How a Podcast Compass Is Super Helpful

When you've made the decision to start a podcast, a lot of the advice that you'll get is "just start!” There's some truth to that, but if you just take a moment to first think of your listener and the content that you’ll be creating, it will save you a lot of growing pains. Even if you've been podcasting for a while, I believe creating a Podcast Compass will be super helpful.

Jump To It

00:16 - The common mistake most podcasters make.
01:05 - Intro to the Podcast Compass.
01:34 - Free templates.
02:02 - Elements of creating a Podcast Compass.
03:45 - Getting real about your podcast goals.
04:33 - Thinking about your listener/audience.
05:23 - The damage of not knowing who you're podcasting too.
05:40 - The reward in knowing who you're podcasting too.
06:54 - Creating the core topics of your podcast.
08:33 - Next episode teaser.
08:43 - Thank YOUs.

Creating a Podcast Compass

Creating a Podcast Compass will have more than just the basic information of your show. It will help you focus on the original goals and interests you intended for your podcast and your audience. When content creation or growing your podcast gets tough, this compass will guide you from the core set of actions based on your beliefs and ambition.

Fun fact - all that I'm sharing with you is packaged neatly inside The Podcast Planner. It has templates, focus exercises, checklist and more to help you with your podcast! You can grab two free templates when you join the VIP email list or grab the complete planner. All of this is available by visiting ThePodcastPlanner.com. Now back to creating your Podcast Compass…

The Podcast Compass has important elements. It goes from the basic information of your podcast, like name, category, description, keywords. Then it goes into the other core valuable information such as your goals, your mission, your ideal listener and core topics that you can always fall back on.

Core Element Number 1

The first thing to write out is - What is the main goal of your podcast? It's time to get honest and real about why you're taking the time to plan, record and share your voice with others. Writing down "I just want to help people. Or I just want to talk about what I'm passionate about." Those are very vague. So get specific.

This kind of reminds me of that whole acronym S.M.A.R.T. I don't know if you've ever heard of this, but here's what the letters really stand for.

S is specific to get specific.
M is for measurable.
A is for attainable.
R is for relevant.
T is for time-bound.

When you're setting up this goal for your podcast if you haven't already or revisiting this, it's very important to get specific. Really focus on specific, relevant and attainable. The other ones will get to in the following exercises of creating our podcast compass.

Other trigger questions to help you when you're creating this goal for your podcast:

Are you podcasting to be recognized as a legit artist, entrepreneur or business?
Are you podcasting to journal your journey and want others to join?

Core Element Number 2

Now, what about your audience? It may not seem like a big deal to take a moment to think about your ideal listener, but this is an essential piece to your podcast. Taking time to think of your ideal audience is not just a podcast thing. Movies, businesses and even app creators all go to this little exercise of writing out who is their ideal person because it helps communicate clearly to who the end consumer is. Whether this is a movie or a business. There is someone on the other side. It's not just a number.

A lot of the times podcasters continue to look at their stats, but those stats, those numbers, represent people, represent a person who is interested in what you have to say. But if you're not really clear about who it is that you're actually talking to, there's going to be huge disconnection.

When you take the time to think about who is listening and who should listen to your show, the listener starts to feel as if you know them. You know them personally and you're talking directly to them. And that's where the conversation starts to happen. Podcasting is about having a conversation with your audience. Again, get specific on who should be listening to your podcast and why they should listen to the podcast.

Core Element Number 3

Let's touch on the core topics of your podcast. The Podcast Compass is about guiding you. Having these three core topics will help you in creating content that aligns with your goals and your ideal listener. The core topics for this show is planning, recording, and publishing. Those are the core topics that I always dive into when it comes to creating content for the show.

You don't have to have three core topics, having at least one to two is really helpful. Three is kind of the magic number when it comes to content creation and communication. Whether it's public speaking, blogging, podcasting, even movies, and TV. They all have for the most part fall into a category of three things. So having three core topics to your show will be very helpful.

There you have the core elements of your Podcast Compass:
   1. The main goal of your podcast.
   2. The ideal listener of your podcast.
   3. Core topics of your podcast.

This is the core of your podcast compass that will guide you in creating the right content for your show and for the audience.

On the next episode, we will dive into the basic, but IMPORTANT aspects of your podcast. Make sure to subscribe if you don’t want to miss out!