Top FAQs from Business Owners Before Launching a Podcast
Produce Your Podcast is a premier podcast consulting & production agency providing a comprehensive, full service high quality solution to incorporating podcasting into B2B and B2C clients overall digital marketing strategy.
We’ve launched and produced shows for multiple types of businesses, from solopreneur coach/consultant to nonprofits and multimillion dollar global corporations. If you are a business owner and are considering a podcast, check out this post for “FAQs” and “need-to-know” information as you begin your podcast journey!
What is the process, generally speaking, to launch a podcast?
If you are working with Team PYP on your launch, we will first start with our ‘Discovery Process’ – in this, we will not only build out the nuts and bolts of your show (this is everything from licensing your music beds, securing voiceovers for intros and outros, setting up your audio feeds, getting you approved for distribution on the podcasting platforms, etc) but design the strategy for marketing and monetization so upon your launch, you have a solid plan to build your listenership and generate more visibility, leads and sales as a result of your show.
It will typically take about 60 days to launch an audio-only show, and 75 for audio+video. This allows the time for the build-out as well as setting the strategy for growth, and making sure you + your team are able to implement it with ease.
After Discovery, we will get you scheduled for time in the studio to record your first episodes. From there, our teams will edit and finalize your episodes, and get your pre-launch campaign assets set so you can promote your upcoming show!
Do I need to do audio or audio+video?
We will talk about this in more detail during your initial consultation, but here are a few things to consider:
Benefits of audio-only include:
- More time flexibility to record – you don’t need to think about lighting, outfits, etc.
- Convenience for the listener – because they aren’t watching, they can tune in on-the-go.
- Potentially a more focused listener experience – sometimes, visuals can be distracting or other links catch the viewer’s attention, and they may click away. With audio only listeners can focus solely on the content of your podcast and connect with your message on a deeper level.
Benefits of audio with video include:
- Visual aids enhance engagement – visuals help with learning and engagement, period. If you are a service based business and hope your podcast will be educational, this is a big benefit. If you can help your audience have an “aha!” moment or walk away feeling more educated & empowered, they are more likely to become devoted, regular listeners/viewers.
- Better content repurposing – video is king on social media right now; It is more likely to be shared on social media compared to any other type of content providing you with a huge opportunity to repurpose clips from your video episodes across your marketing channels.
- Reach a wider audience – because you aren’t limited to just audio platforms, there is a greater opportunity for audience building and reach especially with those who prefer to consume content visually rather than through audio.
We always say you won’t be at a detriment if you start with only audio, but you may have more opportunities in a number of things when including video. However, we will also want to talk about who your ideal listener is as a part of this conversation in order to make a recommendation. Podcasts started as audio only, and audio is still a central piece of podcasting!
What’s the time commitment for me? What will you expect of me as a host and potential client at PYP?
Produce Your Podcast is a full service firm, which means we do all the heavy lifting from recording, editing, creating marketing materials, and making sure your guests have what they need in order to share your show. When you do a formal consultation with our team, you will receive a full itemized list of all of the deliverables you will get as a client.
What we will ask of YOU, however, is your commitment to your studio times. You can book studio times as far as 6 months out for a reason – our clients are busy CEOs who not only run businesses but also travel, are doing speaking gigs, have families, take vacations, etc.
We’ve built all of our systems to work with the busy CEO. If you have a change, communication is certainly key but we ask that you take advantage of the booking in advance options.
And finally, let’s reiterate again: communication is key. You will have a dedicated client manager who will project manage your show, your bookings, etc. They will only be reaching out to you to keep things on track, we ask that you respect them and respond to their messages and keep open communication with them so we can flawlessly execute on your production and release schedule.
Talk to me about marketing – how does a podcast benefit my marketing? Who am I marketing my show to?
Great news! A podcast can engage all of your audiences, and we will build out that strategy during your Discovery process to be specific to your business and your goals.
In podcasting, there are two marketing objectives: 1) nurture the existing audience and 2) attract new listeners to widen your audience.
When you first launch, you will absolutely want to promote the show to your existing audiences (think: your newsletter list, your client roster, your sales pipeline, your social media followers, etc.). The goal is to mobilize those people first to make sure you are engaging them at every stage and adding value for them in your episodes. These are the people who are most likely to tune in during the early days of your show, who are most likely to share the show (social proof is a great thing!) and engage with your podcast posts on social media to help get things started.
From there, your external marketing materials will support new listener growth. We will discuss the platforms you are on, who your ideal listener (and future client) is, then build a strategy to make sure your show and your brand are getting in front of them. This could include different types of content per platform, visibility strategies to support new listener growth, using the show within your strategic partnerships, etc.
What most of our clients have found over the years is that the podcast becomes the simplest and most efficient “hub” for their marketing engine. There is a lot of repurposing power in podcast episodes and because you are speaking from your genius zone, some of your best content will come out during your studio times. It also removes the need for extra content creation time for many, and we’ve had clients who built their businesses through in-person conferences and speaking explode their growth by adding the podcast and removing the hard tie to traveling.
What if I feel stuck in growing the show?
This is important – there is a HUGE emphasis on new podcast launches, and there are countless agencies out there that specialize in launches.
What we’ve seen over the years, though, is that there is no long-term strategic support once the excitement of the launch phase is over.
We tackle this in a few ways:
- We offer programming for ongoing support, where we meet every month to make sure your show is supporting your visibility, leads and sales.
- We build both the short term and long term growth plans for your show during the Discovery Phase, and you receive a full blueprint of those strategies when you launch so you can always revisit your strategy.
- Because each client has a dedicated client manager, you always have a connection to our team and can send questions about your show and if you are staying on track with your goals.
Because our team’s background is a combination of both broadcasting AND business development, and because our niche is business-focused podcasts, we will always offer long term support to our clients. It doesn’t support the client OR us if we just launch you and wish you the best before never speaking to you again!
Can you give me some examples of clients?
Absolutely! Please check out our portfolio at produceyourpodcast.com/our-work
If you would like to check out our “look book” which also shows specific elements of the shows we produce, send us a message and we can send it to you.
As far as strategic wins with clients, here are a few examples:
Don’t Retire, Graduate! Host Eric Brotman added over 2,000 people to his email list and launched two new ventures + expanded his assets under management and increased his team to keep up with the workload. He also launched the Don’t Retire, Graduate! book – all as a result of his podcast audience and growth.
Ask Brien doubled their website subscribers to nearly 10k from producing the radio show as a podcast, too.
Inside Design with Kandrac and Kole have secured 14 sponsors and counting for their show, working with recognized brands such as Williams-Sonoma and Sherwin Williams.
Lesa Koski of Doing Divorce Different is currently hiring new team members because, in her words, “I can’t keep up with all the business I have!”
Ready to have a conversation about your own podcast’s launch?
Produce Your Podcast is a premier podcast consulting, production & marketing agency. Our team of experts provides comprehensive, full service high quality solutions for B2B and B2C clients to incorporate podcasting into their overall marketing strategy. If you’re looking for a reliable partner to help launch or grow your business branded podcast and boost your sales and marketing goals, we’re here to help.
Click here to schedule a conversation with our team today. Let’s work together to create a high quality podcast that takes your business to new heights!
