Publishing & Promotion for ongoing podcasts
When your podcast is completed, you need a place to host your episodes. Media hosts are services that store your audio and allow your listeners to listen, download and subscribe. You can’t actually upload your podcast to iTunes.
If you have any questions or get stuck as you work through this in-class exercise, please ask the instructor for assistance. Enjoy!
- Most podcasters use a service to host and distribute their podcast. Here are two popular services:
- The most popular podcast host is Libsyn (no free tier - $5US per month)
- There are many podcast host services that typically charge a minimum of $12US / month.
- Anchor.fm is a podcast host that has a free tier that we suggest you start with
- Other Anchor.fm services and features include:
- Record audio on your phone, tablet or web browser.
- Edit audio in a web browser, on a phone or tablet including transitions & sound effects.
- Remote audio recording with up to 8 guests using the Anchor.fm app on iOS or Android.
- Create an account on Anchor.fm:
- Go to anchor.fm and click on the Sign up button on the top right of the screen.
- Fill out the signup form, create a password and then submit the form, and you will be taken to the anchor dashboard.
- Click on the Go to podcast setup button.
- Enter your podcast name, description, category, and language. Then press the Continue button.
- Choose cover art for your podcast by clicking on either Searching for a photo, Upload an image, or Choose one for me. Follow the directions for the option you selected.
- When a dialogue box appears that says, We’re submitting your podcast! Click on the purple Great, thanks! Button. It will take a week or more for your new podcast to be listed on all 10 of the podcasting directories that Anchor.fm lists it in. iTunes will be one of the last directories that will make your podcast searchable on their platform.
- If you have already recorded a podcast episode or promo, you can upload it now. If you don’t have audio to upload yet, it’s no problem to come back later and complete this step.
- Click on the purple Let’s do it button.
- Next click on the purple text on the right of the screen that says, Click to upload or drop audio here. Select the mp3 file you want to upload.
- Click on the purple, Save episode button after the mp3 file has uploaded.
- Enter the Episode title, Episode description, Publish date, Season number, and Episode number. Then click on the purple Publish now button at the top of the page.
- Congratulations the first episode of your podcast has been published!
- Click on the purple Let’s do it button.
- Promote your Podcast:
- Podcast Website - WordPress.com or Anchor.fm:
- The easiest option is to use the Anchor.fm website that comes with your account. You don’t have as much flexibility with it as you do with a Wordpress.com account, but it is a good place to start. You can always create a different website later.
- A WordPress website gives you more flexibility over both how your podcast website looks and how many pages it has. You can always attend a Digital Scholarship Commons Wordpress workshop to get some help getting started - Access Digital Scholarship Workshops here
- The easiest option is to use the Anchor.fm website that comes with your account. You don’t have as much flexibility with it as you do with a Wordpress.com account, but it is a good place to start. You can always create a different website later.
- Social Media:
- Don’t forget to promote your podcast and each episode on social media: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc. If there are specific hashtags or groups focused on the topic of your podcast, those would be good areas to focus your efforts on.
- Create images, clips and share quotes that listeners can share on social media. Anchor.fm has a tool that helps you create short video and audio clips to share
- Create an Email List using MailChimp:
- Fans of your podcast not on social media may want to hear from you directly about new podcast episodes, news. MailChimp is a great option -
- Make sure to mention your mail list in each podcast episode, and on your podcast website.
- Be a guest on other related podcasts. Ask friends or other podcasters with related podcasts to be a guest and use that opportunity to mention your podcast. Typically the host of the podcast will include your podcast name as they introduce you (photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash).
- Ask your listeners to review and rate your episode in the iTunes store. Ratings and reviews are the best way to get traction and to make it onto iTunes charts.
- Publish consistently and on a schedule so listeners know when they will get new content.
- Podcast Website - WordPress.com or Anchor.fm:
Great Job and Good Luck!