Top 21 Podcasts For Life Coaches and 15 Steps to Start Your Own
June 1, 2023
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July 25, 2024
If you’ve been toying with the idea of starting your own podcast, this detailed checklist will take you step-by-step through everything you need to get you there.
This includes:
- A curated a list of podcasts, especially for life coaches.
- Podcasts that help you stay informed and current, helping you improve your life coaching skills.
- Some great podcasts by life coaches who are nailing their podcasts game.
- Benefits of hosting a life coach podcast.
- 15 detailed steps to start your own podcast.
By the end of this article, you will have a detailed checklist and confidence — yes, sometimes we all need that extra push — to start your own podcast and gain more exposure and clients. You will thoroughly enjoy this detailed guide.
Let’s jump right in.
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Chapter 1:
Top 10 Podcasts you Need to Listen to
We have a lot to unpack when it comes to life coaching podcasts, so let’s kick it off with the importance of listening to podcasts as a life coach.
Once we explore all the benefits of this, I’ll move on to the top 10 podcasts that I recommend all life coaches listen to.
The Importance of Listening to Podcasts as a Life Coach
Podcasts are all the rage right now. You probably follow a few podcasts yourself and perhaps you even actively follow and listen to a few.
In case you don’t, here’s why — as a life coach — you need to listen to podcasts.
Awareness
It’s essential to stay updated on the latest trends and topics, and podcasts are a great way to do that.C Model of Behavior.
They help you discover different perspectives or new ideas or revisit familiar topics for a quick brush-up in an engaging manner.
Away from five-second mindless social scrolling of headlines, podcasts delve a little deeper into trending topics helping you get in on the know-how.
Learning
Podcasts are a great way to learn or master skills.
Wondering if you need to amp up your marketing game with another mailer or ad campaign? Still unsure of your customer funnels?.
Or perhaps you need tips to help win your audience over in conversations.
Whatever you want to learn more about as a life coach, finding relevant podcasts to listen to can get you there
Stimulates Mental Imagery
We’re surrounded by visual mediums and listening to podcasts can help stimulate mental imagery, much like reading a book.
We’re so dependent on visual cues that, over time, our sensory perceptions rely heavily on them, almost dulling the other senses.
When you don’t exercise your imagination, you stand to lose out on its potential.
Audio cues can stimulate the mind to tap into the subconscious to interpret concepts with a new perception, or even help you remember your past experiences
Ideas
Great ideas don’t happen in a vacuum.
Inspiration can strike while listening to others talk about topics that interest you.
Active listening can help you ask yourself probing questions and arrive at thoughts you might have otherwise neglected.
There are ample activities you can indulge in to tap into your creative mode, and podcasts are one way to get there.
Time-Efficient
With everything else on your plate, you don’t need to carve time out to listen.
Play them in the background as you go about your day, while you’re driving, cooking, or checking your emails.
Podcasts are excellent companions while you multitask. Plus — you can hit pause any time you like and return to them as you please.
List of Top 10 Podcasts for Life Coaches
There are a lot of podcasts out there, and it gets hard to choose the ones you should listen to.
Depending on your interests and inclinations, you will definitely have your own favorites.
But which podcasts will be the most valuable for you to listen to as a coach?
That’s exactly why I have created the list below.
This list is in no particular order, but it does cover several relevant themes which would be an asset to anyone who is a life coach.
1. Marketing School By Neil Patel & Eric Siu
This is a great podcast for you to follow if you want to keep your ear to the ground for marketing advice.
Their episodes are short and crisp and stay abreast with questions plaguing the minds of most business owners and self-employed freelancers.
Many marketing professionals turn to Neil Patel for his insights on digital marketing.
Why You Need To Listen To It
It’s 10 minutes of actionable marketing advice you can listen to every day.
You can also browse through their extensive episodes list and find a topic you want to learn more about.
2. How I Built This by Guy Raz
Guy Raz started this podcast in 2016, and has since covered priceless insights and inspirational stories of entrepreneurs, idealists, and innovators alike.
As the name suggests, he dives deep into the story of each guest.
The podcast narrates journeys of many self-made individuals who have taken unexpected paths to success.
Guy Raz is a New York Times #1 bestselling author for his book by the same name that his popular NPR podcast is based on.
Why you need to listen to it
The episodes are an hour-long detailed tour of an entrepreneur’s journey.
