What To Do Now That Your Podcast Is Launched!

What now?

If you just launched your podcast and find yourself asking that question, you’re not alone.

Even the most well-planned launch can feel underwhelming if you don’t know where to go from there.

And after putting so much time and effort into your first episode’s release, it can be difficult to know where to put your energy next.

So in this article, I’m going to share three tips that will help you keep the momentum going now that you’ve gotten your podcast out to the world.

 

Tip #1: Establish Your Process

If you want to keep your podcast going strong, I can’t stress enough how important it is to establish a consistent schedule and routine for creating your episodes.

This means planning out your content, figuring out when you’re going to record, and—if you’re doing interviews—knowing when and how you’re going to reach out to potential guests.

Now, none of this needs to be written in stone; of course, you can be flexible if things come up.

You just want to get into a rhythm so you can make sure your podcast becomes a part of your routine.

Otherwise, life happens and it’s way too easy to find you’ve gone weeks without recording.

And the last thing you want to do is scramble to throw something together the night before publication.

That’s why I recommend planning out your content at least a few weeks in advance. 

(Naturally, the further out you can plan, the better. Bonus points if you also record your stuff a few weeks in advance.)

If you find you’re struggling to come up with content ideas beyond your first handful of episodes, check out 5 Ideas For Awesome Podcast Content (And How To Generate Even More) to get the wheels turning.

Once you’ve got your plan in place for what you’re going to record, figure out when you’re going to record it.

Even it’s only you behind the mic, I recommend blocking out a dedicated time for creating your audio. 

This will not only ensure you keep up with your podcast, but it also gives you a chance to set aside enough time to record 2 or 3 episodes in one session—another reason planning your content in advance comes in handy.

‘Batching’ in this way allows you to get ahead with your content and makes for very efficient recording. 

If you’re doing interviews, do your best to schedule 2 or 3 interviews in an afternoon to get the same effect.

And speaking of interviews, as I mentioned above, you want to have a system for when and how you’re going to reach out to your potential guests.

Keep in mind, you want to do so far enough in advance that you can coordinate schedules and have a time buffer in case something comes up on their end.

Not sure how to go about reaching out to potential guests? Check out 6 Steps to Get Amazing Podcast Guests on Your Podcast for some tips.

Another important part of your process is going to be how you market your podcast.

In other words, what is your plan for promoting your individual episodes each time a new episode releases?

You’ll want to leverage the audience you do have, and the social channels your brand is active in.

Namely the primary channels to promote through are: Email, Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and for some of you, Instagram and YouTube.

The key is to have a set process for promotion that you use with every episode so you don’t feel like you’re making it up as you go along.

If you don’t know where to start with promotion, check out our Podcast Promotion Playbook: The Top 3 Ways to Promote Your Podcast and our associated 3 Step Podcast Promotion Checklist.

Having a plan in place for these things will help you grow your podcast over time in a consistent and controlled way.

So take some time to set up each element mentioned above and establish your process.

 

Tip #2: Integrate Your Podcast

Now that you have the podcast, you want to bake it into all the other things you’re doing, as well.

You have two goals in doing this:

1. Make sure people know your podcast exists.
2. Encourage people to check out your podcast as a way to dive deeper into your brand and learn more at their own pace.

How do you do this?

Mention it wherever you can. Include your podcast in your email signature, in your social media profiles, on your “about” page, your author bio, etc.

This puts the word out there for people—and boosts your credibility in the process.

Like writing a book, speaking at conferences, or publishing articles for news outlets, hosting a podcast instantly builds your authority by establishing you as a leader in your field.

In short, it helps people believe you know what you’re talking about.

As a result, their initial view of you improves, which makes it easier to form new connections, develop partnerships, or build out your network.

For more on how this works, as well as ideas and real-life examples of how to spread the word about your podcast in the ways mentioned above, check out How to Use Your Podcast to Amplify Your Authority Marketing.

Another great way to integrate your podcast into your brand is to include it in your automated email intro sequence when someone opts in to your list. (Feel free to borrow the templates in The Podcasters’ Indoctrination Email Sequence to get yours set up.)

Anything else you can do to integrate your podcast into your existing content and marketing efforts or other channels like blog posts, YouTube content, ebooks, etc. is always a win.

Get creative and spread the word!

Tip #3: Check Your Mindset

A major key to successful podcasting is going into it with the right mindset.

Your aim should be to provide value for your tribe and your industry over the long-term.

As part of that, you should always be looking for ways that you, your brand, your content (including your podcast), and your company can better support the field and those people in it.

Too often, I’ve seen podcasters focus ONLY on what they will get out of podcasting, whether it’s growing their businesses, increasing their revenue, expanding their audiences, etc.

And while those things are bound to happen as your podcast grows, they shouldn’t be your main motivation.

Going in with self-serving goals will nearly always become apparent to listeners and turn them off.

Instead, try to turn your podcast into a valuable resource for your audience, and a vehicle to contribute and ‘give back’ to your market.

For more on how to do this and the winning mindset for podcasters, make sure to read The 8 Principles Behind Highly Successful Business Podcasts.

While going in with the right motivation is crucial for successful podcasting, it’s also important that you approach your podcast with the intent to have some fun with it.

Your show should be a representation of your brand and you as a human being, so you don’t have to be super professional and buttoned up all the time.

People want to know that you’re having a good time and that you’re putting your podcast out there from a place of abundance, not from a place of lack, need, or drudgery.

That’s what will establish you as a leader and educator in your space.

So infuse your personality into it and get excited about making this a go-to industry resource that is actually pretty cool. 

After all, no one ever said you can’t serve your industry and have fun at the same time.

 

Moving Forward

Launching a podcast is a huge milestone you should absolutely celebrate!

Now that the show is live, continuing to build momentum after your first episode releases is what will really build your show into something you can be proud of—and that your industry will thank you for.

So use the tips mentioned in this article and take your podcast launch from “it’s done, now what?” to the start of a powerful resource that will continue to serve your audience for years to come.

Do you have more tips for what to do post-launch? Share them in the comments below!