Interested in fictional storytelling?
There's a podcast for that.
How about politics?
There's a podcast for that.
Business and finance? Comedy? How about health and wellness?
You guessed it–there's a podcast for that.
Podcasts are everywhere and gaining enormous popularity. If there is a subject you are interested in, chances are there is a podcast (or dozens) to choose from.
If you have a message to spread and have created a podcast, congratulations! Before you go live, however, you want to insure that your podcast is built on a solid foundation. In this post, I provide seven tips to check off your list prior to your launch so that it is as successful as possible (and creates plenty of buzz!):
1. Focus on addressing the needs people have…
First, the focus should hinge more towards people rather than the actual podcast. A podcast should contain messages that people want to listen to. Your podcast should talk about an existing problem and the solutions that are perfect for resolving it. The product should give you a way of connecting with your target audience.
…but be specific.
The message contained in your product shouldn’t be generic or cater for the needs of everybody. Be clear as to who your target audience is.
A perfect example of a podcast that addresses a specific need is the Sisters of Flow. Dr. De’Nicea Hilton is the host of the podcast, which addresses everything concerning women’s menstrual cycles. She started the podcast after realizing that few women and girls knew enough about their cycles. Based on this, it’s clear that Dr. D (as she is known on the show) addresses a specific need, which she identified many years ago. Your podcast should take a similar approach in targeting a target niche to a target audience.
2. Spread the Word, Obtain Support
Spread the word and obtain as much support as you can. It would be great to invite opinion leaders on board as soon as possible. However, if you can’t get any opinion leader or influencer during the initial stages, turn to your family and friends. It’s amazing how much support the family can offer when asked. Do not hesitate to ask the first person or people you talk with to subscribe to your podcast.
This stage is crucial as it gives you an opportunity to create the desired buzz.
Also, with every episode, include a Call-To-Action (CTA) by asking your listeners and subscribers to leave a review on iTunes. Make it easier for them by posting onto your website step-by-step in how to review the podcast on iTunes. Mark Bidwell of the Innovation Ecosystem podcast is an excellent example here.
It’s not enough to ask your listeners and subscribers to leave reviews. You have to guarantee them quality. Like Apple, you need to make the product too intriguing and interesting to convince listeners to come back for more. Importantly, read the reviews and respond to them expeditiously.
3. Be a Pioneer and a Revolutionary
Do not be afraid to be a pioneer. Dr. De’Nicea of Sisters of Flow podcast is a revolutionary idea. It’s not that menstrual cycle is a neglected subject. There’s enough information everywhere you look. However, not everybody has access to this information. Dr. D created a product based on her personal experiences and the stories she had from her fellow females.
[spp-tweet tweet=”Ask yourself: What is it about your personal experiences that can help you to come up with a revolutionary product?”]
The world gave Steve Jobs its ears and full attention because it knew that he created a revolutionary product  in Apple. Dr. De’Nicea has also created something unique. She is a pioneer of sorts. She wasn’t afraid to build a product that talks about something considered too private. She understood that many women and girls were suffering in silence because they didn’t know any place for getting accurate, relevant, and helpful information. As a result, the world listens.
[spp-tweet tweet=”Your product is capable of revolutionizing the industry. Be the pioneer the industry needs.”]
4. Make the Launch an Event
Launching the product is more than reading or sending out press releases. Luckily for you, there is a tool that can help you do just that. The tool is called Thunderclap, which is the first crowd-speaking platform in the world. More than 12 billion messages posted through Thunderclap have been seen and read by people in 283 countries, as well as territories around the world. Imagine what Thunderclap can do for your podcast launch!
Thunderclap makes going viral possible by leveraging your network to support and amplify your podcast. Keith Tomasek recently used Thunderclap to launch his podcast, The Inadequate Life, and this highly effective platform has helped several others do the same.
Start creating a buzz today to turn the launch into a super event that will be the talk of the internet!
5. Start with Episode Zero
Create some buzz around your podcast by recording an “Episode Zero”. This serves a very useful purpose; it allows you to introduce yourself to the targeted audience. Use Episode Zero to tell your audience your reasons for creating the show. Let them know what to expect in the subsequent shows too.
A wonderful example of this is in the podcast, Wild Ideas Worth Living, hosted by Shelby Stanger.
6. Release a Podcast Your Listeners are Proud of
Invest in designing the podcast well. The artwork should be topnotch, so invest in your image. Do not forget that image can make or destroy your product, so make the product as aesthetically pleasing as possible. Shelby’s Wild Ideas Worth Living proves what good artwork can do. She uses two photos of the guests that will be on each show as part of a well designed artwork that stands out.
Canva is an excellent tool for create high-quality cover art for your podcast and images for each episode. 99Designs is also great way to get a wide variety of samples for your iTunes cover art, eBook cover, or any other graphic-design need you have coming up!
This is all about appearance and making first impressions.
7. Use Suspense for as Long as it Takes
Suspense is a great tool. It offers you the chance to build towards the next episode. A technique known as ‘Call Back’ allows you to reference a past episode at the beginning of a current one. At the end of the episode, you also get the chance to mention the focus of the next episode. Once again, Shelby uses it beautifully in her podcast, Wild Ideas Worth Living. For example, in Episode 10, while interviewing Jaimal Yogis, she mentions her upcoming interview with Alana Nichols in Ep. 11.
Release enough details about a past or incoming episode to create suspense in your listeners.
Ready, Set…Launch!
Above all, have fun! Your podcast is the result of countless hours of creativity and hard work. You should be proud of it – so get out there and make it as successful as can be!
If you’ve launched a podcast before, what tips and strategies have worked for you? Please share by providing a comment below!
To Your Podcastng Success!