Welcome to Podcast Suck, a podcast about starting a podcast, where we dive headfirst into the wild, wacky, and sometimes frustrating world of podcasting. If you've ever sat down with a microphone, hit record, and thought, what on earth am I doing? Or if you're just curious about the magic behind your favorite shows, then you're in the right place. Get ready for laughs, insights, and a whole lot of what not to do advice as we embark on this podcasting journey together. Let's dive in. What's happening, everybody? Welcome back to the show. Welcome to the show. However, you are joining us. I am sure glad that you're here today. I want to break down a podcast launch checklist for you real quick. 30,000 foot perspective overview of everything that should be included in your podcast launch process. So a checklist, how many times have we been to Ikea and think that we can come home with the box of furniture? Oh, and I can do it with no instructions. I can do it by just looking at the picture on the box. Then we get to the end and we have a couple extra screws and bolts and even an extra wood panel. Where in the world does this go? Well, we could have just followed the instructions in the first place and we wouldn't have the extra parts and pieces and nuts and bolts, et cetera, right? That's exactly. what a podcast launch checklist will do for you. So let's dive into this. I've got 10 things on this checklist that I've identified, and we're going to run through them real quick. If you have questions or ideas or thoughts around this topic, shoot me a DM over on Instagram or Facebook, on LinkedIn, a hangout all under Sebastian Rusk. Instagram is podcast suck. Shocker. All right, let's get into it. So tip number one on your, or point number one, rather on the checklist is defining your podcast goals. You absolutely have to know where you're going and how you're getting there. What's the purpose of the podcast you need to determine and get clear with yourself first, because if you're not clear about something, What's your audience going to think? What's your community going to think? They're probably going to be confused. So you want to get clear, determine exactly what the primary purpose of your podcast is. Are you looking to generate new leads? Are you looking to build relationships? Are you looking for brand awareness? Are you looking for D all of the above that's for you to decide, but get clear on it, write it down, take out a sheet of paper, podcast checklist. Hopefully you're taking notes as you listen to this. Unless of course you're driving, And you're detailing a game plan as you listen to this. That's what this episode is designed for. So defining your podcast goals, step one, figuring out the purpose of the podcast. Number two, who's your target audience? Who are you trying to reach? Who are you trying to talk to? It can't be everything to everybody. So get clear on who your audience is. Next, set some measurable goals. Okay. By 25 episodes, we will have wanted to do fill in the blank. Maybe you want to measure downloads. I personally don't think that they matter unless you're going after large sponsorships, especially if you have a podcast to build relationships and close more business, which you should. All right. Number two on the checklist, plan out your content. Do not wing it. Just like you don't want to wing it with the launch process. That's why you're listening to this episode. That's why you're putting a game plan together. I would hope while you're listening to this, or maybe after you've downloaded the information in your brain, you're like, okay, I'm going to go put a plan together. That's the goal, but you want to plan out your content. Choose the type of format you're doing. Is it interview? Is it solo? Is it panel discussions? Is it a mix of panel discussions and interviews and solo episodes? You make that decision. Episode topics. You want to brainstorm. Use tools like ChatGPT and other AI tools that will help you come up with episode topics around what you actually want to talk about. Brainstorm them out. Write an initial list down. That list is going to constantly change. Next you'll want a guest list like to help our clients create a dream 25 list when they get started with us here at the podcast launch lab. Shameless plug. If you're looking for help getting your podcast launched, you can definitely schedule a call with our team and we can chat about what's possible. So create that guest list, identify potential guests who can bring value and are within your target audience or can compliment bringing value to your target audience. Next on the checklist is branding. That's coming up with a name, an effective name that really reflects your brand and the type of show that is there. There are a lot of terrible podcast names out there. So you want to get feedback when you're coming up with name ideas because your mom's going to love all your ideas and you are too, but we can't see what we can't see. We don't see what other people see. So start coming up with ideas for your podcast name and they get feedback, cover art, another huge, huge, huge area of cover of, of getting feedback. You don't want to go at this alone. Go over to Fiverr or Upwork, find a freelance graphic designer to put together a podcast cover art for you. Do not include the words podcast or a podcast mic or