Here is a list of everything you have to know when you walk out of of your first podcast production kick off
As a marketing agency, we very much stay out of production. Instead, we are here to ensure you have an audience for the great idea that your podcast production team (and you as an individual creator) are putting together. That said – we do work with production teams closely and the more we can integrate with their vision, the better! That means that as you walk into your first production kick off, have a think about what you want the marketing plan to be for your ideas too.
Below is a list of questions we would encourage you to consider asking:
- What is our show’s USP (Unique Selling Point)?
This one is a bit obvious but you will really need to stand out with your actual content to have a standout podcast. Here, production really does take the lead. You will need a key selling point for audiences and asking this question straight out the door will help all of your hone in on an ideal one-liner that all production and marketing ideas can keep coming back to. Under this question are three others as well: What problem are you solving for your listeners? Why are YOU the one solving it? And why are you solving it now? All will help you identify your USP for your team and your audience.
- Who are you making the podcast for?
Even a casual, conversational podcast with a very broad topic always has an audience in mind when they hit record. Before you begin production, think about who you are trying to reach with your message. This could include general demographics like age or gender, but it could also be more specific in terms of careers, hobbies, etc. This will help your team shape the tone of the show and its marketing, too. Now every time you go into a studio to record, you can keep in mind an imaginary ideal listener with you and it will help you identify the messaging around the podcast as well.
- How will our podcast episodes travel?
What we mean here is how you are thinking of repurposing your podcast episodes. Each episode is a potential content goldmine full of insights, hilarious personal stories or moving tales of hardship. No matter the genre of your podcast, there will always be potential for your episodes to go further than your RSS. Thinking about this with your production team will help you understand if you can/need to focus on video clips, quote graphics for your socials, blog posts on your website, or newsletters for select audiences. Planning this ahead of time will make the production of the extra assets you need to repurpose the podcast a breeze.
- What is the cadence of the podcast?
Answering this question is key in figuring out what you need to do to put together an effective marketing strategy. Is it weekly? Biweekly? Or are you going for a seasonal show? Your production team will be able to deliver the episodes, but your marketing will need to fill the gaps between the episodes off the feed to make sure you are not missing out on audiences. You want to also ensure your schedule is realistic for your production – do not push an always-on podcast if it is simply not possible!
- What does success look like?
This is possibly the most important question. Success can look different to everyone. It can come in the form of downloads, leads for your business, engagement on socials, retention of your episodes or simply high reputation in your field. Talk to everyone in your team about what they would define success as. While numbers can be a little daunting to talk about – get the data conversation out of the way early and avoid confusion (and disappointment) later.