Our BluePrint

Table of Contents

This is a comprehensive and detailed guide to scaling a podcast. If you want to skip around, each section is broken up in big blue letters

Intro

Preparation Phase 

– Booking Guests

– Booking Sponsors: Even if you’re the sponsor

– Trend Spotting

 The Podcast Playbook (Script)

– Curating Guest Intel

– Topic Planning

– Always Ready Segments

Recording the Podcast at the Highest Possible Quality

– Tech Savvy Recoring (without being tech savvy)

– Pre-recording checklist

Producing Content at Scale

– Master the Content Mill: Turning 1 podcast into 50 posts

– Understanding SOC (Strategic Organic Content)

– Understanding PAC (Platforms and Culture)

Scheduling Posts

– How to Easily Stay Consistent

Data Tracking

– Analyze to Optimize 

Hiring Help

– Too busy to do it yourself? We can help!

(Intro) Before We Get Started…

 The following is a comprehensive guide to scaling a podcast, and more importantly generating leads for your business through the podcast. 

To give this guide a quick summary: You’re going to build a fly wheel, and then let that fly wheel keep running until you’re the go-to expert in your field of business

Everyone can do this at nearly no cost. It’d be wise to start out with a few hundred dollars, but it’s not necessary.

However, if you want to pay to play, meaning you’re willing to spend a little dough to speed up the process, there will be paid resources provided for most steps

It doesn’t take a genius to learn and understand this Blueprint. This is the same playbook used by the greats. From Impaulsive and FullSend to Joe Rogan and Diary of a CEO, this is what they do. Why do they ALL use the same gameplan? Because it works…

 2 things you MUST understand

1. Building something great takes time. Yes, you might get lucky and hit a grand slam homerun in the first inning, but most likely, you’ll be grinding this out like everyone else. Rule of thumb – If you’re not willing to wait 6 months, don’t do it.

2. You must remain consistent in order for this to work. In this guide, I’ll teach you how to make this easy. But you CANNOT get off track.

Now that the slackers are gone, let’s dive into this relatively easy to execute blueprint…

Preparation Phase

Nailing the preparation phase is going to make the rest of this process 10x easier. This consists of Scheduling Guests, Sponsors, and doing research to prep yourself for the podcast.

Scheduling Guests 

Misconception: I need to have a large podcast to book good guests. 

Great news, a lot of times your guest benefits more from coming on your show than you do. I’ll explain:

The greatest benefit to podcasting is having your face come up on a well produced interview whenever someone googles you. For example, if I’m considering hiring someone for a roofing service, and when I google that person I see them talking about roofing on a podcast… they instantly become legit as f*** 

Again, Great News! Instead of asking a potential guest to come on we get to offer the opportunity to come on

Side note: this isn’t even considering the amount of content they’re going to appear in after we make social media clips from their episode. More on this later…

Now lets go over the process of seeking out potential guests and inviting them on

Create a Database

This parts easy but important. Find influencers on social media that fit the niche of your show. You can either dedicate time to search for prospects, or you can just keep track of good candidates as you casually scroll our feed. Either way, keep track of it! Log potential guest into a spreadsheet.

Reaching Out

Once you your database is filled, then you start offering up episodes! Again, this is really more simple than most would think. Here’s a good template to go off of:

Hi [Guest’s Name],

I’m [Your Name], host of [Your Podcast Name], a podcast focusing on [niche/industry/field]. I’ve admired your work and believe our audience would love to hear your story.

How about joining us for an episode? It’s a relaxed chat and a chance for you to share your expertise, ongoing projects, and your brand. Plus, we’ll create around 40 clips from our chat, giving you a solid boost of visibility across our social platforms.

If this sounds good, let me know! We’re flexible and can arrange a time that suits you best.

Best, [Your Name]

—————————–

 Easy and to the point. You’ll be shocked how many responses you get, cause then again, who doesn’t enjoy being invited onto a podcast?

Booking Sponsors: Even if You’re the Sponsor

Unfortunately, you actually need a podcast that does numbers to get good sponsors. 

However, if you’re a business owner, then you have the best sponsor there is…

 This is where we start generating leads through your podcast.

If you’ve ever heard of the social media marketing term: jab, jab, jab, right hook… that’s exactly what you’re executing on right here. To translate this into tearms we can all understand, it should read: Give free value, give free value, give free value, ask for a sale.