headphones. That's completely redundant and obvious to the fact that it is an actual podcast. Maybe you have the little listen on icons, listen on Apple, listen on Spotify. Those are totally fine, but there's no need for the word podcast and there's no need for podcast icons. I mean, if you absolutely have to have a pair of headphones on your podcast cover art, go nuts. I don't want to rain on your parade. I'm just trying to help you understand what's become standard protocol. You'll need an intro and an outro. These are the bookends for each podcast episode intro. introduces people to the show, make it quick and to the point. Outro. Thank you for tuning in. Please subscribe. Please tell your friends. We'll talk to you next time. You want to get this scripted out. Not too long. Short, sweet, 20, 22 seconds on the intro, maybe 10 to 15 seconds on the outro. Get that dialed in, get someone to edit it for you. Get some professional music. You can buy it at audiojungle.net. Don't pay more than 20 bucks for a song. There's a bunch of songs that are way, way cheaper than that. Next on the checklist is your equipment. Don't overcomplicate this process. You can get a $45 audio technical mic. In fact, go to podcastlaunchlab.com. You can download my free podcast equipment guide. That's my entire Amazon story, all the recommendations, but I'm telling you right now, the audio technica USB mic that's on that list is what you want. It's $49 at any given time over on Amazon and it plugs right into your computer. The sound quality is exceptional. Now, if you're a do it yourself and you're like, I'm going to record my own podcast and edit it, you are out of your tree. But I know some people liked it, at least attempt it. So if you're going to do that, figure out what editing software you're going to be utilizing and get ready to burn that midnight oil, baby. That's exactly what's going to happen. I would rather wake up in the morning, punch myself in the face and eat my pillow. Then I have to edit another podcast episode. There are plenty of people, plenty of freelancers out there that need work and are open and willing to come do your podcast editing work for you at a very minimal. I'm talking maybe 10, 15, 20 bucks an episode. Don't overcomplicate the process. Next you'll need a podcast hosting account. We use buzzsprout completely sold out on buzzsprout, buzzsprout, buzzsprout, buzzsprout, buzzsprout, buzzsprout. I've used almost all of them. This is the most simple, effective way to get your podcast episodes hosted, to set up distribution to Apple and Spotify, to give you a podcast website that you can register a domain and connect it to there, to, to that actual podcast website. And the site's already built episodes already loaded in their social links. You go in there just by filling the blank. I'll include a link to our, uh, our referral link over to Buzzsprout. They give you a free 20 bucks to get started. You're welcome. Next on the list, content creation, episode scripting, script out your episodes. You don't have to be like word for word verbatim, but at least come up with some sort of outline. Know what you're talking about. Very, very important. Next up, record the episodes. Next up, find an editor to edit those episodes. Okay. So, step five on this list, content creation, episode scripting, episode recording, episode editing. Go ahead and try it if you want. Again, I highly recommend you get it off your plate as soon as possible so that you don't start hating your podcast. Next, start preparing for the launch. Start talking about it on social media. Create a podcast page on your existing website or Set up social media profiles. Maybe you want to set up a page or an Instagram account for your podcast. Do that teasers and trailers. That's a promo teaser. Hey, I'm launching a podcast. Here's what it's going to be all about. It's coming soon. Be sure to subscribe. Another thing that should be edited by an editor, not impossible for you to do. You need some background music, inequality, Mike, obviously I need to edit everything together. So background music, the script for the, and by the way, the teaser and trailer should be like 60 to 60 to 120 seconds max. So a minute, two minutes, max email marketing. If you have a list, drop an email to your list saying, Hey, I'm launching a podcast, include the branding, tell them what it's all about. Include a link, call to action to listen and subscribe, put together a, the next step on this checklist is putting together a launch strategy. What date are you going to launch stick to that date you want to launch between one in five episodes when you launch. Very anti-climactic to not do that. People like the show. You want to give them more, give them more. Think about how you think about Netflix series. You just want more. Give me more. I love the show. It's so Yellowstone. It's just so good. Well, it used to be before Kevin Cosner decided to dip. Anyway, then you want to launch. So once you've launched the show, one to five episodes, we do two, by the way, when we launch the show, two is a good sweet spot. One to three is cool. Whatever you want to do. No more than five, though. You want to be you want to be able to space out your episodes after the launch as part of the launch and then a promotional plan. You know, figure out, do I want to spend a couple of bucks on