In the last year, we’ve seen an explosive rise in the podcast industry. You likely know a few people who’ve launched them and thought about the possibility of launching one yourself.
In today’s episode, I’m sharing a few things you should consider before you launch a podcast! Listen in to get my thoughts on prepping for a podcast and the process I walk my clients through prior to working with me!
Clocking In with Haylee Gaffin is produced and brought to you by Gaffin Creative, a podcast production company for creative entrepreneurs. Learn more about our services at Gaffincreative.com, plus you’ll also find resources, show notes, and more for the Clocking In Podcast.
Now I get asked all the time, what do I need to consider before I launch a podcast? Truthfully, there are 100 things to consider. But today I’m covering the four most important to consider before you ever even think about launching a podcast.
As you may know, I recently went full time in my business Gaffin creative where we help entrepreneurs and creatives launch and produce the podcasts of their dreams. Within my inquiry workflow, I like to jump on a call with those potential clients to make sure we’re a good fit, but also to see where they are in the planning process.
So let’s dive into the main considerations that I want my clients to make before they launch a podcast.
What is the goal of your podcast?
The first major question that I ask is, what is the goal or purpose of your podcast?
There is no right answer to this question because it could be a variety of things. The reason that I want to know what the goal of a podcast is, is because I want to make sure we’re focused on meeting that goal within the first three months of launch. A few goals include positioning yourself as an expert in your field, content marketing, for your business through podcast episodes, and driving listeners to your service, you could be selling products or goods that are relevant to your topic. You could be networking with other industry experts as guests on your show, growing your audience on a podcast, and then driving them to your social media, adding value to your existing audience, or even financial gain from sponsorships.
But how do we measure these goals? Let’s take one of these goals and do just that. Let’s say you’re an educator looking to add a podcast to your business. You have a decent-sized audience, but you want to sell your courses or coaching services. So by offering value to your audience before they ever spend money with you, you’re gaining their trust. What I help you strategically create is valuable content that is relevant to those courses or coaching services that will help you drive more people to sign up for those things.
Your goal sets the tone for your entire podcast plan. It affects the strategy, the content, how it’s marketed and so much more. I prefer to work with people who have defined that goal so that we know what we’re working towards. Maybe that goal is just to add value to your audience. And that’s totally fine. Maybe it’s just to grow your reach. We’ll make that happen. But we’ll want to find that audience and figure out what you should be discussing in your podcast before we ever launch it.
What is your podcasting budget?
Another important discussion that I have in my consult calls is to consider your budget. Or if we’re being completely blunt: What is your budget because podcasting is not 100% free.
A few startup expenses alone include podcasting gear, royalty free music, and hosting. If you’re doing the majority of the work and production on your own, you can get by with paying as little as $200 for the gear, the music and the first month of hosting and even less if you find a good sale. Your ongoing costs can range anywhere from free, depending on your platform to around $180 a year. And I always recommend a paid platform like a cast or Libsyn for your podcast hosting. In addition to those required expenses. A few optional components include website build and hosting for your show notes, hiring a podcast consultant or producer like myself, hiring a graphic designer for the assets and promotional material templates. transcription services for access ability and guest gifting now I do want to jump into these costs in more detail so make sure you come back next week for an episode where I dive into the more specific numbers on what all of these services costs.
How much time do you have to dedicate to the podcast?
Now my next question is how much time do you have to dedicate to the podcast. We’re all busy, right? Like we have a dozen things pulling us in 100 different directions and that’s why it’s so important to consider if you actually have time to start a podcast your time is precious and valuable so I want you to consider two things:
How much time do I have to dedicate to the podcast
and then
How much time do I want to dedicate to a podcast
It’s up to you to decide these things and make sure that you’re able to put in the work or if you’re not sure that you could commit to working on your podcast weekly you could consider batching or outsourcing most of my clients do both this means we’ll work a full month ahead of schedule so they’re not stressing about it but they’re also doing all of their work on the podcast one to two days a month and then sending me everything else to handle it.