Side note:

Why do you think I’m making this guide? This is a FREE value packed guide that shows everyone exactly what my company does to scale a podcast. This is literally exactly what people pay us to do. Most people will take the free value and do this on their own, but some people want to pay to be serviced…

 How to read off your business/product/service as a sponsor:

Let’s keep it real, no one ever watches a 2 minute ad read in the middle of a podcast, so make it short and sweet! I shoot for 15 seconds

Just make sure you let the audience know of the issue you can solve, and where they can go to learn more. To keep it simple, we’ll stick with the roofing example:

“A quick word from yours truly. If you’ve got roof troubles, my team at [Your Business] has got you covered. Literally. From minor leaks to full renovations, we’re dedicated to providing top-tier, reliable service. Visit us at yourbusiness.com and make your roofing worries a thing of the past. Now, let’s dive back into the show!”

Again: free value, free value, free value, ask for a sale

Now, if you aren’t a business owner, or you’re just looking for extra income, here’s how the process to get other companies to sponsor your show!

Again, this is going to be very difficult if you’re new and have nothing to offer. You’ll need to build yourself up before attacking this vertical

Securing Podcast Sponsorships in a Nutshell

Step 1: Identify Potential Sponsors – Find businesses related to your podcast’s niche. Aligning with your audience makes sponsorship appealing to them.

Step 2: Know Your Value – Understand your listener demographics and engagement. Your value lies in these numbers and the exposure sponsors will get.

Step 3: Craft a Pitch – Highlight alignment between your podcast and their brand, and how they’ll benefit from sponsoring you. Make sure your pitch is brief and professional.

Sample Pitch:

Subject: Unique Sponsorship Opportunity with [Your Podcast Name]

Hello [Potential Sponsor’s Name],

I’m [Your Name], host of [Your Podcast Name], a podcast focusing on [niche/industry/field]. Our show resonates with a vibrant and engaged audience, and we believe there’s a fantastic synergy between our listeners and [Sponsor’s Product/Service].

We are offering a unique sponsorship opportunity that could increase your brand visibility and customer engagement. Our sponsorship packages offer [Mention some benefits – shout-outs during the podcast, sponsored segments, social media promotion, etc.].

We’d love to discuss how we could potentially collaborate. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Best, [Your Name]

Step 4: Follow-Up – Persistence pays. If you don’t hear back, send a gentle reminder.

Step 5: Be Open to Negotiate – Be flexible. Tailoring your sponsorship packages to fit a potential sponsor’s needs can often lead to a successful partnership. 

Spotting Trends for Viral Content Creation

Matching whatever business you operate with current social media trends is by far the best chance you have of something “going viral”

I have no idea how Andrew Tate and Roofers relate to each other, but I do know that making that TikTok would’ve resulted in millions of views if posted 6 months ago…

Here’s a few tools and methods to identifying trends:

Use Trend Analysis Tools: Platforms like Google Trends, BuzzSumo, or TikTok’s “Discover” tab can show you what topics are currently trending.

Stay Connected: Follow key influencers, industry leaders, and popular channels in your niche on social media platforms. Look for content that’s getting high engagement.

Listen to Your Audience: Engagement is key to understanding what resonates with your followers. Monitor comments and direct messages for ideas, questions, or common themes.

Be Ready to Act Quickly: Trends can emerge and fade rapidly, especially on social media. When you spot a potential trend, start creating relevant content immediately.

Test and Evaluate: Try different trending topics and formats, and monitor the performance of each. Keep creating more of what works best.

Podcast Playbook (Script)

Right now we’re creating the sword we’re going to take into battle. Consider the preparation phase as the forging of the sword, now let’s sharpen it up…

Okay, okay, don’t get freaked out by the word “script”. This isn’t some Oscar-worthy screenplay we’re writing here. We’re talking about a loose structure, a flexible blueprint, that will help guide the flow of your podcast while leaving plenty of room for spontaneous conversation.

Introduction: Make the first few moments count. Write down a short, engaging intro for your podcast that tells the audience who you are, what your podcast is about, and who your guest is.

Guest Introduction: This is where your research comes into play. Jot down key points about your guest’s background and accomplishments. The aim is to properly introduce them to your audience and set the stage for the conversation.

Topics & Questions: Based on your research and topic planning, list out the key topics you want to cover during the interview. Under each topic, draft a few open-ended questions. They will act as prompts and keep the conversation flowing.

Segment Breakdown: This is where you note down your ‘Always Ready Segments’. Specify when they will come into play. Is it after a specific topic? Or maybe when the conversation needs a little pick-me-up?

