#21 Fall Podcast Launch Tips: Launching or Rebranding in September, October, and November

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In this episode, Sober Steve, the Podcast Guy, shares insights and strategies for launching or relaunching your podcast before the new year. If you’ve been thinking of starting a podcast or need a refresh for your current show, this episode will help you understand why the fall is the best time to get started. Steve also offers tips to avoid procrastination, so you don’t have to compete with the crowded January 1st podcast launch rush.

Key Takeaways:

• Why launching before the new year is advantageous compared to a January 1st launch.
• Podcasting listenership spikes in January, but launching with more episodes prepped in advance gives you a competitive edge.
• Only 44% of podcasters make it past their third episode; don’t be one of them!
• Launching in the fall allows you to have 10-12 episodes by January, making it easier for listeners to discover and binge your content.
• Podcast listenership increased by 10% in 2023—this is a growing medium, and there’s no better time to start!

Tips for Launching:

• Start now to build content and SEO visibility.
• Focus on your unique voice and personality to stand out.
• Avoid the January 1st rush where many podcasters compete for attention.

What's Next? Need help launching your podcast? Head over to sobersteve.com to sign up for a free brainstorming session where we’ll discuss your podcasting dreams and tackle any obstacles in your way!

Follow me on Threads @podcastingbadass to continue the conversation and stay updated!

#Podcasting #HowToPodcast #PodcastLaunch #PodcastGrowth #PodcastMonetization #PodcastingTips #LaunchNow #FallPodcastLaunch

Episode Transcript

Steve (00:00):
Hey there.

(00:00):
Podcasting bad-ass is it's yourhost Sober, Steve, the podcast
guy.
And I'm here today to talk abouttips and tricks for launch
strategies or relaunchstrategies for the fall season.
This episode is perfect for you.
If you are considering launchinga podcast or have plans to
launch a podcast in theSeptember, October, November
range, or if your podcast isfeeling a bit of a slump and

(00:22):
you're considering your rebrandand wondering the time to do so,
here are some pros and cons aswell as tips for getting started
in the new year.
Now, if your podcast doesn'texist yet and you were looking
for more thorough advice, Ihighly recommend you head on
over to my website, sober.
Over steve.com and sign up forfree brainstorming session.
Where we can talk about yourdreams of podcasting and how we

(00:44):
can turn them into a realitywhile identifying obstacles and
how we can overcome them.
It gets a great chance to getyou and your voice and your
brand out there to my audiencewhile preparing you for your
podcasting journey.
if that sounds up your alley,head on over to sober steve.com.
But let's get into it.
So when it comes to launchingpodcasts, especially around this

(01:05):
time of year, I had talked to somany people who say that they
are holding off until January1st for their launch date,
because launching a podcast aspart of their new year's
resolution.
And that is when they're goingto start.
And I want to let all of youright now know that if you were
telling yourself that story,that is classic level one, stage
one podcast, donating.

(01:26):
There is no reason why you needto wait until January 1st to
start podcasting.
Because while we hear stats thatpodcasting listenership expands
in the new year and explodes,you don't want to be the new
kids that the blocks.
Because when you get right downto it, launching a podcast, any
time of the year is hard.
It takes a bad-ass to launch apodcast because we are putting

(01:46):
our content out there and hopingit's well received.
And there are already so manypodcasts out there.
Many of us feel that a lot oftimes that's another concern
people had is there's so manyout there, how can I compete?
And you can compete by bringingyour own unique approach and
your bad-ass personality of whatmakes you special and unique and
your voice.
Different.
Than all the other voices outthere right now.

(02:07):
And you put it out there in yourpodcast and you launch it and
you publish it so that everyoneout in the real world can hear
it and fall in love with you andyour message.
That's the beauty of podcasting.
It's why I fell in love withthis meeting years ago and why I
turned it into a career today.
So when you're talking aboutlaunching, you're going to have
competition no matter what timeof the year you're in, but at

(02:28):
the same time, You're going tohave even more competition in
January because so many otherpeople are using January 1st to
some sort of clever way tolaunch their podcasts.
Yes.
If you remember, from my pilotepisode, I was one of those
people I launched my podcast onJanuary 1st, 2020 or 2021 was my
first podcast.
And, at the time I thought itwas so clever.

(02:48):
I've learned since then thatwhen I launched my show, it
didn't launch the way that Ihoped it was in part because I
was.
Not.
As advanced as where I've gonetoday, it's been a learning
curve, but also because.
I was competing against hundredsof thousands of other podcasts
that are being launched at thattime.
If in an average month, roughlya hundred thousand podcasts
start.

(03:08):
Podcasts in January.
I can imagine that numberdoubles or triples.
And so when you have 44% ofpodcasters quitting after their
third episode, as I've learnedand read on Buzzsprout.
It's already hard enough tosucceed as a podcaster as you're
getting started.
And you're not seeing theresults that you want.
Because you're doing somethingwrong, at least in my instance,

(03:31):
I can look back on when Istarted my journey and realize
that.
There were a million things Icould have done better.
And I didn't spend theinvestment to learn from someone
who had done it before.
So I tried to figure it all outon my own and it was a big, hot,
sloppy mess.
But at the same time, even if Ihad done everything right.
Who's to say it would have beenany different because I launched
on January 1st with a millionother podcasts.

(03:52):
So how am I going to stand out?
again, it's bringing your uniquetake, but it's also learning
when to do these things becausemost people launch podcasts with
anywhere from one to fourepisodes, I've heard some people
who do more.
It can be a little intense,unless it's a limited series.
In which case sometimes that'sthe point of getting it all at
once.
But as a podcast listener, welove listening to podcasts.

