A Simple Guide to Podcasting for Beginners by Beginners

In December 2022, Ting Claravall and I released the first season of The Cultural Quotient podcast where we discuss ideas, tips, and stories for developing cultural intelligence.

Since then, people have been asking how we did it.

Here is our simple guide to start a podcast from scratch.

Step 1: Plan your podcast

1) Start with your why:

a.??????To make money (podcast for business)

b.??????To promote your brand (podcast for marketing)

c.??????To have a hobby / fun project (podcast for learning)

2) Choose a topic. Find one that you can:

a.??????Talk passionately and endlessly about

b.??????Find an endless number of people who talk about it

3) Choose your audience. Think about:

a.??Who you want to reach

b.??What they are like and what they might like

This step is one of the most critical and pretty much dictates almost everything that follows.

4) Choose a format:

a.??????Narrated

b.??????Interview

c.??????Conversation

5) Choose a release frequency:

a.??????Regular release (weekly, monthly…) – Great for building a followership as long as you can keep up with the pace.

b.??????Season release – Less effective if you want to attract followers but more flexible.

6) Plan to be flexible. Keep testing and find what best works for you in terms of:

a. Format and flow

b. Episode length

Learn from the pros: Check out The Pod Sound School, our goto place for everything podcasting.

Tips for beginners: The first episode is the hardest. If you can pull it off, any episode after this will be easy.

How we did it:

We started The Cultural Quotient podcast as a fun project. Ting had always wanted to try podcasting but wasn’t sure what to talk about and I wanted to learn a new skill to share about my work on cultural intelligence.

So we decided to join forces.?

Our topic was clear. We decided that the most natural thing to do was to use a conversation format between an expert and a curious learner. Our goal was to be informative and interesting enough that listeners would find the podcast entertaining.?

We are both busy folks, so we agreed on a goal that felt achievable: one season of 5 episodes to be published by Christmas (we started in May).

Step 2: Bring your podcast to life

Choose a name for your podcast.

Design a cover with any design tool you like using. We went with Canva

Learn from the pros:?Create a PRO Podcast Cover in Canva

Tips for curious learners: Do these early to get you excited about your podcast. Don’t try to be perfect. You can make changes later.

How we did it:

Ting (who is a digital marketing practitioner) sat me down and encouraged me to come up with our podcast ‘brief’ which included, among other things, deciding on a name and tile design.?

5 min later we had a podcast!

At that point there was no turning back. We had to record!

Step 3: Get your equipment ready

Find a recording location

a.??????Recording studio (best for sound quality)

b.??????A quiet room with no glass surface or ambient noise (fan, AC, loud neighbour…)

c.??????Your car

Choose a recording interface

a.??????Live recording: Garage Band (MacBook), Zoom

b.??????Online recording: Zencastr, Riverside.fm

Check your equipment

a.??????Microphone

b.??????Laptop

c.??????Camera, lighting... (if you opted for video recording)

Tips for beginners: Don’t get put off by the technicalities of choosing a microphone. A simple headset is enough to get started.?

How we did it:

This one was more challenging.

We tried recording over the internet and in different locations. It took a while before we could find the right environment. Singapore, where we live, isn’t a big city but there is still a lot of environmental noise everywhere you go, whether it’s your neighbour’s renovation or traffic.?

We ended up renting a recording studio that also provided the equipment.

Step 4: Record. Just do it!?

Podcast intro

Write and record a 30 sec introduction of your podcast stating:

a.??????A problem that is familiar to your listeners that your podcast will try to address

b.??????Your podcast name

c.??????Your name and who you are (the host)

d.??????What to expect in the episode / season

Podcast?outro (optional)

Write and record a 10 sec closing to your podcast that includes:

a.??????A call-to-action: “subscribe”, “like”, “follow”…

b.??????Something you want listeners to remember

?

Episode: Don't forget to press "record" and start talking!

Tips for beginners: Don’t worry about being perfect. You can edit the content later.

How we did it:

We recorded the intro/outro first and took this as an opportunity to practice the technical part of recording. We wrote a script and recorded multiple versions until we arrived at one that we were happy with.

For the episodes, we usually start by catching up on each other's lives and slowly transition to the content of the podcast.

We generally have a high level outline of topics/questions that we want to cover.

Ting takes the lead to ask questions and move the conversation along. She also keeps an eye on the clock so recording sessions are below an hour.

Step 5: Postproduction / Editing

Edit content

a.??????Transcribe audio/video recordings into a word document, then edit directly from the text with Descript

Learn from the pros: Edit Your Podcast Quick?

Postproduction

a.??????Use online tools available. We use Audacity

b.?? Recording software like GarageBand, Riverside and others also allow for editing

Learn from the pros: FREE DAWs for Podcast Editing

How we did it:

I edit the content and Ting does the final mixing and post-production. Although Ting works in the creative industry, she had never done professional editing and just learned as we went along.?

We usually remove up to 20-30% of the content that is long-winded, unclear, or off-topic. We try to keep an episode between 20 and 40 min long, depending on how the flow of the conversation goes.?

Tips for beginners: If you feel overwhelmed, pause and remember that a small step is still progress.

Final thoughts

A year ago, we didn't know anything about podcasting.

Now, we are writing podcasting guides and planning Season 2 of our very own podcast!

It hasn't been easy, and there were many times when it would have been easier to just give up. But we didn't.

If you asked me, what helped the most was working with Ting. It's much harder to give up (or skip a recording) when someone is counting on you. Plus, Ting is such a good host!

So here is our last secret: find a partner that you enjoy working with.

That's all. We told you everything.

And remember, we are not pros, just curious learners.

If we can do it, you can do it too!

Now it's your turn to get started!

If you found this article useful, don’t keep it to yourself! Share it with someone who will find it useful too :-)?

The Cultural Quotient podcast is available:

On Spotify: The Cultural Quotient | Ideas, tips and stories for developing Cultural Intelligence | Podcast on Spotify?

On Apple Podcast: The Cultural Quotient | Ideas, tips and stories for developing Cultural Intelligence on Apple Podcasts?

About the authors :

Dr. Catherine Wu?is a teacher, trainer, and coach. She is passionate about sharing cultural intelligence with the world through speaking and writing. She is based in Singapore.

Ting Claravall is a professional storyteller, amateur podcaster, and event host. She is a passionate learner and an avid traveler. She is based in Singapore. She has lived in Singapore for over 15 years.?

Final notes: This article was written by Dr. Catherine and edited by Ting. The podcast is 100% produced by us exactly the way we have described in the "How we did it" sections.