22. Podcasting Tips for Overthinkers: Break It Down Into Simple Steps

Do you find yourself tangled up in the dreaded web of overthinking every time you consider starting your podcast? It's ok, I've been there too. In today's episode, I'm breaking the whole process down into 10 simple steps for you, and sharing my best tips to get out of the overthinking spiral!

Resources Mentioned:

• Podcast Equipment Made Easy: What to Buy & How to Use it: www.ThePodcastTeacher.com/equipment
• Episode 6:  Podcasting Strategies For a Successful Launch: How I Made the Apple Podcasts Top 20
• Episode 11: Should you script your podcast episodes?
• Episode 21:  Podcasting Strategies: My Secret Weapon for Easy Podcast Editing

Sign up with Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1950787 (affiliate link).

Thinking about starting a podcast? Grab my free Podcast Roadmap: 10 Simple Steps to Launch Your Own Podcast (No Fancy Tech Required!) at www.ThePodcastTeacher.com/roadmap

This episode was produced by me, The Podcast Teacher! Contact me at Hello@ThePodcastTeacher.com.

Get on the waitlist for the podcast growth pilot program to have first dibs on the limited spots: www.ThePodcastTeacher.com/grow

Transcript

Hey. Hey, and welcome back. I hear from many aspiring podcasters that starting a podcast seems like a really big project. They think that there are a 100 or a 1000 different steps involved, then they're overwhelmed by them. They get stuck in the weeds overthinking everything and then never take action. If this sounds like you, it's okay. No judgment here. It sounded like me too.

I had the advantage of knowing the steps of the project already since I worked in the industry. But I really got caught up in the overthinking, and it took me 2 years to pull myself out of it. Hi. It's me. I'm the problem. It's me. Any fellow Swifties out there? Anyway, in today's episode, I'm going to break the process of starting a podcast down into 10 simple steps for you and share a few tips for getting out of the overthinking cycle. So step 1 is to generate your ideas.

You wanna think about the content of your podcast, a title, and maybe some specific episode ideas. Step 2 is to set up a home studio. You'll need to purchase a professional microphone. I recommend the Samson Q2U. I have a free equipment guide that has more information about setting up a home studio and the Within your home studio, you will also need some recording and editing software. I recommend Audacity because it is free and it's compatible with both Mac and PC. Step 3 is to get creative. You're going to design your cover art or hire someone to do that for you, and you're going to pick out some music to play at the beginning and end of your podcast.

Step 4 is to write the copy. So you'll need a description for your show. This is kind of like the blurb on the back of a book to kind of advertise and kinda pull people in, And then I recommend completely scripting out your intro and outro because that'll be said at the beginning and end of every single episode. So I recommend that you think that through and get that polished. And then the last piece of copy is just scripting or outlining your first few episodes. If you're not sure if you should script or outline, I recommend you go back and take a listen to episode 11, which is, should you script your podcast episodes? Step 5 is to record the audio, and step 6 is to edit the audio. Editing sounds scary, but it's really not that bad, particularly if you have some good systems in place. Go back and check out last week's episode, podcasting strategies, my secret weapon for easy podcast editing, if you'd like more information on the editing process.

Step 7 is to create any episode extras. So this is the description that goes along with your episode, any relevant links that you mentioned. Sometimes people call this section show notes, and you might wanna also create some graphics to use for promotion. Step 8 is to set up the distribution of your podcast. Your podcast needs to live on a hosting platform. There are a lot of options. I recommend Buzzsprout, and I am a proud affiliate for them. I'll drop my link in the description.

If you use my affiliate link, then you will get a $20 credit from them as well. Buzzsprout makes it super easy to connect your podcast to places like Apple and Spotify for the distribution. Step 9 is to launch and promote your podcast. So you're going to shout about your podcast from the rooftops on your launch day. I recommend releasing 3 episodes on launch day itself so that your audience has content to binge right away. And finally, step 10 is to simply set up some routines so that you can keep your podcast going. I go into more details about all of these steps in my free podcast roadmap. You can grab it at the podcast teacher.com/roadmap if that's something you're interested in.

Okay. So starting a podcast is just 10 simple steps. Not so bad. Right? Now we get to tackle the problem of over thinking everything within those 10 steps. My first tip is to define success for yourself. This is kind of like setting the destination in your GPS. You need to know where you're trying to go in order to get there. I talk more about this in episode 6, podcasting strategies for a successful launch.

So check that out if you want more details on the subject, but success can simply be pressing publish. That sounds so simple. But if you're here in the overthinker camp with me, pressing that little button is a big accomplishment. Okay. My second tip is to make decisions. The absolute worst part of overthinking is the constant indecisiveness. We're afraid to make the, quote, unquote, wrong choice, so we do some research, and then some more research, and then we weigh out the pros and cons, and then we ask friends and family, and it takes forever to make a decision. That limbo that we find ourselves in when waiting to make a decision can be agonizing, and the indecisiveness consumes way too much brainpower.

So I suggest putting some boundaries in place for making decisions quickly. Put a time limit on your research or a deadline on your decisions. Ask a friend or a biz bestie to help hold you accountable. I know that making quick decisions is easier said than done. Believe me, I've been there. But try to remember that we're not dealing with life and death here. If you do make a, quote, unquote, wrong decision, it's not going to kill anyone. The stakes are not that high.

And along those lines, my final tip for getting out of overthinking is to pivot when needed. Any decision that you make is not carved in stone. You can change anything and everything related to your podcast at any point in time. So for example, if you're overthinking your podcast's name, make a decision to get into action, and then pivot in a month or 3 months or 6 months if you realize that it's not working for you. And then you'll just simply rename it. Alright. So there you have it. Starting a podcast consists of just 10 simple steps, and I've given you some tips for getting out of the overthinking cycle.

I can't wait to share in your podcasting success. Until then, I'll talk to you again next week.