So You Want to Start a Podcast, Now What?
Podcasts are all the rage. There are over 700,000 active podcast shows at this very moment with 29 million episodes total. It’s no surprise to us that you’re ready to dive into the deep end of podcast production. Get your voice heard among the 159 million U.S. citizens who have listened to a podcast. You’re an excellent speaker and you have a lot to talk about. After all, you are the expert in your industry. Let’s talk about how we can help you bring your ideas to life.
159 million U.S. citizens have listened to at least one podcast.
How Often Should I be Podcasting?
Well, that ultimately depends on how much you have to say! The typical episode lengths are 15-minutes, 30-minutes, and 60-minutes. Now, does that mean you have to stick to that time limit every time? No. This is your podcast. If you produce 10 episodes at 15 minutes each and have a 19-minute episode to close out the series, you can do that! The great thing about podcasting is that for the most part, it’s unregulated and there aren’t strict rules that govern the duration of episodes or series.
Once you determine how long each episode will run for, it’s time to think about how often you’re going to launch new episodes. Before answering this question, let us ask you if you’re going to continuously run this podcast or if you plan on releasing them in “chunks” or “seasons”. The average series follows the same outline as TV shows, running typically 10-12 episodes. But, again, remember that this is your podcast. If you want to produce a season that contains 24 episodes, go for it. If you want to produce a series that contains 4 episodes, you can do that, too! However long it takes to get your message out!
Now that you’ve decided on your length of episode and total number of episodes, let’s talk about how often you should release them. The most popular option is weekly but there are podcasts that release bi-weekly or monthly, though those are few and far between. According to research, the average podcast listener listens to 7 shows a week so our recommendation is to release your episodes weekly. If you decrease the frequency that you release podcasts, you will likely have trouble keeping an active listener base.
How Do I Decide What to Podcast About?
Like every creative process, having an outline and plan is the key to success. Sit down and think about what your mission statement is. What is your overarching goal or theme? Once you’ve nailed that down, sit down and plan out your first 3 seasons. What will be the topic of each episode? Who will you interview? Did you leave room for timely episodes in case there’s interesting news within your industry? Digging into all of this will help you execute your podcast to the best of your abilities and not leave you scrambling each week.
As you decide what to focus on, remember that you’re not locked into your specific industry. There are many brands out there that produce content and podcasts that is completely unrelated to their industry. GE currently produces a podcast called “The Message” where scientists attempt to decode messages received from extraterrestrial life. McDonald’s produces a podcast called “The Sauce” where they discuss public relations fiascos, how they were handled, and how they could have been avoided. (anyone remember their “hot coffee” lawsuit incident?) Sephora recently launched a podcast titled #LipStories that talks about successful women and the stories behind their success. This goes to show that regardless of your service, product, or industry, you can still be creative. It’s not common for the average listener to be interested in multiple categories. The AD Leaf ® has a team of individuals who are passionate about marketing but we also have team members who are interested in stock trading, true crime, comedy, music, and more! Everyone is multi-faceted and interested in more than just your industry. Think about the industry you work in, is that the only subject matter you’re interested in? Probably not. If you’re in the solar roofing business, you might also be interested in country music, a keto diet, hiking, or documentaries. Right? Not everyone lives and breathes their job. I mean, we do, but that’s beside the point.
How Do I Brand my Podcast?
Everything we’ve talked about has lead to this moment. Branding. Now that you have decided how often you will be podcasting, and what you will be podcasting about, it’s time to bring it from good to great, and great to legendary! We will help you create a streamlined and professional branding for your podcast, and help you shout it out to the masses! Through our experience and multiple marketing tactics, we’ll work with you to develop intro/outro music, tag lines, related hashtags, social media campaigns, logos, episode covers, episode titles, episode descriptions, and more. You’re the content creator and we’re here to take that content to the next level with our professional recommendations. We’ll involve you every step of the way to make sure that your content is being brought to life in a way that you want it to, that supports your dream of having a successful podcast.
We know you want to focus on producing content and talking about what you’re passionate about. Let us worry about the rest so you can do what you truly love to do. Give us a call at 321-255-0900 or email us at info@theadleaf.com.