As an entrepreneur yourself, you’re bound to find relatable instances and milestones; perhaps even ideas and strategies to overcome your roadblocks.
The stories are exceptionally inspiring and listening to them can help you build a mindset for success, and reinforce your determination to drive your efforts forward.
3. The School of Greatness by Lewis Howes
Hosted by Lewis Howes, this podcast is full of inspirational stories about accomplishments of business tycoons, athletes, and celebrities.
Lewis himself has also overcome abuse, a broken family life, and other personal challenges.
This podcast is released 3 times weekly.
Why you need to listen to it
This podcast offers conversations with people who are overcoming their own personal challenges.
Essentially — what you’re helping people achieve as a life coach.
Listening to varying perspectives and challenges, along with insights to overcome whatever’s holding one back, can support your interactions with your clients.
4. Hidden Brain by Shankar Vedantam
This podcast is a part of the National Public Radio (NPR) family of podcasts. Amongst podcasts in the Science and Medicine category, this is a must-listen.
Listeners get a scientific look into the patterns and behaviors of people and why we do what we do.
NPR social science correspondent Shankar Vedantam hosts this podcast. It was one of Apple’s Most Downloaded Shows of 2018.
Why you need to listen to it
Hidden Brain helps curious people understand the world using science and storytelling.
It reveals the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior.
Something you need to master as a coach when guiding people to welcome changes into their lives.
5. Terrible, Thanks For Asking by Nora Mclnerny
How honestly does one answer the question — how are you?
The podcast unapologetically asks people to answer the question and share their complicated unfiltered feelings.
When times are tough and one isn’t doing too well, talking about it helps.
The show focuses on childhood trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (AECs) to understand how it impacts people and communities, while raising awareness about public health leaders and their efforts.
Why you need to listen to it
As a life coach, you’re dealing with real people and real challenges.
Having perspective on fears and what holds people back can help you understand your clients better.
6. Shattered Glass by Monica Padman & Kristen Bell
Monica Padman, known for her podcasts with Dax Sheperd of Armchair Expert fame, which deals with the ‘messiness of being human’, shares the mic with Kristen Bell in a 10 episode limited podcast series.
These are intimate conversations exploring the stories of women who have made a difference and shattered the proverbial glass ceiling.
Guests include Gloria Steinem, Oprah Winfrey, Esther Duflo and more.
Why you need to listen to it
This podcast can provide you with a great dose of inspiration and perspective to help you in your endeavors. Listening to inspirational women share their stories is a fantastic source for learning.
7. Minutes with Bronwyn by Bronwyn Saglimbeni
Communication coach, writer, and speaker Bronwyn Saglimbeni hosts this podcast. It explores what entrepreneurs and leaders do to improve their communication.
Bronwyn helps people communicate in a way that breaks through the static of our everyday lives.
Her “real talk” approach, and often humorous candidness, is a welcome change.
Why you need to listen to it
It’s like a 20-minute talk with the best personal coach you can find!
Of course, a coach like any other person needs coaching too. We’re all human and learning ways to better our lives.
Master your communication skills with this podcast recommendation.
8. This is Your Life with Michael Hyatt
Hosted by Michele Cushatt, this podcast is for leaders looking to grow.
As a coach and leader, it can be hard to maintain focus, effectiveness, and courage.
The mission of this podcast is simple; win at work, succeed at life, and lead with confidence.
Why you need to listen to it
Intentional leadership is one way to make a real change in the world.
This podcast teaches one to embrace intention, passion, and lead with extraordinary influence.
9. Philosophy Bites by David Edmonds & Nigel Warburton
Sure we’ve all read or engaged with philosophy at some point in our lives.
But philosophy largely remains fairly mysterious to most, and is often considered as something that is abstract and larger-than-life.
Quite literally, the term “philosophy” means “love of wisdom.”
Guests and hosts introduce and discuss the thoughts, thinkers, and debates that shape our world in this UK-based podcast.
Why you need to listen to it
Bite-sized engagement with philosophy can help you inculcate a general curiosity and give you a well-rounded approach to life and your coaching business.
Philosophy can help people understand fundamental truths about themselves, the world in which they live, and their relationships to the world and to each other.
A deep dive into life’s fundamental truths can also help you develop your own coaching philosophy.
10. Art of Charm by AJ Harbinger and Johnny Dzubak
This podcast talks about how to master human dynamics, relationships, and become your best self.
It focuses on helping people to become more effective in their relationships.
