. I will leave a link in the description for you to go over and see what Jenny is up to, but she is our first headline sponsor. So thank you so much, jenny. And then our first speaker announcement I am having the wonderful Nicola Tonsaga coming to talk to us all about mindset. I will leave Nicola's links in the description as well. She is the author of the book Soul Confident and it's a fantastic book if you want to dive into all things soul. She is a very experienced lady in all things soul connection and she is an NLP practitioner. She combines these forces to create fantastic coaching for her clients and she is going to be sharing that all with us on the 3rd of April. So if you haven't yet, make sure you run to grab your early bird ticket from donnaeedcom forward slash birthday event donnaeedcom forward slash birthday event. Use the code early bird 50. And if they are still available, you will get your early bird ticket. They are limited and they do definitely end at the end of February, if there are any left, which I'm sure there won't be, because they are going really well. So make sure you head over to the website donateecom forward slash birthday event to grab your ticket for that event. I cannot wait to celebrate with you on the 3rd of April.

Donna Eade: 3:50

So this week we are talking about how to start your podcast in 2025. I'm going to give you five top tips for getting started. Now, obviously, this is something that I teach, so if you want anything in depth from me on this, then I am more than happy to help you with that. But the first thing that we are going to talk about is starting with a strategy, not just a microphone strategy, not just a microphone. So a lot of people get overwhelmed with the tech side of podcasting and they instantly start thinking what sort of microphone do I need? What recording equipment do I need? Do I need one of those slidey box things that I see on the radio shows? All of this starts going through your head before you even have a strategy about whether a podcast is actually going to work for your business and whether it's going to actually do what you want it to do. So let's start by keeping it simple. The first thing you need to do is get clear on the podcast purpose and the audience that you are aiming at. So ask yourself who am I speaking to? Who do I want to talk to through this podcast? Make sure you're writing this down, so it might be your ideal client avatar that you are aiming at, but it might well be a broader scope, and that is the beauty of a podcast. So I was really hoping that Jenny would be able to come to the event. Unfortunately, it's not. Unfortunately, it's her daughter's birthday, so she is going to be right where she should be, which is celebrating with her daughter on that day. But she uses her podcast slightly different to me. She uses hers as an add-on to people she already knows. So when she knows people and they say, oh, I really want to know about X, she can go oh, I've got a podcast episode on that, and that's how she uses her podcast, whereas mine is the top of funnel item that I use to draw people in. So if you're using it in the way that I do, you can use a broader audience for your podcast than your ideal client avatar, because we all know that when you aim at your ideal client avatar, you will attract people around that area as well, so somebody who might just have some slight differences. So your audience for your podcast can be a slightly broader audience than your ideal client avatar, but it is always good to have that one person in mind when you are speaking through your podcast, so that you are really reaching that ICA that you want to reach.

Donna Eade: 6:10

What transformation or value will your podcast provide? So that's your next question to answer what transformation or value will my podcast provide? Your podcast cannot just be a walking advert for your business and that is all it is, because once people hear that once, they're not going to be coming back again. So there has to be some sort of level of value and interest for your audience for them to come back and listen again and again. So there has to be some sort of level of value and interest for your audience for them to come back and listen again and again. So what is that that you want to provide through your podcast? So for my podcast it's called Mindset and Action. So it's dealing with your mindset and it's making you want to take action, and we are looking at growing and streamlining your business Now. Now, one of the ways to grow your business is through podcasting, which is what I teach, and that's the courses that I sell and the audits that I sell and all of that jazz. So that is where my business is, but I am also providing you other help in helping you to streamline your business processes and to get your mindset in a better place, and I bring in the expert guests for that. So what is the transformation or value that your podcast is going to provide to your audience? And then, thirdly, how does this podcast fit into your business and your personal brand? So what is it going to look like inside your business? Is this going to be a seasonal show? Where you are?

