Consultant’s Corner: Creating and Monetizing Podcasts

Q. What are the tools I need to create a podcast, and what are good podcasting platforms? Also, how can I monetize a podcast?

Podcasts can be used to broadcast audio, video, PDF, or ePub files. To begin your research and evaluation of the industry, technical requirements, marketing and business resources, music licensing, and other considerations, you can review industry magazines and information like at websites listed below. Michael Essany wrote this list of 7 critical steps to start a successful podcast for Intuit:

1. “Have something entertaining, insightful, and beneficial to offer, and make it unique.
2. Buy the best microphone you can afford, and make your audio quality sound amazing.
3. Be consistent: do a show every week, don’t skip weeks, and don’t sit on content or your audience will go someplace else.
4. Keep things free for listeners, especially when you’re starting out.
5. Don’t try to make money when you’re starting out, and don’t worry about sponsors until you have a decent number of listeners and a nice body of content.
6. Hire a designer to do your show’s artwork. This is what people will see in iTunes, and it matters more than you might realize.
7. Submit your show to iTunes. That’s where the biggest audience lives”

http://blog.intuit.com/trends/digital-media-guru-dishes-on-how-to-start-a-podcast-business/

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/internet/basics/how-to-podcast.htm

http://www.podcasting-tools.com/

http://www.apple.com/itunes/store/podcasts.html

Platforms. You can review and compare podcast hosting platforms through industry resources like the following:

http://www.technorms.com/37746/best-sites-to-host-your-podcasts

https://www.podcastmotor.com/podcast-hosting-2015/

http://schoolofpodcasting.com/is-soundcloud-a-legitimate-option-for-podcasting-8-podcast-media-hosting-companies-compared/

http://www.podhoster.com/index.php

Podcast monetization. The basic ways to make money with podcasts are sponsorships/advertisers, selling products and/or services, and subscriptions. You can review the following industry articles on the topic, which discuss the following podcast monetization considerations:

1. Sponsorships
2. Affiliates
3. Product resale
4. Product/course creation
5. Services/Coaching
6. Donations
7. Premium content:

https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/how-podcasters-are-making-money-with-podcasting-tap206/

http://mashable.com/2009/10/01/podcast-money-making-tips/#mzMTDYUNh5qf

http://blog.creativelive.com/how-to-make-money-podcasting/

https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/small-business/money-podcasts/