Enjoyment is the word that I think of whenever I’m podcasting.
Enjoyment – Henry Joiner
If you told me two years ago that I would be creating a sports podcast with one of my best friends, I would probably say that you were wrong. It all started with a passion for sports, a strong friendship and one big idea. Over the summer of 2020, the H Squared Podcast was born and the ride has been amazing. Henry Chappell, junior, and I got our name for the podcast from Mrs. Luckett, our Algebra 1 teacher. She would call us “H Squared” each time we were together in class, and the name stuck.
Once we had a name, we began working. We also reached out to other YouTubers, journalists and professional athletes in order to try to get our name out to the public. As we continued to create more episodes, we became more confident about putting out quality content and reaching out to more interviewees. Even though trying to perfect your craft as a podcaster is hard, it’s arguably the top part about the whole experience.
Interviews are crucial to a successful podcast because getting the chance to have a fun, casual conversation with someone who is already well known in a social community. Whether it’s in the sports or social media world it can help your product grow and flourish. For Chappell and I, scheduling interviews is the toughest part about running a podcast. Once you interview the person, you are able to hear their story. To have a successful interview, you must form trust when talking with your interviewee.
Editing gives you an opportunity to give your podcast episode a little bit of flavor; you can experiment with your edits by adding transitions, sound effects and memes in order to keep your podcast entertaining and unique. Trying to make a quality podcast on YouTube is different from putting your show on a podcast or music app. People go on YouTube to watch videos, not necessarily to listen. Finding ways to make a podcast entertaining is crucial and the ability to edit helps the episode flow better.
When you post your first few episodes, you shouldn’t worry about the statistics. Your focus should always be on making quality content that people want to listen to. I thought one of our podcast videos would blow up and get garner views, but our best episode only has around 550 total views. You will gain a following at some point, just maybe not right away. If you continue to work, people will listen and possibly become fans.
Chappell and I don’t plan on stopping the “H Squared Podcast” anytime soon, because we want to see where this journey goes. Starting a podcast is something that you should want to do or else it isn’t worth your time. It is a pretty big commitment keeping a podcast running, but if you create it with a friend and do it because you enjoy it, then go for it and follow that hidden passion.