5 Things You Need to Know Before Launching a Podcast

You’re Listening to the AntiFragile Entrepreneurship™ podcast, Episode #58, which is all about finding ideas for podcasts, how to start your own podcast, and creating a podcast!  Today on the show, we’re continuing this podcast theme because so many members of our community have been asking us to share more about podcast launching as part of an overall, effortless content strategy to build your brand and be seen as an authority in your space. I’ll show you the five things you need to know BEFORE launching a podcast, so that if you’re considering launching one for your business, you can make sure it’s a good use of your time and energy before you go through all the trouble of creating one. So, stay tuned! 

[INTRO TRACK]

Now, back when we launched our podcast, it really came out of a complete whim, it was just an idea that we had, it was something that I wanted to do, because I felt like social media just wasn't cutting it in terms of really being able to share my message in a deeper way. I mean, there's only so much that you can do with 500 words on Instagram, right? If that because people are so busy scrolling these days, that they are less and less likely to read what you write, to watch the videos that you put together, at least not watch them all the way through till the end. And I was at a place in my business where I felt like I was creating all of this content. But it didn't have a clear strategy behind it. And that felt really frustrating, because I was putting so much time and energy and effort into creating content, and crafting my message and sharing our thoughts and sharing our opinions on business and on what it meant to live and effortless life and create an effortless business. 

And I felt like I was shouting into the void. Like, nobody was hearing me. And it didn't matter what I said, you know, likes were unpredictable. And there was no real way to get an accurate view of how many people from our Instagram and from our social media, were actually converting into sales and customers on the back end. And if you're listening right now, and you can relate to this, then I know you feel me. And that is a very frustrating place to be where you're spending a lot of time and energy, creating content, doing what you can to establish your authority, speaking your truth, spreading your message, and you just feel like there's so much noise out there to compete with that it's very hard to get seen and get the attention that you feel your message deserves. 

And so this was the place that I was in, when that little idea popped in the back of my mind. Well, Courtney, you should start a podcast. And of course all of the excuses came immediately flooding after because I just had a baby. My business was still getting off the ground. I really didn't have time because I was up through the night taking care of a newborn during the day I was managing my business and serving my clients and what little pockets of time that I had. And so a podcast was like the last thing on my mind and on my radar. 

But for almost two full years, the idea stayed with me. It didn't go anywhere despite the endless ideas for podcasts. It just kept knocking on that little door in my brain saying hey, you're going to launch this thing. You're going to launch this thing and I'm telling you every fear in the book. I had every fear in the book when it came to launching the show, but I finally decided to pull the trigger. And that was in February of 2020 when I finally found ideas for podcasting. And we had the most successful launch of anything that we had ever had, even though it wasn't a course or a program, and we weren't really looking at monetary values, it was the most fun, the most easy, the most effortless launch. And we were like, Can we do that, again, like it was just such good energy. And our show took off from day one, we got over 65, five star reviews, within the first week of launching, we ranked on Apple, and people have been impacted by our message all across the globe.

And it's given me a way to connect with you in such a deeper way, where I feel like I'm not just trying to cram all of these deep thoughts into a little tiny caption on Instagram anymore, or an email because I know your inbox is flooded as it is. But I feel like I can really develop a thought, share something, share our message, hopefully inspire you and give you the confidence that you need to get out there and get the systems and support you need in your business to really live an effortless life. And it's been fun, so much fun doing this, that My only regret is why did I wait for two years and not start sooner? Why didn’t I find ideas for podcasts?  I don't know. But there are five things that I learned after the fact after launching our show that I wish I would have known going into it because it would have saved me so much wasted energy on worrying about whether our show would actually be successful, I had put a lot of hard work and time into creating it. And that was my biggest fear that I would launch it. And then it would be crickets, and then it wouldn't take off in the way that I wanted it to. So today I thought I would share what these five misconceptions are about podcasting, that causes most shows to fail. 

There are 5 things I learned after the fact that I wish I would have known going into it, because it would have saved me a lot of wasted energy on worrying about whether my show would actually be successful after all the hard work and time I put into creating it. 

That’s why today, I’m going to share the 5 misconceptions about podcasting that causes most shows to fail, and I’m going to show you the next steps to create, launch, and leverage your message into a show that creates more traffic and sales for your business.

Because what good is a podcast if it doesn’t get you more sales and clients? How can you find ideas for podcasts? It’s one thing to have a podcast, but what good is it if it’s not making you money & driving traffic to your business? 

