The Podcast Launch Checklist: 21 Steps to Easily Launch an Industry Leading Podcast
Have you been considering launching a podcast?
This checklist is a simple framework to help you get started the right way.
Since you’re reading this checklist, we know you have a powerful message, a big idea, and valuable knowledge to share with the world.
You know your stuff and there are 1000s of people out there who will benefit from hearing what you have to share with them in a podcast.
The problem is, the thought of starting a podcast is daunting and makes people think of confusing equipment, long hours of research to figure out all the technical stuff and having to manage yet another project they don’t have time for.
Plus, people are hesitant because they believe they don’t have a ‘radio voice’ or are worried that they simply have too many other projects going on.
They believe these make pretty good reasons to never start a podcast.
So your podcast gets put on hold month after month, or worse, never gets launched at all.
And understandably so…
That’s why we’re excited to share this 21 Step Checklist with you!
We’ve designed it to eliminate the roadblocks to starting a podcast and help you easily plan and launch a show that amplifies your authority, grows your audience, and gets your valuable message out to people who are excited to connect with you or your brand.
Here are the 3 keys to actually starting a highly effective podcast:
Follow a proven step-by-step process. Use this checklist so you don’t have to figure out all the technical stuff that derails people.
Keep it simple. Getting your valuable message recorded and out there for people to engage with is SO much more important than having the right microphone, or whether or not your artwork is just right. Your message is VALUABLE. Focus on sharing it with people and the rest is easy.
Start now with the end in mind. The rest of this checklist lays out the exact steps our team uses every day to plan, launch and grow highly effective podcasts for people. Use it to launch YOUR podcast.
The first step is to simply decide WHAT you want your podcast to achieve for you.
This ensures your podcast will be a highly effective tool, and never a time-suck.
Please use this checklist and refer back to it as often as necessary.
All we ask is, when you discover something incredibly helpful or implement these steps, that you email us and tell us about the results you got with it.
21 Steps to Easily Launch an Industry Leading Podcast
☐ STEP #1: DECIDE WHAT PODCASTING WILL DO FOR YOU
What: Define clear objectives for what you want to achieve with your podcast.
Why: With clarity on where we want to go, we can plan a podcast that gets us there effectively.
☐ STEP #2: SELECT YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE
What: Who do you want to be a hero to? Select, refine and define your perfect podcast audience.
Why: A targeted audience is CRITICAL to effective podcasting and will make the difference between huge success and lackluster results.
☐ STEP #3: CRAFT YOUR CENTRAL MESSAGE
What: This is the core message or the ‘big idea’ you want to share with your audience.
Why: Use your message to share valuable ideas, pre-qualify leads for your programs and impact new audiences!
☐ STEP #4: PICK YOUR PODCAST FORMAT & FREQUENCY
What: Decide how long and how often you’ll release new episodes as well as how your show will be structured.
Why: Different formats have different strengths. Choose one that fits your goals, brand, and target audience.
☐ STEP #5: DECIDE HOW YOUR PODCAST WILL MAKE MONEY (AND BECOME A PROFIT CENTER!)
What: There are a few ways to fund your podcast before it even launches: Through generating more sales & leads or podcast sponsorships. Decide which approach best fits you.
Why: Wouldn’t it be nice to have your entire podcast paid for before you do any work on it? We think so!
Case Study #1, Sales: Learn how to generate new, high ticket sales with a podcast from John Logar, a consultant who sold $100k in 2 months with his new podcast. Or learn how Jen Hemphill signed 2 new clients in the first 30 days of launching her new podcast.
Case Study #2, Lead Generation: Hear how LeadPages generated 40,000 new leads for their software service using their podcast.
Case Study #3, Sponsorships: Discover how Alan Moore landed $7,000 in sponsorships before recording his first episode.
☐ STEP #6: GET YOUR PODCAST RECORDING EQUIPMENT
What: Pick up an *easy to use*, high-quality podcasting microphone, and any recording software you’ll need. This step is easier than you think.
How: Here’s my recommendations for the best podcast microphone to use for your specific recording situation. You’ll also find these recommendations for the perfect podcast equipment setup quite valuable as you go about setting up your own podcast recording space.
——- Creating Your Podcast ——-
Now that we’ve got a clear idea of what your podcast will be about and who it’s for, we have a solid foundation to start creating your authority-building podcast.
The next section lays out the exact steps to actually create your new podcast and get it launched to the world!
☐ STEP #7: CHOOSE A PODCAST TITLE
What: Give your show a recognizable, searchable, and branded title that grabs attention.
☐ STEP #8: CREATE YOUR PODCAST COVER ARTWORK
What: Create unique, stand-out artwork for your podcast. This is what directories and your listeners will use to recognize your podcast.
☐ STEP #9: CREATE BRANDED INTROS & OUTROS
What: These are short audio clips at the beginning and end of each of your podcast episodes so your audience easily recognizes the show, knows what they’re listening to, and connects with your brand.
☐ STEP #10: RECORD YOUR FIRST EPISODE(S)
What: Sit down to record the content that will become your very first episode. Our suggestion is to batch record so that you have episodes in the bank for later!