(04:15):
And another fun fact fromBuzzsprout is that 80% of
listeners consume all or most ofevery episode that they start.
And we love more episodes.
And so people who start inJanuary and are launching with
just a handful of episodes, thelisteners that find you when
they're starting their podcastin January, where we'll find
your two or three or four.

(04:35):
Episodes and be like, cool, I'llfollow.
And you'll hope that you keepthem against all the other
podcasts that they're startingto also listen to in January as
they're starting, whateverresolutions or self-help
journeys that they're going on.
And so you then have this casewhere you're still competing
against a lot of people, but themore episodes and content you
have, the more likely yourlisteners are to fall in love
with you.

(04:55):
That's just facts.
And so think of the differencebetween launching on January 1st
with three or four or fiveepisodes or having a good 12 to
15 episodes of the backlogalready out because you launched
in the fall before the new yearand were able to get your
content ready and pooled and bereleasing regular content
consistently for a few monthsbefore the new year starts, This

(05:16):
way, when you have all those newyear's resolution listeners
hopping onto the podcastingtrend and they find your show.
A, it's going to be easier tofind your show because you have
more content published, so thatwill help with your search
engine optimization.
If you're using your keywords inyour branding effectively.
And then also you're going tohave more contents so that when
they do find you they'll listento more of you they'll fall in

(05:39):
love with you more and they'llbecome more dedicated, loyal
listeners who become part ofyour community that you're
building.
It is so much better in myopinion, if you're able to
launch your podcast in the fall,rather than waiting to the new
year, because launching it inDecember can be very rough and
very tricky.
With the holiday seasons, butyou also want to get the content

(06:00):
out before the new years.
So we are in a sweet spot rightnow.
If you're listening live, whenthis episode comes out, Of when
to launch your podcast.
It is also worth noting that in2023 podcasts listening
increased by 10% over theprevious year.
Almost half of Americanslistened to a podcast in the
last month and 34% listened inthe last week.

(06:21):
According to a recent study fromthe podcast host.
And so those are a whole bunchof numbers and facts that like
knowing that half of America islistening to podcasts and the
numbers going up every singleyear and that a lot of them
start in the new year.
You want to get going, you wantto get ahead of the curve.
And so by being able to get thatearly exposure and getting that
extra content out, you're goingto really give yourself this

(06:43):
huge headstart when it comes togetting your podcasts out there
in front of the people who arelistening.
Not only right now when theyneed it, but also in the new
year when everyone new joins.
The podcasting club.
Now, keep in mind, if you arelistening to this episode later
in the year, if this is Januaryor February, you are not screwed

(07:03):
in there still hope.
And of course, In the grandscheme of things, the best time
to launch the podcast is rightnow, because.
So many times peopleprocrastinate, like I mentioned,
You can consider starting yourpodcast January 1st as part of
your new year's resolution, butlet's get real.
How many of you listening rightnow?
Don't have a podcast currently.

(07:23):
And your new year's resolutionthis past January for 2023 was
to start a podcast.
So don't procrastinate.
Don't make it next year's dealbecause next year is a new year
where you can already start theyear as a podcast or with your
content out there with listenersand a community that is already
building so that when the sparkhappens on January 1st and

(07:46):
people come flooding to theirpodcasting apps.
Your con is there ready and toreceive and be listened to all
your target listeners thatyou've been looking to reach
forever.
this has got you really excitedabout launching your podcast.
Or if you've been struggling inpod paddling a little bit and
not seeing results, but you'vebeen afraid to make a change.
It's the perfect time to putyourself out there and make that

(08:09):
change that you've been waitingto make.
It's.
The perfect time of year interms of statistics in terms of
mindset.
Things are going to get hecticin a couple of months, as we get
into the holidays.
For many of us, that's at leastwhat I hear from everyone during
the month of December is howhectic it is or how busy they
are.
So you don't want to be thatperson who's busy in the month

(08:29):
of December, and also trying tolaunch a brand new podcast.
You want to have your podcastfully established and ready to
go.
Are you going to be fullyrebranded with your new logo and
keywords and angle and coachingstyle approaches to your
episodes to really show off thatyou're ready to help your
clients that are your listeners.
And so whatever you're doing,you've been waiting to do now is

(08:51):
the time to do it.
And if you need some help, likeI mentioned, at the start of the
show, my brainstorming sessionsare a great way to take aspiring
podcasters and talk about theirvisions for a podcast and what
might be obstacles in terms ofthe concept while also diving
deep into the technicalobstacles as well that you might
be facing and how you canovercome them.

(09:13):
And if you've listened to thiswhole episode and you already
have a podcast and you're readyto rebrand.
tune-up that I offer is a verysimilar approach for existing
podcast or sport liable.
Look at your podcast and thecover art and the show notes and
listen to it and give youfeedback on how it can grow
because every podcast, unlessyou're getting the thousand
downloads plus in your first 30days, chances are you're looking

(09:36):
to grow your show.
And even if you have that numberof downloads, everyone likes to
grow their show.
And there are tips, tricks, andstrategies I've learned over the
years of doing this that I wouldlove to share with you, whether
you are just starting yourjourney or.
ready for a tuneup.
So head on over to sobersteve.com for more information
about my brainstorming sessions.
For aspiring or new podcastersor my tune-up sessions.

(09:56):
when you're ready to explode outonto the podcasting scene and
make a big splash with yourshow.
thank you so much for tuninginto another episode of
podcasting bad-ass I'll see younext Monday.