Why you need to listen to it
This podcast is a treasure trove of knowledge when it comes to human interactions and dynamics.
It covers topics like ‘Why Vulnerability Leads to Connection’, ‘What Matters Most in a Difficult Conversation’, ‘The Art of Body Language’, etc.
This podcast will equip you with the knowledge you need to navigate the complicated human mind and its interactions with the world.
Chapter 2:
The Best 11 Podcasts by Coaches
There is no dearth of good life coaching podcasts out there, but don’t let that discourage you from starting one of your own.
If anything, these podcasts can help you discover your own unique perspective and style.
In fact, podcasts are perfect for you to find your tribe. Relatability is key here.
Here’s a list of life coaches that have mastered the art of podcasting and are doing a great job at it.
1. Life Coaching with Holly
Holly releases a podcast episode every Wednesday at noon, UK time.
She is a life coach who wants to help people make small changes to lead a happier life.
A relatively new podcast, she strives to motivate her audience to be more positive and productive with short intimate episodes.
Why it works
She shares examples from personal experiences and keeps things simple.
Simplicity goes a long way in finding an audience, making it easy for your audience to listen to you as they go about their day.
She has also welcomed her first guest, a client of hers, to speak about how life coaching has impacted her life.
Involving your existing clients in your podcast can work as a great testimonial to your work as a coach.
2. Rant & Grow by Tullio Siragusa
Host and life coach with 30 years in the industry, Tullio Siragusa taps into the power of venting one’s thoughts and disappointments.
A good rant can help clear your mind and move towards growth in personal and professional life by inculcating healthy habits.
Why it works
You’d expect the format to be centered around callers venting, as the name suggests, but it isn’t.
The format feels personal and invites guests to shed light on some everyday applicable strategies.
Moving beyond expressing frustration to actually tackling problems with a growth mindset is a great way to share your expertise.
3. Emotional Badass by Nikki Eisenhouer
Life coach and psychotherapist Nikki offers emotional education on her mental health podcast.
She describes the podcast as a safe space ‘where Moxie Meets Mindful’. Connecting deeply with oneself, this podcast offers spiritual tips and healing lessons.
Why it works
This weekly podcast, with episodes of about 20 minutes, has been running since 2017 for survivors, empaths, and highly sensitive people.
It is straightforward when it comes to establishing boundaries and applying different methods to overcome emotional burdens and traumas.
Like a giveaway guide on your website, you can discuss methods at length in different podcasts.
4. Style Your Mind by Cara Alwill
Cara has built a brand around her popular blog, The Champagne Diet, and written nine bestselling books.
Her podcast has received praise from Forbes and is credited with 7 million unique downloads.
A certified life coach, she helps motivated women and entrepreneurs to live their best life.
Why it works
Cara has a unique voice that she stays true to.
Her brand is chic and fabulous, and so are her podcasts. They speak to modern and contemporary culture and cite examples that are relatable and have an intuitive feel of all things trendy and pop.
Trust me — staying in sync with your brand and approach will help you far more than mimicking what’s working for others.
5. Unlocking Us with Brené Brown
We featured Brené’s website here as one of the 27 top coaching websites. She’s been a leading voice on courage, vulnerability, shame and empathy for over two decades.
She has actually returned to podcasting after a long hiatus.
Her podcasts hope to unlock ideas, stories, and experiences that reflect being human and all its moments — brave and broken-hearted.
Why it works
She is a #1 selling book author and has years of experience to her credit and some big names in her network. Her podcasts have stellar guests like Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Bruce D. Perry, etc.
If you have a celebrity network, why not tap into it?
Celebrity collaborations attract their following, bringing you a wider audience.
6. So… That Got Me Thinking! By Natalie Walker Brimble
Natalie Walker Brimble focuses on helping individuals find or regain their passions and motivations in their personal and professional lives.
She’s a certified psychotherapist and life coach who covers topics like anxiety, well-being, expectations, and the everyday struggles that come with being a woman.
Why it works
Her podcast features weekly episodes, which are about 15-20 minutes long, that share her thoughts.
As the name suggests the podcast is personal and shares an intimacy with the listeners on their innermost thoughts, encouraging them to engage in mindful exploration.
Talking about your thoughts in a way that encourages your listener to pay attention to theirs can help activate your potential clients.
Attracting an audience that relates to your method and manner, is a sure shot way to enhance your growth.
