Kernow Kast Blog
#001
The Kernow Kast Begins
So I started the Kernow Kast the first week of February 2017 but it has actually been on my mind for more than two years. I originally thought of a YouTube channel where I would produce video content of business’ in Cornwall and then generate income from sponsorship, a bit like the Cornwall Channel, but I soon realised I didn’t have the means or knowledge to produce the top quality content I would need to make it a success. I did ask a few people if they would be interested in helping but its funny how many people you think would want to be involved aren’t interested.
From there I had to put all thoughts of this on hold while my partner and I prepared for the arrival of our first child who is now 16 months old. Once we were settled in our home I came up with the idea of producing a podcast based on very similar principles. Why? Because its cheap!! I already had a decent laptop and all I would need is some microphones. I looked at USB microphones, which would be easy plug in and go type thing but to get the best quality you are looking at around £150, which is not a big expenditure to start a business but a lot for a young family with one income. Luckily, I knew someone that had recently stopped producing a podcast they had been doing for about 4 years. They had built up a pretty significant following over that time but never found a way to turn it into a profitable, job creating venture. This was perfect for me and I asked if I could borrow their equipment. They said yes and where the 4th guest on my show. This is semi-pro level equipment that takes a little bit of practice and know how to get right, so I read blogs and YouTubed a little about how to use it and went from there. To use the basic settings it was quite straight forward, but I have made some big errors while recording that have taught me some really big lessons… Make sure the settings on the computer are correct so you are recording with the equipment and not the laptop microphone was lesson 1 from the very first podcast I recorded with my friend Shane.
From here I needed a way to get it out to people, Facebook and Twitter were a given. I decided against Instagram because:
A: Im not too great at photography and;
B: I didn't want to stretch myself across too many platforms and do a shit job. Better to be good at 1 or 2 rather than average at 3,4 or 5.
Along with the social media I always knew that YouTube was going to be a powerful tool in what I want to achieve, with the idea of video content still in my mind, but this isn't the best place for podcasts as its longer form and people normally listen while they are on the go. This is where a podcast hosting website comes in, Libsyn.
Libsyn.com is a website where you upload the audio mp3 file and holds it in the cloud then distributes to iTunes and Stitcher, once it is all set up, via a thing called an RSS feed. I have no idea how it works but it updates these two outlets as soon as I upload the file to libsyn. Now for a service like this it is going to cost, £20 a month to be exact. This is probably one of the most expensive services out there but they are arguably the best. I read through hundreds of reviews and watched hours of YouTube videos on which one to go for and I went for the one that kept coming up and gives you the best feedback. It tells you where in the world your podcast is being downloaded and how many times each episode is downloaded, for example. For the £20 you get loads of analysis and 400mb of storage per month, every month.
And thats pretty much it. So far this podcast has cost me £20 and I’m in my second month. I got my first month free with Libsyn by using a discount code I found on the internet.
Now its all about finding people, business’, charities, communities and interesting stories from around the County to produce the content I want to create and show the people of Cornwall what this amazing place really has to offer its residents.
At the moment my knowledge of Cornwall is quite limited compared to many others but I’m doing this to learn about the place where I live as much as I am trying to create something of value to others.
So the journey around the County has begun. Lets see where it takes us and lets find out what the hell is goin’ on down your way.
Cheers me dears
Lewis