After sharing a number of issues for refreshing your podcast branding, it is time to wrap it up with the massive query: how?
That is my final episode in my miniseries about refreshing your podcast branding. Please assessment these previous episodes/articles for extra info:
Reminder: What’s “podcast branding”?
Your “podcast branding” is a number of options that uniquely establish your podcast. It is the primary impression for brand new audiences, and it is how your loyal viewers acknowledges your podcast distinctly from others.
Podcast branding is greater than solely your cowl artwork. It could possibly be the brand inside your cowl artwork (and that emblem can be utilized for all types of issues)—and a logo is difference from cover art. It is the audio and video components you employ all through your episodes. It is your podcast description. It is in your repeated phrases. It is even in how you talk and host your podcast.
A “branding refresh” would then be updating all or any of those components, however maintaining the core of your podcast the identical. A “rebrand” would be if you change much more of your podcast, together with what you speak about and whom you attempt to attain.
1. Consider the wants
Do you really want to refresh your podcast branding, or are you merely uninterested in it?
Probably, your wants will match inside a number of of the benefits to a podcast branding refresh that I’ve beforehand shared:
- Entice a brand new viewers
- Improve your perceived high quality
- Adapt to the newest tendencies
- Strengthen or reset your podcast’s identification and message
- Infuse new power in your viewers and your self
- Stand out from others
Your precise wants needs to be the largest affect over all of your different branding-refresh choices. For instance, my now retired Once Upon a Time TV aftershow podcast obtained me a pleasant name with considered one of Disney’s attorneys as a result of my visible branding seemed a lot like theirs, that they really thought I used to be utilizing their pictures. So all I wanted to do to fulfill the almighty Mouse was refresh the visible branding and make some extra outstanding disclaimers that we weren’t affiliated. That was an instantaneous and necessary want for that podcast’s visible branding, nevertheless it did not change something about how we ran the podcast (and the Disney lawyer was clear that they didn’t need us to cease our podcast).
2. Perceive your individual podcast
You’ve got seen the cliché plot line earlier than: you journey up a mountain on a path to self discovery and also you’re met by some sage who helps you uncover that the magic was inside you all alongside.
Understanding your individual podcast will not have you ever climbing mountains, nevertheless it does imply making an attempt to step out of your individual place and objectively take a look at your podcast as each an outsider and as an viewers member. Search to know what makes your podcast distinctive. What are your recurring components? What’s your podcast identified for? What does the viewers like and dislike? Why is your viewers listening? And why are you even making the podcast?
Search for the issues you must emphasize extra, and the issues you must take away.
For the branding refresh I did of The Audacity to Podcast just a few years in the past, I spotted that my visible components weren’t actually speaking the concept of “audacity”: boldness, braveness, guts, and such. However these have been undoubtedly recurring themes. In spite of everything, that is why I named by present The Audacity to Podcast! So I knew that the magic was in me all alongside, I simply needed to let it go!
One other side of that is realizing that your podcast’s branding won’t match your individual preferences. For instance, the music I’ve all the time used The Audacity to Podcast, a tune referred to as “Vegas Shuffle,” shouldn’t be really the type of music I take pleasure in. Actually, I do not actually like exhausting rock or electrical guitar music. However I really like that tune for this podcast as a result of I believe it completely suits the vibe of my podcast branding. (Watch me get inducted into the Podcast Hall of Fame to listen to my “stroll out music” that truly suits me higher!)
3. Think about the timing
An efficient branding refresh will take time to do it with excellence. So take into account not solely how a lot time the method will take, however when is definitely the appropriate time to launch the brand new branding.
For instance, in case your present is seasonal (and for good causes, I hope!), the beginning of a brand new season could possibly be a good time to launch the brand new branding—both with the primary episode of that season, or with the trailer previous the brand new season.
Different good instances for a branding refresh could possibly be round milestone episodes or anniversaries. Learn more in my previous episode/article about when to refresh your podcast branding:
- When your podcast considerably modifications
- When your branding stops rising with you
- If you enter new “seasons”
- When you’ll be able to enhance the standard
- When there’s sufficient compelling suggestions
- If you decide the advantages outweigh the “prices”
It is also greatest in case you can time your branding refresh to launch in all of your properties on the identical time. Tremendous-loyal followers of The Audacity to Podcast may need seen that it took me a couple of yr earlier than I up to date the web site to match the brand new branding within the podcast. If I wasn’t going by way of the non-public hardships at the moment, the very best factor for me to do would have been to launch the brand new website with the brand new visible and audio branding within the podcast. However after I did an entire rebrand of My Podcast Reviews to Podgagement, I launched all of it collectively: the app redesign, the web site redesign, the brand new emblem, the brand new area, even the brand new social IDs.
4. Put together your viewers
Though a branding refresh shouldn’t be as main as an precise rebrand, it is perhaps good to announce it to your viewers forward of time, particularly in case your present does not use seasons for good causes. This will cut back potential confusion when somebody’s podcast library out of the blue appears totally different and so they cannot discover your podcast as a result of it appears totally different from earlier than (in case you did a visible branding refresh).
