Guide to Planning and Launching a Podcast

Now that you know the commitment needed to start a podcast, it's time to set you goals. Ask yourself: why am I starting a podcast? What do I hope to achieve?

Your goals will help determine the format, topics, and guests. Make sure they are reasonable, achievable, and measurable. For example, aiming for a certain number of listens is a vanity metric, whereas aiming for a certain number of leads to your website is a more accurate measure of success and audience engagement.

Your goals will help give direction and intention to your podcast. Here are a couple of examples of common podcasting goals and the type of podcast you could create to achieve them:

Goal: Generate Leads

"I want to increase the number of leads for our business."

You could research the most commonly searched questions related to your industry by potential customers and create episodes dedicated to each one with the question in the episode title to help it rank high in search.

Goal: Increase Brand Awareness‍

"I want to share my point of view and raise awareness of our brand."

You could cover industry news in solo episodes and then interview other leaders in your industry. This will give you the opportunity to speak about your thoughts and beliefs whilst still providing a platform for your peers and the opportunity to network and raise your profile.

Goal: Increase Content Output

"I want to increase the amount of content we share."

You could create super bitesize episodes (less than 10 minutes) and release two weekly, one on a Monday and one on a Friday. The Monday episode could be an authority episode, whilst the Friday episode is an industry news recap for the week.

Goal: Streamline Employee Onboarding

"I want to streamline the onboarding process of new employees."

You could create a private podcast available only to employees and cover the mission and values of your company. You could interview department heads and discuss key projects or milestones for the business.

Goal: Increase Conversions

‍"I want to help customers through the buying process."

You could cover the benefits of your product or service and common objections. Interview existing customers of your products or service and find out how it helped or benefitted them.

Goal: Build Authority

‍"I want to establish myself as an industry expert."

You could interview other leading experts to confront pressing matters within the industry. Use the podcast as an opportunity to put yourself in a room with other industry experts and build lasting relationships with your guests.

Identifying your goals is a crucial step towards building a successful podcast. By defining the goals, you will have a clear direction, tone of voice and aim for your podcast. This will enable you to shape your questions better, choose appropriate guests, and develop a successful promotional strategy.

Moreover, having clear goals will help you stay focused and consistent in your content. Taking the time now will pay off in the long run, providing a solid foundation for your podcast to grow and thrive.