We all know the term “spring cleaning” for around the house, but did you know that your podcast can benefit from a little freshening up each year, too?
It doesn’t have to be during spring, though! Feel free to choose whichever time of year suits you best.
Read on for some tips that will help breathe new life into your podcast, and ensure nothing falls by the wayside.
Refresh Your Visual Branding
Your podcast’s artwork is the first thing potential listeners see. It’s crucial to ensure that it aligns with your evolving personal or business brand.
If you’ve recently gone through a rebrand or had a new photoshoot, this is the perfect time to update your podcast artwork. Remember, your visuals should clearly convey what your podcast is about and attract the right audience.
Optimize Episode Titles and Descriptions
Don’t underestimate the significance of clear, compelling titles and descriptions for episodes. Not only do they grab attention, but they also play a vital role in improving your podcast’s discoverability through SEO. Use concise language and relevant keywords to draw in a wider audience.
If you haven’t been doing proper show notes, or haven’t included links to your CTA in the episode descriptions that’s important, too!
Revamp Your Show’s Format
Are there segments in your show that feel a bit stale? Reevaluate your show’s format to keep your content vibrant and engaging. Introducing new segments or removing ones that no longer serve your vision can have a significant impact on listener interest.
Consider if you’re keeping up with the latest strategies for hooking attention and creating impactful content. You don’t have to make massive alterations, but a periodic revamp can be a good idea.
Technical Checkup and Accessibility
In a digital age where people consume content across various devices and platforms, your podcast needs to keep up.
Take a look at your podcast on the different podcast apps like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon, and others. Do the episodes play okay? Does your artwork look all right? Do the links to these platforms from your website work properly?
If you’ve got a smart TV or speaker, or a connected entertainment system in your vehicle, try playing your podcast. Does it play, or is your podcast not even available? Act like a listener! As podcast hosts, we can forget to do this, and be unaware if some platforms have stopped working or if our podcast isn’t available on a new platform.
Review Intros and Outros
You’re probably so familiar with your intro and outro that you don’t even hear them anymore. It shouldn’t surprise you to hear that your listeners probably feel the same way. Adding a fresh new sound to the beginning and end of your podcast can recapture your audience’s attention all over again.
Also consider if your existing call to action is all right, or if it should be updated. Are you selling a new course or product now that should be given attention?
Check Your Website & Social Profiles
Take a look and see if all the pages on your website site look clean and reflect your brand. Are there any sections that have been neglected and need a little TLC? Ensure that you haven’t left any placeholder text, ensure all your links work, and any embedded video or audio still works.
Maybe you’ve got a popup for an outdated lead magnet but you’ve created a new one. Or you could find new spots on the site to collect email addresses for your newsletter.
You’d be surprised how many people never visit their own website, and how long problems go undetected!
While you’re at it, check in on your social profiles, too! Be sure to test all links that you have used in your profiles and bios.
Content Audit
Review your past episodes, check the statistics, but also think about if anything really resonated with your listeners. Did you receive a high volume of likes, comments, or emails on a particular episode? Can you do more content like that?
What was it that intrigued people? Are there any patterns where you see certain types of content consistently performing well? This could be a clue about how you could optimize your podcast’s content and what you’re publishing.
Conversely, you can check some of your lowest-performing episodes to see what type of content may not be worth your time to create.
Future Planning
Planning is key to maintaining a successful podcast. By setting goals and strategizing future content, you keep your podcast focused and innovative.
Consider the systems you have in place. Is your guest outreach and followup running smoothly? Are you struggling to think of topics? Have you been getting your recordings done on time or has it been down to the wire every week? Take a broad look at the podcast to see what’s working and what isn’t. If you have an assistant or team, you might even check in with them for some input as they offer a different perspective and might uncover some things you hadn’t thought of!
Set an Annual Reminder
As mentioned, podcast spring cleaning is just as important as cleaning around the house! You can do it at any time of the year, whether it’s spring, downtime over the holidays, or something else. Be sure to set a reminder and save this checklist so you don’t forget.
Generating Business Revenue and Leads Through Podcasting
Now with your podcast in top shape, you can get back to focusing on making great content!
If you’re an entrepreneur using your podcast to generate business leads and revenue, be sure to check out our free Profits Through Podcasting Webinar.