Stop Putting Off Your Copywriting Podcast. Here’s How You Can Launch Yours TODAY.
If the idea of starting a copywriting podcast seems overwhelming, don’t worry: it’s not as complicated as it seems.
In fact, launching a podcast is one of the simplest and most effective ways to share your expertise with your audience and build your personal brand as a copywriter.
And even if you’re used to staying silent and behind-the-scenes on your laptop and the thought of actually having to speak “publicly” feels a little daunting, stepping out of your comfort zone is totally worth it.
And, because podcasts are asynchronous communication (meaning people aren’t hearing you “live,” you can edit, tweak, and touch-up until you feel comfortable sharing.
Plus, it’s totally easy to start your copywriting podcast.
Let’s break it down step-by-step.
Starting a Copywriting Podcast: a Step-By-Step Guide
You can start your copywriting podcast in just 10 easy steps.
- Determine Your Audience
Before you start creating content for your copywriting podcast, you (obviously) need to know what kind of content you want to create and who you want to create it for.
Think of your target audience.
Chances are, if you’re a copywriter, your target audience is going to be someone other than copywriters.
Making your copywriting podcast SOLELY about copywriting probably won’t help build a listener base of your ideal clients. You want to give your podcast a niche-related twist.
For example, if you’re a copywriter that writes in the health field, you could call your podcast “Words & Wellness” and give your audience tips on connecting with their target audience through writing.
The idea behind starting your copywriting podcast is the same as other content marketing: to position yourself as an authority in your niche and become the go-to when someone is looking for your services.
So, the more value you provide your ideal audience, the better.
- Decide on a Format
The format you choose doesn’t necessarily have to be permanent, but you do want to be as consistent as possible.
Choose a format that works for you, whether that’s a solo podcast, interviews, or a mixture of both.
- Choose a Platform
There are a myriad of places that can host your podcast. Among the most popular (and user friendly) are:
- Lybson
- Buzzsprout
- Podbean
- Anchor FM
- Captivate
- Resonate
I personally host my copywriting podcast on Anchor FM, which is great for someone who doesn’t need a ton of “bells and whistles” for their podcast. You can record directly on the platform, add sound effects, organize your sound files within each episode, and push your podcast out onto different channels in only a few clicks.
- Gather Your Equipment
Contrary to popular belief, you DON’T need a ton of fancy equipment to record your podcast.
I personally just record my podcast using the voice memo app on my phone and sit in a closet to deaden the sound (fancy, I know) but you can make your setup as fancy or as simplified as you want to.
If you don’t want to go the phone-and-closet route, you’ll need, at the minimum, the following equipment:
- Microphone. You can order a simple podcast microphone from Amazon for under $40.
- Podcast “booth.” This is especially helpful if you record your podcast in public areas or if in an open space in your home. A podcast booth is a small, portable set up that typically has a foam “backdrop” to deaden any sound.
- Editing software: You’ll want to polish-up your podcast audio so it sounds as professional as possible. You can use free audio editing software like Audacity and learn how to use it through YouTube tutorials.
And really, that’s it! Creating your copywriting podcast can be done with just a few simple tools.
- Record Your Intro & Outro
You know those podcasts you listen to that just jump straight into the episode with no “warm up” to get you excited?
Yeah, they’re totally jolting.
Record a podcast intro that introduces you as the host and gives a brief overview of your show. Add some backing tracks (you might be able to do this on your podcast hosting platform) and BAM! You have a podcast intro.
Do the same thing with the outro. And in your outro, you can even ask people to rate and subscribe to your podcast if they like what they’ve heard.
- Record Your First Episode!
Drumroll, please!
It’s time to record your first episode.
Take a deep breath. It’s gonna be ok.
Get your show notes together, know your talking points, and just start talking! Once you get going, you’ll feel more comfortable and it will flow more smoothly.
I’ll give you a few more tips on recording your podcast episodes a little later in the article.
- Edit Your Podcast
So you’ve finally recorded your podcast! Now, it’s time to edit.
Remove any big chunks of silence, squash any “loud” bursts of sound, and remove any “ummms” you can find.
Once you play it back, you’ll be shocked to hear how great your episode sounds!
- Write Your Podcast Episode Description
This part is crucial (and hey, you’re a writer, so this should be easy-peasy, right?).
Write your podcast description and include some keywords your target audience might be searching for.
Include a link to your website if possible, and let your listeners know how to get in touch with you by including your email address or Instagram handle.
- Publish Your Podcast!
Alright! It’s time to hit that publish button!
But before you do, figure out how often you’ll be publishing your episodes.
Like I said, people like consistency. Create a schedule and stick to it. It’s a good idea to have a few episodes recorded and ready to go (and pre-scheduled) when you first launch your podcast so that you have episodes consistently if you can’t record one week.
- Configure Your Distribution Channels
Many distribution channels require you to have at least one episode published on your podcast hosting platform before you set up your distribution.
Once your first episode is published, configure your distribution settings on your hosting platform and decide where you want to push your podcast out to.
Your podcast hosting platform will make it easy for you to publish to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Podcasts, and other popular channels.
See? It’s as easy as that! 10 simple steps to launch your copywriting podcast. Bam.
Tips for Creating the Best Copywriting Podcast Ever
Want to totally smash it? Here are a few more tips for recording your best ever podcast.
Put Together Your Show Notes
Show notes will keep your recording process running smoothly (and mean FAR less editing later). Write your main talking points on sticky notes, or in a notebook where you can easily access them when necessary.
I recommend using the old fashioned pen-and-paper method for your show notes so that your podcast microphone doesn’t pick up the sound of your mouse clicking back and forth from your show notes to your recording screen.