As a podcast host if you’re not outsourcing your podcast production you’re responsible for scheduling the interviews, creating outlines and scripts, recording episodes and interviews, editing your show ,creating those show notes, and the cover and social graphics, running it through a transcription service, uploading it to your host and website, marketing it, and scheduling social media, and so much more!
As a podcast host who is outsourcing the production your responsibilities for the podcast could include as little as just creating the outline or script and then recording your show or interview so take a look at your calendar and make sure you’re not going to burn out. The last thing i want is to see a new podcaster give up on releasing new episodes right after they launch this also allows for you to determine how many episodes you can produce in a month. Before I officially launch a podcast for a client they’ve recorded at least three episodes because that’s the number I require them to launch with when they’ve launched. Sometimes they’ve even recorded the next three or four as well. The benefit of this is so that you’ll be able to understand how long it takes you to do your part of the podcast so that you can fit it into your schedule.
What do you want to call your podcast?
By now you’ve had time to think through your goals your budget and your schedule. Now that we’ve gotten most of the more robust details out of the way let’s get to the creative part.
What do you want to call your podcast for some reason naming your podcast comes naturally for some people for others it’s what holds them up the longest. And, yeah that was me. I sat on my podcast launch for months because I wanted the perfect name. But one day everything just clicked with clocking in.
If you’re struggling to pick a name for your podcast let’s brainstorm by doing the following get out a piece of paper and write out words that you associate with the topics you want to cover after you do that write out words you’d associate with your brand and then write down phrases or special phrases that you would like to consider. Now write down any and all titles that you would consider for your podcast now go through your paper underline all of the words that stand out to you most. As you do this if any new phrases come to mind write them down go back through with a different color pin and circle your top three to five choices. Once you’ve done that look up each of those options on apple podcast app and see if anyone else is using it. Now send the remaining titles to your close friends to vote on their favorite and your friends may come back with additional options and that’s perfect finally consider their feedback but choose the one that resonates with you. If you’re anything like me, you may want to sit on it for another week once you complete this exercise. I’d love to hear what you come up with.
So, those are the four things that I would ask you to consider before you launch a podcast.
To recap what is the goal of your podcast? What is your budget? How much time do you have to dedicate to the podcast? What do you want to call your podcast?
Review the Show Notes
My Inquiry Workflow (1:22)
What is the goal of your podcast? (2:02)
Potential Podcast Goals (2:23)
- Positioning yourself as an expert in your field
- Content marketing your business through podcast episodes and driving listeners to your services.
- Selling products or goods that are relevant to topics you want to cover
- Networking with other industry experts as guests on your show
- Growing your audience on podcast and social media
- Adding value to your existing audience
- Financial gain from sponsorships
Measuring Your Goals (2:52)
Consider Your Budget (3:56)
Startup Expenses: $200 (4:09)
- Podcasting Gear
- Royalty Free Music
- Hosting
Optional Expenses: (4:41)
- Website Build & Hosting for your show notes
- Hiring Podcast Consultant & Producer
- Hiring Graphic Designer for Assets and Promotional Materials
- Transcription Services for Accessibility
- And Guest gifting
How much time do you have/want to dedicate to your podcast? (5:13)
What do you want to call your podcast? (7:29)
Podcast Naming Exercise (7:52)
- Get out a piece of paper
- Write out words you associate with your primary topics
- Write out words you’d associate with your brand
- Write down catchy or special phrases to you
- Write down any and all titles
- Underline all of the words that stand out to you the most.
- If there are any new phrases that come to mind after that exercise, write them down
- Go back through with a different color pen and circle your top three-five choices.
- Look up those title options on Apple podcast app and see if anyone else is using it.
- Send the remaining titles to your close friends to vote on their favorite.
- Finally, consider their feedback, but choose the one that resonates with you.
