Hey, it’s geekmom. I’ve been working from home since the 90s under the name geekmom doing projects such as writing and editing, web development, graphics, creating content, and even moderating video games. The possibilities are endless, you just need to tune into my podcast every week to find out how you can work from home like I do.
Today’s topic is podcasting.
It is no secret that you can make money from home podcasting. Podcasts have been a thing since Apple made them popular with the invention of the iPod which, if you are not familiar with the iPod, it just like an iPhone but with only wi-fi and no phone service. Apple wasn’t the original creator of the podcast; it the term was first used by David Gregoire in a 2004 iPodder-dev mailing list and then later coined as a term by podcaster and journalist Adam Curry. Despite its name, podcasting has been a thing before the iPod came into play. The web has been a source of independent voiceover people for a very long time.
Fast forward to 2021. After many years of podcasting being around, people are beginning to realize they enjoy getting their news and information on a podcast. While Apple had pretty much cornered the market for many years of podcasting through their iTunes store, places like Spotify and Amazon have sprouted up and decided to make their own versions of the podcast. Unlike companies such as YouTube and independent platforms, podcast companies enjoy sending their updates through RSS feeds to the many different podapps around because these apps usually allow the podcaster or podcasting company to use their own advertisements. Because of this, podcast audiences can be relatively huge based on the distribution.
Podcasts are not limited to the media. Anyone can start a podcast and host it where they want to. There are hundreds of podcasting companies around. I’ve used several, but my favorite is Spreaker because of the advertising options, price, and their love of free speech. When I say free speech, I mean content created by you. Of course, they are not going to allow you to post another person’s copyright content unless you have permission. The hosting company is pretty lenient on what you can post, but it is the podcast distribution where you might run into problems with certain types of content.
If these distribution companies think your content is vulgar, spammy, illegal, or borderline controversial they may individually censor or remove your show. Unlike getting banned from a company like YouTube, this only affects the podcast application being used. This is why so many people are moving to podcasting from places like YouTube. While podcast companies do have rules, they are not as restrictive or as difficult to deal with as YouTube and a place like Facebook.
You can host your own content on your own server but beware! If you become an overnight sensation then your hosting company may not appreciate the amount of data you are transferring to your listeners and might turn off your hosting until you can work out a better server plan. Data = money. This is another reason why it is better to get a dedicated podcast hosting platform such as Spreaker to host your content. Spreaker is my favorite, but it isn’t the only one. There are other companies such as Anchor (owned by Spotify) and many others. Most of them forward their rss feed to the podcast apps or you are welcome to offer up your own rss feed to the apps if the company doesn’t allow it. Some apps even grab your feed without your permission.
I have had the most luck with Spreaker. I only had one take-down because I didn’t realize that War of the Worlds still had a copyright on it. This was really simple to deal with. CBS, I think it was CBS, simply asked to have it removed because they still owned the original radio program from back in the day, and I had no problem with removing it although it would have been a really cool episode for the podcast to play.
Podcasts can be free or for pay. Some hosts have pay-per-podcast feature and some have pay-per-episode. Personally, I just use Patreon for this purpose as Patreon has its own podcast link that people can use. Patreon is a group funding site where people can subscribe to your posts where you offer up services such as books, podcasts, posts, or anything type of content you feel appropriate.
Podcasts are also a great way to market your products. Say you have a service company that fixes computers. Most computer problems can be fixed by the user. Some people like to learn your tricks while others just want you to fix it. So every Sunday afternoon you create a “fix your computer yourself” podcast where you talk about computers you’ve fixed, problems people might have, software releases coming out, and anything else related to the computer support niche. You will have people who want to learn about fixing computers listening to your program and you will have people who are already skilled in fixing computers listening. People looking for a certain fix will find you as well and perhaps subscribe. During your podcast be sure to mention that you also fix computers and you either do this through the mail or at your doorstep. However you run your business, tell people on your podcast. Maybe you also offer email services or web hosting as well. You can sell your services, products, and also run commercials that pay you to allow them to use their ads on your podcast. Do it like a radio show where people call in and you answer their questions about your topic. The possibilities are endless!
I know you can do this on YouTube as well, and some people do both, but YouTube is making it harder and harder to grow and get monetized. There are a lot of rules you must follow on YouTube and it is a lot of work to create the thumbnails, videos, and so forth. It just seems like these days the company doesn’t want to pay people who are just starting out. In fact, they now put ads on many channels who are not reaching the criteria set to achieve this status.
What do you need to get started podcasting? A podcast hosting company, a microphone, a computer, and an app to record your podcast. You don’t even need a script, you could do it all adlib if you’re good at that. People join you when they like your content. I’ll go into setting up a podcast at some point down the line but be sure to know that, just like any content platform, keywords and great descriptions are your best friends. Being confident in your voice helps a lot, but that also comes in time as you practice and learn. Content is key. I know that is cliche, but if people like your voice, your recordings are clear, and your content is good then you have a very good chance at a great show.
These are just a few of the reasons why people are choosing podcasting over other content platforms. Besides, if you have a face radio then it might better for you. I’m just kidding. All in fun!
Visit the geekmom.net website for more information on running internet businesses from home. Don’t let another 2020 happen to you, make your dreams come true by working from home on the internet. Subscribe to this podcast and the geekmom.net website for more tips on making it happen.
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