advertising on Facebook and Instagram to promote my podcast to get some to get the wheels going, if you will, in the very beginning? Post-launch activities is the next step on this checklist. That's regular posting schedule. We're going to post every Tuesday at 10 a.m. Establish that and stick to it. Listener engagement. Take polls, get feedback, reply back to people that are commenting on the content from the podcast. Very, very, very important. Look at your analytics. Who's listening? How many people are listening? Where are they coming from? But don't get too caught up in these analytics. They're really, they don't matter as much as one would think. If you're a large name, large brand, and you're really starting to get some traction, you really want to monetize it through advertisers and sponsors, then you're going to want to take a keen look at your podcast analytics. If you're just a solopreneur, entrepreneur, small business, just wanting to create content, build new relationships, don't get caught up in metrics and numbers that don't really matter in the very beginning. Monetization. How are we going to monetize this thing? Now there's a couple ways to do this. Number one, interview people you want to do business with. That's my favorite. Number two, put together sponsorship opportunities, gold, silver, and package, and go to people that know you, like you, trust you, want to be involved with you, that have the same audience as you, and say, hey, listen, for 300 bucks a month, will you want to sponsor my podcast? And go sell three of them. Bingo. Next thing you know, you've monetized your podcast. You want to also collaborate with other podcasters. Hey, I'll get you on my podcast. You get me on yours. We'll call it a deal. And then last on the list is continuous improvement. This is so much, this is so important. This is where feedback comes back into the equation. Well, feedback is always in the equation. That's how we get better, not better feedback, but feedback from people that tell you the truth. Remember I said earlier, your mom always loves everything you do. At least my mom. So get feedback regularly from people that tell you the uncomfortable truth. That's where the true growth actually happens. Don't be afraid to refine your content either. Continuously refining your content. I normally go live when I record this episode or this podcast rather. I had a couple of technical glitches. I almost didn't record the episode at all. I felt like it was a complete loss. I started off recording a YouTube video and then I realized that my lighting was off and I had to start all over again. And then I said, realize, well, maybe I can go live and do it and salvage a YouTube video and kind of knock everything out in one shot. We'll go live. It'll be a YouTube video. Cause it's live on YouTube and Facebook and LinkedIn, and then we'll turn it into a podcast episode. And I sat there and stared at the screen again, the creative process. And then I finally, as my good friend, Brian Fanzo would say, just, I just pressed the damn button. That's the record button right here on my recording board. I just hit record and we are 13 minutes later about to wrap up this episode. I did exactly what the initial goal was. Get an episode out that goes over a podcast checklist. So don't be the reason I share that with you. Don't be afraid to refine your content. Very important. and always be networking with your podcast. Hey, let's get you on the podcast. Meet somebody in an event. Hey, I would love to get you on the podcast. It is the best way to build relationships with people because you're giving them something in the beginning versus trying to take something or sell them something or be pushy or like the rest of the noise. You're not contributing to the noise that's already out there. So follow these 10 steps. I'm going to include them in the show notes too. So you can read them over. You're taking notes, might be useful. You can copy and paste them, use them. Most importantly, go put them into play. Imperfect action, my friends, is grossly underrated. And remember, you got this. questions, thoughts, ideas, concerns about this podcast episode, about this topic, about the podcast in general, please shoot me a DM Instagram at podcast suck. That's two S's podcast, plural podcast suck, uh, at Sebastian Rusk under, uh, over on LinkedIn and on Facebook, shoot me a DM. Hey, I listened to the show. I got a question about this. I got a question about that, whatever it may be. It's always a pleasure to hang out with you guys for a few minutes. Thank you so much for taking some time out of your day to hang out with me. It really does mean a lot. It shows where your priorities are at. You're really committed to getting your podcast game in check. I guarantee you that podcasting will radically change your life and your business. If you let it until next time, friends. Thanks so much for tuning into this episode. We sure do appreciate it. If you haven't done so already, make sure you're subscribed to the show wherever you consume podcasts. That's the way we get updates as new episodes become available. If you feel so inclined, please leave us a review and share the show with someone you know should start a podcast or may already have one. And remember, podcasts suck if you don't have one. Until next time, friends.

Sebastian Rusk