Three Women I’m cheering for This Week (13:04)
Amanda Warfield
LaShonda Brown
April TempleL
Review the Transcript:
0:00
Over the last year, we’ve seen an explosive rise in the production and release of new podcasts. And I’ve loved it. It’s actually what made me decide to reevaluate the direction I wanted to take my business. And it pushed me to really hone in on the podcast world and lend my knowledge to upcoming podcast hosts. So this episode is for listeners who are ready to become hosts or just have a burning curiosity for what goes into podcasting. Today, we’re covering some of the important elements that I discussed with potential clients about their podcasts on our initial consultation, because I want to make sure they’re ready for the investment and commitment of launching and producing a podcast. So let’s walk through what that initial call with me looks like and why I asked these questions to potential podcast hosts.
0:50
Hey, y’all, welcome to the clocking in podcast, the podcast for entrepreneurs and professionals making their way in the working world. I’m your host Haylee Gaffin. This podcast is produced and brought to you by Gaffin Creative, a podcast production company for creative entrepreneurs. Learn more about our services at Gaffincreative.com Plus you’ll also find resources, show notes and more for the clocking in podcast. So let’s clock in and get to work.
1:22
Now I get asked all the time, what do I need to consider before I launch a podcast? Truthfully, there are 100 things to consider. But today I’m covering the four most important to consider before you ever even think about launching a podcast. As you may know, I recently went full time in my business Gaffin creative where we help entrepreneurs and creatives launch and produce the podcasts of their dreams. Within my inquiry workflow, I like to jump on a call with those potential clients to make sure we’re a good fit, but also see where they are in the planning process.
1:56
So let’s dive into the main considerations that I want my clients to make before they launch a podcast. The first major question that I ask is, what is the goal or purpose of your podcast? There is no right answer to this question, because it could be a variety of things. The reason that I want to know what the goal of a podcast is, is because I want to make sure we’re focused on meeting that goal within the first three months of launch. A few goals include positioning yourself as an expert in your field, content marketing, for your business through podcast episodes and driving listeners to your service, you could be selling products or goods that are relevant to your topic. You could be networking with other industry experts as guests on your show, growing your audience on a podcast, and then driving them to your social media, adding value to your existing audience, or even financial gain from sponsorships. But how do we measure these goals? Let’s take one of these goals and do just that. Let’s say you’re an educator looking to add a podcast to your business. You have a decent sized audience, but you want to sell your courses or coaching services. So by offering value to your audience before they ever spend money with you, you’re gaining their trust. What I help you strategically create is valuable content that is relevant to those courses or coaching services that will help you drive more people to sign up for those things. Your goal sets the tone for your entire podcast plan. It affects the strategy, the content, how it’s marketed and so much more. I prefer to work with people who have defined that goal so that we know what we’re working towards. Maybe that goal is just to add value to your audience. And that’s totally fine. Maybe it’s just to grow your reach. We’ll make that happen. But we’ll wanted to find that audience and figure out what you should be discussing in your podcast before we ever launch it.
3:55
Another important discussion that I have in my consult calls is to consider your budget. Or if we’re being completely blunt. What is your budget because podcasting is not 100% free. A few startup expenses alone include podcasting gear, royalty free music, and hosting. If you’re doing the majority of the work and production on your own, you can get by with paying as little as $200 for the gear, the music and the first month of hosting and even less if you find a good sale. Your ongoing costs can range anywhere from free, depending on your platform to around $180 a year. And I always recommend a paid platform like a cast or Lipson for your podcast hosting. In addition to those required expenses. A few optional components include website build and hosting for your show notes, hiring a podcast consultant or producer like myself, hiring a graphic designer for the assets and promotional material templates. transcription services for access ability and guest gifting now i do want to jump into these costs in more detail so make sure you come back next week for an episode where i dive into the more specific numbers on what all of these services costs.
