In this episode, we’re getting into the fun details - we’re going to design our podcast. This is a really fun step, where your podcast will start coming together properly as you start to piece together all the exciting ideas you’ve had and form it into something concrete. What do we mean by ‘designing’ a podcast? Let’s talk through the steps.

I’ll be joined by my special guest, CEO & co-founder of Rebel Base Media, and owner of podcast hosting platform Captivate.fm, Poductivity, Podcast Websites and of course, Podcast Success Academy.

This episode's milestone:

Head to pages 5-6 of your Podcast Accelerator crib sheet! Get thinking about your listener avatar and XYZ statement as a foundation for designing the rest of your podcast. With these details in mind (and it doesn’t have to be perfect the first time, just something to focus on!), it’ll be so much easier to plan content, design cover art/choose music, market our podcast and find sponsorship down the line.

What can you expect from this podcast?

I’m your host, Rachel, Content Executive at Captivate. It’s my job to help podcasters like you start, launch and grow your podcasts using free education and resources.

Over the course of this series, I’ll be joined from time to time by special guest Mark Asquith, CEO and co-creator of Captivate, who'll lend his expertise and advice. Over the next 8 episodes, we’ll be sharing the strategies, mindsets and steps to help you design, build, produce and run a successful, sustainable podcast with zero jargon or guesswork.

Find out just how easy it is to start your own podcast and follow along with us to set up a growth-ready show using the steps we’ll take together. Every episode will feature a podcast launch milestone to work towards so you can build your podcast with us at a pace that suits you.

Listen in and let’s launch a podcast!

How can you get the most out of this podcast? There’s a few ways.

1. Make sure you’ve downloaded your free podcast launch crib sheet. All of the episodes in this podcast mirror the checklist so you can follow along and apply your own ideas as we go. By the end, you’ll have a full, detailed podcast planned out, recorded and ready for launch.
2. Get involved in the Facebook community for live office hours every week. Remember, you're never alone in this process! Join the Podcast Launch Accelerator course to unlock access to our international community of beginner and pro podcasters, as well as live weekly office hours with the Captivate team. Get answers to your questions instantly, as well as vital peer support, feedback and advice from real podcasters like you.

Hello again and welcome to how to start a podcast, a practical crash course to designing, building and launching your own podcast from the Captivate team.

I'm your host, Rachel.

I'm the content executive at Captivate, and it's my job to help podcasters like you start, launch, grow and market your podcast with free education and resources like this very show.

This is episode two, designing your podcast.

In this episode, we're getting into the fun details.

Yes, we're going to design our podcast.

This is a really exciting step where your podcast will start coming together properly as you start to piece together all of the exciting ideas that you've had and form it into something concrete that is ready to record.

But what do we mean by designing a podcast?

Well, in today's episode, we're going to cover a lot.

We're going to cover how you decide on a good podcast idea, how you decide on a show format, how long should your podcast be, how do you design your cover art, and where do you get it designed, what should your release schedule be like, how do you decide on a good podcast idea?

And who do we want to listen to our podcast?

How do we design a listener avatar?

All of these things are super important to set up a solid foundation for our podcast and make it way easier later on in the process to finally start recording and planning content and after launch, market it.

So let's get started.

In today's episode, I'll be joined by my special guest, CEO and co founder of Rebel Based Media, Mark Asquith.

And he will be joining me to lend his expertise and talk about our new podcast in and around podcasting and the steps that we've taken to design it.

So let's go.

By designing our podcast, we are talking about choosing our podcast idea.

We are deciding about what to talk about and identifying our target listener.

And it's important to think about these things carefully now, because this is how you get to define how you want your podcast to be and who you're recording it for and what you most love talking about, as well as your wider podcasting goals.

These are all really useful things to think about.

Now.

It's setting a solid foundation up for later on in the process when we're recording, when we're launching, and when we're marketing our podcast.

So really important things to think about.

Some of the most important practical things to think about are show formats and how long your podcast will be, what your cover art will look like, and what your release schedule will be.

And in this next section, I'm going to Cover all four of them.

When it comes to show formats, you've got a few choices.

You can choose to host a solo podcast, you can choose an interview podcast, or you can have your podcast co hosted by you and a friend or multiple friends.

If I'm creating a podcast to build my network, I'm going to look at creating a solo podcast or an interview podcast.

I'm going to want to be building my brand and positioning myself as an expert in my field, as a voice of authority and trust for my audience.

If I'm creating a podcast to sell my own things for my audience, or to sell sponsorship or build a fan club later on, I am going to look at either creating a solo podcast or a co hosted podcast where we can really solidify that podcast brand and build popularity and build a sense of community.

So it's all about thinking about your wider podcast goals, where you want your podcast to go.

