WHAT’S THIS EPISODE ABOUT?
Basic Podcast Launch Plan
In previous episodes, we’ve talked about “How to Launch a Podcast” – which is my most popular episode. So if you haven’t listened to that one go check out Episode 48 after you listen to this. But I’ve been getting so many questions about launching a podcast.
I think it’s because a lot of people have the idea that they can create content and a lot of it. They just don’t know what to do with it once it’s actually completed.
So if you’re anything like me you have an idea file that is either in a Google doc or on your notes on your phone or it is sitting in multiple notebooks and multiple Post-it notes all over your office. It sounds familiar maybe we should chat because it sounds like we would have lots of interesting conversations about hoarding notes everywhere.
Maybe that’s a different discussion for a different day…anyway.
But what I want to talk about today is the basic podcast launch plan because since I’ve helped more clients and students recently deal with the emotional part of launching a podcast, I felt like I need to address some common questions that I get asked most often. Or that I see being asked in Facebook groups all the time.
So I want to cover 4 major components of developing a podcast launch plan.
1. Announce Podcast Launch Date
This is probably the first mental block I’ve seen people having to overcome after the initial purchasing of their podcast equipment.
It seems like people can finally start taking themselves seriously after they’ve purchased a microphone and they start playing around with the software and they start creating podcast. But when the uncomfortable and the overwhelm really starts to set in is with the thought of actually putting what they’ve created out into the world. Which is exactly what you’re going to do when you want your podcast.
So the first thing I want you to do is after you’re done listening to this episode I want you to go listen to pick podcast lunch date go listen to that episode because it’s going to help you think about the Practical things that need to happen when you pick your podcast lunch date.
Like you need to take into consideration the personal things that are going on in your life, the professional things, the promotional things, and other aspects of what’s actually happening for you in the next few weeks or months.
Now, I want to talk specifically about the uncomfortableness and overwhelm you may be feeling if you have not launched your podcast. Or you are just in the very very beginning stages of your podcasting journey.
I love the book BIG MAGIC, and I’ve talked about it before here on the podcast. But if I were to attribute any of this journey over the last five years to any one book…it would be that one.
If you haven’t read the book “Big Magic” by Elizabeth Gilbert (yes, the same author who wrote “Eat Pray Love”), you need to run and grab it immediately!
She talks about the power of creativity in the book.
And one specific part that I wanted to hint on was her giving you permission to create something.
“The essential ingredients for creativity remain
exactly the same for everybody:
courage, enchantment, permission, persistence, trust—
and those elements are universally accessible.
Which does not mean that creative living
is always easy; it merely means that
creative living is always possible.”
― Elizabeth Gilbert,
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
“All of which is to say:
You do not need a permission slip from the
principal’s office to live a creative life.
Or if you do worry that you need a permission slip—
THERE, I just gave it to you.”
― Elizabeth Gilbert,
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
So if you have not launched your podcast yet and you are getting to the stages where you’re ready to put content out into the world…just do it.
Commit to making your podcast a reality!
I can’t say it any other way ban it’s taking a leap. I can’t sit here and tell you it’s all going to work out exactly how you imagined it. I can’t tell you that you won’t mess up. I can’t tell you that everyone is going to love everything that you create.
If you sit around waiting for whatever it is that you’re making to be perfect… You and I and the rest of the world will be waiting forever to possibly maybe see what you’ve created.
Wow I feel like that was the most in-depth, deep conversations I’ve ever had within the first few minutes of a podcast but I felt like I needed to be said because so many of you are using the excuse that your podcast isn’t ready or that it’s not perfect or that you need just a little bit more time.
Nope. Not anymore.
I want you to pick a podcast lunch date and stick with it hold yourself accountable that you are going to launch your podcast on that day come rain or shine come hell or high water you are going to launch a podcast on that day.
And then after you’ve picked your podcast lunch date I want you to ask yourself how long is that from today and reverse-engineer your success. What do I mean by this? I mean is the state realistic? If you’re brand-new to podcasting and you say I’m going to throw something together and launch my podcast in a week. That’s not a good idea.
If you’re brand new to podcasting but you’ve been a content creator for a while, maybe you could launch a podcast in a relatively short amount of time.