7. The Tiffany Han Show
Tiffany Han is a coach, writer, mentor, and podcast host, and helps people ground their roots in radical self-belief and in what she calls ‘technicolour’ — being fully engaged with life radiantly, expansively, and delightfully.
Her podcasts strive to smash self-doubt and the patriarchy, and to let faith, grace, and resilience lead conversations.
Why it works
Formerly known as ‘Raise Your Hand Say Yes,’ she has upped her brand game and wholesome approach with The Tiffany Han Show.
Her podcasts have detailed complementary write-ups that list out helpful steps along with a personal quote in an easy-to-save image.
That’s a great way to pay attention to user experience.
Keeping your end user’s ease and experience in mind while developing content takes you that much closer to being an audience favorite.
8. The Alpha Male Coach by Kevin Aillaud
Kevin Aillaud is a causal coach, speaker, and author who has a decade’s worth of experience in the fitness industry.
He saw a gap between the mindset and physical capabilities of athletes and turned to psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, and social dynamics.
He helps his clients achieve success in dating, wealth, health, and fitness.
Why it works
He hosts the podcasts on his website, retaining traffic and time spent, with a detailed written introduction and key takeaways along with transcripts.
Look for ways you can engage your audience to spend more time with your content.
Longer session durations on your website will help you step up your website rating.
9. Coaching for Leaders by Dave Stachowiak
Dave is a career coach who helps his clients achieve their true potential in their careers and helps make leaders.
His clients are managers, executives, or business owners. He interviews top experts like Guy Raz, John Maxwell, Amy McPherson, etc., on his podcast.
Why it works
He has tie-ups aboard this weekly Monday show, and has been independently and successfully running it since 2011. He has 20 million+ downloads with over 500 episodes to his credit.
If an interview format complements your chosen niche, you can use it to enhance your listener base. Stories and insights from successful leaders make great podcasts.
10. The Habit Coach by Ashdin Doctor
Ashdin Doctor is a habit coach who professes the power of Foundation Fundamentals as the cornerstones of building new habits to lead a fulfilling life.
The podcast is perfect for those who fail to see things through to find the motivation to build productive and well-rounded happy lives.
Why it works
Each episode is bite-sized and lasts less than five minutes. A good way to go when you’re just starting out.
Given his niche, it’s kind of meta — getting the users to make a habit of listening to short podcasts.
He includes fun facts and easy-to-execute tasks to help build healthy habits.
11. The Perfectionism Project by Sam Laura Brown
Sam Laura Brown is a perfectionist coach who runs ‘Perfectionists Getting Shit Done’ to help entrepreneurs get out of their own way.
She runs her coaching practice in batches and also offers access to an exclusive podcast for members.
Why it works
She offers practical advice, often opening up about her own thought processes, and her conversational style sounds like you’re listening to an old friend’s advice.
Pay attention to the different styles podcasters adopt to find what works best for you.
A conversational-style podcast is quite popular and common. They’re all about chemistry when it comes to more than one speaker.
Chapter 3:
Top 5 Benefits of Hosting a Life Coach Podcast
So why exactly should you, as a coach, host your own podcast? What are the advantages you can expect from taking it on?
You’ve got to make an informed decision, with a thorough understanding of what it brings to the table.
Here are the top 5 benefits of hosting a life coaching podcast:
1. Immediate Exposure and Increased Traffic Generation
Putting out your podcast will help you gain more exposure and can become an avenue for people to find you and the work you’re doing.
It becomes another source to generate more traffic to your website and business.
Though it might take you some time to build an audience base, but hey — one more medium to find an audience is more than welcome, wouldn’t you say?
2. Authority and Recognition
If people want to hear you speak on a particular topic or theme, clearly you’ve got some credibility and knowledge in your area of expertise.
If you’re a dating coach and more people want to seek and hear your advice, guess what? They’re here seeking authority on the subject.
A client of mine snatched every opportunity to speak publicly when she was just starting out, and is now well-known in her community and recognized as a go-to expert.
So don’t shy away from talking, it’s essentially what podcasts are all about.
It will also help you hone your skills.
Knowing when to say what and how to say it, will all add up in making you an expert in your chosen field.
3. Credibility and Trust
Podcasting is a lot more than just another platform to get your messages out in the world. Broadcasting about your coaching practice with a podcast gives you a far greater edge than any social media platform.
