By Clark Greer
Podcasts are like radio on steroids, thanks to high-quality digital streaming and the ability to reach a target audience anywhere — car, home, and mobile devices. According to a page on RSS.com’s website (“Podcast statistics,” 2026), more than half of Americans ages 12 and older listen to podcasts each month. And podcast listenership continues to grow. That’s good news for anyone who wants to start a podcast. However, as the RSS.com article points out, it also means listeners have become accustomed to high-quality programs and an expectation to receive excellent content in exchange for their time.
This article provides several considerations if you want to begin podcasting. There is much to say about this topic. Rather than hit into the weeds (á la golf), here are some basic elements to remember before starting a show.
Targeting Your Podcast Audience
Specifying the audience you want to reach is an essential first step. Let’s say you want to connect with cat owners. “My audience is anyone who has a cat,” you say. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) reported in 2025 that more than 40 million households in the U.S. had a cat (“US pet,” 2025). That’s a lot of cats, but the number also represents several population segments (e.g., millennials, Gen Z, etc.), each of which has different interests, life experiences, and needs. Segmentation involves dividing the total audience (e.g., all cat lovers) into distinct portions based on commonalities. Audience segmentation enables you to determine characteristics of your show, such as style, format, and discussion topics to direct your show to them.
Setting a Goal
Next, establish the end goal for your podcast: What do you want to accomplish? It might be education — providing information about various cat topics. If your show follows an interview format, each of your guests will help listeners learn more about a particular subject. Another approach is informational, which could focus on new products and technologies related to cats. You might also take a journalistic approach and present recent cat news. Yet another method is storytelling, featuring cat owners relating their perspectives and experiences with their four-footed family members.
Formatting the Podcast Show
This involves establishing the organization and presentation of the podcast. One format is solo and focuses on the host giving news items and possibly including other types of content, such as short interview segments. It is akin to a morning radio host who provides traffic reports, news headlines, and maybe trivia. A popular format for podcasts involves interviews. These discussions can be either lighter content or serious chats about cat issues. The benefit is that it mixes personality with education. A third format is a duo or announcer pair who talk about the episode topic but also might include one or more interviews with guests.
The length of the podcast will affect the format. A shorter show (e.g., 20 to 30 minutes) means immediately jumping into the discussion with little banter. Buzzsprout noted that 20- to 40-minute shows represent the highest percentage (31%) of episode lengths on its platform (“Buzzsprout podcast,” 2026).
Setting Frequency of Podcast Shows
Another decision you need to make is the frequency of your podcast (e.g., daily, weekly, or monthly). A daily program is ambitious if a podcast is something you produce on the side in addition to having fulltime employment. A daily show means more consistent connections with your listeners, but it also requires lining up enough guests. According to Buzzsprout, weekly podcasts are the most common frequency of shows on its platform. Podcasts that are monthly are much easier to manage and produce, especially when featuring interviews. However, audience connectivity is an important consideration. As Cherie Choi (2025) noted in a Podbean Blog article, there are additional posting considerations, including day of the week and time of day, that ideally match your target audience listening habits.
Hosting your Podcast
Podcasts must reside somewhere before they are distributed on various podcast platforms. There are many hosting services, so do your research to select the one that best fits your needs and that reaches your target audience. Cost is also part of that decision.
Ensuring Technical Quality
Podcasters are concerned about not only a show’s content quality but also its technical quality. There are four points to remember when recording a podcast to ensure the technical aspect is top-flight. First is the piece of equipment (mixer) that combines audio sources, such as your microphone and input from the guest’s audio connection. I use a Rodecaster for all my interviews to control audio levels for each source, including a microphone (the Rodecaster has receptacles for four mics), a phone input, and a place to connect a cable to a computer for Zoom interviews and similar technologies you might use for the interview. Mixers with many of the same features are available from other companies.
A second consideration is how you will connect with your guest for the interview. Most of my interviews have been via phone, but sometimes quality was not the best. I have used Zoom and am planning to adopt that platform for future interviews to enhance audio quality. I also used WhatsApp once to interview a guest who was overseas at the time and Google Meet for several interviews.
Third, carefully select the microphone you use. My microphone of choice is a Rode Podmic; however, there are other excellent mics made by various manufacturers. As with other aspects of producing a podcast, cost of a mic is also a determining factor. For example, a USB mic can be plugged into your computer without having to purchase a mixer. You do not have to break the bank to obtain a mic that is perfect for a podcast. For guests, an external mic is best. However, if that is not possible, ask the interviewee to sit close to the computer they are using for the interview for clearer sound.
