I’m sure you have heard that you could save money by outsourcing administrative duties, accounting, marketing, etc. It’s all true. Outsourcing podcasting creatives will help to increase your productivity and innovate creatively.
Why and When to Outsource
Unless you happen to specialize in creative production you should consider outsourcing podcasting related creative tasks. Outsourcing guarantees you a professional who knows what they are doing. You also save yourself the money the tools cost to professionally create graphics, websites, podcasts, etc. In the case of podcasts, you can quickly build content and a following.
Things a Podcaster Should Outsource
If you have never created a podcast, you might be surprised to learn what goes into creating one. You need to conduct numerous tasks before you launch your podcast including:
- Topic strategy and planning
- Website development
- Design assets including the logo, images/graphics, etc.
- Set up of the podcast channel
- Choosing and booking guests
- Guest advocacy
- Interviewing and recording of the interview
- Audio editing post-production
- Show notes
- Social media distribution
- Develop related products, calls to action (CTA) and the sales/option funnel
That all occurs before you broadcast a single show. If you think that might take a little too much of your time and your business might suffer, shop it all out.
What to Look for in Outsourcing Services
The ideal candidate already owns the proper recording equipment and a studio. This could be an audio engineer with a home studio or who works in a large studio that gives them the latitude to use the studio for projects at a reduced rate. They need to have experience with the theory and practice of audio engineering and editing, producing and mixdown. You might find a team that handles both the booking and research, plus the recording aspects. Bank on needing to hire separately though.
Here are five guidelines to help you choose the right podcast team.
- Choose experienced audio engineers and producers. Their knowledge benefits you and jumpstarts your product’s success.
- Choose a company that shares your values and motivations so that they become a true extension of your staff with the investment of a lifetime employee.
- Evaluate the talent level of their staff. Look at their employees’ LinkedIn profiles.
- Analyze their infrastructure with respect to recording facilities and technology.
- Rather than rely only on the information provided on their website, visit the facility before you contract with them.
You find your core team through a little research. Start by inquiring with local podcasters about their teams. You can also search on Twitter or Facebook. From these leads, visit their profiles on Fiverr, Freelancer and/or Upwork. Read their reviews from other contractors. Choose a podcast engineer or producer based on their prior project success. You will also need hosting for your podcast files, such as Podcasts.com.
Where to Outsource Podcast Artwork
One important aspect of your podcast, the artwork, often gets overlooked. Unless you are a graphic artist, you need to outsource this. You need a main image, social media graphics, animations, and website images. The efficient way to go is to hire a full-service company that includes a graphic artist or graphics team. Here are the top five podcast teams to turn to for services from audio engineering to artwork.
Top Five Podcast Teams
- Resonate Recordings offers three levels of service for full-service podcast production. The turnaround time for a single podcast episode ranges from 72 hours to one week. Prices range from $59 to $199 per episode.
- Podcast Motor offers full-service podcast editing and publishing, plus a renowned podcasting blog that helps you become a better podcaster. Professional level packages start at $699.
- Podcast Fast Track goes beyond production to offer artwork services, consulting, launch assistance, custom music, and voice-overs. The company offers such a range of services that it only offers custom quotes.
- Lower Street offers full-service podcast production. It also promotes and markets podcasts. They typically work with businesses making podcasting part of their content strategy. You’ll need to schedule a consultation to determine costs. Their packages provide a weekly episode with a one week turnaround time.
- Cashflow Podcasting handles the audio editing, show notes, transcription plus intros, and outros. Choose from two production packages starting at $899/month. They also offer a five-step launch package to help you get your podcast off of the ground that includes strategic planning, technical setup, branding, launch, and promotion.
The notion of getting started with podcasting might seem overwhelming, the right professional team can help you get started. Full-service teams can help you strategize your podcast and plan advertising revenue streams. They can help with booking guests, scripting, interviewing, artwork and recording and editing. Outsourcing the work can leave you the time to enjoy making the podcast and running your business. Outsource your podcast today.
