Jessica Cordova Kramer is the CEO and co-founder of award-winning podcast community Lemonada Media. She can also be the manager producer of 1 Lemonada’s new exhibits Being Trans, a podcast that makes use of a daring new reality-style format to comply with the lives of 4 trans folks in Los Angeles.
“We began Being Trans, as a result of it is one of the misunderstood and sophisticated problems with our time and there was a large curiosity from our viewers,” says Cordova Kramer, “specifically feeling and studying one thing that was in contrast to their very own private expertise and realizing that they have been oftentimes parenting youngsters who have been having complicated gender questions or buddies or relations.”
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For Cordova Kramer, podcasting is a robust medium for exhibits like Being Trans. It might probably journey with you all through your day, there is no digital camera concerned (which permits folks to open up), and the trail to producing a narrative that feels pressing is far simpler than say, making a documentary. Lastly, the intimacy of audio permits the listener to immersive themselves in another person’s world.
For those who’ve been bitten by the podcast bug, this wholeheartedly. However it may be formidable to get began. Don’t be concerned, Cordova Kramer has some concepts. Since co-founding Lemonada with Stephanie Wittels Wachs in 2019, the community has produced 22 exhibits, so it is secure to say Cordova Kramer is aware of what she’s speaking about. This is her recommendation on the way to begin a podcast.
1. Know that your voice issues.
These days it looks like everybody has a podcast. However Cordova Kramer would not assume that is a nasty factor.
“Everybody says there’s too many podcasts, however there will not be too many podcasts. There is not any such factor as an excessive amount of content material,” says Cordova Kramer. “Your bizarre quirky factor might be another person’s bizarre, quirky factor. So in the event you’re enthusiastic about it, go do it.”
2. You do not really want a lot to get began
It may be intimidating in the event you’ve seen veteran podcasters recording in a state-of-the-art studio, however lately you do not want fancy tools to make a professional-sounding podcast. “There’s merchandise on the market like SoundCloud and Zencastr which might be very easy and accessible,” says Cordova Kramer. “And you are able to do proper out of your laptop computer and speak to somebody who’s throughout the globe with out tons of pricy tools simply to get a proof of idea going.”
“There’s simply a number of methods you may get into the sport fairly shortly.”
When you get your podcast off the bottom, you possibly can take into consideration investing in good tools. If it is a easy speak present format you may not ever want greater than a pc and enhancing software program. “There’s simply a number of methods you may get into the sport fairly shortly.”
3. Maintain the scope manageable.
Do not mistake stepping into the sport shortly for overcommitting to a brand new mission that hasn’t been examined but. “I all the time inform folks to strive it first and see if it has legs for a weekly podcast.” Cordova Kramer suggests making six episodes and see the way it goes. You would possibly discover {that a} weekly tempo is simply too demanding, or get to episode 5 and notice you don’t have anything left to speak about.
“For those who get to episode 5, and you are like, ‘Man, I may discuss this for the remainder of my life,’ nice, do it,” says Cordova Kramer. “However set your self up for fulfillment and never ‘I’m going to do that podcast for the remainder of eternity,’ as a result of you do not know what it is gonna really feel like.”
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4. Monetize from the start.
So that you survived making six episodes and also you need to hold going. That is solely half the battle, as a result of now you need to get your podcast on the market. “See in the event you can companion with somebody who’s excited by the identical message that you’re and see in the event you can offset the prices of the tools and distributing it indirectly,” says Cordova Kramer.
“It will not be an enormous moneymaker from the beginning, however fascinated with the way you would possibly monetize it, or no less than offset prices early can assist it really feel extra sustainable over time.”
5. Spend money on advertising and marketing.
With a view to monetize, that you must market your podcast, however in an effort to market your podcast, you want cash. Mainly monetization and advertising and marketing want simultaneous consideration, so it’s kind of of a chicken-or-the-egg state of affairs. However as an alternative of selling/monetization as competing components, take into consideration them as a part of the larger goal which is getting folks to take heed to your podcast.
“We actually take into consideration all the expertise that somebody may need discovering the present,” says Cordova Kramer. “We take into consideration the artwork, does it make sense? Does the title make sense? Is it going to inform folks what the present is about? Once they click on the artwork? Does the outline make sense? Does it pull them in? What issues is it fixing for folks? Or what curiosity is it piquing for folks?”
“We actually take into consideration all the expertise that somebody may need discovering the present.”
Different elements to consider are episode descriptions for search engine optimization and the way to categorize the podcast for discovery. When you have a comedy podcast, the comedy class is notoriously aggressive, so perhaps put it in arts the place it may be discovered extra simply.
6. Assume strategically about promotion timing.
As soon as you have established a rock-solid model id you possibly can promote your present by means of channels that align together with your pursuits. Cordova Kramer says to benefit from promo instruments on platforms like Apple and Spotify which might be “fantastic and are actually in search of fascinating, numerous content material.”
She additionally recommends fascinated with thematic occasions of the 12 months. “When you have a Filipino meals podcast, for instance, Asian American Historical past Month is a good time to attempt to get some promotion,” says Cordova Kramer. “That is in Might, so that you need to begin in March or February to get some curiosity in your present.”
“Somebody who already listens to podcasts is the almost definitely individual to go and take heed to a brand new podcast.”
One other strategy to promote your present is thru cross promotion with related podcasts. Cordova Kramer says it may very well be something from an informal shout-out to an ad-swap, which is a extra formal settlement to play one another’s trailer or excerpt.
Cross promotion is tremendous efficient and is one thing that Cordova Kramer nonetheless makes use of at present, as a result of “audio converts to audio,” she says. “Somebody who already listens to podcasts is the almost definitely individual to go and take heed to a brand new podcast.”
7. Discover your folks.
The fantastic thing about podcasts is that there are all the time going to be individuals who join together with your bizarre thought and people are those that that you must search out. “Discover your folks, take into consideration your your core listener and exit from there. And simply do not be discouraged. It is a very nice medium, and it is it’s extremely forgiving.”
There are tons of nice sources to assist you in your podcast journey. Listed below are a few of Cordova Kramer’s favorites:
