First - congratulations on your podcast launch!

In this special bonus episode, I want to talk about what happens after you launch your podcast, and some of the changes in mindset that you need to make in order to keep podcasting and still have fun with it. After all, podcasting is a labour of love but it should never stop being fun to do. 

The focus of this episode is to help you find your first 100 genuine listeners  – those listeners who go on to become super fans and who will share your podcast far and wide. That means learning some basic marketing - to understand how your listeners behave and to create marketing that will attract and engage them.

For that I’m going to call in the help of trusty co-host Mark Asquith, who’s going to share his wisdom on what marketing and mindset approaches we’ve used here at Rebel Base Media and Captivate to run our podcasts successfully.

Did you know that most podcasters don't make it past 10 episodes?

Make it to 11 with these helpful resources...

1. Enroll on our Podcast Launch Accelerator course at podcastsuccessacademy.com for exclusive post-launch tutorials on setting up your first Patreon offer, understanding your podcast analytics and more listener acquisition strategies. It’s completely free and includes over 5 hours of bitesize video tutorials, resources and recommendations to complement this podcast.
2. Get involved in the Facebook community for live office hours every week. Remember, you're never alone in this process - even after you've launched. 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.
3. Browse our blog for regular, comprehensive tutorials and podcast tips on everything from launching your podcast to navigating marketing, monetization and more.
4. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for dedicated weekly coaching videos, tutorials and guides hosted by the Rebel Base Media team.
5. Reach out to us directly through our support channels – we’ll be happy to help you with whatever podcasting question you have! We cover all major time zones, so no matter your question, you’re never alone.

By now, you should be ready to launch your podcast. Maybe you have already launched. Either way, we want to congratulate you on the biggest milestone any podcaster can achieve. You’ve come a long way and worked so hard to get this far, and now your podcast is live for people all over the world to hear and download!

In this episode, we cover why we recommend a launch WEEK, not just launch day! What are some of the biggest misconceptions about launching a podcast? What NOT to do when launching a new podcast?

This episode's milestone:

Launch your podcast. Get your first episodes live, and start working through the steps we share with you in this episode! Grab your two launch checklists, full of easy and quick-win launch strategies, in your Podcast Launch Accelerator crib sheet.

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. Enroll on our Podcast Launch Accelerator course at podcastsuccessacademy.com. It’s completely free and includes over 5 hours of bitesize video tutorials, resources and recommendations to complement this podcast.
3. 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.

In this episode, I cover how your podcast ends up on Apple, Google etc, how long it takes and what you have to do! Plus, we’ll cover some easy pre-launch actions you can do to promote your new show whilst you’re waiting for directory approval.  

This episode's milestone:

The focus for this episode is to submit our podcast audio, be it your trailer or episodes or both, to Apple Podcasts and all the other major podcast platforms using Captivate! Head to page 17 of your Podcast Launch Accelerator crib sheet for full, step-by-step instructions.

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. Enroll on our Podcast Launch Accelerator course at podcastsuccessacademy.com. It’s completely free and includes over 5 hours of bitesize video tutorials, resources and recommendations to complement this podcast.
3. 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.

In this episode, we’re going to start recording our podcast audio! This is the exciting part where your podcast really starts to come to life. But we’re not starting with recording a full episode - first, we’re going to record our podcast trailer. We'll cover what to include in your trailer and our tips for DIY studio recording at home.

Why start with your podcast trailer instead a full episode? Well, it's all to do with your pre-launch strategy: it takes a while to get into directories, so a trailer is a good way to get your podcast ready for consistent publishing later. It's short and easy to get recorded, and a quick way to start building anticipation for your big launch!

This episode's milestone: Record your podcast trailer and first episode! Get it right first time with our tools: grab a full editable podcast trailer template and pre-recording checklist by heading to pages 15-16 of your Podcast Launch Accelerator crib sheet!

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. Enroll on our Podcast Launch Accelerator course at podcastsuccessacademy.com. It’s completely free and includes over 5 hours of bitesize video tutorials, resources and recommendations to complement this podcast.
3. 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.

In this episode, we’re going to talk about the software that you need to record, edit and distribute your podcast. These will be the final pieces to your podcasting ‘tech stack’. What are the essential apps and software that all beginner podcasters need? Here are the answers so you can make the best decision for your podcast right away.

For video demos and more information, head to page 14 of your Podcast Launch Accelerator crib sheet!

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. Enroll on our Podcast Launch Accelerator course at podcastsuccessacademy.com. It’s completely free and includes over 5 hours of bitesize video tutorials, resources and recommendations to complement this podcast.
3. 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.

In this episode, we’re getting started with podcast technology and building our first podcast ‘stack’. Why is podcast technology so daunting in the first place?! People get overwhelmed with options, there’s the doubt that comes with spending money, everyone has opinions on what the best kit is.

The takeaway is: you don’t have to spend tons of money getting the highest quality equipment available. In the beginning, you should focus on creating quality content, growing your listenership and making it sound as good as you can.

For more guidance and video demos of all the equipment we talk about here, head to page 13 of your Podcast Accelerator crib sheet for all the info and links you need!

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. Enroll on our Podcast Launch Accelerator course at podcastsuccessacademy.com. It’s completely free and includes over 5 hours of bitesize video tutorials, resources and recommendations to complement this podcast.
3. 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.

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. Enroll on our Podcast Launch Accelerator course at podcastsuccessacademy.com. It’s completely free and includes over 5 hours of bitesize video tutorials, resources and recommendations to complement this podcast.
3. 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.

In this episode, we’re going to talk about the four big, common problems that stops a lot of podcasters from starting a podcast and how you can overcome them. Everyone launching a podcast faces these obstacles, and it’s easy to get round them - you just need to know how.

Maybe you’ll recognise some of these challenges yourself and by sharing them today, we’ll help you to finally overcome them and get your podcast started. 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:

Now we’ve got to our milestone for this episode which is to pick a launch date. Why are we doing this first? What you need is accountability - we need a date to focus on that we can work towards and aim for. So, head to page 3 of your Podcast Accelerator crib sheet, grab a Sharpie and write a date down!

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. Enroll on our Podcast Launch Accelerator course at podcastsuccessacademy.com. It’s completely free and includes over 5 hours of bitesize video tutorials, resources and recommendations to complement this podcast.
3. 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.