Seeking advice on how to kickstart a podcast? You’re in good company! Initiating your own podcast has numerous advantages, especially in terms of promoting your personal brand.
How to launch a podcast
That’s why I turned to financial expert Farnoosh Torabi, who introduced the So Money podcast in January 2015. Right from the start, she was featuring prominent guests like Tony Robbins and Tim Ferriss. Her show has garnered over 1 million downloads, and Inc. magazine recognized it as a top podcast for boosting your business. Here are Torabi’s seven most effective strategies on how to get started with a podcast for beginners.
1. Have patience
“Running a podcast—especially a daily show—can feel like a real grind, because it truly is! This journey is a marathon, not a sprint.”
2. Establish clear objectives
Torabi spent the final quarter of 2014 planning the launch and studying successful podcasts. “A daily podcast sets [hosts] apart and enables them to achieve significant download figures more rapidly.”
She targeted an audience that could generate revenue, “justifying to myself and my family the 10-plus personal hours a week and thousands of dollars a month it takes to create this show.” Her goals included creating a professionally produced show with high-profile guests, gaining media exposure to enhance her credibility, accumulating reviews from critics and building a fan base.
She aimed for earning a spot in iTunes’ “New & Noteworthy” category, guaranteeing a top position in the iTunes store in selected categories for several weeks. Reviews play a key role; aim for 12 in the first week. “I was selected my first week, and my traffic rose about 50 percent,” she explains.
Torabi intended to use her podcast to expand her email contacts for self-promotion, and she succeeded in increasing these contacts by 50 percent by September 30, 2015. “If your podcast draws an average of 3,400 listens 30 days post-launch, it falls within the top 10 percent of all podcasts,” she notes. “Reach approximately 5,000 listens, and you’ll attract sponsors.” Mission accomplished: She now features paid advertising on her podcast, alongside greater media exposure, additional paid speaking engagements, and increased book sales.
3. Aim for top-notch guests from the start and heed your audience
Based on her research, Torabi understood that top-tier guests make a significant impact, so she pursued them. “Guests with substantial social followings were particularly beneficial as they shared the show with their fans,” thereby amplifying her listenership.
She also paid attention to feedback from fans and tailored the content to meet their requests. “I dedicate one episode each week to answering their questions to make the show as much for and about them as possible.”
4. Request what you desire
Best-selling business author and podcaster Chris Ducker emphasized to Torabi the significance of listener reviews for enhancing iTunes’ rankings and expanding her audience. “He taught me that you won’t receive what you don’t ask for. On every episode, I encourage listeners to leave reviews, and I have accumulated over 300.” (She expresses her gratitude to listeners for their comments and reviews daily.)
Torabi also solicited votes after GOBankingRates.com nominated So Money for the Best Financial Podcast of 2015. “This award would provide instant credibility and recognition, so I campaigned vigorously for votes during the show and on social media.” So Money—competing against Dave Ramsey, Freakonomics, and other industry giants—was victorious.
5. Repackage content
Torabi arranges for episode transcripts that she transforms into articles published on Money.com, Yahoo, and Business Insider. She includes links in the articles that direct traffic to her website, bio, and ultimately back to her podcast.
6. Engage on social media
She schedules her posts and provides podcast guests with suggested posts to share with their followers. She mentions that her following on the social media platform X (previously known as Twitter) has expanded by approximately 2,500 since the launch.
7. Sustain the momentum
Torabi celebrates each significant milestone, and she anticipates achieving more in 2016 after collaborating with an agency that connects advertisers and digital content.