☐ STEP #11: SET UP PODCAST HOSTING
What: The audio files for your podcast need a home. Podcast hosting is simply where your audio files sit, and how the different directories access and share your show.
How: Our personal recommendation is Libsyn which costs as little as $5 a month for 3hrs of audio.
☐ STEP #12: SET UP THE PODCAST ON YOUR SITE
What: Part of podcasting is having a place where listeners can further engage with your brand (ie. your website). Set up a podcast page on your site that features all the episodes for viewers in one place and acts as the “central hub” for your podcast.
☐ STEP #13: PRODUCE YOUR FIRST EPISODE(S)
What: Edit the audio, insert your intro & outro audios, ID3 tag your audio file, and upload it to your podcast hosting site. Then write a short show notes post to accompany your episode and save it in draft form on your website. If this sounds like a lot of work, we’ll be honest with you… it is.
We offer a done-for-you service so you only have to record content and our team handles the rest for you. To see if we might be a good fit to work together, schedule a call with us today!
☐ STEP #14: CREATE A WINNING “LAUNCH PLAN”
What: Ensure your podcast gets fast traction from day one with a well-thought-out launch strategy.
☐ STEP #15: SUBMIT YOUR PODCAST TO DIRECTORIES
What: Use the RSS feed Libsyn creates for you and submit your podcast to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music and more so people can discover and easily listen to your podcast!
☐ STEP #16: LAUNCH DAY!
What: The most exciting day of the process! Now we simply put into action your “Launch Plan” to get as much engagement and exposure as possible and take advantage of any promotional opportunities available.
☐ STEP #17: EMPLOY “GRASSROOTS MARKETING”
What: Ask your listeners to please think of one person that will also find value from the content they just listened to and share the episode with that person directly.
☐ STEP #18: PUBLISH REGULAR CONTENT
What: Record enough content to publish on a regular, consistent schedule. This builds a long-term relationship with your audience and a huge bank of valuable content around your brand online, on your website and in podcast directories.
Pro Tip:
You can record content in batches (ie. Multiple episodes at a time) and simply publish them on a consistent schedule. This way, you can save tons of time and get ahead of schedule.
☐ STEP #19: GROW YOUR AUDIENCE & EMAIL LIST
What: There are a few key methods for effectively growing your podcast audience which fall into two categories:
General things you can do to build your audience like offering valuable checklists, downloadables, and mini-courses in exchange for a name and email address.
How you can promote each podcast episode to get maximum listenership.
☐ STEP #20: FURTHER MONETIZE YOUR PODCAST
What: There are several methods for monetizing a podcast like Affiliate Offers, Sponsorships, JV Partnerships, Podcast Subscription Services, or Your Own Products and Services. You could use all of them as a podcaster, or focus in on 1 or 2. It’s really up to you, but now’s the time to consider additional monetization avenues.
☐ STEP #21: LEVERAGE YOUR NEW PODCAST AUTHORITY
What: Just being a podcast host is a HUGE authority indicator, like being an author. Now that you have this authority, you get to choose how to leverage it more effectively to get bigger and better results for your brand.
☐ BONUS STEP: HAVE FUN!
What: What’s the point otherwise? Enjoy, connect, engage, impact and advocate for your audience!
Sometimes people take a look at this checklist and think:
“That sounds like a lot of work…”
… And rightly so. It is. It also has the potential to be the most effective channel for quickly growing your impact, influence, and income.
So we offer a simple solution.
Here’s How to Get Your Podcast Planned, Created, and Launched for You in Just 6-8 Weeks…
You already know what your podcast is going to be about.
You’ve spent months, even years thinking about it and you’ve got a powerful message in your head.
The time-consuming part is getting it out there as a podcast where it can spread and make an impact.
That’s where we come in.
We help people just like you get your podcast outlined, created, and launched in as little as six weeks.
HERE’S HOW:
Step 1: Our Podcast Coaches combine your ideas with our podcast expertise to form a detailed, professional outline that lays the foundation for your podcast.
Step 2: You get direct, one-on-one coaching and guidance from your dedicated Podcast Coach on everything from equipment, content planning, hosting skills, strategy and more.
Step 3: Our Designers craft eye catching podcast artwork and a professional Intro & Outro with custom voiceover and soundtrack so your podcast stands out.
Step 4: Our Producers handle all the technical setup of your podcast, we submit you to all the top platforms and we integrate everything with your website.
Step 5: Our Podcast Launch Handbook ensures your podcast is seen by a highly targeted audience of your best prospects and we provide all the tools, templates and scripts for a highly successful podcast launch.
Step 6: Once your show is live, you simply record episode content and let our Producers edit, write compelling show notes, and publish every new episode for you. You also get access to our Virtual Podcast Mastermind for growing your podcast, turning listeners into clients, and ensuring your podcast succeeds.
Most people think it takes months of research, hard work and confusing tech to start a podcast.
Now you can get your podcast planned, created and launched to the world in as little as 6 weeks, and have it completely produced for you.
If you’d like us to help, just send an email to hello@cashflowpodcasting.com or schedule a call and we’ll take it from there.