What a Celebrity Host Means for Your Podcast
Celebrity appearances or famous hosts can be a game-changer for your podcast. But remember, a star-studded show alone will not drive your listener to subscribe. To get the most out of your talent and time, don’t make assumptions about their star power and instead, coordinate a multi-faceted marketing strategy from the get-go.
ASSUMPTION 1: “We are all friends here.”
A famous name might drive initial excitement, but your listeners will need more. Don’t make any guesses about the time your star host or guest will be putting in to promote your show. You need to create a strong rapport and understanding of each other’s expectations and roles in the podcast before you begin. Good questions to ask are:
- Do you have any other big projects coming out at the time of podcast’s launch?
- How comfortable/available are you to do any press for the podcast?
- Where does this project fall in your priority list?
- How much social media love can you show our podcast?
- What is the best way for us to communicate with you?
From here, you can build out a marketing strategy that works for both, your show and your celebrity host/guest.
ASSUMPTION 2: “We don’t need marketing, people love you!”
Eeeh, that might be true – but people will only really care if you put the effort into making the show a success. You will need to think about:
- Coordinated Social Media Posting: Put your heads (and schedules) together to announce the show and push out new episodes.
- PR Promos: Target the right press and media that will love the show, and make sure your celebrity guest/host have the time for them, too.
- Exclusive and Newsworthy Nuggets: Offer sneak peeks or exclusive content to your listeners or media outlets, and make sure to listen out for newsworthy snippets from episodes that can interest a reader in a standalone news article.
ASSUMPTION 3: “That’s it, we made it!”
Let’s hold the champagne until the first season wraps up. As the podcast picks up listeners, you will still have to keep a vigilant eye on your metrics and make sure you have a long-term strategy in place.
The metrics to watch are:
- Listener Engagement: Who is liking, sharing and commenting on your show’s content and socials?
- Downloads: Keep an eye on stats to measure impact of your marketing. Pivot often when necessary.
- Audience Retention: Are you losing any listeners at a specific segment? Or are they just checking out the show because of the big name involved and not engaging at all? Keep your production and marketing aligned with your listener’s interests.
Not ready to figure out every step in your star-studded show? Or don’t have the internal energy and time? Don’t worry – you can leave that to us.