A virtual assistant to help with your podcast? Sounds like a dream! Or does it?
You know that hosting a podcast involves more then grabbing a mic and recording an episode. There’s an entire (time-consuming) production process that has to happen after the recording is done.
Sure, podcasting is easier than, say, creating an online course or video series, but it’s still a TON of work. And let’s be honest, editing audio and writing up show notes, isn’t exactly how you want to be spending your time. You really just want to show up and do ONLY the part you love…recording the content.
Well, now you can! A virtual assistant can easily take on all the behind-the-scenes stuff and support you in your podcast work.
Wondering what a VA can help you with? Let’s dive in:
Here are 6 Ways a Virtual Assistant Can Help You With Your Podcast:
You might not find someone who can do everything, but many podcast virtual assistants can help you:
- Brainstorm and source guests.
- Handle booking logistics, including communication with guests, scheduling appointments, and collecting bios/headshots.
- Mange the podcasting setup, including prepping equipment, running pre-show prep with the guest, testing local and remote equipment.
- Write scripts and create compelling questions.
- Wrangle the post-production work, including sound editing, content and continuity editing (as in deleting long pauses and “ums”), deleting extraneous background noise, adding intro/outro music, creating a final sound file for upload, adding tags and description notes for SEO, making a full transcript, and uploading to iTunes and other podcasting platforms.
- Create supporting content including blog posts, show notes, social media teasers.
Imagine how much more time and less stress you’ll have if you can entrust all of your podcast tasks to a great virtual assistant!
Right now, you might be doing it all yourself or outsourcing it piecemeal, but keeping it all with one skilled freelancer is a much better way to manage the work.
What should I look for in a podcast virtual assistant?
First off, make sure to seek out virtual assistants who have plenty of experience in podcasting. It might cost a bit more to work with a specialist, but that extra cost will be worth the investment. You want expertise and efficiency, not just another pair of hands.
Next, look for someone who understands the intricacies of booking guests as well as the technical side of podcasting. She should know how to approach guests and make a gracious ask, as well as handle the logistics of scheduling and booking.
And, of course your ideal virtual assistant for this workload will be well-versed in basic sound editing and understand simple recording setups, as well as being able to create a production-quality episode. The right person might even have some graphic design skills, and be able to help create image templates for your show.
Won’t paying a virtual assistant to help with my podcast be expensive?
Well, there will be some money out-of-pocket for sure, but nearly all of it will go directly to the virtual assistant herself. Most podcasting VAs either have their own editing software, or are fluent in free applications like GarageBand and Audacity.
Plus you’ll gain back time you can spend on higher-paying work!
Instead of spending 4-6 hours prepping, writing, and setting up each episode, you can just get ready for the interview, show up, and record. Your virtual assistant will handle the rest, and get the entire show ready to upload.
Use that regained time to work with clients, create new products, or plan for upcoming offerings.
Yes, it is 100% worth the effort to keep your podcast going … but you don’t have to go it alone.
Hire a savvy virtual assistant with previous podcast production experience, and together the two of you can expand your podcasting empire in no time flat.