It builds a lot more credibility. People are putting in an effort to hear you talk. You’re with your audience a lot longer than the usual casual consumption for a few seconds on their social media scrolls.
The fact that you occupy a chunk of their time, builds sustainable credibility. People are becoming very mindful of how they decide to spend their time, especially when there is so much consumable content out there.
If you’ve got them carving out the time to listen to you, that’s a neat victory on your path to success, and deserves a round of applause.
Your audience has faith in you. They trust your advice and opinion. This brings you closer to your audience in a way nothing else can.
4. Scope of Podcasting
There’s a lot to be said for the scope of creating a podcast.
Here are a few important things that make podcasts such a great medium for life coaches:
Lead Generation Tool
Coaching podcasts are a great tool to market your coaching business. They serve as the best lead generation strategy where you can market more than what email marketing, search engine optimization, or press releases provide for.
If your podcast is informative then it will increase the number of your clients. Many people will buy your services based on the recommendations.
As per my research, podcasts have a considerable role to play in this kind of recommendation. If you can publish a podcast with great content, you can attract many followers and listeners.
If your listeners find your content interesting, it will benefit your coaching business. But for that, you have to make the listeners subscribe to your channel.
Collaborations
Networking within the life coaching community and inviting guests who are experts in their fields will help you amp up your pace and grow your audience.
Collaborating as a guest speaker on other podcasts will also help amplify your voice.
Back in 2016, I had a great time speaking on Marc Mawhinney’s podcast.
We spoke about why some coaches fail, a critical topic that needs more attention. We discussed why focusing only on success can make one lose sight of other equally important things that need one’s attention while growing the business.
I’ve also shared the mic a few times at the Conscious Millionaire’s podcast.
So don’t shy away from collaborations; lean into them.
Growing Popularity
Even though podcasting has been around for at least 10 years, it has really picked up momentum in recent years and its popularity is skyrocketing as we speak.
“The global podcasting market size was valued at USD 9.28 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27.5% from 2020 to 2027.” – Grand View Research on the podcast market.
5. Additional Revenue
You could also promote relevant products or offers to your loyal base.
Passive income as an affiliate partner is a smart way to get the maximum bang for your buck. It has been demonstrated that audiences don’t mind short promotions during a podcast.
As stated in this article by Fastcompany, Internal Midroll surveys of 300,000 listeners found that 63% of people bought something a host had promoted on their show.
Chapter 4:
15 Steps to Start Your Own Podcast
Inspired? Hold on to that energy. It’s time to dive right into this detailed checklist to help you start your very own podcast.
This checklist will guide you every step of the way. I’ve also included additional resources that will be beneficial to your endeavor.
If you’re a great speaker, and people love listening to you, then podcasting is absolutely for you.
Step 1: Brainstorming
Jot down all your ideas. This is your brainstorming session, you’re allowed to come up with the craziest ideas and ambitions.
We’ll get down to channeling some of your best ideas into a more streamlined effort with each step that follows.
For now, get thinking. It’ll get you pumped up for all that lies ahead of you.
There are several methods you could use for a productive brainstorming session. My personal favorites are:
Rolestorming
Here you switch to the perspective of another, perhaps your ideal listener or client. Or even your mentor or role model.
Ask questions like:
- How can this podcast help my ideal client?
- What do they want to listen to?
- What will inspire them to take action and sign up for coaching?
- How would my role model go about a podcast?
SWOT Analysis
This is more of a strategic planning exercise that can help you examine your ideas.
- Strengths: How does my idea stand out from its competitors?
- Weaknesses: What are the flaws that can jeopardize my efforts?
- Opportunities: What opportunities could the podcast capitalize on?
- Threats: What are the possible downfalls of this podcast?
So get cracking, and have yourself a productive and groundbreaking brainstorming session!
I once recommended brainstorming to a client of mine who had multiple ideas she wanted to pursue.
It helped her get vague ideas out of her head and become even more determined to follow her strongest one, when weighed against other thoughts in her head.
Step 2: Identifying your Topic
You may be largely focused on life coaching, but there must be a niche you can identify under an umbrella which you can call your own.
Is it self-love? Addressing setbacks? Working on an overall winning mindset?
Identify your niche. And plan how you want to build it.
Be sure to understand fully the overall theme you would like to center your podcast around.
Sure — you can diversify and explore supporting topics in a strategic manner in different episodes, but knowing your core theme is important to be able to do that.
Stay true to your topic so you do not stray away by chasing parallels that do not converge.
