How to Start a Podcast for Your Fitness Business

Are you a fan of a good podcast? You’re not alone. Recent statistics show that almost 60% of US consumers aged 12 and over have listened to at least one podcast in their lives, a figure that is only set to rise.

While you may be familiar with podcasts as a form of entertainment (Who doesn’t love listening along while exercising or completing chores?), they also represent a lucrative marketing tool. Over 50% of listeners report being somewhat or much more inclined to purchase goods or services advertised on a podcast. Combined with the fact that ‘health and fitness’ represents the fourth most popular podcast genre in the US, it’s clear that starting a branded podcast series could push your gym or wellness business to the next level.

If you’re not particularly tech savvy, the idea of starting a podcast may seem daunting. Contrary to popular belief, however, you don’t require heaps of money or technical knowledge to record engaging material. With this in mind, we’ve put together a guide on how to start a podcast from home. In the long term, these tips could help you build a loyal audience and enrich your marketing strategy.

Step 1: Develop an idea

You must come up with a compelling idea if you want to reap the full benefits of starting a podcast. After all, you won’t drive conversions and sales if you’re speaking no one. into an audience-free abyss. Ideally, your podcast should resonate and build an emotional connection with your key demographics, drive brand awareness and authority, and generate leads for your company.

To ensure your podcast hits the right notes, ask yourself the following questions:

• What topics and themes will you address? Try to come up with concepts that audience members can apply to their everyday lives.
• What are your competitors doing? How will you differentiate yourself?
• Is your concept broad enough? Are you likely to run out of ideas after the first couple of episodes?

You must also remember that sales-y podcasts seem inauthentic and are likely to drive away customers, so you must try to win over audience members through subtle suggestions. Say, for example, your primary demographic is middle-aged women hoping to lose weight. Creating a podcast that busts weight loss myths and promotes healthy approaches to dieting and fitness could work wonders for your subscription numbers.

Step 2: Consider your format

Podcasts take a variety of formats, including interviews, formal panels, informal chats, storytelling, news-style, Q&A sessions, and more. As a fitness brand, you could try hosting a different health and wellness expert every week to ensure your content doesn’t get repetitive. Alternatively, you could host a podcast about different sports or fitness techniques, addressing each one with unique commentary from week to week.

Other factors to consider include:

• How long will your episodes be? The average podcast show is between 25 and 30 minutes long. Keeping your episodes concise in this way will ensure listeners don’t get bored.
• How often will you release episodes? While you don’t want to spend all your precious time recording podcasts, you will need to maintain a steady stream of content if you want to keep listeners engaged. Try to release episodes at least once a month or (if you can) every week or two.
• What will you name your podcast? Come up with something catchy and obviously related to the fitness industry.
• What will your artwork and description look like? Your artwork and description will help drive listener numbers, so don’t neglect them. Design artwork that includes your logo and the name of your show, ensuring that it will stand out on mobile devices. For your description, try to summarize your podcast in 150 characters and weave in some searchable keywords.

Step 3: Develop a content calendar

Next, come up with a preliminary content calendar covering the first few weeks of your podcast. Try to think of a diverse range of topics relevant to your client base, and remember,  do plenty of research.  If you’re creating a solo show in which you pitch yourself as a fitness expert, research and present your findings in the same way a writer would write a blog post. If interviews or panels are more your thing, remember to research your guest or topic and organize a list of dynamic questions to ask.                                           

Step 4: Source the equipment needed to start a podcast

Every podcaster needs a PC, but what else can help you create professional recordings?

Other key bits of equipment include:

• USB or XLR microphone: Around 33% of podcasters use USB microphones as they tend to deliver high-quality sound at an affordable price. However, you may wish to shop around for other options.
• Internet access: A strong connection will ensure your recording is smooth and glitch-free.
• Headphones: Although 26% of podcasters admit to recording without headphones on, this is a dangerous strategy. Wearing headphones will make the editing process easier, as they allow you to listen to playback as you record.
• Mic stands: This could include a floor stand, a desk stand, or a boom arm.
• A mixer: This will help you combine audio signals, although only around half of podcasters use mixers.
• Digital recorder: Although you may wish to record via computer software, a separate digital recorder could improve your audio quality.

Step 5: Record and edit your podcast

Crunch time! Once your schedule and equipment are in place, you can start recording your shows. We recommend running a few tests beforehand to help you get to grips with your recording tech. You should also send advance reminders to contributors about recording sessions to ensure you stay on schedule.

Once your raw material is recorded, you can edit it with software such as Audacity, Adobe Audition, GarageBand, or Logic Pro X. If you’re new to the world of editing, you may wish to outsource the job, as it can be rather time-consuming.

Step 6: Find somewhere to host and store your podcast

Once your polished episodes are in the bag, you will need a medium to host them. There are plenty of affordable podcast hosting services out there, including ZenCast, Buzzsprout, and Spreaker, each of which offers great features such as analytics tracking and voice mixing tools. Once hosted, you can post your podcast to your site and submit it to several platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify. We recommend submitting your work to as many platforms as possible—the more places you appear, the more people are likely to listen to your podcasts.

Step 7: Promote your podcast

Finally, you should dedicate time to promoting your podcast through a variety of channels. Capturing listeners is similar to attracting blog post readers, a skill with which most marketers will be very comfortable. Possible options include:

• Posting episodes to social media: An instant winner if you already have a large following!
• Appearing on other podcasts: If you’re an expert on a fitness-related topic, why not offer to appear as a guest on a relevant podcast? Just remember to plug your own show at some point during the recording.
• Promoting your show via email or SMS: Why not include information about your podcast in your regular newsletter?
• Encouraging listeners to like, subscribe, and spread the word: This is the oldest trick in the podcasting book (And it works!).

Make (sound)waves today with WellnessLiving

If you’re keen to break into the podcast world but need help getting started, WellnessLiving is here to help. Our all-in-one software is perfect for promoting podcasts via email and SMS channels, while our Presence™ website builder can be used to create a searchable home for your audio content.

Want to learn more about how WellnessLiving could help to grow your business? Don’t hesitate to book a free, no-commitment demo today!