Dec 1, 2022
5 mins read
In part 1 of this two-part series we discussed why launching a podcast can be a great way to grow your immigration law firm’s reach, build an audience and establish yourself as an expert. We also went over a few possible directions you can take as far as the focus of your podcast, format and more.
In this article, part 2 of our series, we’re getting a bit more practical and will be talking about the logistics of actually creating and distributing a podcast. We’ll go over some of the equipment, tools and apps you’ll need, ranging from low-end to high-end.
The goal of this article is to leave you feeling confident about the merits of creating the podcast and everything you need to actually get started.
If you want to approach launching a podcast as minimalistically as possible, all you really need to start is a smartphone. You can use your smartphone’s built-in microphone, record yourself talking using your phone’s native voice recording app, and upload that audio onto a podcast platform. Technically, this is all you need.
But if you’re looking to launch a podcast to grow your immigration law firm, while it doesn’t have to be professional, we would recommend putting in a little effort to make the content compelling, the quality sufficiently good, and the appearance professional. So let’s look at some of the essential tools you’ll need to get started with your podcast.
As we mentioned above, at the most basic level, your smartphone microphone will do, especially if you use the wired headphone microphone that comes with your smartphone. But if you’re able to invest even a little bit of money in a microphone, two common podcasting microphones you can consider include Audio-Technica’s ATR series, which range from inexpensive to higher-end mics, and which are especially good for early-stage podcasters, as well as the Blue Yeti, one of the most highly rated microphones on the market, and only slightly more expensive than the Audio-Technicas.
Again, when you’re just getting started at the most basic level, you can simply use the speakers on your smartphone or laptop. However, wearing headphones, even the ones that come with your smartphone, is preferred, to help you get a better idea of the sound quality of your recording, and simply to hear better as you’re recording, especially if you have a guest. However, a good pair of over-ear headphones are advisable over earbuds, as they are more comfortable and have much better sound quality. Here are some headphone recommendations covering various price points and technical specifications. You may be surprised to find the headphones used by Joe Rogan, one of the biggest podcasters in the world, on this list, which just goes to show that even a podcast with millions of listeners doesn’t need the most expensive equipment.
Continuing with our basic to more advanced recommendations, you can start recording podcast episodes with a virtual meeting software like Zoom, Google Meets, Skype, or Ringr, especially if you have one or multiple guests. However, as you work towards improving your podcast, you may want to consider using more specialized recording software, ranging from Quicktime or GarageBand, both of which come preloaded on most Apple computers, a free recording platform like Audacity, which has the advantage of being open source and compatible with all major operating systems, or many others. The important thing is to look for one that fits your price range and has the features that you truly need.
Once your episode is recorded, you may want to edit it. Whether you’re simply cutting out unwanted clips or fully producing each podcast episode, editing software makes this process easier. Free editing tools include GarageBand, which is noted above as a recording tool as well and which comes preloaded on Apple computers, Audacity, which was also mentioned above and Riverside.fm. For paid options, consider Adobe Audition, Logic Pro X or REAPER, which range in price, as well as sophistication, but will enable you to tackle even the most complex editing projects.
In the same way you need to host your website on a site like GoDaddy, you also need to host your podcast on a platform that will enable others to find it. In 2022, Anchor has become one of the most known podcast hosting platforms, not only because of its hosting capabilities but because it was created to take you through the entire podcast creation process in one platform. Anchor combines recording, editing, and sharing in all the major podcast platforms and even includes monetization tools, the ability to record your own ads to insert into your podcasts, and video podcast recording capabilities.
Other podcast hosting platforms such as Buzzsprout and Libsyn offer similar features to Anchor, as well as different plans depending on the number of hours of audio you will upload each month. Given that features are rather similar across platforms, evaluate and pick one that fits your needs and personal preferences.
Since one of the most important aspects of creating a podcast is actually getting others to listen to it, knowing how to brand and market your podcast is crucial. Here are two great tools that can easily help: Canva for creating podcast artwork, and Headliner to create short clips of your podcast episodes that you can upload and share on social media. Let’s go over each of them.
Canva gives you access to hundreds of podcast templates you can choose from to create your own cover art for your podcast. If you have guests, your episode cover artwork can help you advertise your guests more prominently. In addition to podcast covers, Canva offers beautiful templates for all your content creating needs.
As for Headliner, it helps you cross-promote your podcast on social media by taking snippets of your already-published podcast episodes, superimposing that audio snippet on that episode’s cover art, and enabling you to download and thus share that file, as a video, on social media. As your existing audience on social media learns about your podcast and follows you “across platforms,” they learn about you, your immigration law firm and your expertise in greater depth. Plus, sharing the snippets you create on Headliner on social media helps get your podcast on the radar of even more listeners, some of whom may invite you onto their podcast or otherwise present you with speaking opportunities.
As a busy immigration lawyer fully immersed in growing your firm, it may seem impossible to even think about starting something like a podcast. But what if you could cut your case preparation time by as much as 50% with the right immigration case management platform in place? That’s where Docketwise comes in.
With our full library of immigration forms, easy-to-use client questionnaires, client communication tools, industry-leading API integrations and more, Docketwise helps you stay up to date and ahead of the curve on all your immigration cases, thereby helping you focus on building your immigration law firm, even if that means starting your own podcast.
To learn more about Docketwise, schedule a demo at the link below, or sign up for our Immigration Briefings newsletter for daily and weekly immigration updates!