Step 3: Identifying your Ideal Listener
I did mention rolestorming as a brainstorming technique earlier, but this step is a little more detailed.
Etch out the details of your target audience. And really get into it.
You can build multiple audience personas.
This is a widely-used technique used in the field of marketing, where one breaks down the audience by building different personas of the end-user.
Make 3 profiles; X,Y, and Z, to begin with.
Give them names and use these questions to build their personalities:
- How old is each one of them?
- What is their profession?
- What kind of lifestyle do they lead?
- What are their troubles?
- How would each one of them benefit from your podcast?
- Would they refer to friends?
- Or are they private people who do not like to share that they are working on themselves?
Build off your existing clientele or the ones you’re targeting. And again, really get into the details.
If you know your audience well, you will give them exactly what they need and are looking for.
This will help you grow your audience base and build a loyal following.
Step 4: Choosing a Name and Logo/Cover Art
Ah, after all that strategic planning it’s time to get creative. It’s extremely important to stay true to your overall brand here.
For instance — if your approach is more elegant than friendly, if your website screams grace and benevolence, naming your podcast ‘Everyday Badassery’ would be completely off.
Try to choose a name that is broader than your topic so you don’t limit your content.
Know your brand and stay true to it.
I’ve discussed branding at length here.
While it’s exciting to put your podcast logo or cover art together, follow the KISS
(Keep It Simple, Silly!) rule to ground all the artistic ideas in your head.
Design an easy, clear, and memorable logo. You could use Canva if you can’t hire a designer to do it or allocate a budget and hire an expert.
Here’s an article from Buzz sprout on how to design cover art to get you started.
Step 5: Deciding on the Format and Frequency of your Podcast
Understand your schedule to know how much time you can devote to reach your intended goals.
What best fits your needs and time?
A weekly show? Daily show? Fortnightly?
If you’re unsure, I recommend a bi-monthly format to continue planning. You can always come back and figure out the frequency once you’ve locked everything else in place.
How long will each episode be? Do you want to do bite-sized, short episodes
or 30 minute to 1 hour-long deep dives?
The duration of your show also depends on the format you choose. Try to keep it crisp, relevant, and to the point.
Podcasts can be as short as 5 minutes to as long as 6 hours; you have to find what works for you.
If you intend on having guest speakers who are experts, you might want to deep dive into the subject with a long interview.
You could also choose to break up long interviews into topics and shorter episodes.
Here’s a quick overview of popular podcasting formats from 2021’s podcasting trends:
You could even mix and match to find a unique format that resides at the sweet spot for you.
A basic podcast episode flows like this:
Step 6: Creating a Content Plan
Now that you have your name, frequency, and format in place, it’s time to put it all down in your content plan.
What’s a content plan you ask?
A content plan is a predetermined content execution and release timeline.
You don’t want to be asking yourself, ‘What do I talk about next?’ after you release each episode.
It’s good sense to plan everything ahead of time. Make a content plan for at least a month or two, ahead of time.
You could leave space for trending topics if your podcast holds space for relevant current events or social trends.
Write down episode titles, release dates, and accompanying post details.
Leave room for recording and editing the episodes when planning the dates.
Step 7: Choosing your Recording Equipment and Editing Software
The entry barrier to podcasting is low. This means you can get started with the most basic equipment.
It’s also best to wait and ensure you are going to continue with the idea of podcasting before you invest in expensive equipment.
So how exactly do you record your podcast?
Here’s how the process works:
Some useful softwares which will help you create and listen to life coaching podcasts:
- FeedForAll – Create, edit and publish podcasts
- AudioBlogger – Use any phone to post audio to your blog
- Replay Radio – Turn radio broadcasts into podcasts
You could also choose to capture your podcasting session on camera, and take the route of video podcasting.
Video podcasting is also an upcoming way to build brands and businesses, especially in the marketing and sales sectors.
There has been a rise of audio and video podcasters alike, with straight from home setups using basic equipment like their phone or laptop. No excuses to hold ideas back.
Guerilla is the way to go.
In this digital day and age, there is no longer the need to hire expensive studios and sophisticated equipment!
Innovative marketing is now the way to go for new coaches looking to enter a competitive market.
Step 8: Scripting your Podcast
Creating a content plan, having title in place, and getting the flow of the episode right with a script are critical steps, especially if you’re interviewing someone.
