Story Ninety-Four

With your show structure outlined and your hosts decided, it’s now time to work on your show’s name and branding. These two tasks can be incredibly daunting to new podcasters. We’ll tackle naming your podcast first.

Naming your Podcast

A great podcast name can be straightforward and specific (The Michelle Obama Podcast) or abstract and enigmatic (99% Invisible). It should communicate something about the show - its topic, style, theme, or format - without restricting what it can cover.

By this point, you already know your goals and objectives, your target audience, your competition, and your show structure, so naming your podcast should be easy, right? Unfortunately not.

Should you take a risk and choose an unusual name for your podcast, or opt for something that clearly explains the content of your show? How long should your podcast name be? What if somebody already has the name I want? These are only a handful of the questions new podcasters ask when deciding on a name.

Well, there are a couple of really important factors to consider when naming your podcast, and we’re going to take you through each one.

Think about your audience

Let’s think back to Step 3: Identifying your Audience. When selecting a title for your podcast, choose something that your audience can relate to and resonates with them.

As an example, if you are targeting industry experts in marketing and sales, you wouldn't want to title your podcast "Marketing for Beginners", as this would not appeal to your intended audience. Knowing who you are targeting, and understanding their needs, is essential to choosing a title that will attract listeners.

Additionally, you should consider the language used in the title and make sure that it is appropriate and understandable to the people you are targeting.

Make it descriptive

You want your audience to know what your podcast is about from the title alone. The title should be descriptive enough that it is memorable, without being so long and specific that it is difficult to recall.

For example, while “Marketing Tips for Beginner eCommerce Marketers in Retail called Megan” is very descriptive, it is likely too long and complex for someone to easily remember. Although Megan may appreciate the specificity, it’s probably not the best title for a podcast.

You want to find the perfect balance between being descriptive and memorable. Consider using keywords that are related to the podcast topic, while keeping the title concise and easy to remember.

Play on words

There is a long history of using comedy and wordplay in podcast names across all genres. One of the main benefits of using wordplay is that it makes your title memorable.

For example:

If Books Could Kill - Book reviews
Working hard, hardly working - Entrepreneurship
Eat, sleep, work, repeat - Business
NearlyWeds - Celebrity couple podcast
Idiots and a Broad - Travel podcast
What the Hack - Hacking podcast

Each of these podcasts has a unique title that cleverly combines words that, when put together, create a funny and memorable name. It is a great way for podcast creators to stand out from the crowd and increase the likelihood of their show being noticed.

Avoid similar names to other podcasts

It is important to be mindful of other podcasts that may exist with similar names when deciding what to name your own podcast. To ensure there is no confusion or overlap with other podcasts, it is best to avoid using a name that is too similar to another podcast.

Taking the time to research and make sure that the name you choose stands out from the crowd can help you ensure your podcast has a distinct identity and can be easily found by potential listeners.

Incorporate Brand names

Including your company name in your podcast can be a great way to increase your brand awareness with your podcast. But don’t feel like you have to include your company name in your podcast name or that you’ll be missing out if you don’t. As well as displaying your podcast name, podcast apps will also display the author of the podcast underneath which you can list as your company. Like we did here with our podcast, Awaiting Prompt.

Podcast Artwork

Having great artwork for your podcast is essential to make a good impression on potential listeners. Your artwork is the first thing that potential listeners will see when they come across your podcast so it should reflect the topic and style of your podcast and be eye-catching, so that it stands out from the competition.

Your artwork should also be kept consistent. As the face of your podcast, it is important to keep your artwork consistent across all platforms and make sure that it is easily recognisable. This will help your podcast to stand out and will make it easier for potential listeners to recognise and remember your podcast.

When designing your podcast artwork, there are a few important elements to consider.

Less is more

When it comes to design, sometimes it's best to keep things simple. However, it's important to make sure that your design is still visually appealing and engaging. To achieve this, you can focus on incorporating a few key elements:

A title with an easy-to-read font
A graphic or image that helps to visually reinforce the content of your podcast
One extra visual element that adds interest and depth to your design, such as a colour gradient, texture, icon etc.

Making Your Artwork Stand Out

When creating artwork for your podcast, it's important to remember that it will not always be viewed at its full size. In fact, when potential listeners are browsing through a list of podcasts, your artwork will likely be displayed in a much smaller size. To ensure that your artwork still catches the eye and is recognisable on a smaller scale, there are a few things you can do.

One option is to use large, bold fonts that will remain readable even when scaled down. Additionally, clear and simple graphics can help ensure that your artwork is still recognisable when viewed in a smaller size. Another strategy is to use high-contrast colour schemes that will make your artwork stand out even when it's small.

By keeping these tips in mind, you can create artwork that is not only visually appealing at its full size, but also stands out when scaled down. This will help attract potential listeners to your podcast and make it easier for them to find and recognise your show among the many others available.

Incorporate a photo of your host or guest

Did you know that human beings are naturally drawn to faces? Taking advantage of this fact can help you to create more engaging artwork. One way to do this is by including a photo of your host in your artwork. This can help to establish a personal connection with your audience, and give them a sense of who you are. Additionally, including a photo of your host can help to build their personal brand, and make your work more memorable to potential clients or fans.

By taking the time to create great artwork for your podcast, you’ll be able to make a great first impression on potential listeners and begin to build your podcast’s identity.