Get Your Message Out Through Creating a Podcast With Buzzsprout

My review of Buzzsprout is further down, but I first want to set the foundation about WHY you should start a podcast.

When I started Morning Upgrade, I knew I wanted to create content in different ways so I could reach a broader audience. My ultimate goal with the site is to raise the awareness of personal development and morning routines.

It started with the blog which I built with a free WordPress theme to start and then rebuilt it with GeneratePress. To increase the number of people who find the site, I’ve invested time into optimizing the SEO of the site including running it on fast hosting through WPX.

Then I decided to start the Morning Upgrade Podcast to further spread my message. The podcast allows me to bring a different entrepreneur onto the show each week to share their insights into how personal development has helped them in life and business…and making these connections really fills my cup!

Why Am I Telling You All of This?

Because as your entrepreneurial or personal development journey progresses, your desire to help others will likely grow. This is the natural progression of most entrepreneurs…you create success and you’ll then naturally want to inspire other people on their journey as well.

Take Bill Gates for example. He’s uber-wealthy and now spends a lot of time and money on his foundation and giving back. I’m using an extreme example here, but I believe this progression is common for most entrepreneurs, small and large.

Why I Started the Morning Upgrade Podcast

While Morning Upgrade is a revenue-generating business, the real goal is to create impact and to leave the world a better place than it was before. My goal is to help other entrepreneurs increase their area of influence and inject personal development into their businesses and life. Part of the way I do this is by creating a show that features other entrepreneurs and their personal development habits, things they’ve overcome in business, and tips they want to share. 

My hope is that someone like you will come to the site, or listen to the podcast, and learn new techniques that you weren’t aware of before…you then implement them as you go down your personal growth path…and eventually, you’ll share with other people what you’re doing. I invest in you so you might invest in others…it creates a ripple effect that’s bigger than either of us. 

A Podcast Can Be Used as a Vehicle to Get Your Message Out

Podcasting is actually much easier to do than you would think. It also doesn’t require as much equipment as it once did. I record my episodes using Dialpad using a Yeti microphone and Krisp for noise cancellation. In the rest of this article, I will outline some tips for starting a podcast, but first, you have to figure out what your show will be about. 

What are you passionate about?

Do you have an area of expertise?

What do people come to you for?

What are you good at? 

How can you leave the world a better place?

Once you have the idea for your show, then you can take the steps to get your show off the ground. 

How to Start Your Own Podcast 

When I started thinking about the Morning Upgrade podcast, I had no idea how to record, edit, or distribute my shows. It caused friction because I wasn’t excited about the learning curve behind producing the show. But, I had several people in my mastermind who had podcasts and helped me. Also, I listened to other podcasts that gave me ideas and tips on how to get going. 

In a nutshell:

• I use Dialpad to record the interviews.
• I get the show edited by someone on Fiverr.
• I also used someone on Fiverr to create the show graphics and intro/outro.
• For finding guests, I tapped into my network to start, but I’m fortunately in a position now where people approach me…once you get to this stage, you never have to worry about releasing episodes because you’ll have a queue of interviews to pull from. If you don’t have a network to find guests, you can use a service such as Podmatch.

But how was I going to host and distribute my show?

I was not aware of how to do this. In my research, I found Buzzsprout. It’s a user-friendly podcast hosting company that makes it easy for you to upload your episodes and distribute them to all of the top platforms – iTunes, Stitcher, etc. 

Before I decided to go with Buzzsprout, I tested out their customer service by emailing them a bunch of questions. They got back to me right away and did a good job answering my questions in detail. It’s always important to make sure the support of a company is responsive, because if you have issues, you’ll want to make sure someone will be there to help you. 

Note: When you sign up with Buzzsprout for one of their paid plans, you get a free $20 Amazon gift card.

OK, so I’ve been using Buzzsprout for 2 years now, and here is what I like about the tool:

1. Easy to Distribute Your Podcast on All Platforms

One important thing with your podcast is how you’re going to distribute it and get it out to all of the podcasting platforms such as iTunes, Stitcher, and other syndicators. Some of these platforms are easy and Buzzsprout just takes the information you provide during setup and creates your account in one click.

Some of the podcast platforms require that you go to a page and apply to have your show added. It took me an hour or two to initially set up all of the places that required this application process. Once I submitted my information to those platforms, and was approved, Buzzsprout automatically pushes my new episodes out to them once they go live. 

You don’t have to apply to all of the platforms, but I highly recommend it. It creates more exposure for your show and helps you grow faster. Anytime I release a new episode, it goes live on every platform I’m set upon.

2. Uploading Content Is Simple

The way the tool works is to allow you to add your show information, cover art, show description, and audio file. They make this very easy…you don’t have to be a web developer, or highly technological, to upload your show. It’s basically just typing information into fields.

You can upload as many audio files as you like, store them in Buzzsprout, and schedule them out so you can stay ahead. I like to have 6-8 weeks of shows in the queue so I’m never scrambling for content to push live.  

3. Pick a Plan That’s Right for Your Show

All the Buzzsprout plans are essentially the same in terms of features. The difference is the amount of audio content you can upload…from 3 hours to 12 hours per month. I have the basic plan which is 3 hours per month because my shows are very short…15-20 minutes per interview.

They also offer a free plan, but I do NOT recommend using it because your episodes are deleted after 90 days.

4. Special Features

There are some cool features inside Buzzsprout; one is free and one I pay extra for. Here are two that I use:

Pre-Roll Promotion (free)

Once I launched my Morning Routine Cards, I wanted to add a pre-roll promotion to my podcast episodes…both previous and future episodes. All I had to do is record a 45-second clip, and with one click I was able to add that to all of my existing episodes plus the new ones. 

This feature allows you to add dynamic content on the front or back of the podcast. I recommend you add it to the front since every listener will hear it. 

Magic Mastering (costs extra)

This is a tool you can use to even out the inconsistencies in your audio files. When you use this add-on service, it automatically makes your sound quality better. Good sound quality on a podcast is important to build and maintain your listener base. Some listeners are more sensitive to audio that’s louder in some spots or quieter in others. 

5. Review Your Show Stats

Buzzsprout gives you stats on your downloads. You can change up the stats to show you your 30-day listens, 90-day listens, lifetime listens, etc. The stats they show you are the total listens of your episodes whether they listen on a platform such as iTunes…or on your website.

6. Embed a Podcast Player in Your Show Notes

It’s important to create a show notes page for every episode of your podcast (here’s an example of mine). Buzzsprout gives you an embed code so you can add the player right into your post. On your blog, you can link up to resources you mention, or how someone can find a guest that was on your show. This helps you promote your show because it gives you a link to share with your audience and for your guests to share with their audiences. 

7. Create a Social Media Audio Clip

Buzzsprout makes it easy for you to create a 15-second clip of your episode that can be used on your social media platforms. You can upload this as a post on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook and then link back to your show notes page for someone to listen. You can also upload those clips as stories on Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram. 

The Top Reasons I Like Buzzsprout

Ultimately, the top reasons I like Buzzsprout is they offer cool features, they have responsive support, make the overall process super user-friendly, and it’s cost-effective. I’ve been able to consistently put out a new episode every week, and I actually enjoy it. If I were getting bogged down in the technical aspect of releasing a new show, I know I wouldn’t be as consistent. 

I hope my Buzzsprout review will help you make a good decision for your podcast and give you the confidence to start your own show! Contact me with any questions! -Ryan