19. How to Set Up Your Podcast for Growth (Even If You’ve Already Launched)

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Or you are realizing that it's time to give your current show a stronger foundation. Anyone can launch a podcast. I've actually heard it said so many times, like it's easy. You just need a mic. Record your episodes on your phone, upload it within a day. All these ways of making it sound like it's just so easy.

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Put up, especially those teaching you how to do this that don't work with podcasters. They may have the podcast themself, but that doesn't mean that they've seen what other podcasters are going through and how to set it up strategically. So that's where I come in. I have helped. So many clients launch a podcast and we make sure that it's intentionally built to grow from the start a podcast that they don't just sound good.

Yes, you need good editing, you need good audio. But that's not where we set, that's not where we start. Yes, you need that, but what I wanna start from day one that attracts the right listeners and leads into your offers is something that. I see so many times that it skipped, and that is the strategy.

ecause they're told you just [: 00:02:00

But what's happening is when you get started that quickly without a strategy, you are already burning out and you're not gonna make it past episode 10 or 20. I've been there myself too. My very first podcast was very consistent, but it wasn't really connected to my business goals. I was just trying to give information, and once I really started treating my show with a strategy instead of just.

Whether you are building or [: 00:03:00

Day one being your very first day one or your new day one. So I wanna talk about four things that go into this. And again, this isn't just, it doesn't have to be just about launching a podcast. If you have one, even if you're into the hundreds of episodes, this is gonna all resonate with you because you can go back and make sure that this all fits in with what you're doing.

So the first thing I wanna talk about is how you need to start your podcast with a purpose, not just this broad idea of I'm starting a podcast. Most new podcasters, they start with the logistics, like what I said before. ~Um,~ what mic do I need, how do I record, where do I upload, how do I get it on Apple and Spotify?

that I talk about so often, [: 00:04:00

Just get the podcast launched. Just get it launched and just get started. I'm like, yeah, you can do that, but hold on. Let's, let's do this the right way. So. What I teach with my podcast, first framework is we start with the purpose, which is the why, because that is what drives everything else. And before you ever hit record, you have to know why this podcast exists or why do you want it to exist?

g to? And how is it going to [: 00:05:00

It is so much easier to grow your business if you build it the right way. And side note, I keep saying purpose, and it reminded me, my very first podcast, the very first name I ever had was podcast with purpose and that. Actually, it's kind of funny. It still shows up in my Apple Connect account when I go to my analytics, but that's just another thing.

It was very clever. I said how I mean it, it meant something to me. I'm like, I want you to start your podcast with purpose. But that wasn't very strategic. So the more I got into the strategy of podcasting, I was like, okay, this is very vague. No one is showing, no one's searching for how to podcast with purpose.

o the second part, which is. [: 00:06:00

And I'm not talking about ads. What I am talking about is focusing on the positioning, the name of your show, the description, the keywords, all of that. Can tell both your listener and the search algorithms what your show is about. So we've talked about SEO, I believe it was last week. I've recorded so many episodes in a row that I can't remember, which is what, but.

define your shows, that core [: 00:07:00

Write a description that's gonna attract those ideal listeners and what they're searching for. That is how you start growing organically, again, not through ads or even constantly posting on social media. But by being searchable and very clear about your message from the start. So that kind of just reminded me of my podcast with purpose and why it's no longer that.

Okay. The third thing is we wanna create a very strategic content plan. So, growing your podcast, it's not gonna come from just publishing random episodes. We've talked about this, but if you're, if this is your first time hearing from me. It's gonna come from from structure when you sit down to plan your content.

r building trust, it's gonna [: 00:08:00

I've had episodes on this too, which I will try to link below. Each one is going to serve a purpose and it's gonna build that momentum that is going to help your podcast grow the right way. It's almost like a snowball. It seems like very little, very little is happening. At first. It's just like this little piece of, not piece of snow, but like a little snowball.

ocial media, and that is why [: 00:09:00

But what I like to say is over time, it will pay off. Social media could go away tomorrow. And then what? And maybe it's not even social media because we all know that it's not going anywhere, but. What if it was your account? What if your account got locked? Then what? How will you mark it? Then? I have known several people who their accounts were locked out for months.

They did nothing wrong. They just were locked out. Maybe someone reported that, who knows why, but you don't want to put all of your valuable content into someone else's hands, and that's what you're doing on social media. You can use social media all you want. It's a great place to nurture, to make connections, but you need a place that's not going to go away in an instant, and podcasting will do that for you.

ind. Now, the fastest way to [: 00:10:00

They have all this content. They think it's not going to be hard, but yet they're still keeping all of the other tasks on their plate. What I want you to realize with Podcast First Marketing is that it can replace those other tasks or make those tasks easier. So when I teach, launching a podcast or relaunching, or just kind of getting your podcast back in the right path.

We wanna do it in a way that is sustainable and it's not going to burn you out. So for this, we focus on batching your episodes. Not everybody loves it, but I promise it's the ne and way to avoid burnout. I give you simple systems when you work with me, when realistically ways to be consistent, not, you know, I will tell people if you wanna record every Tuesday.

dcast comes out. You need to [: 00:11:00

But if you wanna really see your podcast, um, your podcast, well, that too. Your business grow and your podcast grow. Then this is your marketing. The people still market in weird situations, and this is our, this is our life. If you are running your business as like a little side hobby, then sure, by all means, you have to do what's best for you.

want, but I want for you, I [: 00:12:00

I don't want it to be the other way around where you feel like this podcast is such a big chore that you can't keep up with it. I want you to think if I need to get rid of anything, my podcast stays, the other stuff can go. That's how important I think it can be, and I feel so passionate about that. Not everyone's going to agree with me, and that has taken my perfectionist heart and self.

Um, no, what's the word I'm looking for? People pleasing. Very, it's like breaking it. But you know what, I promise you, if you can sustain your podcast, it will grow and it will help your business grow. So that's what it looks like to launch your podcast strategically with purpose. The, the positioning that makes you look like the expert and a plan to keep it sustainable.

even four, I know I need to [: 00:13:00

On where your podcast stands right now. I am so excited about this, whether you are in, I just need to get more visible. I wanna grow. I'm trying to scale this. I'm just starting. I've created a brand new quiz again, I'm so excited, and it's gonna tell you exactly which stage of the podcast growth you're in and what you can focus on next.

I have trained it so well. Uh, it's actually a custom GPT. It's not your typical win and it's gonna give back based on my podcast, first framework, how you can go, which steps to take next. I guess that's what I was trying to say. So. I hope you could take that. The link is down below, or you can go to alison itch.com/quiz and get started.

esn't take very long, but it [: 00:14:00

Black Friday special offer for my very new offer, the Podcast's First Launch Companion, and it's gonna make a perfect time to get started with a podcast because. Launching your podcast is all about building the foundation. I will speak that until I'm blue in the face, but it doesn't have to be perfect to get started either.

And I wanna help you through that. So until the next episode, keep creating those episodes that move your listener one step closer to becoming your client. And I will see you then friend. Have a great day.