Treat the podcast as an audio blog for practice. You need your information and flow in place.
Don’t freeflow it.
You don’t want to catch yourself tongue-tied or fumbling for words. It will only make editing harder, especially if you also decide to record it on camera.
You could do a detailed word-for-word script. But that could lead to a monotonous single-tone delivery.
Be cautious of the delivery when going the word-for-word route. If you can make it sound natural and free-flowing, then why not script it all?
Or jot down bullet points of all the aspects you wish to cover, and write down important facts or information you wish to speak about.
This method is more flexible and leaves room for improvisation if you’re good at that sort of thing.
Different methods work differently for different people, and so I recommend conducting trial recordings to see what works best for you.
Step 9: Getting Comfortable as a Podcast Host
You may be a confident public speaker, but I still recommend a few trial runs and exercises to get you comfortable in your podcasting skin.
Run through a couple of vocal warm-up exercises before you begin.
Keep a glass of water handy.
Trial runs and rehearsals can go a long way in discovering your style.
Playback your recordings and note all that you like and do not like about it, and course-correct accordingly. Observe your hesitations and enunciation of words.
Record with the mic you’ve purchased to get comfortable with the equipment.
Choose the room you wish to record in and check if the mic is picking up ambient sounds or, for instance, a really loud truck backing up. There’s no way to edit these loud disturbances out while you’re mid-sentence, so it’s better to check these things beforehand.
Step 10: Recording your Podcast
It’s showtime!
All your practice sessions will ultimately help you feel more confident on the recording day.
Here are a few tips for your recording session:
- Make sure you draw the curtains, and unplug any machine or devices that are running in the room.
- Warm-up your vocal chords, you don’t want your voice breaking mid-sentence.
- Watch your pitch and volume levels; try to maintain a consistent volume.
- Watch your breath. The mic will pick up exhaling a loud breath.
- While it’s perfectly fine to use your body when you talk, try to keep your movements to a minimum. You don’t have to be perfectly still but avoid being too animated with your body language.
- Record a short noise profile. A few moments of absolute silence can go a long way when you’re editing and need to introduce a brief pause.
- Prop the mic up at your mouth’s level. Make a fist and stick your thumb and pinky out to measure the distance from your mic and try to maintain the position consistently.
- Try and use headphones. You can record without a pair but using headphones will help both you and your guest (if you have one) eliminate any feedback and ambient noise during recording. It can be difficult to clean the audio up while editing.
- Mute your mic when you aren’t speaking. It will be tempting to drop a yes, mmhm, or an ah-huhn to keep it conversational when your guest is talking but that will dilute their lines and might seem inconvenient or distracting for the listener.
- Leave audio cues when you make a mistake to help in editing. You could say cut, edit, or use your own personalized cues.
Step 11: Editing and Adding Music to your Podcast
Apart from the editing softwares I mentioned earlier, here are a few recommendations from HubSpot.
For Intro music, you could use a paid service like Premium Beat.
Or look for royalty-free music from free sources. A quick search will find you some music. You may not find exactly what you’re looking for so I suggest editing and customizing it yourself.
Editing tips:
- Focus on engaging content — you have to think of the listener and what they will enjoy.
- Edit ruthlessly — a few extra seconds of this and that can make a lot of difference to the listening experience. Snip, snip, snip.
- An unpolished recording can be off-putting, but an extremely clean recording with lags and ramblings can be boring too. The idea is to find the sweet spot in the middle.
- Make sure the episode is compelling if you want to build a loyal audience.
Step 12: Creating a Launch Plan
You’ll need an effective launch plan to roll out your podcast.
It’s not just about sharing the news on your website.
Build up to its launch by revealing the key benefits for your audience.
How’s your podcast going to change their day? Or even their lives?
While you get ready to take your podcasts live on strategic platforms, roll out teasers to get your audience excited.
Plan a promotional campaign with notifications on your website. You could also send emails to your subscribers, and even share behind-the-scenes snippets on your social media posts, etc.
Get creative with your marketing mix and set the stage for the launch.
You could even plan a promotional coupon or a free session for keen listening and embed it in the podcast.
Write your transcript if you intend on sharing one. It makes good sense to share a transcript for search engines to ‘crawl’ and help your listeners find you.
It also shows that you care about your user’s experience and that you know transcripts will benefit your audience.
Think of ways you can provide yourself an extra edge. What more can you bring to the table to help you stand out?
