Master Your Podcast Launch Strategy with the Easy-to-Follow Steps in this Guide

Did you know there are about 700,000 active podcasts today and there are more launching every single day! It’s safe to say we might be reaching the “Age of the Podcast.”

via GIPHYIt’s no wonder that podcasts are growing in popularity. They are relatively inexpensive to set up and low-tech so you don’t need to have a huge team to do the heavy lifting. They are also a fantastic way to spread your message and create engaging and valuable content to your audience. All you need is a failproof podcast launch strategy.Team Edgar has even joined the fun with our newest podcast Social Post!???? ???? Kind of meta, but, want to listen to this post instead? Check it out:

We’ve heard from some of our audience that they too are planning to start their own podcasts as well so we’re sharing everything we know about a successful podcast launch.First, let’s chat about why your podcast launch strategy is important.There are really two reasons you want to plan for and promote a podcast launch.The first is straightforward: a successful podcast launch can lead to better rankings right out of the gate. iTunes rankings are based on the number of subscriptions, downloads, reviews, and ratings collected in the short period of time following your podcast launch.If you can see a big burst of subscribers, downloads and five-star reviews immediately after you launch, you can see higher rankings and have the opportunity of breaking into that “New and Noteworthy” category.

The second reason to plan and promote a podcast launch is that it will act as your springboard to build your momentum and keep you consistently growing your podcast fanbase.When you start seeing that success and excitement around your initial launch, it’s natural to want to keep it going.

Ready for the most successful podcast launch strategy ever? Let’s get to it!

1.Set a launch date and give yourself a deadline

Life gets busy! There are projects to complete, family events to attend, meetings to schedule, friends to see and, of course, your favorite Netflix show to binge. If you don’t buckle down and set a date, that podcast might be sitting on the “To Do” list for months or even years!Set a hard and fast launch date for your podcast. Write it on your calendar, circle it twice or if you’re a digital person, add a few exclamation points to it.

via GIPHYOnce you have that date set, you’ll want to work backward from that date to plan your promotional posts. If you use a category-based scheduling system like MeetEdgar, this is easy to do! Simply view your schedule and find ideal days and times to start promoting your podcast. Create a category for your podcast and drop it into those ideal days and times.

Now all you need to do is start building that social content.

2. Create promotional social media content

Even though you haven’t quite launched, it doesn’t mean you can’t start promoting your podcast and generating buzz about it on social media. Remember, social media is your community and your goal is to build connections and conversations. What better way to drive connection than by sharing what you’re working on?There are a few different types of social media posts you can use to build anticipation for your podcast without sounding repetitive.Behind the scenesPeople love seeing the inside of someone’s business! Do you have a cool podcasting set-up, a brand new microphone or notes from your interviews? Let your audience see those behind-the-scenes glimpses.TeasersWhile you may not have an entire episode ready to air just yet, you probably have a few recorded that are in editing or maybe you just have your intro recorded or your music ready to go or even a peek at your logo, like podcasting superstar Georgia Hardstark did below. If you've already prepared an episode, you can give a sneakpeak by creating short-form podcast clips featuring highlight moments. Sharing a look at what’s to come will generate excitement over the finished product.

QuestionsWhat better way to start conversations about your podcasts than by actually starting those conversations? This can also act as some market research. Here are some useful example questions:

• "We’re officially starting a podcast! What types of guests do you love to hear from?"
• "What is the ideal length of a podcast episode to you? 30 minutes, 1 hour or longer?"
• "I’m starting a podcast and want to know who you love in the space! Drop your favorite podcasts below"

Shareable contentAnother easy way to create buzz around the launch of your podcast is by creating some highly shareable quotes. Whether that’s a quote that has your brand on it or a sound snippet of an interview you did, create excitement for what’s to come. If you create useful, relatable or fun posts, your audience will share them without a second thought.Your podcast brandingOne item you might want to have completely ready before you start promotion is your podcast logo or name. That way you can start spreading brand awareness and name recognition with your audience before the launch.[sc name="ad1"]

3. Build your email list

Did you see this one coming? You know we love a good email list here at MeetEdgar!Email is a fantastic direct way to let your audience know when your podcast is live. You want your email subscribers to feel like they are getting insider info on your launch so they feel like it’s worth sharing their email address with you.Offering incentives or giveaways exclusively to your email list on your launch date is a great way to generate buzz and build loyalty. For example, on launch day you could write an email about your launch and have a call to action like, “Respond with a screenshot of showing you subscribed to win a prize!”

4. Submit to Apple before you launch and launch with a few episodes

Can you imagine hitting your launch day without having an actual podcast to launch? Talk about a tech nightmare!

via GIPHYApple can take up to 10 days to approve your podcast. While most get approved within 3 days, you should give yourself some buffer room.You also should start with more than one episode. Launching with more than one episode will give your audience more content to consume, think about and talk about. You’ve been getting them excited so don’t just leave them hanging with only one episode!

5. Host a launch event

The word event sounds fancy, glitzy and yes, expensive! But it doesn’t have to be! Especially in the days of Zoom events.You could create hype for your launch by hosting an online event where you ask a few of your guests or industry experts to attend and give an interview or short talk. Playing online games with your attendees, sharing insider snippets, and offering exclusive insight into your world will all make your audience want a ticket to the event.Limit the number of tickets so the ‘launch party’ appears more exclusive, you could also offer giveaways as an incentive to sign up to attend.

6. Play the long game

Finally, if you want a fantastic launch and a strong podcast no matter what, play the long game! Like many other creative pursuits, it’s not about instant success. It’s about consistently creating value and enjoying the ride as you go.Podcasting can be a fun and lucrative side project, full-time job, or additional income for your business but the trick is to enjoy the creation, the connection, and the content, just as much as you enjoy the end results!

Get the podcast started!

Now you know exactly how to execute the successful launch of a podcast, it’s time to get started. Stop putting off your podcast launch for a rainy day and get organizing!What’s your experience with launching a new podcast? Did you find it a breeze or were you faced with struggles? Let us know in the comments!Have you subscribed to our podcast Social Post yet? These are short snackable audio versions of this very blog! You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!