Segment examples:

Rapid Fire Segment: A quick series of short questions that your guest needs to answer as fast as they can. This can bring some energy and excitement to the podcast.

Community Questions Segment: This segment could involve fielding questions from your listeners. You could gather these questions ahead of time from your social media channels or your podcast’s email.

Hot Seat Segment: In this segment, you ask tough or controversial questions to your guest. This is a delicate segment and needs to be handled with care, but it can yield very interesting answers.

Advice Corner Segment: Your guest shares advice on a particular topic related to their field of expertise or their life experiences.

Conclusion & CTA: Wrap things up with a brief summary and a call-to-action. This could be asking your audience to subscribe or follow your guest. And what do we do after we deliver a podcast filled free entertainment and value?… we ask for a sale! (revisit the sponsorship segment in the “Preperation phase” for details)

A good script is your secret weapon.

It ensures that you’re prepared, keeps you on track during your recording, and makes sure you’re delivering a consistent experience to your audience.

Just remember – it’s a guide, not a rulebook. Adapt and go with the flow during your recording. It’s all about the balance between structure and spontaneity.

Recording High Quality Podcast

High Quality always helps, but it’s not a necessity. You just want to make sure that you’re not posting potato grade footage.

As long as you have a basic microphone and camera that captures 1080p footage (most computer cameras can do this) you’ll be fine. 

Tech Savvy Recording (Without Being Tech Savvy)

Don’t let the tech intimidate you. High-quality podcast recording is no longer a reserve for sound engineers and tech geeks. With platforms like Riverside.fm or Anchor, recording your podcast can be as simple as clicking a button.

Riverside.fm is a fantastic tool for recording both audio and video podcasts. It records lossless audio and HD video, ensuring top-notch quality. The best part is that it stores the recording locally on each participant’s device during the call, so even if your wifi dips, your recording quality doesn’t. Once the call ends, Riverside.fm uploads the highest quality version from each end, resulting in a podcast that sounds and looks like it was recorded in the same room.

Pre-recording Checklist

Don’t be the person that records a banger podcast and then realizes they forgot to press record. Here are a few steps to make sure you’re fully prepared for your podcast recording:

Check Your Equipment: Make sure your microphone, headphones, and computer are all working correctly. A quick audio test can save a lot of headaches later.

Prepare Your Recording Space: Find a quiet, comfortable place to record. Make sure there’s no background noise, and inform others around you to avoid disturbances.

Internet Connection: A strong, reliable internet connection is key, especially if you’re conducting a remote interview. A wired connection is often more stable than wifi.

Software: Make sure the recording software is up to date and you know how to use it. Riverside.fm or Anchor should be open and ready to go.

Guest Prep: If you have a guest, ensure they’re prepared too. Share the recording details, questions, or discussion topics with them ahead of time.

Review Your Script/Notes: Have a clear outline of what you’re going to discuss. This will help the conversation flow smoothly.

And don’t forget, keep that script handy and a glass of water nearby.

It’s showtime! 

Producing Content at Scale

 I hate to break it to you, but posting 1 podcast on Youtube per week just doesn’t work  anymore.

Side Note: It’s imperative that you understand your time horizon before doing this. Most people will try this for 1-4 weeks, and then quit because they didn’t see results

 

 There’s only one way to win this game. Step up to bat as many times as humanly possible. 

 

If you do this consistently – you will hit a homerun. It might come from luck, it might come from strategy, but the winners of this game are the ones with the most “at-bats” 

Master the Content Mill: Turning 1 Podcast into 50 posts

This is where the magic happens…

Now we’re going to go over the process of taking your one podcast, and turning that into 50 posts across Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube. This is how we get away from the depressing 62 views per podcast.

Here’s the process you need to know:

• Take 7 60-second highlights from your podcast. These are your clips
• Post 1 clip on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts
• Repeat the process for 6 days

Boom. That’s it. That right there is 80% of the work. Here’s what you can expect if you do this consistently for 6 months:

Compounding Growth: Each post is a seed that can grow into a tree. Even if each post only attracts a few new followers, over time this compounds, resulting in significant audience growth. 

Bite-Sized Content: Let’s face it, not everyone has the time to listen to an entire podcast episode. But a 2-minute clip? That’s a different story. Clips allow your audience to consume your content in bite-sized pieces that are easy to digest and share.

