Podcasts, radio shows, audiobooks have suddenly burst out into the world of Indian content creators. The radio you are familiar with, but podcast? What's the difference? Podcasting now seems like the vlogging thing just with audio, right? But let me tell you what I found with my little "Alice in Wonderland" journey with podcasting.

It was in 2018 when I launched my podcast, and it was because of the free podcast hosting platform Anchor. As a part of my "blogging journey" mantra, I only spend time and money on things that first give value even free. It's the middle-class money mantra, which I have applied everywhere in my life. This is why when I tell you that podcasting is one way of making a real impact, lend me your ears!

The three things about podcasts which confuse people

#1 Why should you do it? Is it worth the effort?

Podcasting is the content that can give you an extra edge. If you are already writing, you can tweak it to make it a script and then record it. When people are working out, cooking, or doing laundry, they can still listen to you. They can't do it with a video or blogpost.

When you write, your voice is revealed, but people intuitively know whether you mean what you say when you speak. You build relationships. It's not easy to fake it on audio. If you are making authentic content, telling real stories to help, your audience will appreciate you. But don't do it if you don't like it, because the audience will hear that too in your voice.

Now since podcasts are also being shown in Google search results, your chance of gaining visibility just went to a whole new level.

#2 How to do it without a headache?

The trick to doing anything is to get started. But podcasting is a marathon, not a sprint. So test your intent first. Try your hand using a platform like an Anchor or Kuku FM. It's easy to use. Anchor automates RSS feed distribution to 10 platforms, and you can use the feed to manually submit elsewhere. There are many other platforms, but to get started, that's the simplest version.

Use an app like HiQ (you then have the raw audio with you) or use Anchor studio. The budget-friendly Boya lapel mike is helpful when you are getting started. Upload a podcast image: a minimum of 1400px by 1400px is needed for good resolution. Write down a good description, mention your blogpost about the topic (traffic source), resource links, and then publish. See the top podcasts in your niche and see how they do it.

If you think you want to give an audio option to your readers, this is perfect. Audacity will help you with edits. But the Anchor app lets you make necessary improvements too. The Audio merger apps will help you merge multiple audio segments. Use the embed option for individual audio. Use the RSS feed for the jetpack track player.

Special tip: After getting into the podcast groove, you can use Fusebox Pat Flynn's perfect sticky podcast player and try out the basic version.

The sticky podcast player makes it easy to grab your audience's attention and retention. The Fusebox plugin by Pat Flynn is easy to set up and helps to keep the visitors on your website engaged. The free version serves this purpose, and the paid version will help you capture email leads and more.

#3 Making money or something else?

An Indian podcast platform that is making waves is the KUKU FM platform. KUKU FM has an option to host your podcasts in English and almost all Indian regional languages. The platform is continually growing and is one of the fastest Indian podcasting platforms in India. You can host your podcast for free.

In fact, you can host multiple podcasts as well as audiobooks under your own creator profile. The inbuilt studio of the app is excellent. It improves your audio quality much better than with other standalone recording apps. They have contests that will help you start monetizing your podcast. They are even planning to have monetizing options available for their podcasters. The best part is they are serious about helping you reach your listeners. The Podcasting community is also very supportive, which makes all the difference.

Podcasts are here to stay. Audio content will help you reach a whole new audience base. When it comes to making money, it's like value-added content. You can offer it as a separate package or sometimes as bonus content; you decide according to the value you can give to your listeners and brand. Remember your loyalty is to your listeners. You can always add sponsored bits even later!