You can always change it later.

Remember that the goal here is to get our podcast to launch.

So we need to choose one of three.

We need to choose a solo podcast, an interview podcast, or a co hoster podcast.

And we need to stick to it for now.

We can always diversify further on down the line based on what works for us and what works for our audience.

The next thing I'm going to talk about is how long Uppercast should be.

So that's a bit like asking how long is a ball of string.

Podcasts can be 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 30 minutes, even 4 hours long.

And it's really about what works for you and what works for your topic.

And as long as you're creating good content, your audience will want to listen to it.

So it's all about finding the right balance.

In the beginning, your podcast, it might be too long, it might be too short.

These are things that you're going to have to find out in time and with experience.

And the only way that you're going to find that out is just to sit down and record and find out what works.

When are you going to release your podcast?

This is a really important question and it depends on a couple of factors.

It depends on when you're comfortable recording and releasing, and it depends on your personal schedule as well and what's achievable for you.

You might be balancing a full time job.

We certainly are at Captivate here and with in and around podcasting, we will be working full time jobs as well as producing this podcast.

So we're going to be producing it weekly because we know that that's an achievable timescale for us to be able to plan content and market it appropriately and release it.

The most important thing is that you are consistent with your release schedule.

So if you say in your trailer that you're going to release every Tuesday, that's what you need to stick to.

And if you're going to diversify from that at all, you need to let your listeners know.

They need to know when to expect your podcast in their feed.

And that way, you're gonna build up trust, rapport, and community with your listeners.

And that is really the linchpin of any kind of podcasting success.

The final element is cover art.

What's your cover art gonna look like?

You don't need to do this at the very beginning because it's likely that your podcast idea and even your title is going to change.

But it's important and you will need it to release your first episode and your trailer.

So it's good to start thinking about it.

Now, you might want to design your own cover art, or you might want to outsource it to a company like 99designs, who will handle all that for you.

With freelance designers, a really good resource, actually, is the Facebook community.

Here at Captivate, we have two Facebook communities, and that is really good for peer support and feedback on your cover art.

So if you design a few options, you can often get really, really good and honest feedback on your cover art.

And remember, your cover art also can change.

Everything here can change.

The key goal is to get something to start with, and everything else can develop from there.

Just like any hobby, just like anything that you do in your spare time, it will all change and it will all develop.

And that is what is most exciting about starting a podcast.

Mark, what does designing your podcast mean?

And why can't we just pick up the microphone and start talking?

So designing your podcast is all about choosing something that you can talk about for the long term that you're not going to get bored of, but that actually is structured in such a way that it naturally helps your audience.

Because if you naturally help your audience through either entertaining them or educating them or a mixture of both, you will naturally attract new listeners by proxy.

So designing your podcast is about breaking down the constituent pieces of your show, figuring out what each of those pieces needs to do, and then building the show up from the ground.

And once you've done that, even though it sounds tough, it really isn't.

Once you've done that, you, show will already be way ahead of the vast majority of podcasts out there.

That's great advice.

And what do you think a good podcast idea is?

What's a truly great podcast idea?

A truly great podcast idea is really something that will resonate with people.

Now, that might be interview content that people are really desperate to hear.

It might be fictionalized audio content that exists in another universe and exists only to entertain people.

It may well be digging into the past, looking to the future, giving advice, making people laugh, making people cry.

The point is that you have to resonate.

You have to hit something for the audience.

And the point of designing your show is figuring out what notes you're going to hit so that they hear those notes and that they want to be a part of that.

So a good podcast idea exists in many, many forms.

There are so many excellent podcasts in different niches, in different markets, doing very varied types of content.

But one thing that they all share is that they're captivating and they resonate with the audience.

So that's what we're going to do.

We're going to design something that really hits the mark for your potential listener.

And this is a really great lead into our next kind of topic, which is designing your listener avatar and thinking about who you want to listen to your podcast and who to wants who your podcast is for.

And what do we want our podcast to be for them.

So, Mark, tell me about our brand new podcast launching on April 6th, and tell me about the listener avatar and who, who that podcast is for.

Well, remember, podcasting is all about talking to one person.

You see so many people talking to the masses when they record and you hear so many people doing that, and I've done that in the past where it sounds great on YouTube, on podcasts, on speaking events, as a hey all or hey guys, that's fine.

But the core piece of podcasting that helps it to stand out amongst all of the media forms is the fact that you are piping your audio and your content directly into someone's ears.

That's very, very important.

So the listener avatar is about helping to understand who we are talking to.

Why should we choose a podcast idea that fits them?

Deciding to talk about something that is going to help you decide and ultimately what you want your podcast to be for that person.

