After contemplating the advantages of refreshing your podcast branding, it’s worthwhile to determine when it is the fitting time to take action. Listed here are some solutions!
A metaphor you would think about is that podcast branding is like your wardrobe. When do you alter what varieties of garments you put on? You probably try this based mostly on climate, present types, match, and situation. You possibly can consider your podcast branding in the identical approach!
What’s “podcast branding”?
Your “podcast branding” is a number of options that uniquely determine your podcast. It is the primary impression for brand spanking 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 emblem inside your cowl artwork (and that emblem can be utilized for all types of issues)—and a emblem is distinction from cowl artwork. It is the audio and video parts you utilize 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 parts, however maintaining the core of your podcast the identical. A “rebrand” can be in case you change rather more of your podcast, together with what you speak about and whom you attempt to attain.
1. When your podcast considerably adjustments
All podcasts will change and—I hope—mature over time. However you would possibly determine to considerably change your podcast in a brief period of time. For instance:
- Area of interest/focus: as a substitute of speaking about cake-decorating, you turn to specializing in the enterprise of cake-baking.
- Topic: as a substitute of being a podcast about relationship, you alter it right into a podcast about advertising and marketing and networking.
- Folks: you add or take away an everyday cohost, otherwise you change your audience (whereas maintaining the remainder of your podcast principally the identical).
- Model: you do greater than solely a “branding refresh” however a whole rebrand.
These and different important adjustments are a great time to refresh your branding to make it match and help the brand new adjustments.
2. When your branding stops rising with you
Like with clothes, you would possibly sometime outgrow your branding. This is not the results of an instantaneous, important change (like #1 above), however the gradual strategy of how your podcast adjustments over time. So that you’re searching for one thing that matches higher now and with the hopes that it’s going to final for a very long time.
Though not podcast branding, this can be a huge motive I am rebuilding My Podcast Evaluations and truly rebranding it this yr. I presently check with it by the codename “v2,” and will probably be constructed on all-new code that may develop significantly better with the service, a brand new model that may develop with the options, and many all-new options that may develop with you and your podcast! I hope you may try My Podcast Evaluations and look ahead to v2 launching in summer season 2023!
You may need been an beginner podcaster if you began, however you are now a extremely expert host. Make certain your branding suits the way you and your podcast have grown!
3. If you enter new “seasons”
I feel “podcast seasons” are a generally misunderstood factor in podcasting. Hearken to my episodes, “Ought to You Podcast in Seasons?” and “Ought to You Embrace Seasons in Podcast Episode Titles?” to be taught extra about successfully utilizing seasons along with your podcast.
In case your seasons carry new themes, then that may be a good time to do some gentle brand-refreshing. I do not imply a whole redesign that makes your podcast unrecognizable, however one thing that continues among the identical parts whereas giving them a contemporary look—similar to how each new menu merchandise from Taco Bell is similar few components merely in a special type!
In case you change the art work for each podcast season, attempt to maintain the general look constant. For instance, have a look at how some TV exhibits keep the identical look in every season’s bodily packaging. You possibly can have a look at any season of the branding and clearly acknowledge it, however you may additionally see apparent variations between every season.
Even when your podcast would not publish on a seasonal schedule or have thematic seasons, you would possibly nonetheless search for new “seasons” of your podcast. Identical to how we speak about completely different seasons or chapters of life. These “seasons” may not have particular beginnings and endings (however they might), they usually’re far much less inflexible than conventional seasons.
For instance, I used to say that my former clean-comedy podcast had 4 “seasons,” based mostly on our method to the content material. The one approach our viewers knew about these seasons was from our speaking about them. Even these pseudo-seasons might have been good instances to refresh our branding—and that is precisely what we did with a type of “seasons.”
