Podcast Launch Checklist: Steps to Launching a Podcast

Do you remember the great old days?

The entire family crowded around your Grandpa’s radio to listen to the latest shenanigans of Little Orphan Annie?

Well, it’s just fiction, but let’s portray it.

The idea, music, the story revealing, and public listening to it eagerly.

As this may look like a picture from a simpler time, it is actually one building a great comeback.

Thanks to the demand for podcasting.

Yes, podcasting is trendy.

— Over half of all Americans over 12 years of age have listened to at least one.

Are you thinking of launching a podcast?

Wouldn’t it be helpful to have a single list comprising all the various aspects?

Something to assure you that all your points are covered?

Well, that’s what this blog post is about.

Here’s a podcast launch checklist that will give you a step by step sketch of everything you must do:

Podcast Launch Checklist: 7 Steps

#1 Select Your Hosting Platform

Once your podcast is edited and available to be listened to by your audiences, you’ll need to choose a trustworthy host.  A hosting platform makes it simple to publish your podcast and get posted in directories.

For example, WordPress is for your blog, it receives the files, presents them, and makes it attractive so people can spot them.

We suggest using Libsyn and/or SoundCloud as a hosting platform. Moreover, Podbean, buzzsprout, and Blubrry are also reliable options. These all have a free range of hosting, but you’ll have to do a small investment every month for bandwidth and analytics.

Read Also: How to Create a Killer Podcast Intro and Outro?

#2 Submit Podcast to Podcast Directories

After configuring your podcast RSS feed and once your podcast hosting account is set up, it’s vital to submit your episodes to all the major podcast directories.

It’s very important to list your podcasts in the directory, or your audiences won’t be able to discover you. We advise registering with the below apps:

1. Apple Podcasts
2. Google Podcasts
3. Stitcher
4. Podbean
5. Spotify
6. TuneIn

All these sites will ask for the RSS feed of your podcast, which your hosting platform will produce for you.

Moreover, timing is critical as every podcast platform takes a few days to approve your program. Hence, if you wish to launch it on Thursday, submit your podcast RSS feed throughout every directory on Monday morning. This will give them adequate time to review and send approval.

#3 Publish 3 Episodes

Podcasting is about building a regular rhythm.

Now, the question is, how many episodes to start with?  However, there is no 100% exact answer. Here, we usually suggest launching with three.

The intention is to give your listeners a great, representative example of your content, therefore, they understand what to foresee from the show. Work to discover stability between publishing enough content to give your audience a feeling of what’s to develop, but don’t confuse them with a huge amount of episodes upfront.

For example, launching 10 episodes on the very first day would probably mean that half of your episodes would never be played. Rather, save those extra episodes for your weekly or daily publishing schedule.

#4 Send a Pre-Launch Teaser

Making noise before the actual launch can go a long way, therefore, this step shouldn’t be hopped.

For the maximum manual response, pitch your network and request them to post about the episode over their social channels or to give some great reviews for your episodes. This can be the social proof the public needs to give your show an opportunity when you officially launch it out.

Moreover, another strategy we prefer is using a pre-launch competition where participants are inspired to share your content through social media or sign up for your newsletter in return for the opportunity to win a prize. This approach will help generate your launch email list and get potential listeners excited about the show.

#5 Prepare a Launch Strategy

Before you start, it’s essential to have a strategy planned to promote your podcast. Just uploading to your host isn’t sufficient.

You need a multi-channel plan to create buzz and push people to your website or your show’s listing on their beloved podcast directory.

Moreover, you should tailor your advertisements to suit each platform. For example, bright images work best on Instagram, but it’s better to go with a text-based advancement within your newsletter.

Study these main parkways to launch with a dash.

#6 Maintain Your Flow

As with blog posts, there’s no exact number to publish a podcast. Some prefer publishing it weekly, biweekly, or even monthly.

However, the best rhythm for your podcast is how often you can assuredly, regularly publish quality content.

Choose your meter with a thought to long-term sustainability, and inform your listeners how often you’ll publish. With this listeners will find it comfortable to make your podcast a habit if you adhere to a schedule.

#7 Repurpose, Repurpose, Repurpose

Podcasts are a content tool. It’s simple to end an episode, announce it, then ignore it and move on to the next thing. That’s not the best practice.

Pick pieces of audio content for social media. Create them as tiny videos, add an attractive image or a simple GIF for visual attention.

Use your episodes as feed for forthcoming blog posts, quotes, or even a stand-alone asset.

You can reuse that content in several ways which can help pull more listeners to your podcast.

Wrap Up

Now, you have it, our 7 steps checklist to launch your podcast. Following this checklist will assure that your podcasts hit the ground running, start increasing a listenership, and earn the extra notoriety you’ve been waiting for.

Our podcast editing services provide everything you require to brighten and refine your content once it is recorded.

Thank you for reading, and we wish you best wishes as you create an engaging and appealing podcast.