By John Register, CSP

1. Be prepared. Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Some system breaks will be the learning experience. Jot it down so you know how to handle it the next time. And, if anyone else is assisting, they have a cheat sheet to be able to handle it without your presence.
2. Just get started. I have heard many people say, how do you begin a podcast. I was one of those people. A friend of mine said, “put a date on the calendar. Announce it to the world you are beginning, and guess what, you will figure it out.”
3. Listen to another amazing podcast. Just like google brings up incredible information, searching for podcast in your genre might give you great insight in your niche. You might discover more buzz or trends in your field of expertise.
4. Find a quiet location. I remember when I first started, I was in my basement. I still am. The problem was as soon as I would begin, the neighbor’s dog would start barking.
5. Send out a run of show to your guest ahead of time. Help them prepare. When the guest have the call in information, a list of questions for consideration, the time of the show, the run time of the show, the type of audience they will be speaking to, and any other pertinent information you deem necessary, your show is destined to be great.
6. Water, water, water. Have some high-quality H2O next to you when you broadcast.  I guarantee you are going to have a gag attack at some point during your interview. Hopefully, it comes when your guest is speaking.
7. Mute! Know where your mute button is. When you are coughing or having that gag attack it is critical to know where your mute button is located.
8. Reciprocation: Offer your guest as guest on other podcasts. In return ask for their guest for yours.
9. Ensure your podcast links directly to iTunes in order to get credit for the people who listen. Sometimes hosting sites steal and divide your listeners and you do not get credit for all the people who are listening.
10. Promote your show by tagging others. I find it best not to use your photo, but rather the photo of the guest. They are more likely to share on their social media platforms.
11. Use the restroom before you start. 
12. Send a thank you note to each guest. I do my best to send the transcript of the show to them my guest can repurpose the information.

John Register, CSP