Replicate My 10-Step Podcast Launch Strategy For Any Campaign

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Listen on Apple | Listen on Spotify

The Missions to Movements Podcast debuted at #29 of ALL marketing podcasts during launch week! I am still getting over the excitement and support.

But what exactly was my podcast launch strategy? And how did I do it as a team of one and a half?

In this episode, I’m going to give you a full peek behind the curtain as I unveil the 10 strategies I used to launch the podcast and rally together hundreds of people behind our mission. The best part? Some of these strategies literally cost $0.

I’m also sharing more about the $40 suit that everyone was commenting on (and how it was actually a strategic outfit choice), and how we got creative with snail mail postcards and voice DMs on Instagram to attract the masses on launch day.

This episode is sure to inspire you as you plan a future launch of your own!

Pre-plan your launch and make it FUN!

I knew I wanted the Missions to Movements Podcast to have a launch that felt anything but ordinary, and creating the space on my calendar to pre-plan sparked so many fun ideas.

First, pick your date. March felt like the perfect time of year to go live with the show. My business, Positive Equation, was turning five, plus March 17th is my birthday, so it was decided that March 16th would be launch day. I’d host a Zoom event that afternoon and give away five of my favorite things as a thank you for listening to the podcast.

Using my birthday and the upcoming podcast launch as a catalyst for celebration, I hired one of my best friends (who also happens to be a photographer) to bring my vision to life. Wearing a burnt orange power suit that only cost $40, I posed with balloons, a cake, some of my favorite books, and my laptop in a stunning studio space located in Atlanta.

Not only did I splash the photos all over social media as I teased the news, but I put them on snail-mail postcards I created using a tool called Handwrytten, an online platform that allows you to design a custom card with a custom note written in pen by a machine. 

Everyone loves getting stuff in the mail. I used Postable to collect addresses from my email list and then sent the postcards inviting them to my virtual launch party on the 16th.

If you’d like to try Handwrytten for yourself, use code DANA at checkout to get some free credits.

Lean into your people to be your advocates and spread the word 

Never underestimate the power of a voice DM!

My team and I drafted personalized messages and voice notes on Instagram to share the news of the Missions to Movements launch. Of course, we didn’t get to all 1,800 followers, but to everyone we did send a message to, it inspired a ton of support and reactions.

This is an easy strategy that doesn’t cost you any money at all.

If you participate in any free Facebook Groups, are there relevant groups you can share the news in?

And don’t forget about your friends and fellow colleagues. I teed up 15-20 people that I knew would be in my corner and willingly share the podcast with their audiences. I sent them a bunch of promotional assets two weeks before launch so it would be easy for them to talk about the show.

After launch, I started seeing the rankings come in and we were doing pretty well. I chose to follow up with some peers who hadn’t shared the show (and even some who had) to ask them to post or share it again. 

Your people are your advocates. Lean on your friends and colleagues – the results will speak for themselves!

Invest in hiring support in the areas you’re not an expert in

Whether you’re a big or a small team, there are a lot of grassroots things to think about as you prepare for a campaign or a launch. When you have all of the prep work in place, it’s bound to run seamlessly.

My team member Crystal chipped in by creating Instagram reels and carousels and LinkedIn carousels. She also helped create pieces of content to share with our guests.

I also worked with the incredible team at Podcasting for Creatives leading up to our launch. There was a lot going on behind the scenes and having their support refining our sound, editing the episodes, writing the show notes, and managing the back-end of uploading and scheduling the episodes to my podcast host, BuzzSprout was a lifesaver.

Not including that investment, the cost to market my podcast for the launch was about $800.

Notable Quote from Dana

“When you bring positive energy into a launch, people can feel that.”

Resources & Links

Are you making costly mistakes with your social ads strategy? RSVP to my new masterclass, How To Attract Recurring Donors Without Posting On Social Media and learn my #1 secret for copy and content inspiration.

Try Handwrytten and use code DANA at checkout to get some free credits.

Check out Listen Notes, the best podcast search engine.

Peerspace is what I used to find a beautiful photoshoot location.

Use Postable to collect your audience’s mailing addresses.

Podcasting for Creatives is the team I hired to support us with our launch, including editing, sound, and show notes.

Want to make Missions to Movements even better? Take a screenshot of this episode and share it on Instagram. Be sure to tag @positivequation so I can connect with you.