If you’re starting from absolute scratch – like you don’t even have an idea for what you would possibly, kinda wanna talk about, then I encourage you to do some more planning. Do some more thinking about what it is that you really want to do.
And be really honest with yourself.
I find a lot of the time we (especially me) tend to over-romanticize how something may or may not turn out. And to face the cold, hard truth…I’m getting in my own way most of the time.
Now, we’ve gone through a lot of the mental and emotional aspects of launching. I want to get into the practical steps.
2. Podcast Hosting Site
Now, let’s talk about your podcast hosting site.
I’m not going to go deep into explaining what hosting sites are only because I did that in a previous episode with Travis from BuzzSprout. He explained hosting sites way better than I ever could, so go listen to that episode that we did not too long ago. It’ll help you understand what a podcast hosting site is and how it can help you.
Just know that it does take a while when you’re first getting ready to get connected to your hosting directories before your car podcast will show up on different platforms.
It may take 7 to 14 days to get connected to Apple podcast, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and all the places you want your podcast to show up.
Then, going back to the idea of reverse engineering, you want to make sure that you look at your podcast launch date and ask yourself, “Is this realistic to launch on this day knowing that I need to allow 7 to 14 days for my podcast to even show up on all these platforms?”
And be REALLY honest with yourself.
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3. Launch with 3-5 Episodes
So we’ve announced our podcast launch date we’ve connected are podcast hosting site now I want you to plan on launching your podcast with at least 3-5 episodes.
I have definitely lots of regrets knowing what I know about podcasts today. One thing is for sure when I launched my podcast in July 2018…I could’ve done better.
Hindsight is twenty-twenty, I can’t go back and change the past.
However, if you haven’t already I encourage you to go check out the “10 Things I Wish I’d’veknown Before I Launched My Podcast” in the Resource Library because that is just one of the many things that I wish I would have known before I got started.
I only launched with 2 episodes – my trailer and episode 1.
And there’s a reason why it’s important to lunch with 3-5 episodes.
The first reason is you get more listen time when you have more content out there. This is going to help Apple podcast and the other platforms realized, “Oh, they must have good content because there are lots of people listening on day one. And they’re consuming hours of it.”
If you have multiple episodes, then you will have multiple hours getting consumed. And it’s going to tell the algorithms or the “Bots” or you know whoever is behind the magic curtain of Oz that this is a podcast to pay attention to.
It’s also how you can get on the New and Noteworthy.
If you have lots of subscribers on day 1 plus reviews and listen time, you can definitely make it happen. The main thing to pay attention to is that it helps your listeners get to know you on Day 1.
I’ve listened to other podcasts that release with just 1 episode and I remember thinking, “Man I wanted more. I wanted more stories or more content or more of that show and now I have to wait an entire week.”
I mean obviously, they did a good job marketing because that’s what you want people to think. But you definitely want to release your podcast with at least 3-5 episodes. This can mean a trailer episode and 2-4 additional pieces of content.
4. Podcast Launch Party
And now let’s talk about your launch party. Since I originally put out Episode 48 – which is all about how to Launch a Podcast, I have put out multiple pieces of content that can help you create a launch party that’s worthy of your AMAZING Podcast!
If you haven’t listened to those marketing episodes yet, I’ve created podcast episodes around:
Look at all the social platforms where your ideal listener hangs out and see how can I really create an atmosphere where they want to come see what I’m doing.
You want to attract people that will eventually become subscribers, loyal fans, and even customers one day. So make sure that you take the time to really understand where you should be showing up before you launch your podcast and then remember to show up on all those platforms and in all those places after you launch your podcast.
And of course, create a plan for you to stay consistent across these platforms.
RECAP: PODCAST LAUNCH PLAN
- Announce Podcast Launch Date
- Podcast Hosting Site
- Launch with 3-5 Episodes
- Podcast Launch Party
Links Mentioned in This Episode:
- “How to Launch a Podcast” Episode
- “Podcast Hosting Site” Episode
- “Pick a Podcast Launch” Episode
- Podcast Launch Plan – Marketing Episodes to Listen to:
- Office Ladies Podcast
- Proffitt Podcast Online Community Facebook Group
- Podcast YouTube Channel
- Resource Library
- 5-Day Podcast Bootcamp
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