Got Grit? 6 Celebrations and the Setbacks Behind It All
October 1, 2020
Avoid the Holi-Daze
December 1, 2020Blog
DIY Guide to Launch Your Podcast in 30 Days
I was so excited when I first launched my podcast!
Little did I know how much goes into a podcast and a launch.
So I’m here to provide you with the cliff notes for launching your podcast so you don’t lose any time.
And there are some juicy ninja tips throughout for you to launch like a pro!
So what are the steps to launch your podcast with ease?
Step 1: Define Your Goal
Why do you want to start your podcast?
What is your end goal in doing so?
Are you trying to build your brand? Or are you trying to monetize it? Do you want to be a top 100 Apple podcaster?
Your goal will determine your strategy forward and your launch plan.
My goal was to gain information and interviews for writing my book and to share my journey along the way. I also knew it would help build my brand and credibility over time.
With this in mind, my launch was much more simple.
To be an influencer or top podcaster takes more effort and time. You will need to be even more strategic with your go live.
Step 2: Know Your Audience
Now that you know what your goal is, who is it for?
Who is your podcast going to help? Who do you want for your listener base?
What problem are you solving for your audience? In other words, you need to make sure your launch and marketing will attract the right audience to your show.
Research what other podcasts your audience are listening to.
Where are they hanging out?
Do this work before your launch. It will make everything much easier.
Once you know your audience, then choose a name for your show. Select the right guests. Get clear on the right stories to uncover during your interviews.
Do not rush this part of the process. Get clear on this element before moving forward.
Step 3: Choose Your Medium
For your show and audience, can you deliver this in audio only or do you also want to share video? If your audience loves YouTube, be sure to offer your show in that medium.
Make sure your guests are comfortable on the platform you choose.
Learn everything you can about your medium of choice.
Step 4: Build Your Messaging
Create a simple webpage explaining what your podcast is about before reaching out.
Explain who your audience is. Who you are. What types of guests you are seeking to feature on the show.
Build out templates. To reach out to guests. Follow up. And templates for marketing once an episode is live.
Organization is key for your launch especially if you want to launch with more than one episode.
Reach out to fellow podcasters for lessons learned and templates.
Organization is something your guests will appreciate. You will look more professional and credible. This allows you to build solid marketing relationships.
Ninja Tip: Use an online calendar to stay organized. I have one appointment for strategy calls. This helps me determine if a potential guest is a good fit. I also have an appointment for podcast interviews. This appointment has an extensive intake form. The intake form helps me build my interview notes for the recording.
Step 5: Build Your Show Assets
For audio podcasts, you will want to record a nice intro and outro for your podcast that you edit in for each episode.
Consider hiring someone to build your video opening and closing.
I used Fiverr and shared images, audio and music for someone to edit to build my video opener and closing.
Record your commercials and offers in advance to plug into your shows. This will help you market your products if this is your goal.
Build in space for sponsors to advertise. This is great if your goal is to monetize your show.
When building your show assets, be sure to go back to your goal to make sure everything is on track.
Step 6: Choose Your Technology
There’s a lot more technology involved in launching a podcast than I realized. That’s why I have a cheat sheet for you.
Check out the 5 things no one tells you when launching a podcast.
Here you will learn about 5 tools you need to launch your podcast like a pro.
Step 7: Choose Your Equipment
Make sure you have a high quality microphone and headset for the best audio possible.
For professional audio, consider buying a soundboard. Work with an audio expert to set it up.
Test your audio with a pro before scheduling any recordings.
If you’re hiring an editor, be sure your audio quality is up to their standards.
Step 8: Hit Record!
Record your episodes for your launch. Recognize that your first 5 episodes are part of the learning process.
They will likely be imperfect. Don’t let this get in your way or hold you back.
You will learn as you go.
If you’re going for a high quality show, be sure to edit or hire someone to edit your audio and/or video.
Give yourself plenty of time for this.
Step 9: It’s Launch Time!
Build your launch marketing materials.
Share your co-marketing materials with the guests you had on your show. Encourage them to post and share as well.
Develop your social media images, copy and timeline.
Consider posting a countdown to go live starting a month out. Have teasers about what’s coming to entice your existing audience.
Having a deadline you are counting down to also holds you accountable.
Make it happen and go live!
Ninja Tip: Invite influencers as guests on your show to help co-market your podcast. You will gain traction and listeners faster with this approach. Make sure the influencers you chose have the same audience you are targeting.
Step 10: Be Consistent & Grow Over Time
Consistency is key. Commit and communicate the frequency of your episodes.
If that’s once a week, great. Make sure you never miss a weekly release date.
Pre-record out episodes well in advance so that when life gets busy you never miss a deadline.
Offer a bonus or special release for guests who have a hard release date.
Check in with your numbers on your hosting platform. See which episodes are performing best.
Experiment and test what works best with your audience over time.
Improve with each episode.
And don’t forget to celebrate your growth over time.
Share
Are you struggling with these steps?
I’m here to help. Schedule a coaching call so we can get you unstuck and build out a plan to help you move forward.