Besides, nobody wants to launch crickets. You want to be seen as a credible leader, both within your company and with your community. 

So let’s dig into those 5 misconceptions:

Number one: Producing a profitable show doesn't take as much time as you think, finding ideas for podcasts isn’t hard either. 

• YES... even if you have a passel of noisy kids at home
• YES... even if you work a 9 to 5 while building your biz on the side
• YES... even if you're already busy running your business and want to host a show, but aren't sure where to "fit it in" and what the best steps are to creating a podcast

If you can find 3 - 5 hours per month (approx ~1 hr per week), you can create a profitable podcast. This includes finding ideas for podcasts.

Number two: Generating enough content is easy when you know the 3 simple principles for creating high-converting content your audience wants to hear

• FACT: Your audience wants to learn more from you!
• With a podcast, you can build instant know-like-trust with your audience, faster than you can on social media & email combined
• Your podcast will allow you to build deeper connection with your audience, so you can educate, encourage, and inspire them to action

If you already have an overarching theme or topic for your podcast in mind or endless ideas for podcasts, let’s continue.

Number three: With a few simple questions, you can test your show idea with your audience and use their feedback to make sure creating your show is a worthwhile investment of your time

• Can we agree — you're busy! "Pre-testing" your show is the fastest & easiest way to tweak your idea before you waste valuable time creating something people don't want
• This simple method is the fastest way to find out if your show idea is viable and can stand up to the competition so you never run out of ideas for podcasting
• Using the feedback you get, you can fine-tune your idea & turn it into a noteworthy (and top-ranking) show that positions you as a credible leader in your industry

If you can ask a few questions and easily survey my audience with a quick email, you’ll find out if your podcast idea is viable before you spend any time creating it. 

Number four: The tech side of podcasting is WAY easier than you think

• Can you check email? 
• Can you post on social media? 
• Can you search for something on Google?

If you can choose to either learn or choose to outsource the production of your show to free up your time and energy, you can create a profitable podcast

Number five: with a clear launch strategy, you can (completely legally) outsmart Apple's algorithm and rank your first week, get dozens of 5-star reviews, and build a community of raving fans from day 1.

With a clear launch map, you'll also... 

• Shorten the learning curve because you'll know exactly what steps to take to produce a highly-successful show
• Quickly and easily outrank your competition (which means more eyes on YOUR show)
• Build instant momentum, grow your listener base, and reach a wider audience of people eager to work with you from Day 1 

Even though you might not know where to start, if you have a clear and easy launch plan in place, you can follow it step-by-step to launch your profitable podcast. You’ll also have an endless supply of ideas for podcasts.

BONUS: Did you know there are over 20+ ways to monetize a podcast without spending time pitching potential sponsors or spending money paying for ads?

• Whether you have an online business or you're a brick & mortar, hosting a podcast is the fastest, most inexpensive way to get traffic to your door
• Hosting a podcast can add an additional stream of steady revenue to your business
• Hosting a podcast is one of the most FUN ways to make money, and it's easy!

If you want to make more money in your business, drive more leads to your products, convert more sales, and have FUN doing it, hosting a podcast could be a great fit for you.

A podcast is hands down the fastest way to get your message out to a bigger audience in the way that social media can’t do. And, when done right, it can become an integral part of your business, bringing traffic into your funnel and warming people up for what you offer. 

But here’s the kicker: Starting a podcast isn’t the hard part. Anybody can do that. It’s about knowing How to create sustainability in your message and maintain the show long-term. It’s about finding ideas for podcasts. 

If you’ve been listening to the show for a while, then you already know that I developed the Visionary Leader Formula™ to help struggling entrepreneurs get the structure and systems in place in their business that they need to scale beyond the 6 figure mark, so they can get rid of overwhelm in their business and stop overworking. 

And I created the EffortLESS Podcasting Formula™ to help entrepreneurs who have a powerful message, learn how to position that message into a profitable show that helps you be seen as a credible leader in your industry, and creates more traffic and sales for your business.

This show that you’re listening to is ranked among the top shows in business and education across the globe, and media outlets like Business News Daily, Buzzfeed, PopSugar, and more have sought our expertise on podcasting because the way we do it is so different than the other podcasting courses and programs out there will teach you. 

