What You Should Know Before You Launch a Podcast

As you may already know (if you're an avid listener), we launched the Joyous Health Podcast in June 2019. It's something we wanted to do for a while, but with everything else we had going on, we weren't sure if it was the best time to do it.

But after launching my own podcast in January 2019, The Fill Your Cup Podcast, I immediately discovered the many opportunities that come with having a podcast. Before launching my podcast, I was blogging on a weekly basis and getting the odd comment here and there, but not a whole lot of traction or engagement overall. Then, I launched The Fill Your Cup Podcast and people started sharing it in their Instagram Stories, telling their friends via word of mouth and sending me lengthy DMs on Instagram about how much it had impacted their life. 

That's when it occurred to me—this is how people are consuming content nowadays–through podcasts!

It made total sense, too. I mean, I'm personally more of an avid podcaster listener rather than a blog reader (I totally recognize the irony in this, as I write a blog post talking about how great podcasting is). But, that's not necessarily true in all cases either, as we have a high blog readership at Joyous Health. However, I personally discovered that based on my business and my audience, podcasting was a better medium for me to deliver my content.

I shared these insights with my Joyous family and gave them a few gentle nudges and soon enough, The Joyous Health Podcast was born! 

A podcast might not be necessary for every single business out there, but I totally believe that it can benefit so many businesses out there, which is why we've added a NEW course to the Joyous Health Business program this year—Podcast 101!

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You might be thinking, "Well, what's the point? There are already over 500,000 existing podcasts out there". But, I would release that doubt from your mind, because if we all believed that thought, none of us would ever start anything!

Not to mention, it's not just about being a chart-topping podcast, but to provide your community with high-quality content that they love and will want to come back to, and hopefully support your product and/or service offerings as part of your business. Podcasts also humanize your brand and build a stronger relationship between you and your community, along with a whole new level of trust and loyalty.

In Podcast 101, as part of the Joyous Health Business program, we will teach you how to do just that! But first, here are some things you might want to know before starting a podcast:

The best part about being your own boss is that you can dream up an awesome idea and run with it! However, before starting a podcast, give it some thought. You might think you've landed on a grand idea, but really think it through to see if it actually makes sense and aligns with the mission of your business and your "why".

Your "why" is something we talk about in the Joyous Health Business program. In fact, it's the first thing we talk about because it's so important that everything you do with your business aligns with your "why"—which is the purpose of your business. 

It's why we discuss topics that we already know are of interest to the Joyous Health community on the Joyous Health Podcast, such as well-being, business, family and motherhood. And, of course, they're all topics that Joy is very passionate about and the main reason she started Joyous Health.

Moral of the story: Bring everything back to your "why"!

When you have your own business, it's easy to want to do ALL. THE. THINGS. It's also easy to start those things when you're feeling super inspired and motivated, but what happens when things get busy? Often, they fall to the wayside, which is why we wouldn't recommend starting a podcast until you have carved out the time in your schedule to commit to it on an on-going basis. 

If you aren't sure you can commit to releasing episodes on a weekly basis, you may want to consider breaking up your podcasts into seasons so you have breaks in between.

I think the whole "We should start a podcast!" conversation often comes up during juicy conversations with friends. But, should you really start a podcast with your friend(s)? I personally went back and forth about this for a while until I decided to go solo with my podcast. As much as it would've been fun and taken some pressure off to do it with a friend, I realized I had such a strong vision of what I wanted for my podcast that I wasn't willing to compromise on. Not to mention, I wanted to make sure that it was still supporting my business initiatives, and it can be challenging when sharing that space with someone else.

However, for the Joyous Health Podcast, it made total sense that Joy and Walker would co-host the podcast together—if you've listened to it, you probably already know what an awesome treat it is to listen to their banter (admitedly, it's one of my many favourite parts about working at the Joyous HQ). 

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In some cases, it can totally work to co-host a podcast with a friend or a partner, but make sure it makes sense for you and both of your businesses first. 

And, if you're wanting to co-host your podcast with someone because you're nervous about getting behind the microphone on your own, don't let that stop you. I won't lie, the first time recording on your own is very weird (haha!), but after the first episode, it gets easier and easier. Eventually, you'll come to love it and look forward to it! 

I know you're excited about starting a podcast—and you should be—but before starting, it's important that you determine whether or not there's a demand among your community. After all, a big chunk of your initial listeners will be from your community.

So, ask them!