You may point out the upcoming refresh in your episodes main as much as it. However my suggestion can be to publish a separate episode as a “trailer” particularly to announce the upcoming refresh. After which a few weeks after you launch the brand new branding, you’ll be able to simply delete that announcement episode.
The extra drastically totally different the brand new branding is, the extra necessary it will likely be to arrange your viewers for it.
5. Determine to delegate or DIY
Refreshing your podcast branding will price! It would clearly price cash in case you delegate it to somebody you rent. It may additionally price you time in case you do it your self—and perhaps lots of time in case you’re not expert or comfy with the method.
The primary place I like to recommend on the lookout for assist can be inside your individual viewers. For instance, No Agenda, with Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak, makes a giant deal about letting their viewers contribute art work and reusable audio components for each episode. Take a look at NoAgendaArtGenerator.com for examples of all of the 1000’s of submissions they’ve acquired!
Be happy to have enjoyable with it, like working a contest (with or with out prizes), having your viewers vote, or making a sport of it. Simply be ready with the way you may deal with it in case your viewers does not offer you very top quality work or they do not reply nicely to your resolution.
If you wish to rent a extremely expert skilled to assist, listed below are my suggestions:
- Visible branding: Mark Des Cotes at PodcastBranding.co (an alternate can be 99designs, however most likely not Fiverr)
- Drawn visible branding: James Kennison from DrawYouaPicture.com
- Full audio branding: Music Radio Creative or rent out for items of your branding with some individuals on Fiverr
- Content material or presentation branding: a podcast advisor, resembling me, Dave Jackson, Erik Okay. Johnson, or whoever is your favourite
- Video branding: perhaps somebody from Fiverr (however I am on the lookout for a greater suggestion!)
And you probably have the instruments, abilities, and willpower to do it your self, anticipate to spend approach an excessive amount of time obsessing over some specific particulars.
After I was doing the entire rebuild and rebranding from My Podcast Reviews to Podgagement, I stored hitting psychological partitions with the brand new emblem. So I reached out to James Kennison since I knew he is an amazing artist and intensely artistic. We went forwards and backwards over a few of my tough concepts, however nothing was working very nicely and he was really about to surrender. However then a second of inspiration hit him and I fell in love together with his new thought, which turned the brand! (Can you notice the hidden factor within the Podgagement emblem? If you see it, you will acknowledge why I cherished James’s brilliance a lot!)
6. Keep away from clichés just like the plague …
I hope you recognize the visible podcast clichés by now: microphones, RSS icons, headphones, audio waveforms, and all of the stuff that visually represents podcasting, however almost definitely not what your podcast is definitely about. Until your podcast is about microphones, audio, and such, then you must keep away from utilizing these visible clichés in your branding most likely 99.99% of the time. And even the remaining 0.01%, I might nonetheless problem you to keep away from the clichés.
Your specific area of interest may also have its personal clichés. These is perhaps okay to make use of, however I nonetheless suggest pondering exterior the cliché first!
For instance, I as soon as designed podcast cowl artwork for a Christian podcast that was all in regards to the working of the Holy Spirit. However my shopper was very clear that they did not need the cliché dove within the design. I believe that was an amazing resolution!
There are non-visual clichés, too, each within the podcasting business and doubtless inside your area of interest. For instance, keep away from utilizing “on hearth” or “pondering exterior the field” in your podcast title. Perhaps even avoiding naming the present after your self! Check out my previous episode/article to learn more about what you should avoid in your podcast title.
There might be clichés with music, too. Within the early days of podcasting, it appeared like half the podcasts have been utilizing the identical music from GarageBand as a result of there weren’t many inexpensive options again then. Now, there are such a lot of nice choices (my favourite is PremiumBeat) and so many extra podcasts that you will probably not decide the identical factor as another person.
One other kind of cliché is making an attempt to be like somebody or one thing else. For instance, making an attempt to make the epic movie-trailer voice. However notice that I mentioned, “making an attempt.” In case you even have that nice voice, use it!
However even then, it may appear too cliché to make use of the film trailer fashion in your audio branding in trailers or episodes.
Colours may even be cliché! For instance, the previous My Podcast Reviews branding coloration was the purple coloration from Apple Podcasts! And I’ve now seen too many podcasting apps and providers use an analogous coloration to Apple Podcasts. However I selected the brand new Podgagement branding coloration scheme fully separate from anything, and impressed and pushed by the ideas the brand new rocket emblem was already selling.
7. Break some guidelines
And this is my favourite “rule”: break guidelines! However accomplish that deliberately and with good causes.
For instance, pink is mostly thought-about a nasty coloration, and but it very completely communicates the theme of boldness for The Audacity to Podcast. And that is why pink is now my branding coloration.
There is perhaps some clichés that you just want to make use of so as to higher make clear what your podcast is about.
In different phrases, do not decide one thing simply since you prefer it or keep away from it simply because it is cliché. As a substitute, make selections—even breaking guidelines if needed—when you have got an excellent “why” behind it.
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Disclosure
This publish might comprise hyperlinks to services or products with which I’ve an affiliate relationship. I’ll obtain compensation out of your actions by way of such hyperlinks. Nonetheless, I do not let that corrupt my perspective and I do not suggest solely associates.
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