As Nobody’s Listening Podcast creeps up on its one year anniversary (woot!) I can’t help but look back at my podlife in 2007. I’ve gotten acquainted with a lot of great people. Many of which have been inspired to experiment with starting their own show. It’s been one of the most gratifying parts of podcasting being able to inspire others the way Scott and Micheal did me.

I’ve compiled a five tips I find myself giving (or wishing I had given) folks who are looking to start a podcast as a hobby. Hope they help you!

6 Tips For Starting A Hobby Podcast

1. Keep it simple. Especially if you’re pressed for time in real life. Prepping for a podcast can take more time than doing the podcast. Simplicity should also be the rule of every other aspect of your show. The website should be clean and simple. Don’t bog it down with ads, forums, etc. Forums are embarrassing until you have a following.

2. Educate yourself. To podcast you need to know computers, the internet, recording, compression, encoding, uploading, creating rss feeds, blogging and networking. (How To Podcast, Podcasting Step-by-Step, How I Podcast)

3. Do it for free. You can always upgrade everything to do with your show later. But you’ll never get your money back if you can’t keep your show going. The only think you may want to spend money on is a URL. Make sure the one you want is available for the name you have chosen and reserve it. Even if you don’t use it or only use it for a while, it’s only $8 a year. (Hosting/Blog – Switchpod, URL – GoDaddy, Recording – Audacity)

4. Use feedburner. It has great stats and let you know when people are listening even when they don’t talk to you (via email and vmail). As a podfriend once said, “Podcasting can be lonely” and he’s right. Feedburner will help you know they’re out there listening. Plus if you ever have to move your hosting, change your ‘real’ feed in anyway, you can just update what feedburner is pointing to and your subscribers will never know the difference. (Feedburner)

5. Start strong. When you release your first episode, don’t spend the whole show talking about what your show will be about. Make your first show what the show will be. When that show is ready to release, post that feed everywhere! Post it to iTunes, Podcast Pickle and every other list you can get on (but don’t ever pay to do so). Also, have a good name and a logo to begin with on a 300×300 graphic for iTunes. (iTunes, Podcast Pickle, Other places)

6. Be consistent. Monthly, bi-weekly, weekly, three times a week… whatever it is release regularly on the same day about the same time. That will mean reserving a recording time ahead of time. If you don’t put it on your calender, and get permission from family to spend the time, you will not release a consistent show. It’s okay for a hobby podcast to miss a week here and there… just let people know the week before.

I hope you find these tips helpful. If I can ever answer any questions for you, don’t hesitate to contact me. If you’d like to know how I do my show, read How I Podcast.