Podcast launches happen all the time. Some manage to ‘wow’ their audiences from the get-go, while most end up not getting any attention at all (apart from family and friends). So, how exactly do you launch a successful podcast? Here are my 6 steps to a successful podcast launch!
Pick the right niche
Some people may say niche selection isn’t important, it’s your podcast and you’re free to talk about anything you like. However, if you want your podcast to be successful, and you want the right people tuning in, then you need to settle on a niche.
People trust experts. If your podcast deals with everything under the sun, you’re not really positioning yourself as an expert, you’re just another jack-of-all-trades. So, if you want to make the most of your podcast, then you better pick a niche you’re an ‘expert’ in or at least something you’re deeply interested in!
Prepare a draft or outline of your first few episodes
Use a content calendar to organize your podcast episodes. Plan out what your episodes are going to cover so you stick to a theme, and your audience knows what to expect.
Have a visually attractive artwork and catchy intro for your podcast
This probably sounds minor, but the reality is, people who aren’t already following you are going to judge you based on how your podcast artwork looks like, your podcast show title, your description, etc. Your intro also matters, don’t make it too long. Make it short and sweet and ensure it does the job of letting people know what your show is all about.
To create your podcast artwork, you can use free tools like Canva. Make sure to pay attention to the dimensions iTunes requires.
- Minimum 600 × 600 1,400 × 1,400 pixels (maximum 3,000 × 3,000)
- RGB color space (not grayscale, CMYK, 8-bit indexed, or transparent)
- Hosted on a server that supports HTTP HEAD requests.
- JPEG or PNG file format (JPEG is more highly recommended)
The podcast hosting company Blubyyr has a great video on how to create artwork that will be accepted! Watch their video here!
Record and upload a few episodes
Before you launch your podcast, you need to have a few episodes under your belt. This is so you don’t leave people hanging. People often binge-listen to new podcasts, so make sure you have content that will keep them busy for a few hours.
Submit to podcast directories
It’s highly recommended you upload your podcast to a dedicated podcast hosting service. Most of these companies offer benefits that website hosting services just can’t match. One of those benefits is they make it easy for you to submit your show to the top podcast directories.
iTunes Podcast requirements
Before you can submit your podcast to iTunes (and other directories), you have to have the following.
- Artwork that is a square jpg or png formatted image at least 1400 x 1400 and at most 3000 x 3000 in size in RGB color space (1400 x 1400 jpg image recommended).
- A unique podcast program title (check iTunes to make sure your program title is unique). Do a search in the iTunes store for your title to make sure there isn’t a podcast with the exact same title as you want to use.
- At least one iTunes category selected. You can select up to 3 in the iTunes tab of PowerPress settings.
- Valid email address in the iTunes email field (notifications from Apple will be sent to this address) Make sure this is an address you check regularly! Your Apple ID is best (you will need one to submit your podcast anyway)
- Have created at least one blog post with media (a podcast episode) in either mp3, m4a, mp4, m4v, pdf, or epub format. This post needs to be published, not in draft mode or non-public (private).
Promote your podcast everywhere
Your podcast is up and just waiting for people to start tuning in. Promote your podcast on your blog, email your subscribers, post about it on your social media channels. Consider paid ads as well just to get the ball rolling!