Use Your Blogs as a Guide
Want to skip the show notes and make your podcast creation process even easier?
Use your blogs as your script.
Because blogs are meant to be so conversational, you can easily use your blog posts as a guide for your episodes.
But, don’t just read your script word-for-word!
First, your headings probably won’t flow as conversationally into the podcast as the rest of the text.
And, you don’t want to sound robotic. Read your blog out loud a couple of times before you go to record so that you can record it more casually.
Bonus: You can embed your podcast episode on the top of your blog post and give people the option to listen instead of read!
Speak TO Your Audience
As I mentioned before, podcasts are meant to be on the more conversational side. So, instead of making your podcast sound like a lecture, speak like you’re speaking TO another person.
After all, speaking TO someone and speaking AT someone are two different things.
Encourage Interaction
Podcasts are asynchronous communication, but that doesn’t mean to leave your audience in the audience!
Encourage your audience to interact. Pose a question. Use the “poll” feature on your podcast platform (if you have that functionality). Or ask people to let you know what they thought of your latest episode by sending you a message on Instagram.
The more involved your audience feels, the more listeners you’ll keep.
Record in the Same Spot Every Time
To maintain a super consistent sound, try to record your podcast in the same spot each time. This is especially important if you don’t go out and purchase a podcast booth.
Even the slightest change in your audio quality can throw off your audience.
Choose Great Intro Music
I think, personally, that choosing your intro music is one of the most fun parts of starting your copywriting podcast.
Choose music that matches the mood and tone of your podcast. Don’t use something slow or soothing if your podcast is upbeat and exciting, and don’t go for a hard rock intro if your podcast has a more “chill” vibe.
You aren’t limited to the free-use music available on your podcast hosting platforms, but if you use licensed music, make sure you have permission to do so.
I got super lucky because a friend of mine let me use one of his tracks as my podcast intro. Shout out to Max Frost for letting me use “Brand New Day” to kick off my podcast. I still think it’s a bop of a song.
Give Your Episodes Great Titles
Hey, you’re a copywriter. You know the importance of using a curiosity-piquing headline.
Write your podcast titles the same way you’d write a headline or title that would grab an audience’s attention.
Use Season/Episode Naming Conventions
This isn’t a must-do, but I feel like this helps you organize your podcast more efficiently, and helps your audience track down certain episodes if they need to.
You can use season/episode naming conventions like “S1: Ep.1” to keep things organized.
Pay Attention to Your Analytics
Your analytics are where it’s at!
Not everyone is going to listen to your podcast in linear order. Some people will scroll through your episodes and only listen to the ones that stand out to them.
If you find that a specific topic performs far better than others, that’s a pretty good indicator that you should create similar content.
Don’t repeat whole episodes, of course, but going in-depth on similar topics will give your audience what they want.
Frequently Asked Questions About Starting Your Copywriting Podcast
More questions? Let’s get ‘em.
How Can I Get Guests on My Copywriting Podcast?
A LOT of high-performing podcasts offer guest spots, and hearing two people have an organic conversation can add a lot of value to your show. Especially if you bring in an expert.
Here are a few ways to find great guests for your podcast:
- Listen to other podcasts in your niche that have guest speakers. Obviously, the people on their shows are open to podcast interviews.
- Instagram! There are tons of business owners out there (and YES, they’re in your niche!) that would love to create more awareness around their brands.
- Ask for guests in your episodes. You can include how to get in contact with you about a guest spot in the outro of your episode.
Plus, once your podcast gains traction, you’ll undoubtedly have people reaching out to ask for spots on their own!
How Can I Get Ratings on My Copywriting Podcast?
The best way to get ratings on your podcast is to create a high-value podcast with great content and great audio, but even if you have a super professional podcast, people won’t always automatically leave you a rating.
The next best thing is to ASK for reviews.
In your outro or somewhere within your podcast recording (where it fits) remind your listeners to give you a five-star rating wherever they listen to podcasts if they’re loving your show.
How Can I Build Listenership for My Copywriting Podcast?
So your podcast is out there––now, how do you get people to actually listen to it?
You’re a copywriter. You can use your wordsmithing and marketing powers to attract listeners.
Write a blog about it.
Send an email to your list.
Post on your social media channels every time you publish a new episode.
Send out a press release.
Post on forums and groups related to your niche.
Anywhere your ideal audience hangs out, let them know about your podcast.
Should I Turn My Copywriting Podcast into a Video Podcast?
You absolutely can! You can record a video podcast for your YouTube channel or your website and pull the audio out for platforms that are sound-only.
It will require twice the editing, but in my opinion, the more content, the better.
How Can I Repurpose My Copywriting Podcast into Different Content?
If you’re someone that does better without creating a script first (or, if you’re interviewing someone) recording off-the-cuff and then repurposing your content might be best for you.
You can turn your podcast into a blog by transcribing (and editing. Let me repeat: EDITING) the transcription, you can take poignant parts of your episodes and turn them into social media posts, or you can repurpose your recordings into videos, which we’ll talk about next.
How Can I Get My Copywriting Podcast On YouTube Without Being on Video?
You want to create a YouTube presence but there’s no way you’re getting on camera. So what do you do?
You can make it easy by just creating a still frame video and adding the audio. You will, probably, want some visual elements, so including little “sound waves” or closed captioning will keep the video interesting even if you’re not showing your face.
Starting Your Copywriting Podcast: Totally Worth it
If you’ve never podcasted before or you’re not a great public speaker, starting your copywriting podcast can be intimidating.
But, once you have your plan in place and you podcast consistently, you’ll be pleasantly surprised how good at it you become.