• Do they currently listen to podcasts?
• Are podcasts how they prefer to consume content?
• Would they want to see a podcast from you?
• What kind of topics would they like to hear about? Instagram Story and Facebook's polling options make it super easy to do this!

Recording on a week to week basis is a great way to keep your content current, but it can be stressful and it's easy to fall behind. It's also not ideal if you're booking guests, as you'll need to be mindful of their schedules. If you are looking to have guests on your podcast, you may want to reach out to them in advance to ensure you have time to record, edit and release the podcast on time. 

A great way to stay organized, even before you start a podcast, is to keep a running spreadsheet of potential topics and guests and assigning a date to them. You may also want to plan a day when you're going to record, preferably a few at once so you can get ahead and avoid recording week to week. 

Podcasting can really be as economical or as expensive as you'd like. There are some initial start-up costs that can't be avoided, such as your recording and editing equipment, including: a microphone, pop filter and editing software (if you plan on editing it yourself). You'll also have to factor in the cost of your hosting platform.

In Podcast 101, as part of the Joyous Health Business program, we talk all about the equipment you'll need in great depth, as well as podcast hosting platforms you can use and how they work. 

This might seem petty, but it's important. It can easily make or break the strength of your launch; hence why it's important to know this ahead of time. When you're submitting your podcast to the various podcast platforms (i.e. iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Soundcloud), there's no guarantee as to when it will actually be pushed live. It might get approved right away, or it might take 1-2 weeks. There's nothing worse than celebrating your podcast on launch day but having to tell people "Sorry! It's not on iTunes (the main podcasting platform) yet—hang tight!"

To play it safe, we would recommend submitting your podcast to the podcasting platforms at least 2 weeks before launching.

Before I started my own podcast, I had been an avid podcast listener for 2 years. I listened to them because I loved consuming content in that way, but also to study up on the various speaking and interview styles. I would pay close attention to what podcasts I felt especially drawn to and questioned why I was so captivated by them and then store it in my mental file folder for "market research" for when I started my own.

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Some things that you may want to pay attention to are:

• Conversational style
  • Is it casual or formal? 
  • Does it sound scripted or outlined? Do you like the flow of that? Or do you prefer more casual/everyday conversation?
• Music
  • How is it incorporated into the episode?
  • Does it add or take away from the episode?
• Interview style
  • Does it sound like the host is listening and asking questions in response to the conversation?
  • Are the questions planned and mapped out in advance?
• Tone
  • Is the host upbeat, or do they speak in more of a casual/everyday tone?

Rememeber that the podcast is for your community, but you also need to feel happy about it. If you're happy and it feels natural to you, your listeners will get more out of it.

Before you launch your podcast, you should be talking about it and creating buzz. It's a great way to start prepping your community and getting them excited. That way, when you launch your podcast, you already have a bunch of excited listeners in line.

Moving forward, you'll want to continue relying on your social media channels and email list to promote your podcast. Some people might discover your podcast from the podcast app, but as I mentioned earlier, with 500,000 existing podcasts, it's easy for podcasts to get lost.

I recommend creating an action plan to promote new episodes on the regular and always ask for ratings and reviews, which will help build the credibility of your podcast and support the growth of it moving forward.

Yes, there are some things that you should have in place before you start a podcast—but other than that, just dive in and start! It's scary starting something new, but trust that you will learn as you go. Don't expect perfection right away (or ever). Just start, and one day you will look back and be so glad that you did. 

So, if starting a podcast has been on your mind and you feel serious about it, there's no better time to jump in than now. The Podcast 101 course in the Joyous Health Business program will be there for you every step of the way as well; because let's face it, it's not a whole lot of fun to figure out tech things on your own (clearly speaking from experience here!). 

In Podcast 101, you will learn how to: 

• Create a podcast that serves your community and supports your business offerings
• Source captivating album art and stock music
• Determine the best recording and editing equipment for you (or how to outsource, if editing isn't of interest to you)
• Plan upcoming episodes and book guests
• Get set up on a podcast hosting platform
• Promote, amplify and grow your podcast audience
• Monetize your podcast
• Grow an engaged community through your podcast

The Fall 2019 session of the Joyous Health Business program starts again on Monday, September 16th. After that, the program won't be offered for another year. If you have big dreams of taking your wellness business to new heights—and starting that podcast—there's no better time to take the leap than now! Register here.

P.S: Once you start your podcast, please leave the name of it in the comments below so we can subscribe and follow along!