Because without that person, without your avatar in mind, you won't know why you're doing this.

So we are creating a podcast here at Rebel Based Media, here at Captivate, and we want to make the podcasting industry a little bit more accessible.

So our avatar is this.

And what I'd like you to just note as we're going through this, and this is in the crib sheet as well.

So if you've got the podcast launch accelerator Crib sheet from podcastsuccessacademy.com Flick to the Avatar section and you will find tips on this.

Notice when I read this avatar out that I've prepared the depth to which we go, the specificity that we go into.

So here's the avatar for our brand new podcast.

About Podcasting Our avatar is the day to day podcast enthusiast or creator who wants a de jargon way of staying up to date with podcast industry developments and vitally clear insights into what that development means to them and their show.

They want to feel a part of it, not excluded or not put down by the experts in the industry.

This is about accessibility and inclusiveness for the podcaster.

They want to feel like they're big enough to matter.

And that is our avatar for our brand new podcast.

Like I said, notice the specificity.

Notice how we've been really clear on what we're trying to help this person with.

You can get a real sense of the person, the individual behind that, and I think that's the most important thing.

And that's going to make it so much easier to plan your content, to design your cover art, to choose music, to market your podcast, and do everything else.

So that is why we've chosen to start with this very important listener avatar first.

And speaking of making the podcast industry more accessible, maybe you can tell us what the podcast title is.

Of course, the podcast title is in and Around Podcasting.

It's a little cheeky, it sticks to our brand, it talks to the avatar, and it's a podcast that helps to make the industry open to everyone.

It's all about that accountability.

So, so choosing a podcast title then, it's a really important step to designing any podcast.

It's what, it's what everyone's going to see in the directory.

So do you have any tips for a podcaster looking to choose a podcast title?

Well, the key thing is understanding with your podcast what you want to achieve for people.

And we already have our avatar.

And at that point people think, well, this is fantastic.

We've done a heck of a lot of work.

We really understand our audience.

Let's create a podcast title that's really cute and clever and that really sounds fun and interesting.

But the challenge with that is that that really often comes with education.

So the first tip for choosing a podcast title is you know what?

Don't be cute with it.

Don't be cute with it.

Be really clear about what you're trying to achieve.

We called this one in and Around Podcasting because it's for people in and around podcasting.

And the problem that so many people have is that they want to put their name on it.

They want to do something that feels, quote, unquote on brand.

But the problem with that is that Apple podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music podcasts, they're all search engines.

And what does better in search engines?

Relevance.

So if I'm searching for something and maybe your podcast title sort of alludes to what you cover on your podcast, maybe I'll give it a listen.

But what if the next podcast does what it says on the tin?

What if the one beneath you or above you in the search listings really clearly says, this is about podcasting?

That person is very likely to get the click to get the listen to get the prospect.

So a big step that I want people to undertake and I want you to undertake as a brand new podcaster is a little exercise that we call the XYZ statement.

Are listening over the pond in America.

Then it's the XYZ statement.

And what this does is it helps you to choose a podcast title based on a problem statement and a solution.

So an XYZ statement or an XYZ statement is I will do X for Y so that Z can happen.

And if you follow that formula, your podcast title will typically present itself.

So let me explain the XYZ statement for in and around podcasting.

So we know our avatar and we know the person that we're trying to talk to, but what are we doing for them?

So the XYZ statement is as follows.

I will create an accessible industry podcast for the day to day podcast enthusiast so that they feel included and understand what industry developments really mean to their podcast.

I will do X for Y so that Z can happen.

Now, it would be really easy to call this podcast Mark Asquith's Podcast industry Podcast.

That's really dull.

It's really boring.

It's got my name in it.

It would stroke my ego a little bit.

I could probably put my big old head on the COVID but it wouldn't do anything for the listener.

So the XYZ statement led me to in and Around.

Podcasting is cute enough to stand out, but really clear about what it does.

So choosing a title is key, along with the COVID art, which we'll talk about in a little while, it's one of the most core components of your podcast and it needs to be clear, concise and do what it says on the tin.

Thank you.

Now it's your turn to get thinking about your listener avatar, your podcast title and your X, Y, Z or Z statement.

So that's the milestone for this episode is to get thinking about those avatars, your statement and build a solid foundation for designing the rest of your podcast.

We've got our launch date of April 6th, our podcast idea and our target listener.

We've got the XYZ statement and some solid foundations for a really good podcast.

Join us in the next episode as we get ready to record with a Deep Dive 2 parter on podcast equipment.

And remember, we talk about podcast ideas, listener avatars and so much more in our free course over at the podcast successacademy.com it's totally free to sign up and it always will be, so make sure to go and check it out and I'll see you next time.