Donna Eade: 7:38

There are seasons within your business. So, for example, a wedding vendor, they have their high season through, sort of April to September, where weddings are their thing, so they might not want to be doing podcast episodes during that time because they're busy working. They might want to focus on it as a more autumn, winter, so doing maybe two seasons one in the autumn and one in the winter that they talk to potential brides that are getting engaged at that time. They might, however, decide to batch it and do one season over the autumn winter period, and then another season over the summer when they're actually doing weddings. But they batched it in the autumn and winter and they release it in the summer to catch any of those engagements that happen on holidays, to catch any of those brides that are now ready to start organizing because they were just enjoying their engagement over the winter period. So you can have a play and see how a podcast fits in with you.

Donna Eade: 8:37

Maybe your business isn't a seasonal business so it's not going to work for you like that, but you just want something going out on a weekly basis that is going to attract your ideal client, and actually you have the time for that. Maybe it's a seasonal show because you have busier periods where you know you're not going to be able to handle creating a podcast at the same time. So you're going to batch and release at different times. So there's lots of ways of doing it, but you've got to know how it's going to fit in with your business. So before we even think about what microphone we're going to be using, we want to make sure that we are fitting in our business. So a clear strategy is going to help you to consistently grow your podcast, because you're going to know what you're aiming for with it.

Donna Eade: 9:21

So tip number two let's keep it simple and avoid overcomplicating it, and that is something that I see people do all the time. So you don't need to have fancy gear, fancy studio set up. I have told you many times before. If you're a new listener, I will tell you again, but you guys know how I set up my podcast. I am literally sat in my office now with two giant pillows from the back of my sofa, one either side of my laptop, a blanket underneath my microphone and the microphone that I bought when I hit 50 downloads. That has been with me for the past four and a half almost five years. It is the same microphone. It works brilliantly. It was a great value. It's always linked in my show notes. So if you want to go and have a look at the kit that I have purchased over the years, it is all in my kit in the show notes. You can go to that and have a look.

Donna Eade: 10:15

So first of all, you want a microphone. Now I started with my Apple wired headphones. They have a microphone on them. That microphone was good enough to get me started. Now, I do have to say that, to try and get the best quality out of that microphone, I often was under a duvet when I was recording my podcast. Just me and my demand for the best quality I could possibly make out of what I had. But I did it on my headphones for the first 50 downloads at least. So you can start that simply, and I would say, until you, you know, there is definitely something to be said for having a microphone, and if you want one, then definitely go for Samsung Q2U, which is the one that I use, again linked in the show notes for you, because it is a great, reasonably priced microphone and it does the job perfectly.

Donna Eade: 11:08

However, if you are unsure about, so, whether you are going to continue with podcasting, if it is definitely going to be something that is going to integrate into your business and you want to edge your bets a little bit and you don't want to do a big outlay to start with, then use your headphones that have a microphone, that are wired. Something like that will do, and you can use that for your first few episodes to see how it goes, whether you want to do it or not, and as soon as you know that you're yes, you're in, you're committed you could upgrade. So I wanted to get 50 downloads before I upgraded. I knew from the start that podcasting was going to be my thing. Here I am, five years later, to prove my point. I love podcasting, so I knew that it was going to be worth getting the microphone for me, but I wanted to hit some sort of milestone before I treated myself to it. So that's up to you.

Donna Eade: 12:05

But that is what I would say with regard to microphones is start simple, you can always grow. You do not need to have hundreds and hundreds of pounds spent on a microphone Software. So what software are you going to use for your podcast? Now, I have said before, say it again I use Audacity to record my solo podcast and I use Audacity to edit all my podcast episodes. It's a free software. It is pretty simple to use. I have instructions in my program on how to use it, but you can go on YouTube and find YouTube videos on how to use Audacity. There's plenty out there Hosting platforms. So where are you going to put your podcast that is going to allow it to go out to all of the different podcast directories like Apple, spotify, good Pods, podchaser, etc.

