Big Launch vs Phased Marketing – we have some ideas to help you make the right marketing decision for your podcast 

A question we get often is: should I spend all of my marketing budget now, or should I stagger it across the podcast’s run? And frankly, the answer is… it depends! Like many things when it comes to marketing, all of your activity is really led by the type of content you are putting out, who you are making it for, and how you want people to interact with it. There are benefits to both approaches and there is certainly no right answer when it comes to how you decide to split the marketing budget, so we are here to tell you all the pros and cons of both.

BIG LAUNCH, i.e. a launch that maximises all of your budget from the get-go across a short timeframe. 

 PROS: 

  • Chart Rankings – if you are after a spike in the charts for your show, concentrating on the launch might be smart. It means that all of your activity is fed across a shorter time period and is concentrated in creating a lot of activity for your show. Charts monitor engagement so a concentrated push is more likely to propel your podcast into the charts and increase its visibility.
  • Momentum – Excitement for a podcast across industry and listeners is usually the result of a splashy and inescapable podcast launch. Early advertising, partnerships, visible assets across all socials, video elements, PR and outreach – all of this will create more momentum if it happens simultaneously upon the launch of the show.
  • Locking In a First Impression – the reality is that a lot of people might only remember the podcast from its launch. Journalists are more likely to write about the launch of a show rather than the middle of a podcast, and you have a greater chance of a sampling audience coming through to listen to your show if you are targeting the beginning of your podcast. 

CONS:

  • It is Resource and Labour Intensive – putting all of your attention means you need a lot of eyes on the content and the marketing materials and the execution of your strategy. If you are a one-person team then you might struggle to keep up! It also means you need to coordinate upfront about the launch of the podcast, and we would recommend of course getting professionals like us to advise on how to best allocate your budget and time.
  • Short-lived Impact – the buzz from a launch campaign can fade, so you will most likely need to do some marketing down the road anyway. Of course we would say that the benefits of the launch splash still outweigh the cons…
  • You Risk Missing Your Target – you might be surprised to realise that the podcast you made serves a completely different audience to what you thought initially. You might want to advertise the podcast to younger audiences, but if the content doesn’t land and instead it resonates with older generations – well, a launch campaign would find it hard to pivot! You will need to follow up with more marketing activity. 

FOCUSING ON WAVES OF MARKETING, i.e. a staggered approach to launching your podcast and spreading out marketing efforts over time. 

PROS:

  • Manageable and Sustained Growth – you will likely see a more consistent audience growth with this type of approach, where your listeners will subscribe to your feed over time rather than overnight. This might work for a podcast that is still refining its scope or is looking to really understand what resonates before doubling down on its content and marketing.
  • Keeping Your Show Relevant – without putting all of your eggs in one basket at launch, you can ensure your podcast is always relevant and refine your message with each marketing wave. This could mean advertising different talented guests on your show over time, or just reminding audiences about your podcast with varied visuals in different marketing waves.
  • Flexibility on Resources – you are more likely to rearrange your energy and resources with episodes, depending on what resonates with your listeners. Manual adjustments on the performance of your marketing campaign might be what you are looking for, and this might be just the solution to keep your marketing nimble. 

CONS:

  • Longer Lead Time to Success – without an initial push, people might simply miss the podcast’s release altogether. Press is more likely to pick it up when it is newsworthy too, so read our PR guide to understand how you can get yourself noticed in the media if this matters to you.
  • Audience Fatigue – your audience might simply have lost interest before your podcast gains momentum. You want to keep your listeners engaged, and a staggered approach could just be too slow for listeners to consistently interact with.
  • Harder to Chart – this wave approach also makes it harder to reach top chart positions fast, which in turn, also leads to more visibility. Charts like engagement, and if a podcast is published and no one is there to talk about it – did it really launch at all? However, slow and steady growth can support remaining in charts longer and gradually climbing.

The above is all great THEORETICAL advice, but if you really want to understand what would work for your show – you should look at your release schedule, your audience, competitive podcasts and also, speak to us!

We can help you to understand the best approach for your podcast’s launch and beyond.