The location for recording a podcast is the final quality consideration. Ensure you select a quiet place that is away from ambient sounds in your house. Avoid locations, such as large windows that face a busy street. Even slight wind from a central air conditioner vent can introduce unwanted noise. If you create video podcasts, the room must be uncluttered except for some strategically placed quality visuals. You also will need to plan for lighting to ensure you are clearly seen.
Prepping for the Show
Just like relying on GPS during a road trip, knowing where the show is heading is essential. It starts with a topic that fits the big goal and, more importantly, a topic that motivates your target audience to listen.
Search online for top concerns about the topic and how each one connects with your audience. Read reliable online sources. Talk to friends who have an interest in your podcast topic. For example, an idea for one of my shows came from a friend who said his cat seemed stressed. The resulting interview is currently the most downloaded episode of my podcast.
The next step for show preparation is research. Focus on pertinent issues associated with the topic and read as much as possible to inform your discussion. Finally, create a list of discussion points based on your research.
Inviting Guests
If you’re planning an interview show, securing appropriate guests is a given. Once you nail down an episode and have researched the topic, you are better equipped to find a guest. Referrals from prior guests are a big help. You can also conduct online searches for individuals and organizations with an expertise in your topic.
I maintain a list of people I invite to be guests, including contact information, web address, and the type of information I want to discuss with them. Then, I send them an email that introduces the show, my background, a short invitation to be on the show, and why they would make a good guest in relation to the topic.
When someone accepts the invitation, I often have a pre-interview visit to review the show format and potential points I would like to discuss. The pre-interview visit also gives guests an opportunity to add discussion items. After the chat, I send them a guest release form they can sign electronically. My business attorney did a great job of hitting all the bases when composing the form.
Ready, Set …: Promoting the Show
Your podcast has a hosting home. You’ve purchased appropriate equipment for recording episodes. Your first guests are scheduled. You’ve developed a solid format for the show. However, a well-produced podcast doesn’t mean much if no one knows about it.
Designing a proactive promotion approach will help you cover all the ways people can find your podcast. One means to do that is via your social media channels. Tell current followers your show is online. Then, keep promoting it, such as posting weekly about upcoming guests. Build a website with a domain name that matches your show name. That will give potential listeners a landing place where they can learn about you, the show’s history and purpose, guests, and recent shows. It can also house a blog.
Use word-of-mouth communications and hand out business cards with your show artwork and information. My podcast business card includes a QR code that makes it easy for people to access episodes. I’m not shy about giving cards to almost anyone. “Do you like cats?” I’ll ask. It’s a starting point that enables me to give an “elevator presentation” about the show and guests.
Editor’s note: If you start a podcast, be sure to post about it at the CWA’s groups.io email list!
Podcasting can seem like jumping into the deep end of a pool. A myriad of tasks are required before beginning a show, and they continue over the lifetime of the podcast. Starting on the right foot is the key to successful shows that attract and retain viewers.
References
Buzzsprout podcast stats (2026, June). Buzzsprout. https://www.buzzsprout.com/stats.
Choi, C. (2025, October 31). Timing Is everything: The best day and time to publish your podcast. Podbean Blog. https://blog.podbean.com/best-time-to-publish-your-podcast/.
Podcast statistics: The current state of podcasting (2026, May 18). RSS.com. https://rss.com/blog/the-current-state-of-podcasting.
U.S. pet ownership statistics (2025). American Veterinary Medical Association. https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/reports-statistics/us-pet-ownership-statistics.
About the Author
Clark F. Greer is the founder of Derecho Cat Media, LLC, a communications consulting company. He hosts “The Hissing Feline” podcast; produces the “Derecho Cat and Tumbleweed” video series (YouTube); and is author of The Striped Tornado: Life and Times of a Rotten Cat (Kindle Direct paperback), a memoir about his late cat, Sadie.
Clark’s education includes a PhD in communication studies and an MA in broadcast journalism. Over 21 years, he was a full-time communications professor at three universities.
While in academia, Clark authored and co-authored 25 research articles that were published in academic journals. He also delivered more than two-dozen research papers at academic conferences. He is co-author of a book chapter and co-author of a textbook.
Before entering academia, Clark spent more than a decade at companies and organizations, working in public relations, organizational communications, marketing communications, advertising (production artist), and radio news.
Clark,
Thank you for this very informative article! So many relevant details, right down to a guest release form. I appreciate the practical advice.
This gives a very clear idea of what is involved, Thank You.
You certainly need to focus on who your audience as competition must be fierce! Research and preparation seem so important before you even start working on your material.
Great article. I respect those who can talk on cue.