Donna Eade: 12:55

I use Buzzsprout. It's always linked in the show notes as well. Buzzsprout give you a 90 day free trial, so you can literally try it for 12 weeks and that's a really good way of testing whether it's for you or not. Now I would say don't expect miracles after 90 days. It is definitely something where I looked at it as okay, how am I coping with the workload? How am I coping with the content? Am I enjoying it? That was my deciding factor on whether I started to pay for Buzzsprout. It wasn't. Am I getting a return on my investment? Because I think a podcast, especially if you use it in the way that I use it, it is that top of funnel filter to get clients in. So it is not going to be an immediate response and you may well get clients within the first 90 days, but it may take longer and it may take a little bit of finessing to make sure that you are understanding where your clients are coming from and that they originally came from your podcast. So that is something we'll talk about another day. But absolutely, your host is really important. I love Buzzsprout. I will sing their praises all day long. I think it's a great platform. They give you that 90 days free and if you use my link in the show notes, you will also get $20, I think off of your first month or two, which is a fantastic deal. So go and check those out and then batch recording. It helps to save time and reduce overwhelm.

Donna Eade: 14:29

Now, I am a big, big supporter of batching. You've heard it on this podcast a number of times if you've been a longtime listener. But I really like batching because it just takes the stress off. It really does, and if you're poorly for any reason or your kids are poorly or something unexpected comes up, you haven't got to panic about getting a podcast out because you've already done it. So I would really highly advocate batching. I think doing small batches really works. So I have done it where I have done 12 in a batch and I think that is sometimes a little bit too much, because I will batch six solo episodes and six guest episodes and then that's taking me a whole quarter of the year. So things can change quite quickly and sometimes that means that I haven't got the opportunity to talk to you about things that are more timely. So I think doing six episodes is a really good batch. So if you're going to have guests, batch three of your own, batch three guest episodes and get those scheduled and then that's done. You don't have to worry about it for a few weeks. And that just allows for those times where something comes up, gets in the way and might prevent you from doing what you need to do to get the podcast out. I would always say do your next batch at least two weeks before the current batch runs out, so that you've got that little bit of a leeway in case you're poorly, in case you lose your voice or something, that you've got a little bit of time before you desperately need to get another episode out. And that will help keep you consistent as well.

Donna Eade: 16:05

So, tip number three focus on audio quality from day one. Now, I am so fussy about my audio quality. It is really, really important, and you know there are some absolutely awful podcasts out there in terms of audio quality and you think, well, their quality isn't great. Why does mine need to be great? A lot of times, if these are successful podcasts, it's because that person already had an audience to begin with and their audience is putting up with the poor quality, because they probably don't realize how good the quality can be. So I would say that, if you know, if you are an Amy Porterfield you know not that her audio is bad because she's been doing it for a very long time but if you are of that kind of level and you're going to start a podcast, you could start with terrible audio and you would probably still have success, because people are already waiting to hear what you've got to say, whereas if you are somebody with a much smaller audience and we're talking a couple of thousand we're not in the tens of thousands or the hundreds of thousands then you are more likely to put listeners off if the audio quality isn't good, because you're going to be attracting new people who don't necessarily know who you are and are looking for something good to listen to.

Donna Eade: 17:24

Audio quality is really important because when people are listening to podcasts especially audio only podcasts, which is what I mean when I say a podcast they are only using their ears to listen. So if the quality isn't good, then they are going to be turned off because they've got nothing else to distract them from that sound. If they're watching a video, they're distracted by the movement, they're distracted by the colours. They're distracted by the background. It's going to allow the audio quality to not be as good and be okay to listen to, but if you are just listening, it is really imperative that the sound quality is as good as you can get it.

Donna Eade: 18:04

It does not have to be perfect. I don't think mine's perfect. I'm going to be looking at adjusting it over the next few weeks and seeing what I can do to improve my audio, but it is something that you need to focus on from day one. So make sure you are in a quiet space when you're recording and it can be difficult when you're at home because you aren't in control of when the council decide to do roadworks outside your house. Don't do it on bin day. The number of times I've left my podcast until bin day to do and then I'm like oh you know they're going to come slap bang in the middle of me doing my podcast and inevitably they do slap bang in the middle of me doing my podcast and inevitably they do.

