3 Questions For Traci

June 27, 2019

(By Traci Long DeForge) You’ve got podcasting questions, and Traci Long DeForge is here to answer them. Traci is the founder of Produce Your Podcast and a member of the PBJ Editorial Board. Today, Traci answers questions about local content, rebranding, and getting sponsors.

I’d like to start a podcast where the subject matter is only really relatable to my local area? Is that possible and will it work?

Starting a podcast with a hyper-focus on your local area can absolutely be done successfully. A local podcast can provide your community with information, insights, and engagement that connects them through your show. Once you launch your podcast on Apple Podcasts and the other platforms, it will be available to a much larger potential audience, however your marketing around the podcast can be locally focused. There are some good examples of current local podcasts out now that are spot on with their commitment to their hometowns, and they have raving fans. For a deeper look into local podcasts, check out this article featured in the Podcast Business Journal where Troy Price writes about his top 10 local podcasts https://podcastbusinessjournal.com/my-top-10-local-podcasts-of-2018/.

I’m planning to rebrand my podcast. Should I delete all of my old episodes and start over?

I say, no way! Rebranding your podcast can happen for all kinds of reasons. You want to take the content in a different direction. Your business has grown and you changed the overall look of your brand. Maybe you had a co-host and now you don’t. There’s no need to delete all that content you took your time, energy, and resources to create. Leaving the content intact will enhance your opportunities to show up in search and present a more established show if you are seeking sponsors or patrons. If you’re planning a huge departure from the show’s current content and plan to head in a total 180-degree different direction from your original show, consider starting a whole new show. You can leave the other show as is and benefit from the exposure of both.

I’m only getting between 500-1,000 downloads per episode. Can I get sponsors? We have clients that we’ve helped get sponsors before their show even launched. This is not the norm but it can be accomplished if you already have an established database of customers, fans, and followers. Create a reasonably priced package where the sponsor will be included in multiple touch-points in your marketing strategy. Bundle your total audience as a collective of your downloads, newsletter, and social media following and include your website traffic. This makes a more enticing opportunity especially when talking to someone who already knows you and the quality of your work.