What’s the difference between one of the millions of unheard podcasts on Apple right now, and the ones that have tens of thousands of subscribers who tune in every week and buy everything that person offers? The difference is what I teach you about finding ideas for podcasts. And if you don’t want your podcast to fade into obscurity never being heard by your ideal clients on Apple, you need to have intention and purpose behind your episodes

This isn’t just another podcasting course. It’s not just about launching a podcast. It’s launching a podcast that’s a sales mechanism for your business. So you see an ROI for your time, energy, and effort invested. 

You could buy a podcasting course for a couple hundred bucks that’s going to teach you how to create an episode and get it uploaded to your podcast provider, but that doesn’t mean you have a profitable podcast. It doesn’t mean you’ll always be finding ideas for podcasts.

The alternatives to that are figuring it out by yourself, which will take you a ton of time because of the learning curve. 

You could make the mistake of thinking that if you can just master or outsource the tech side, you’ll have a successful show -- but don’t fall into this trap! People get so bogged down thinking it’s all about the tech, when really about the strategy. Even if you outsource, it doesn’t guarantee your show’s success bc no clear strategy behind it.

And this is why once a year, we open the doors to the EL Podcasting Formula focus group so you can work with me to learn the stuff you can’t google about podcasting, how to create, launch and leverage in a way other programs don’t teach and how to find ideas for podcasts, so you can get your message heard and rank on apple all without without spending a dime on advertising

I teach this program over 6 weeks where you get 6 ninety minute coaching calls with me, three bonus workshops, a community of podcasters to plug into and ask questions, my 5-step launch blueprint, and our swipe copy and template bundles for everything from creating your episodes in a way that converts your listeners to customers, to pitching and landing bigger guests on your show, coming up with attention grabbing show titles, and more. 

The goal inside this program is to help you launch a show that gets the attention it deserves from day one, and that helps you get seen as the credible and trustworthy leader that you are. 

A podcast can QUICKLY become a free source of traffic and a very strategic growth tool for your business when done right, and REPLACE all that disjointed content you’re creating for content’s sake right now that’s just adding to the noise that’s already out there. 

I want to show you how to create a show that saves you time on your marketing efforts, and becomes an integral part of your business that enables the transformation you provide to your people.

Now if you’re still with me, I need to be totally clear with you: Launching a podcast is NOT :

• a quick way to make money. It’s a way to create something that will pay you dividends over time, like any good investment will do.
• Starting a podcast is engaging in a relationship ith your audience. It’s not a hit-it-and-quit-it thing. When you create the podcast, you’re committing to showing up and being there for your audience week after week if you want to create something that brings in consistent sustainable sales.
• You’re not ready to start a podcast if you can’t commit to showing up in that way for your audience. With my system, I will teach you how to create that sustainability and create long-term value for your audience so you can continue to bring in new leads, warm them up, and turn them into clients with just your podcast. 
• This is not for your if you don’t know what to create a podcast about. This is for thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and experts who want to leverage their message. This is not for people looking to figure out what to talk about. 

This is for you if you have a message, you want to share it, here’s how to do it.

If you want to find out more about you can get in on my next focus group and work with me to launch YOUR profitable podcast to the world, landing in the top spots like Jess did when she launched her show and landed #8 in marketing, or Katherine did and landed #3 in performing arts, you’re in luck. DOORS to the program are OPEN RIGHT NOW! Head to theeffortlesslife.co to see what’s inside the program and if it’s a right fit for you. If you DO join me inside the program, I can promise you this: I’m going to teach you the stuff you can’t Google about podcasting, like how to create a show that positions you as a credible leader within your community and industry, and generates a whole lotta traffic and sales for your business. You’ll have a constant stream of finding ideas for podcasts. 

That’s theeffortlesslife.co. Now, if you’re listening to this episode after February 26th, 2021, doors will have closed by then but don’t worry. You can still head to that link and get on the waitlist to get early bird access to the effortless podcasting formula when we open up the program again. 

And! If you’ve ever got a question you’d like to ask me about finding ideas for podcasts, how to start your own podcast, or creating a podcast in general, come follow us on Instagram and send us a DM @theeffortlesslife.co

Coming up next week on the show I’m sitting down with a VERY special guest, who also happens to be someone I’ve worked closely with in order to show up online genuinely and with confidence, to talk about the science behind building influence. If you want to be looked to as the go-to authority in your niche, you don’t want to miss this episode. That’s coming up next week; until then, go live YOUR EffortLESS Life®.