A successful launch can drive hundreds of listeners to your podcast before it even goes live. Use this checklist as a guide when prepping up for your own podcast launch.
One of the best ways to get a podcast off the ground is a memorable and successful launch.
Launching a podcast is more than just publishing your first episode on iTunes. It's about building exposure and anticipation so people within your industry know who you are, what you do, and what your podcast is about.
Another reason why planning a great launch is important is because you want to have an existing audience waiting by the entrance early on. It's about gathering a group of eager listeners and driving them to the edge of their seats before hitting the Submit button.
All these things lead to one end-goal, which is to create an experience people will never forget. You want to build trust and rapport with your audience from Day 1, and an epic podcast launch can make that happen for you.
For most up-and-coming podcasters, orchestrating a great launch can be daunting. They stall their launch, thinking they don't have the tools to make it happen or that they aren't ready to release their podcast into the world.
To get you started, here's an actionable checklist to help you build a successful podcast launch.
ITEM #1: BUILD A WEBSITE THAT'S ON-POINT WITH YOUR PODCAST'S BRAND.
While iTunes may be the vehicle to deliver your episodes, your podcast's official website is where your audience can engage with you, learn more about the show, and get information about each episode.
Build a website that is easy to navigate, use, and is on-point with your podcast's brand and voice. You can find and select from plenty of themes for podcasts for your website.
ITEM #2: CREATE AN EYE-POPPING COVER ART.
While your podcast content is at the forefront of everything that you do, the first thing your audience is going to see is your podcast cover art.
The covert art will appear on all of your marketing materials, your website, your iTunes channel, and in each individual episode should your audience decide to download the files to their computer. It pays to get this right from the get-go. You can create one yourself or have a professional designer work on it.
ITEM #3: SET UP AN EMAIL LIST.
In this day and age, email is the most intimate form of online communication. What better way to let your audience members know about your podcast launch than updates straight to their inbox?
Set up an email list and an embeddable sign-up form as soon as you have your website up. This list will be your marketing channel throughout the lifespan of your podcast where you can connect, interact, and engage with your audience.
We suggest well-known services like Mailchimp, AWeber, Constant Contact, and InfusionSoft to handle and manage your email lists.
ITEM #4: RECORD THE FIRST 5-10 EPISODES OF YOUR PODCAST.
A big mistake new podcasters make is launching their podcasts with just the welcome episode up on their channel. Keep your audience engaged by launching with actual content the moment they subscribe to your podcast.
We recommend recording and releasing the first 5-10 episodes on Launch Day so your listeners will fully engage with your show. This also gives you ample time to gather feedback and work on your next 5-10 episodes.
ITEM #5: MAKE THEIR STAY WORTHWHILE.
The final step to a successful launch is all about creating that memorable experience.
Plan out a launch experience your audience will never forget by making their stay worthwhile.
You can use incentives (e.g. a free book or access to useful resources), social media contests, giveaways, and even guest appearances by well-known figures of your industry.
BONUS TIP: CREATE A CONTENT SERIES LEADING UP TO YOUR LAUNCH.
None of these things will matter if nobody knows about you and your podcast. There are several ways to bring in exposure, one of which is creating a content series leading up to your launch.
Your series can be several useful and powerful posts about your niche, a series of posts surrounding a single topic, or a handful of well-written guest posts published by your industry leaders. At the end of the day, each piece should work to drive people to your website, sign up to your email list, and anticipate the launch of your podcast.
