Tired of the same old? Consider going big with a podcast rebrand with our tips (and some guidance from The Media Club with Matt Deegan!)
Summer is over. Mornings are chilly, kids are back in school and offices are once again bustling with life. And your podcast feed? That should be full of life too – so, is it?
We sometimes think of September as a mini New Year in the media world. Think about it: every September, VOGUE used to have the huge ‘September Issue,’ TV would restart with new releases and all media kicked into gear at exactly the same time. While print media and our TV viewing hours may have somewhat changed, our habits did not. People are back in their daily routines after the summer break and are looking to up their content game.
So can your podcast feed stand out amongst the rest while we are all on the look for new shows? If you are struggling to answer this question, maybe it’s time to consider a refresh with our tips:
THINK ABOUT YOUR PODCAST TITLE
Does your podcast title still serve you in this new season of your show’s life? If not, it’s never too late to change it. With the right marketing messaging and understanding from your listeners (which will come with the said messaging), you can completely turn your podcast around with a little nudge in the right direction. If you think there is more that you can explain to your listeners with a new title, it might just be time to take the leap. Your title should be clear, easy to remember and easy to read and say. It should also be immediately clear what your show is about. And if you are still struggling, we have a whole guide on how to find the right name for your podcast.
You guessed it, we were behind the big rebrand of The Media Club (previously known as The Media Podcast) and we love the new title. Why? It’s inviting. The Media Club with Matt Deegan is all about getting you to join in the conversation about what’s going on in the media, and the new title completely encapsulates that.
ORGANISE A PHOTOSHOOT
Congratulations, you have a new podcast title! That means you also have a new podcast concept and it is time to get started on your visuals. You might already have a specific idea in mind (like we did for The Media Club) and that makes it even easier to start booking your photoshoot location, figuring out props and faces that you need to practise in the mirror before the big photoshoot day. Take your time with the photos too and make sure you follow our photoshoot guide to get all the right angles. We used the brilliant Daria Ahafonova for our Media Club shoot and the results did not disappoint:
GIVE YOUR ARTWORK SOME LOVE
It’s easy to forget that your podcast artwork can change when you have been working with it for a long time. Whether you are thinking of just readjusting some colours or are considering a full-blown rebrand of your podcast assets, perhaps September is your time to go for it too. Have a look at our podcast artwork guide when you are ready to take the leap, and consider adding faces to your artwork too. That’s always a really great (and easy) way to increase your artwork and host recognition. Speaking of which, the photoshoot for The Media Club certainly came in hand for the new podcast artwork:
What makes the new Media Club artwork better:
- It has kept the similar colours to its original artwork but moved in a new, modern direction
- It has faces! The Media Club is all giving you an insiders look into the media, so having a knowledgeable host present on the artwork gives you a better sense of authenticity of that conversation and in turn, also makes the host more recognisable for its listeners
- It is brighter – we LOVE a bold colour choice and this artwork simply pops on the screen more
- It is memorable – we can guarantee that the new artwork is a lot more memorable and interesting than the previous and gives the show a more casual vibe
- It better aligns with the show’s message – the new artwork is more inviting and creative, which is a better fit for the kinds of conversations the show’s host has with his interviewees
THINK ABOUT YOUR SOCIALS
Do you have all of the right assets for your social channels? Do you have the right banners in the right colours and sizes? Do you have templates for video and stills? The answer to all of these questions should obviously be ‘yes!’ and if the answer is no… you should get started on creating them.
Here is a view of what your rebranded podcast should look like:
Note: The Media Club with Matt Deegan can always be found with the same handle across all social channels from Twitter to TikTok (@themediaclubpod) – make sure to do the same to make it easy to find you!
BUILD YOUR WEBSITE
Don’t forget about how people are finding you and where they are looking for information about the host, your episodes or even who produces the podcast. Having a website for your podcast is always a huge plus as it helps discoverability and can be the way you disseminate news about the podcast, share transcripts, interact with your fans via newsletters and put together all the information about the show.
The Media Club website also got a new look with the rebrand, and it is now looking squeaky clean and fresh with its new layout. Your website doesn’t need to be complicated, it just needs to be accessible and easy to read! Remember, you are building this for your audience, so lean in to making it the most useful that you can. For example, The Media Club collects information on what the producers of the show and the host are up to in the newsletter space – for the media-interested, this is a goldmine!
(RE)SHOOT YOUR VIDEO
If you don’t have any video at all – maybe now is the time to start. And if you do, does the vibe of your content align with the video output? If you want to grow your podcast across socials and on YouTube, it is absolutely paramount that you have a strong video strategy. While video content alone won’t bring you new listeners, it does serve as an excellent marketing touchpoint for your fans to remind them about the show. Making sure that the video looks and sounds the way you want the show to sound and feel is no easy task, so do have a think about:
- Where you are filming
- How you are filming the show and how you edit it
- What your thumbnails look like
- What your shorts/reels look like and sound like — are you giving the right information about the podcast in those videos?
- Where your audiences are most likely to interact with your video content
- What the purpose of your video output is – if it is to be shared by your guests, do you give them enough of a spotlight? And if it is for your audiences to share between themselves, is it interesting enough?
Here is how The Media Club changed up their video strategy with our rebrand:
Of course, there is so much more to a rebrand than just artwork and asset switch-up as similarly for The Media Club, there is a whole marketing strategy shift that needs to happen to make this work. No podcast was built in a day (and if it was… you should probably rethink that, too). We loved working with the Rethink Audio team on this project and would love to help you, too.
There you have it — those are the options to figure out YOUR marketing mix. To figure out which touchpoint should be on your must-have marketing to-do, think about your audiences and your goals. Or, reach out to us and we can help you as well.