4. When you’ll be able to enhance the standard
One in every of my favourite issues I’ve heard my older brother say is, “You do not have to be a rocket scientist—though I’m.” And in podcasting, you do not have to be a graphic designer, skilled audio engineer, or acclaimed advertising and marketing and branding supervisor to have nice podcast branding. In case you’re unbiased and podcasting as a interest, you most likely cannot put money into high-quality stuff. That is okay! You possibly can improve your branding later, both when you will have extra abilities, or when you’ll be able to afford to get the fitting assist—or possibly even have somebody in your viewers who would love to offer again to your podcast with some nice branding!
This and motive #2, “when your branding stops rising with you,” had been the largest causes I refreshed the branding of The Audacity to Podcast just a few years in the past. I knew the outdated visible branding did not convey how my podcast had grown—each in professionalism and in goal. The outdated branding appeared dated, low high quality, and was truly very tough to work with in my very own graphic design—and I used to be the one who made the branding!
And though I’ve used the identical music for The Audacity to Podcast because the starting (“Vegas Shuffle,” by Charlie Crowe), I improved the standard of my audio branding by truly decreasing it. It used to take me as much as 90 seconds simply to get by way of my audio and spoken branding earlier than entering into the distinctive episode content material. Now, you hear one thing distinctive from the primary second, after which I am normally absolutely into the episode content material solely about 10 seconds later.
So possibly your podcast branding might use a refresh to be significantly better!
5. When there’s sufficient compelling suggestions
I’ve seen podcasters swayed by solely a single piece of unfavourable suggestions. I’ve even seen podcasters swayed by solely a single piece of constructive suggestions. Sadly, these have generally not been in the fitting path.
So I am not suggesting that you simply refresh your branding every time anybody says one thing unfavourable about your present branding. As a substitute, I recommend searching for how compelling the suggestions is: both by breadth or by depth.
That suggestions will normally come out of your viewers, nevertheless it may additionally come out of your friends, your cohost(s), your visitor(s), folks you’ve got employed to work with you (like hiring me!), and even from your individual thoughts! Every of those has its personal weight that it’s essential to decide your self.
Simply keep in mind that some folks hate change, and a few folks simply like to hate.
Probably the most invaluable suggestions (and attempt to observe this every time you give suggestions) is what gives potential options, particularly with causes. For instance, low-value suggestions could possibly be, “Crimson is unhealthy; do not use crimson.” However high-value suggestions could possibly be, “Your present is all about progress and friendship, so as a substitute of crimson, you would possibly wish to think about greens or blues, which convey progress and friendliness. Or possibly even a heat orange that might really feel such as you’re huddled round a campfire.”
6. If you decide the advantages outweigh the “prices”
It may not be a robust single motive that helps you determine to refresh your branding however the sum of a number of issues. Hearken to my earlier episode, “6 Advantages of a Podcast Branding Refresh,” to be taught extra about a few of these good issues a branding refresh would possibly carry you, your podcast, and your viewers.
For a fast assessment, these 6 issues are:
- Entice a brand new viewers
- Enhance your perceived high quality
- Adapt to the newest traits
- Strengthen or reset your podcast’s id and message
- Infuse new vitality on your viewers and your self
- Stand out from others
When you’ll be able to objectively decide your podcast would significantly profit from a branding refresh, and it is a good time to do it, then press on and make it nice!
Prime sources to assist refresh your podcast branding
There are lots of locations you’ll be able to rent designers that will help you with a visible branding refresh. The 2 I like to recommend most extremely are my buddy Mark Des Cotes from Podcast Branding, who’s a extremely expert designer and a podcaster (I earn a fee from referrals who point out they heard about Mark from me or The Audacity to Podcast). I additionally less-frequently suggest 99designs (I earn commissions from qualifying purchases right here, too), the place you may get designers to compete for your online business. 99designs gives you extra choices, however possibly not from individuals who perceive podcasting; and Podcast Branding will work with you to grasp your complete podcast’s branding.
For audio branding, I like to recommend Music Radio Artistic.
I normally suggest towards Fiver as a result of I’ve seen an excessive amount of low-quality work and even intellectual-property theft.
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Disclosure
This put up could include 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.
