How to Plan and Brand a Podcast

So you want to start a podcast. 

We get it — podcasting has experienced a meteoric rise over the last few years. Back in 2018, there were roughly 500,000 active shows. That number ballooned to over 1,750,000 as of January 2021. 

And the market is ripe with listeners! Data shows that over 50% of consumers above the age of 12 listen to podcasts. Why? 75% of listeners tune in to learn something new. So, there is a good chance that your ideal listeners are out there and ready to hear what you have to share. 

But how do you start? Although podcasting’s popularity continues to grow, it’s still a competitive space. To break into this market, you need to build a sturdy foundation ahead of time. 

Back in pre-pandemic times, we shared the best way to approach your podcast adventure with a little Podcasting 101, but it’s time for a refresher. 

This week, we’ve outlined how to plan and brand your podcast — including guidance from our new Podcasting Partner, Nana Kufour of Soundeazy.

Plan Your Podcast

Podcasting is a competitive industry, but that doesn’t mean your voice can’t be added to the mix. 

Like with any significant venture, you need to start with a plan. 

And not a hastily-assembled plan, but one that’s meticulous, comprehensive, and organized. The good news is that your plan isn’t permanent — once you create it, you can refine and revise as your podcast develops. 

Again, don’t rush the planning process. Give yourself at least a few days or weeks to dig into the details before you start building a website, purchasing equipment, or promoting your new show. 

Here are a few steps to help:

Step 1: Brainstorm

Start by creating a list of 10 issues or topics that you’re passionate about.

Trust us; it’s much more enjoyable to build a podcast that covers a topic close to your heart. It’s what makes the hard work worthwhile!

Write down your list, and then walk away! Reset your mind, and then come back and add 10 more. With a list of 20, you’re more likely to see a pattern or a theme emerge. 

As you study your list and identify a theme, consider how it connects to your business or your life’s larger purpose. 

Step 2: Define your purpose.

Why are you starting this podcast?

Is this a hobby? 

Is it promoting a business or service? 

Are you an activist or advocate for change? 

Define your motivation. Once you do, you’ll be able to measure your podcast’s performance, determine the type of content you want to create, and integrate all the pieces into a cohesive brand. 

Step 3: Plan your content.

Now the heavy lifting begins. 

Let’s walk through three of Nana’s content planning tips. 

1. Create a podcast outline and schedule for your episodes

To create a successful podcast, you need to structure your episodes — outline your talking points, ad content, credits, taglines, and episode duration. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Are you narrating or interviewing? 

• Do you want to include sound effects? 

• Are your topics time-sensitive — like discussing current events?

• How many hosts will you have? 

• Do you have sponsors?

Answer these questions to lay the groundwork for actually bringing your podcast into existence. Without structure, it’s hard to make any project actually happen.

2. Budget your time and stay organized. 

Successful podcasting requires consistency. But being a consistent podcaster is much easier said than done! Life gets in the way, and time constraints inevitably materialize. You’re not doing yourself any favors if you overcommit yourself, so set realistic expectations for what you can produce.

• Do you have the bandwidth and resources to produce an episode every week, or do you need to give yourself a couple of weeks between episodes?

• Can you record in batches and prepare episodes in advance, to release over time? 

• Do you have time to work on your podcast every day, or can you have a team to help you?

These are important questions to ask before launch, so you can determine if you need to outsource certain responsibilities. 

3. Have plan A, B, C… all the way through G. 

No matter how well we plan, things can change on a dime. 

So, as you’re planning your content, create back-up plans. 

If you’re a guest-based podcast, what will you do if a guest cancels an interview at the last minute? Will you pull from other episodes, or have a library ready of pre-recorded, standalone content? 

Podcasting requires a high degree of planning and flexibility, which is why it can quickly become a much more demanding endeavor than expected.

Take some time to anticipate “what if” situations. While you can’t predict the future, you can at least be prepared. 

When things fall through, an excellent resource for filling time with content is Vimeo's Creative Commons library. You can extract audio to add to your content if necessary.

Brand Your Podcast

You’ve planned your podcast; now it’s time to brand it. 

Your brand is the foundation for how you will market your podcast (more on that next week), so it’s essential to incorporate branding into your planning process. 

Much like your plan, your brand doesn’t have to be permanent, so don’t let it overwhelm you. 

Here are a few basic exercises for defining your podcast brand:

Exercise 1: Define your voice

Think back to your podcast’s purpose and theme. 

Are you focused on building a podcast to promote your business, talk about your life experience, or advocate for a cause?

What voice and tone are most appropriate, based on your goal?

One of our favorite voice-building activities is to list three adjectives that you want to describe your show’s voice — but think beyond overused terms like “innovative,” “out of the box,” and “unique.” 

Are you serious and mature?

Playful and youthful?

Will you use explicit language or keep it PG?

Think about your audience and consider the types of content they likely listen to, or the types of conversations they have in their daily lives. A boardroom of executives discussing leadership best practices will sound very different from a college-age activists’ meeting. 

Define your niche and build your voice from there. 

Exercise 2: Pick your colors

As you build the collateral to brand and market your podcast, you’ll quickly realize that you need a solid color palette. 

The colors you select communicate a lot to your audience about you and your podcast. 

Here is one of our favorite cheat sheets for understanding color theory and selecting the right colors for a brand. 

And take a look at other podcasts in your genre/topic group. Are they all using the same colors? Do you want to follow the crowd, or stray from the pack and pick something wildly different? 

If you need help finding the right color combo, check out this color palette generator. And use our branding guide to dig in to this more. 

Exercise 3: Build Your Logo

In an ideal world, a professional designer would craft your first logo — but that might not be in your budget. Your logo can evolve over time, and that’s okay! 

If you don’t outsource this task to a designer, you can DIY your logo with Canva. But, keep in mind, millions of people use Canva every day, so don’t just copy and paste a template. Personalize your logo. Add your unique brand colors, spice it up with some new elements, or adjust the fonts so it’s not such a cookie-cutter design. 

Exercise 4: Build out your funnel

Your brand doesn’t end with logos, voice, and colors; it goes deeper into your listeners’ process and experiences. 

Even if your podcast is purely for entertainment, you should still have calls to action. If you’re using your podcast to promote a business or a cause, you need to consider your listeners’ experience as they follow through on your call to give, sign up, purchase, or volunteer. 

Don’t rush your CTAs — ensure they’re not only direct and intuitive but also aligned with your brand’s voice. We talk more about branding your customer experience in this Slice. 

Whew! That’s a lengthy podcast checklist! 

But if you’re serious about podcasting, prepping your podcast for launch is vital. Remember: the heavy lifting starts before you hit the record button. 

If you’d like support with producing your podcast, talk to our girl, Nana Kufour; she’s an excellent sound engineer and a wonderful human!

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