Hooking in New Listeners: Clips are like the movie trailer of your podcast. They provide a taste of what your podcast is all about, enticing new listeners to check out the full episode.

Increasing Engagement: When you share clips on social media, you’re creating more opportunities for your audience to engage with your content. Each like, comment, and share boosts your visibility and helps grow your podcast’s reach.

Evergreen Content: Unlike full episodes, clips can often be timeless, making them perfect for reposting down the line or whenever relevant topics resurface.

Now, you will have to show some grit. You might be looking at your initial 200 views per social media post and think it’s not much, but think bigger. Add up those numbers across all your platforms, and you’ve got yourself 1,000 impressions a day. That’s 7,000 a week, 30,000 a month.

Suddenly, your little podcast that could is not so little anymore. Instead of 62 views, you’ve got a podcast powerhouse pulling in around 7,000 views a week (we’re talking week 1 numbers here).

Oh, and we haven’t even considered the potential of the algorithm giving you a helping hand and throwing in a few extra thousand/million views.

How to Make Good Clips

Yes, you can certainly start posting clips without any sort of editing and find success. However, there are some easy add ons to increase your chance of virality:

Creating the Hook – Now, what makes a clip worth its weight in gold? Well, it all comes down to the hook. We want that one liner, that one zinger that just reels them in. Once you’ve hooked ’em, chances are, they’re staying to hear the rest.

Subtitles – Adding subtitles to your videos can significantly enhance viewer comprehension as they provide a textual representation of the message, ensuring that the viewer catches every word. They’re also beneficial for viewers with hearing impairments or for those who are watching in noisy environments.

Tip: You can use software like Kapwing to make these

Adding B-roll – B-roll introduces visually appealing content that complements the primary video, helping to sustain interest. It not only breaks up potential boring moments in the video, but it also provides additional context and depth to the story, keeping viewers hooked.

Tip: Sites like Shutterstock are great for finding B-roll

Music – The right background music can elevate your video by setting the tone and creating an emotional connection with the audience. But be careful – if the music is too loud, mismatched with the content, or distracting, it can detract from the message and disengage viewers, potentially ruining the clip.

Tip: Use the music in social media apps. Using popular songs from their platform can boost your reach

Now that you have scroll stopping clips, let’s talk more about making consistency easy…

Bonus Tip: Opus Pro is a very useful AI-powered video maker that can make a basic clip in minutes, and you don’t have to have ANY editing experience

Scheduling Content

Have I mentioned that consistency is everything here?

Luckily, this ones simple and easy – yet so important it gets its own section…

The beauty of scheduling posts is that it takes the pressure off. You don’t have to be on your phone or computer every day, manually posting. You can schedule posting on most platforms, but to make it easier, choose a software that allows you to schedule all of your postings from one spot…

I’m a personal fan of Social Pilot

You can schedule your posts for YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram (although you’re insta has to be a business account to schedule content)

There are other options out there, I just find Social Pilot to be the easiest one to use. It doesn’t really matter what you choose as long as your content is scheduled!

Analyze to Optimize

Okay, we’ve talked a lot about putting out content, but let’s not forget one of the most important parts of this whole game – tracking.

Don’t glaze over here, because this could be the difference between spinning your wheels and cruising on the highway to success.

We’re not just throwing content out into the void. We’re strategic. We want to understand what’s resonating with our audience, what’s driving engagement, and what might be falling flat. To do that, we need to be analyzing our data.

I’m talking about your views, likes, shares, comments, and overall engagement. All major platforms provide some sort of analytics, so make use of them. Watch for trends. Is one type of content getting way more engagement than others? That’s a gold nugget, my friend. More of that.

Think of this stage as fine-tuning. You’ve got your engine running with all the content you’re creating and distributing. Now, by analyzing your data, you’re tweaking and tuning to get that engine running at optimal performance. So get comfortable with those analytics, because they’re the road map to your podcast’s success.

Conclusion – Need Help Scaling Your Podcast? 

That’s the week to week of producing a scaleable podcast. It pretty much all comes down to prepping for a great show, and then posting highlights on all platforms every single day.

All of you are capable of doing this on your own, so long as you’re willing to commit.

As for the few of you that do not have the time for this, I’m offering my time to creating and operating this flywheel for you.

The only thing you have to commit to is sitting down for an hour each week to do the speaking. I’ll do every single step before and after that, so that you can spend your time on other facets of life.

If that interests you, you can book a call with us below

(Or call my personal cell at 501-680-7005)