Donna Eade: 18:46

Make sure that you bring in a lot of soft furnishings. Like I said, I've got my two giant pillows either side of me, a blanket underneath my microphone. To help improve the sound quality, you can use a pop filter. Now I don't tend to use it and I think I probably should, but I find that my pop filter really reduces the overall sound of my microphone too much for me to think that it's worth it. You let me know, because you're the guys listening to this. If you think my P's and B's sound too plosive on the microphone, then do let me know and I will look to reduce that with a pop filter.

Donna Eade: 19:23

And then make sure that you are speaking clearly and at a steady pace. Now I tend to talk quite quickly, but that is because I've got a lot to say and I don't want to keep you for too long. But it is really important that people can obviously understand what you're saying. I think we are in an era where people tend to listen to things on speed a little bit, so it tends to be OK if you talk fast, but you do need to be talking clearly so that people can hear the difference between your words and that they don't run into each other, and that just helps people to understand what it is that you're saying.

Donna Eade: 19:57

So tip number four is to plan your first 12 episodes before you launch. So this is something that I think is really important, especially if you are brand new to podcasting as a genre, and that is making sure that you've got some sort of strategy. So we talked about the strategy of why you're starting a podcast, but then you need to have a strategy that runs through your episodes. So what is the plan for these episodes? So, over the next 12 weeks, what have you got in your diary? What are you promoting? What is going on in your business? Where are you going? Who are you seeing? How can you relate your podcast to those things, to bring attention to the things you need to bring it to? So, for example, I opened up this podcast by reminding you about my event in April and telling you to go to donnaeedcom forward slash birthday event to grab your ticket. That is a timely thing. It's happening in April. I will be talking about that up until the point where tickets are sold out. So that is something that you can do.

Donna Eade: 20:58

So what are you launching in the next 12 weeks? What is coming up for you that you can talk about on your podcast? Make sure you're including those and you can then drip those in, relate them. So, of course, my podcast event is about podcasting. It's about growing and streamlining your business. So this episode that I'm doing is about how to start a podcast. So if you're interested in that, you'll see the relation to coming to the event in person. It's related.

Donna Eade: 21:26

So your first episode on your podcast should be your story. Who are you? What do you do? Why have you started a podcast? People want to know who the person behind the podcast is. The second podcast episode you could do would be something like maybe the common mistakes or myths about your niche area that you work in. Number three could be a how-to episode related to your expertise. I would also say you want to do a 30-second trailer for your podcast that just tells people when it's coming, and that is something you can put up three to four weeks before your podcast launches. This isn't really for advertising purposes. It is solely so that you can get yourself listed on Apple Podcasts. It is done manually by Apple and it can take up to two weeks. So if you can get a trailer up three weeks before you launch, then you should be on Apple podcast from day one when first episodes go up. I would also say to put at least two full episodes up on the day of release so that people can binge a little bit and really get into who you are, what it is that you do and know why they need to keep listening to your podcast. So plan your first 12 episodes out before you launch. And tip number five is to promote and grow before you launch. So a lot of people will say oh, you know, promote and grow from day one, make sure that you're talking about it, blah, blah, blah.

Donna Eade: 23:05

I want you talking about it before it's published, and quite a while before it's published as well. At least four weeks. I want you to be talking about it. I want you to be dripping it out. I want you to tell your email list that it's coming. I want you to tell your social media audience and get them to sign up to email notifications for it so they don't miss when you launch. That's a great way of getting people onto your email list. I want you to create clips from your podcast that you can start dripping out in those weeks before your podcast is launched. So really, you want to have your podcast ready to launch about four weeks before you actually launch it. So those are those first three to four episodes recorded and edited, ready to go. The trailer is up and published. You want to be talking about it. You want to start dripping it out.

Donna Eade: 24:06

Heart training series, which is my launch ready strategy. It is a really popular program that went down really, really well when I did it live. You can buy it right now on my website and it will walk you through exactly how to launch your podcast. Um, I think it's a really, really good way to do it. It has landed many of the podcasts that have used it in the top of the Apple charts in their specific genres in their first week of loading. So it could really help you just to give you that really big boost at the beginning. And what that can do is it really it starts your trajectory in a better place.