You could also list down key takeaways from an episode or design creative quotes from the episodes to download and use as wallpapers, etc.
Step 13: Submitting your Podcast to Directories
You need to submit and share your podcast on different platforms to reach a wider audience.
People looking for a podcast on your particular topic should be able to find you easily.
The top directories are:
You could even publish on all 5 and then analyze the insights to choose which platform is working best for you and bring in the kind of audience you want.
Step 14: Putting Up the Podcast on your Website
If you’re using WordPress or other such website builders for your website, it can be as easy as installing a plugin and uploading audio files.
A popular plugin for podcasts is Serious Simple Podcasting.
Audio files can be bulky and, over time, adding several episodes might bulk up on your media hosting.
Be sure to find a friendly media host for this purpose.
When you finish a podcast episode, upload it to your media host. When that’s done, it’s added to the full list of episodes that make up your podcast.
It’s this list (technically called an RSS feed) that you submit to Apple Podcasts and other directories. And you only have to do this once, when you first launch your show.
Read more about this here.
Step 15: Promoting your Podcast and Building your Audience
Apart from the actual content of your podcast, it all comes down to how you promote it.
What’s the point of having a great voice if no one can listen to it?
There are several ways you can promote your podcast.
Here are some tips to get you rolling:
- You could ask for testimonials and reviews to encourage new listeners.
- Send out email notifications, do social promotions, etc.
- Leverage partnerships and your guests’ audience.
- Be active and listen to comments and feedback while addressing real concerns and questions.
- Post a banner on your website’s homepage.
- Come on as a guest on other podcasts.
- Work on your SEO so audiences can find you easily.
- Run a giveaway.
You can also go through this detailed post by Buffer to learn more about podcast promotion strategies.
Bonus: Common Limitations and Obstacles of Podcasting
Not to rain on your parade, but I want to leave you with some limitations surrounding podcasting to help you overcome them.
- Some podcasters end up catering to the podcast they want to create, instead of what people want to hear.
- Podcasting is time-consuming.
- IP and content protection can be difficult.
- It will take time and effort to build and reach your audience.
- It can be difficult to track ROI in some ways.
Conclusion
So that’s it!
You now have everything you need to start your own podcast.
So stop procrastinating and get started!
You will not know how this pans out for you until you do something about it. As you might have surmised, podcasting can be a huge asset to your coaching practice.
Are there any questions I have not addressed?
Comment with any questions or troubles you’re having, I’d be happy to help you.
If you’ve already started off on your podcasting journey, I’d love to hear about how it’s going and help you troubleshoot any specifics you’re finding hard to tackle.
Download a FREE PDF version of this guide…
PDF version contains all of the content and resources found in the above guide.
I love how you go the extra mile to give us information. Not only have you got us 21 types of podcasts(which are too many already) but you also have mentioned in detailed steps to start our own podcasts. I’m impressed. Great job.
The picturization is so apt and adds value to the content. Appreciate the quality efforts.
I know that once I start reading your article I’m not keeping my tab down till I’m done. That’s your power over curious readers like me. Thank you!
Started listening to The School of Greatness by Lewis Homes and yes! You are absolutely right. Everyone needs to listen to this.
I always thought Shattered glass by Monica Padman and Kristen Bell was an underrated podcast. Thanks for mentioning it and giving it the recognition it deserves.
I’ve never been a podcast listener before but reading this article makes me wanna be one. Keep doing a good job and motivating us.
I want to listen and finish all the podcasts mentioned here asap! You make every podcast seem as the best.
I’m a big fan of Shankar Vedantam’s hidden brain. Thanks for mentioning it here. Do listen to it. It’s too good.
I have listened to several of the mentioned podcasts and I got to say such a good curated list. Follow these people, it’ll for sure make a difference.
The podcasts by coaches are really helpful for aspiring coaches. Gives you the boost needed to power through everyday.
I haven’t come across such a resourceful article about starting a podcast. Literally you have covered everything under the roof. Great efforts.
Makes me want to start my own podcast. You’ve made it seem so simple and easy yet so effective. Thanks
I belong to the category of people who think podcasts are boring. After reading this turns out podcasts are interesting after all! I also think I found the right podcast for me. I’ll start listening to it now. Thanks.
This article has something for every age group and any preference they have. A one-stop-shop for all. Every podcast seems better than the previous one. Will go through it all!
All the podcasts mentioned here are iconic. Thanks Sai!