5:13
Now my next question is how much time do you have to dedicate to the podcast we’re all busy right like we have a dozen things pulling us in 100 different directions and that’s why it’s so important to consider if you actually have time to start a podcast your time is precious and valuable so i want you to consider two things how much time do i have to dedicate to the podcast and then how much time do i want to dedicate to a podcast it’s up to you to decide these things and make sure that you’re able to put in the work or if you’re not sure that you could commit to working on your podcast weekly you could consider batching or outsourcing most of my clients do both this means we’ll work a full month ahead of schedule so they’re not stressing about it but they’re also doing all of their work on the podcast one to two days a month and then sending me everything else to handle it as a podcast host if you’re not outsourcing your podcast production you’re responsible for scheduling the interviews
6:12
creating outlines and scripts recording episodes and interviews editing your show creating those show notes in the cover and social graphics running it through a transcription service uploading it to your host and website marketing it and scheduling social media and so much more as a podcast host who is outsourcing the production your responsibilities for the podcast could include as little as just creating the outline or script and then recording your show or interview so take a look at your calendar and make sure you’re not going to burn out the last thing i want is to see a new podcaster give up on releasing new episodes right after they launch this also allows for you to determine how many episodes you can produce in a month. Before i officially launch a podcast for a client they’ve recorded at least three episodes because that’s the number i require them to launch with when they’ve launched. Sometimes they’ve even recorded the next three or four as well. The benefit of this is so that you’ll be able to understand how long it takes you to do your part of the podcast so that you can fit it into your schedule.
7:19
By now you’ve had time to think through your goals your budget and your schedule now that we’ve gotten most of the more robust details out of the way let’s get to the creative part what do you want to call your podcast for some reason naming your podcast comes naturally for some people for others it’s what holds them up the longest and i was in the other yeah that was me i sat on my podcast launch for months because i wanted the perfect name but one day everything just clicked with clocking in if you’re struggling to pick a name for your podcast let’s brainstorm by doing the following get out a piece of paper and write out words that you associate with the topics you want to cover after you do that write out words you’d associate with your brand and then write down phrases or special phrases that you would like to consider and now write down any and all titles that you would consider for your podcast now go through your paper underline all of the words that stand out to you most and as you do this if any new phrases come to mind write them down go back through with a different color pin and circle your top three to five choices once you’ve done that look up each of those options on apple podcast app and see if anyone else is using it now send the remaining titles to your close friends to vote on their favorite and your friends may come back with additional options and that’s perfect finally consider their feedback but choose the one that resonates with you and if you’re anything like me you may want to sit on it for another week once you complete this exercise i’d love to hear what you come up with so those are the four things that i would ask you to consider before you launch a podcast to recap what is the goal of your podcast what is your budget how much time do you have to dedicate to the podcast what do you want to call your podcast and don’t forget to tune in next week on clocking in as i share a budget breakdown for podcasting we’ll take a deeper dive into podcasting gear royalty free music hosting website build for show notes podcast consultant and producer costs hiring a graphic designer for assets and promotional materials and transcription services now i’ve got a clock out but i’ll catch you next week.
9:43
This has been another episode of the clocking in podcast you can find the show notes for this episode and more at Gaffincreative.com thank you so much for your listenership and support if you love this episode i’d be so honored if you leave me a review in the apple podcast app until next time i’m your host Haylee Gaffin, clocking out.
10:12
Thank you so much for sticking around to the end of each episode since launching my international women’s day episode i’ve loved cheering for three women each week so this week i want to share three more women that i’m cheering for.
10:27
The first is my dear friend amanda warfield who just launched her strategically simple system vip days. They’re for entrepreneurs getting simplified and organized in their business and you can check it out at amandawarfield.com. Amanda is also part of my mastermind but what i’m loving even more is that she is teaching me how to batch my content in my own business for my blog my podcast and my social media.
10:54
The second woman i’m cheering for this week is LaShonda Brown who is making big moves and creating so much free valuable content for her audience. If you’re looking to learn or just get inspired by someone on instagram give her a follow @lashondambrown.
11:10
The third lady i’m cheering for this week is my hairdresser, April who just announced a huge move in her business and i see so much potential in what she’s been building for the last 10 years. Congrats April i know you have a powerful team of women behind you
11:25
So make sure that you write down three women you’re cheering for this week and shout them out and let them know that you’re cheering for them.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
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