Donna Eade: 24:39

I've given this analogy before, but I think it's really good. It's that vision of somebody pushing a boulder up a hill. If they are starting at the bottom of the hill and trying to push a boulder up, by the time you get halfway up you're kind of knackered. You want to go back. You don't want to reach the top because it looks so far away and it's just a struggle. But if you were to start halfway up, then you would have enough energy to get to the top, and when you get to the top, it's just going to roll all the way down the other side. So that is what launching your podcast can do for you. If you launch it well, instead of starting at that bottom and starting from zero, you're starting from halfway up that mountain and you put all of that effort in. It's going to get you to the top of that mountain and make it much easier, and so your downloads will start from a better position and keep going up from there. So definitely a great way of doing it.

Donna Eade: 25:30

Make sure that if you have guests on your show, that they are promoting it. If you're having a guest episode come out in the first couple of weeks of your podcast, make sure that they're talking about the launch. Make sure that they're sharing the launch. Make sure that you're're leveraging SEO, and somebody you can talk to about podcast SEO is Jules White. She is a fantastic SEO specialist and she talks specifically about podcasting SEO as well because she has a podcast, so she knows all about that. Really great. I'll leave her link in the description as well for you. We did an episode which I will link for you, but it is really important to make sure that you have a good launch for your podcast, and that launch ready strategy, which I will leave in the show notes for you, is a great way to do that.

Donna Eade: 26:17

So then the final thing is to just go over those quickly again for you. So number one is start with the strategy, not just a microphone. Number two is keep it simple. Don't over complicate the tech. Number three prioritize good audio quality. It is so, so important. Number four plan your first 12 episodes. Number five promote and grow from before you launch. So if you are serious about launching your podcast in 2025, I have a fantastic opportunity coming up for you.

Donna Eade: 26:54

At the end of this month I am releasing my group program as a do-it-yourself option. So if you want to just get on with it yourself, you are quite good with tech, so I wouldn't say this is the option. If you are a technophobe or if you struggle with tech. It really does help to have that connection to me, to be able to message me, ask me questions and get help when you need it when it comes to the tech. But if you're quite tech savvy, if you're quite easy, you can record on zoom. You can get your way around the back end of your website to put things up and things like that. I think you would be okay with doing it by yourself. You can always buy a power hour if you need to talk about tech with me, but you can do it yourself then I am releasing the program as a do-it-yourself option towards the end of this month.

Donna Eade: 27:45

So if you are interested in doing that, you can go to donnaeedcom forward slash waitlist and get your name down to be one of the first people to find out about that program, the costs, how to get it, when it's going live, etc. And the great thing about it is the first 10 people who buy that program will get my launch ready system included for free, and that system is worth 870 pounds, I think. So it is a really great bargain to be had. So if you want to get on that waitlist donnaecom forward slash waitlist that can get you registered and I will let you know as soon as it is ready to purchase. So that is how you can do it. If you do need a little bit more help, then you can go over to my website and join the next group program that we do. You can go over to donateecom forward slash work dash with dash me, and those are hyphensens, not dashes hyphens, dashes, same thing. That one will get you to the work with me page and you can go find the start your podcast program there and you can sign up for the next group program. So that is it for me today.

Donna Eade: 29:00

I'm really excited about everything that's coming. I'm really excited to hear about you and your podcast and what you want to do. So if you want to come and talk to me, you can come over to my group on Facebook. It's Startup Podcast UK with Donna Eade. You can come over and talk to me in that group. Make sure you are registered for that event. I would love to see you. Make sure that you get your name on that waitlist if you're interested in you just need one person to listen, get your message and pass it on to someone else and you've doubled your audience. Robert Gerrish, do it yourself. Make sure you sign up for the next group program if you need a little bit more help. All of the links will be in the show notes. You can check out Jules and Jenny down there as well, and I will see you in the next one. Bye for now.