In promoting my podcast, I’ve been asked a question. The question makes me stop in my tracks, drop my jaw, then remember…I once asked this very same question.
What’s a “podcast”?
There are SO many good podcasts out there with SO many good episodes… We just can’t leave the masses uninformed! So – here it is…what, exactly, a podcast is, and how to enjoy them in just 5 easy steps!
First…What IS a “podcast”?
The name supposedly came from a combination of “iPod” and “broadcast”. A “podcast” is, in short, kind of like a radio show on the internet.
There is an INCREDIBLE variety of podcasts “out there” and available to you. You’re able to find podcasts with episodes as short as 15 minutes or as long as 3 hours (or even more)! There are podcasts on any topic you can imagine. Even within your particular interest, there are countless different shows and hosts, all with their own style, approach, and perspective on the subject matter. Comedy, politics, sports, murder mysteries, news, thrillers, dramas and more!
1.) Get An App
An app meant to download and play podcasts is sometimes called a “podcatcher”, and there are many different “podcatchers” out there. Podcast & Radio Addict is my favorite. iPhones and iPads typically come with the “Podcast” app preinstalled, but you can choose others if you like. Hop on the App Store and see what you like!
Don’t have an iPhone, iPad, or Android phone/tablet? No problem! You can listen on Windows or Mac with a program like iTunes!
Now that you’ve got a podcatcher… It’s time to tell it what podcasts to catch!
Find the “search” button/bar/function and type in what you’re looking for. You can search a topic, genre, person… Whatever you can think of! Better yet, if you know the title of the show (like So THIS Is Fitness) you can search that, too!
Make sure when you search… your search results show you podcasts, and not just episodes. The iPhone “Podcasts” app always seems to default to episodes, not podcasts. Watch out ?
3.) SubscribeYou’ve found what you want… There it is! Right there- in the search results! Now what?
Well, hit “subscribe”, of course! Subscribing to a podcast means that whenever a new episode of that show is published, your podcatcher will automatically download it. It’ll be ready to listen as soon as you want it, and it’s already on your device, so it won’t take up your valuable data allotment by streaming! Once you’ve subscribed, you can go back and download past episodes too! Hooray!
You’ve found them, subscribed, and by now the episodes are downloaded and ready to go! All that remains is to hit play and enjoy. Maybe even put a few episodes into a playlist for hours and hours of entertainment.5.) Rate, Review, & Share
You’ve listened to an episode of a new-to-you show. You liked it. You LOVED it! You can’t wait to hear more! Don’t just keep that enjoyment to yourself… Share it!
Find that podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play, etc… And give them a rating & review! Positive ratings/reviews help your favorite podcasts show up a little higher in search results, so other people like you can find them just a little bit easier. That’ll also help them stick around longer, so you can continue to enjoy them! 😉
And be sure to share the podcast with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and by word of mouth! That’s the best way to share anything, really 🙂
Of course – be sure to subscribe to So THIS Is Fitness to get new episodes of the show every Thursday!Any other questions? Put them right down there in the “comments” section!
