This is Bye, Social Media!, where you can learn everything you need to build a thriving solo-business independent from social media.

If you‘re new to the newsletter, you can sign up for it here.

Hiya,

have you ever thought about starting a podcast? Is there even a point now that the entire world seems to have one? Read on to find out!

In this edition:

• Should you start a podcast in 2024?

• How to use a podcast in your marketing?

• What equipment do you need-need?

Let’s get into it.

To Podcast Or Not to Podcast?

In my life as an entrepreneur, I’ve had three podcasts so far. One with interviews and two where I shared my thoughts in solo episodes - sometimes recorded outside in nature.

Even though none of these podcasts are live anymore, I thoroughly enjoyed creating them!

Podcasting is great fun and a wonderful way to connect with your audience and community on a deeper level. Think about it: You can get so much about a person through their voice and the cadence of their words.

If you’ve been toying with the idea of starting a podcast of your own, this edition of the newsletter will be very helpful for you.

Meet the Expert

Amelia Hruby, PhD is the founder of Softer Sounds, a feminist podcast studio for entrepreneurs and creatives. I appreciate Amelia’s work, because she is so intentional about building a business with ease and gentleness - and independent from social media.

You can connect with her on her site, and on her two podcasts, Off the Grid and The Softer Cast.

Amelia also offers a course on starting a podcast, Your Podcast is a Portal. It takes you through starting a podcast with video, audio & PDF lessons. When you use the code PORTAL10, you get 10% off.

So, Should You Start a Podcast in 2024?

1. It seems like everybody has a podcast now. Is 2024 still a good year to start a podcast?

Absolutely! I think we're past the stage of "early adopters" in podcasting, so you might have to do more work to share and promote your show than you would have in the past. But there's still so much opportunity to grow a new show with a loyal, engaged audience. 

When you're considering starting a podcast (no matter the year), I suggest asking yourself the following three questions:

1. Do I have a strong inner desire to start a podcast?

2. Do I have something unique and important to say that I'm not hearing anywhere else?

3. Do I have the time to spend producing my show or the money to hire support?

If you can answer yes to those three questions, then I think you should go for it!

🎙️🎙️🎙️

2. How can you know whether a podcast is a good choice for your marketing? 

I think your first step in knowing whether a podcast is right for your marketing is to answer my three questions above. If your answers are a resounding YES, then we can think more strategically about if a podcast is the right fit for your business phase and marketing ecosystem.

I think of marketing in three phases:

1. Growing your Audience/Community,

2. Nurturing Relationships &

3. Making the Sale/Conversion.

Podcasts can do all three of these things, but I find that they tend to shine in the second phase — Nurturing Relationships. 

If you have an existing audience that you want to turn into paying clients and loyal super-fans, then a podcast is a great way to do that. It helps people get to know you and feel really connected to what you're sharing. That, in turn, makes it way easier to get them to press 'purchase' on whatever you have for sale.

On the flip side, podcasts do take time and/or money to create. So if you're just getting started in your business, then a podcast might be too labor-intensive while you're getting your offerings or products up and running. Or if you're in a moment where you don't have any more time to devote to your marketing, then a podcast might not be a good fit.

🎙️🎙️🎙️

3. What’s the easiest way to get started with a podcast? Do I really need all the equipment? What are the bare bones tools I need to get my podcast on the air?

The bare bones you need to launch a podcast are an internet connection, a phone or laptop, and a free account with Spotify for Podcasters. With those tools, you can record your voice and upload it to an RSS feed that you can distribute to Spotify,  Apple & all the podcast listening platforms.

That said, if you want a more polished sound, I always recommend investing in an inexpensive mic like the Samson Q2U. You can also explore text-based transcription tools like Descript to do some easy editing.

If you want to learn more about my thoughts on the least expensive and/or easiest ways to make a podcast, I've recorded two quick podcast episodes on how to create a podcast for free and the easiest podcast workflow. Those will take you through the process in detail in under 20 minutes each.

🎙️🎙️🎙️

4. You own and run a podcast studio. When is a good time to outsource podcast production to somebody like you?

I think there are many great times to outsource podcast production, but I'll highlight two:

1. right when you're getting started or

2. after you've proven your show can convert clients or customers.

For many of my clients, we launch their show together so that they have support from the get-go. That means that they can always focus on recording and sharing the episodes, leaving everything else to us. I find that that for busy business-owners with a marketing budget, this is the way to go.

If you have more time than money at the moment, then I recommend starting with DIY approach and outsourcing production when you've booked a few clients or customers from your show. Once you know it can create sales, then you can invest with confidence.

If you're still on the fence, here are my top 5 signs it's time to hire an editor. If more than one applies, it's probably a great time to outsource!

Aaaaand, that’s it for today.

Reading Amelia’s answers made me nostalgic for connecting with others through my voice.

I hope the points she’s made helped you get more clarity on podcasting. You can also bookmark this email for a later point in time.

And if you’re not sure - why not do it for the plot and see what happens?

Happy Marketing,

Johanna 📣

PS: Something Sweet: Moose Licking Cars?!

When I saw the headline “try not to let moose lick your cars” earlier this week, I was intrigued. Turns out, that…Actually, read it for yourself. It’s cute!

Here’s a video, too. I love animal videos ❤️.

The Marketing Plan Guide coaches you through making your own, personalized marketing strategy. Learn more.

Show Me Your Work and get 1:1 feedback on your marketing strategy, infuse your copy with life, or make your newsletter fun. Work with me 1:1 here.

Get Both And Save! Book both and get a 50€ discount. Get it here.