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Launching a Podcast on iTunes

You can only launch a podcast once.

Once iTunes approves your podcast, you have 8 weeks to make an impression in the New and Noteworthy section—the coveted spot on the iTunes Store directory that allows you to be highly visible and gain the recognition of millions of users for 8 weeks.

You need to get it right the first time… because the clock is ticking!

Step 1: Define Your Podcast’s Concept and Style

Successful podcasts have a consistent concept and style.

You need to plan and decide WHAT your overall podcast will be about before you launch, or you run the risk of having a sloppy show.

It’s important to decide what will be unique about your podcast. Think about why someone should listen, why they should care. Also, keep your business’ culture in mind—your podcast needs to align with your business.

A podcast that’s going to hit the top of the charts and stay there needs to be entertaining while providing valuable content on a specific topic that people want to listen to.

You have several options to choose from when it comes to what “style” your podcast will follow. These are some of the examples we considered when planning Perpetual Traffic. Think about which would be the best fit to reach your audience:

Interview Style Podcast

This is the most common style of podcasting.

The host(s) conducts an interview in each episode of the podcast.

Location Based Podcast

Here the podcast centres on the location it is recorded in.

Storytelling Podcast

Can you guess what flow this podcast follows?

This type of podcast tells a story.

The first episode of the podcast is the beginning of the story, the last episode is the conclusion of the story, and each episode builds off the last and moves the story forward.

Step 2: Record 3 “Pillar Episodes” (AKA… the Foundation of Your Podcast)

It’s important to keep in mind that the first 3 episodes of your podcast will serve as the legs of your podcast and be its first impression. We call these episodes “Pillar Episodes.”

Pillar Episodes…

• …are great to reference back to in future episodes. Use your first 3 episodes to build the foundation of your podcast. Reference back to your first 3 episodes often by mentioning them during the podcast and linking to them in your show notes page—which lists all of the episodes and provides links to the resources mentioned in a particular episode. We reference our show notes throughout an episode, so we can send traffic back to the site and pixel high-quality leads.
• …keep you from repeating yourself. Pillar episodes improve the flow of your show dramatically. Instead of repeatedly explaining a fundamental concept, you’ll simply reference a pillar episode. Like, “We explain this in more detail on Episode X. Go back and give that a listen.”
• …are good for your rankings because you’re constantly referring back to previous episodes, so listeners will have a reason to go back and download past episodes. iTunes loves to see that people aren’t just listening and downloading the latest and greatest episode, but are consuming multiple episodes. This will help you maintain consistent downloads (more on the importance of consistent downloads in a minute).

When you launch your podcast, launch with 3 episodes (or more) because it serves as a hook for your audience and gives you the opportunity to create a solid first impression.

You’ll also have 3 episodes for newcomers to download vs one—3x the downloads!

Step 3: Launch You Podcast with a Contest

When you first launch, you want to create as much momentum and buzz as possible. A contest can help with that and help you rank.

For your podcast to rank, you want people to…

• Go to your podcast
• Download your first three episodes (Pillar Episodes)
• Subscribe
• Leave a review

This shows iTunes that this podcast is great, which will help you move up in the charts.

A contest can help you get the downloads, subscribers, and ratings you need.

Launching with a contest helped us hit Number One in the Business Category. It’s what got us to New and Noteworthy and helped us stay there for 8 weeks.

When you use a contest, make sure the prize is specific to your market. You want the gift to really appeal to your audience.

Your contest prize shouldn’t be something that appeals to the masses because you’re not aiming to attract everybody. You’re working on gathering people who will actually find value from your podcast.

For instance, if your podcast is about fishing, you wouldn’t want to give away a laptop or a tablet. A more specific and appealing prize to your audience would be a fishing rod or tactical gear.

Also, if you don’t have your podcast audience built prior to your launch, giving away a prize that’s really relevant to your prospective listeners will make them more likely to engage.