Starting a business podcast can be a great way to share your message with the world and grow your business. But it's not as simple as pressing record and starting to talk. There are four key steps you need to take to make sure your podcast is a success. In this episode, I'll share with you my 4P framework for launching a podcast, without overwhelm, so you can go away feeling ready to start on your own. So if you're thinking about launching your own business podcast, grab your headphones and listen now!
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:
- Rosemarie shares the 4P framework she uses to launch her clients’ podcasts
- What you should consider in each phase of the framework
TUNE IN TO THE EPISODE
What you’ll soon learn about me is that I'm all about keeping things simple and I find it so much easier to break down complex things into sections, subsections and sub-subsections. And launching a podcast is no different.
I'm going to share with you the framework I use to launch my clients' podcasts.
Step 1: Prep
This first step involves laying the foundations of your podcast.
- What are you going to talk about? What are you so passionate about that you can talk about for 45 minutes, 60 minutes without taking a break?
- Who are your listeners? What are their demographics? When are they liking to be listening to your show?
- What do they want to hear?
- What format will you choose? Solo? Cohost? Interview? Maybe you have a hybrid of all three? What works best for you and helps you achieve your goals?
- How will you structure your episodes? A little tweak from what others are doing could really helpful your show to stand out.
- What’s your podcast name going to be? If linked to your business, make sure it’s relevant. Your name and cover art will capture a new listener's attention and you have about three to four seconds in which to do so. So as they're scrolling through the shows on their podcast app, you want to stand out. You stop the scroll. You want them to stop the scroll and click on your show to find out more about what your show is about. You wanted to stand out by also needs to tell people exactly what your show is about.
Now here’s where you get stuck in! The content.
Grab a pen and a piece of paper and write out a list of fifty episode titles.
I know fifty episodes sounds like a lot but imagine if you had the first year of your podcast mapped out before you even started recording.
Draw a line down the middle of the paper and write down your ideas.
Other things to think about
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- What equipment do you need? At a minimum, I recommend headphones and a mic. Neither one needs to be fancy or expensive but are absolutely required to ensure good quality audio. these two are a must.
- What will you use to record your episodes? There are a number of free options available including Audacity for Windows users and Garageband for Mac users. These are perfect for recording solo episodes. For guest interviews, I highly recommend Riverside.fm, Squadcast and Zencastr. These platforms were created specifically for podcasting.
Why I don’t recommend Zoom for podcasting.
Lots of podcasters use Zoom but I don't think it's the best platform for podcasting. Since the pandemic, Zoom has become really popular and for online meetings, does the job perfectly. But for podcasting, Zoom relies on a strong internet connection and if that connection is affected, so is the audio and could be left with audio that’s patchy and difficult to fix. Why put yourself through that? Just use one of the recommended podcasting platforms I mentioned above.
Which platform will you choose to host your podcast? My go-to is Libsyn, with Buzzsprout coming in a close second. But there are over 15+ hosting platforms to choose from. I recommend that you carry out research before deciding which hosting platform is the best one for you. I recommend looking specifically at the features each platform offers and considering what you might need in the long and short term.
Step 2: Produce
This is the fun part. You've got your list of episodes that you mapped out in the prep stage. You might even have drafted an outline or a script for each one, to help you keep to the topic, which is fantastic.
So you have your equipment - now it's time to actually create your podcast content.
Here’s a quick tip on where you should record - a room with lots of soft furnishings and low ceilings, with as few hard surfaces as possible.
- Make sure everything is set up right before you start recording. Do a test recording to make sure your levels are right, your microphone is plugged in, in the right position and the right setting is selected (trust me, I’ve been here!). You just need a few minutes to make sure the tech is up to scratch. Spend a few minutes talking about nothing in particular and then check afterwards that the audio is clear and there are no issues. Trust me - taking the time to do this at the beginning will save you lots of time and maybe tears, later on.
NOW IT’S TIME TO HIT THAT RECORD BUTTON.
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- Record your trailer, intro and outro first followed by your launch episodes.
- Once you’ve finished recording it's now time to edit (if you’re doing this piece yourself). If you listen to podcasts, you’ve probably noticed that everyone has a different style of editing. Some people do no editing in at all, others might do some light editing where they clean up any gaps of silence, loud sounds and that's it. And then there are others that are probably working with an editor who remove ummms, ahhs, repeat sentences, filler words etc.
If you’re DIYing your show, it's really up to you how much editing you want to do for your podcast. Just remember the more editing you do, the more time it takes.
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- Write your episode description. This is a short blurb that you will upload with the episode in your host. It also forms the base for your full show notes. Sometimes links may not show up properly in the podcast players so I always recommend including any links in your show notes on your website and keeping your episode description brief, with a link to the show notes. This is a great way to drive traffic to your website.
- Providing a transcript is a great way to ensure that your podcast is accessible to the hard-of-hearing community or those who prefer reading to listening. I’ll admit that sometimes I find it easier and quicker to skim a transcript than listen through a twenty-minute episode.
Step 3: Publish
Everything’s ready to go - time to get your show out into the world.
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- Which host did you choose in the prep stage? This is the time to get familiar with how it works so you can upload your episodes with confidence. Check out the help pages on their website for tips and tricks to get started.
- When scheduling your launch episodes for release, set the release time five minutes apart. For example, I usually schedule episodes to go out at 6 am but you could do an earlier time if you wanted to. Episode one would go out at 6 am. Episode two at 6.05 am and episode three at 6.10 am.
Why? So that the episodes go out in the right order. If you schedule all three at the same time, there’s no way of knowing which will be first, second or third.
Step 4: Promote
This is the step that is often forgotten or not done very well. Remember, people won't know about your show unless you tell them about it. So tell your friends, tell your family, tell your peers, tell your clients.
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- If you have a Facebook group, post about your show there. Make sure of the promo posts in other Facebook groups as well to boost your visibility. If you're on Instagram, if you're on LinkedIn, wherever it is that you hang out, share teasers to get your audience warmed up and excited for what’s come.
- Be a guest on other podcasts in the weeks before and after your launch date. This is a great way of leveraging someone else’s audience and attracting new people into your world.
- Host a giveaway, a launch party or something similar that gets your audience involved and piques their interest and excitement. You could share audio snippets of your launch episodes as an incentive, kind of like a special behind-the-scenes listen to a special group of people.
- Use a mixture of audio, video, graphics, carousels and live stories. Remember, not everyone consumes content in the same way and you want to make sure that you don't leave any stone unturned. And the run-up to launch is crucial, especially if you want to make it to the charts, but you do have to continue doing it every week.
- Create a calendar to keep you organised and batch as much as you can to make the best use of your time.
CONCLUSION
Launching a podcast can be a great way to share your message with the world. It’s important to consider all aspects of the launch process so that you can make sure your show gets off to a successful start. The 4P framework we discussed should help you get started. Planning is key, so take the time to map out each step of your launch strategy and make sure you have everything you need in place before pressing record. Are you ready to launch your podcast? Let us know how we can help!
CONNECT WITH ROSEMARIE
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