How to start another podcast

Photo Credit: stevendepolo via Compfight cc

There comes a time in every podcaster's life when he or she wants to start another podcast. These questions and tips will help you determine whether it's right for you, and how to start well.

This content was inspired in part by questions from James Festini from Life…There's an App for That, who ask about my WordPress Multisite setup for Noodle.mx Network; and Nick Seuberling from Start Talking and Recording Today.

5 questions to ask yourself first

In addition to all the normal questions to ask yourself when starting a podcast, consider these additional things.

Should I improve my current podcast(s) instead?

Podcasters can catch the “podcasting” bug; it's easy to think about starting many different podcasts. But you may find much better success by focusing on the podcast you already have and building its audience or improving its content quality.

With each strong following you have behind a single podcast, additional podcasts will have a more successful launch.

Do I have time for another podcast?

Consider how much time you currently take to manage one podcast. Be realistic! Do you really have double that time to manage another podcast?

If it takes you three hours per episode now, you'll soon have six hours for two episodes. This may mean making room in your schedule or else changing the frequency of your podcast schedule.

Will my other podcast(s) suffer?

Starting many podcasts at a time will spread yourself thinner. So unless you give equal time and attention to your new podcast, your other podcast will suffer.

Does my new podcast fit, expand, or break my “brand”?

Personal branding may not be on your mind, but you should figure it out for yourself. What kind of content do you want associated with yourself? Does that new podcast fit inside of that (such as an additional TV show podcast to your current focus on TV shows)? Or do you find yourself expanding your brand (such as adding entertainment to education)? Or do you find yourself breaking your branding entirely (such as explicit content to your current clean catalog)?

Where will my new podcast live?

This is a technical question that you need to figure out. (I'm available for hire to help you with this!)

When you already have one podcast on one website, you have three options for launching a new podcast:

1. Separate categories on one WordPress site

Just add a new category, activate PowerPress's category podcasting feature, and post your episodes in the right place on the same site. But this prevents strong branding for your new content. Often, this can create a war between website features and functionality, resulting in confusion to your visitors.

2. Separate WordPress sites

With most web hosting companies (like BlueHost or HostGator), it's easy to add a new domain and install a separate copy of WordPress. This enables you to completely separate your content, uniquely brand each site, and you won't confuse visitors or run into functionality wars.

But separate WordPress sites can be a pain to manage. When WordPress or a plugin updates, you have to login to each site to update it.

You also have to track separate login information and manage separate databases.

3. WordPress Multisite

WordPress has a “network” mode commonly called Multisite. It allows you to run a single installation of WordPress that powers countless sites. Each site can function as its own, with unique settings, plugins, themes, and so on. But they are updated simultaneously and have a single login to all of them.

This is a lot more technical to setup. But it is truly a thing of beauty and it's what powers all of my WordPress sites:

  • Beyond the To Do List
  • Are You Just Watching?
  • the Ramen Noodle
  • ONCE podcast
  • The Audacity to Podcast
  • My personal blog [split into separate site now]
  • My wife's personal blog [split into separate site now]
  • My upcoming new business site [split into separate site now]
  • PodCamp Cincinnati [split into separate site now]
  • Christian Meets World
  • All of my other network podcast sites
  • Noodle.mx Network

Some plugins have issues with WordPress Multisite and may not function entirely. So far, I know that BackupBuddy, LiveFyre, and Disqus are the main culprits I've run into.

If you're interested in setting up a network of WordPress sites, I can help you with that!

11 tips for launching another podcast

1. Crosspromote between your podcasts

When you already have an audience, get them interested about your podcast even before you launch it! Tell them it's coming and they'll know what to anticipate.

Once running, crosspromote your other shows, but not too much. You may think the content is irrelevant, but your listeners may not, and they'll understand because it's your other content.

2. Don't feel like you have to make a network

Running a podcast network is a lot of work. If you only have two or three podcasts, calling yourself a “network” may not make sense.

Instead, you could consider joining someone else's network.

3. Focus on content for one podcast at a time

Don't multitask your podcast production! Spend time focused on a single podcast while you're preparing or producing.

4. Reuse tools and techniques that you already have

If something works for one podcast, apply it to your others! Maybe it's your style of opening, the plugins on your website, or even the WordPress theme you use.

All of my podcasts use Pretty Link Pro, Gravity Forms, Relevanssi Premium,  Sharebar, StudioPress theme, and many other WordPress plugins.

5. Have separate email accounts for each podcast

For a while, I used a single email account for all of my podcasts—feedback@noodle.mx. This had two problems: people might not have understood “noodle.mx” and it meant all email mixed up in a single place.

Now, I have separate feedback email accounts for each podcast. I've set this up in Gmail so the separate emails are labeled and filtered. A quick look at my inbox shows my emails for “TAP,” “ONCE,” “tRN,” and so on.

6. Leverage your whole community for big things

As you grow, one podcast may overtake the popularity of another. But remember that you may not have an entirely crossover audience. You may have three podcasts each with 100 listeners, but that could total a community of 300.

This larger community can help you achieve big things. I don't think I could have won the podcast award for #1 technology podcast in 2012 if it wasn't for my loyal community of other listeners.

So when you have something really important, share it to all of your listeners and they may be interested, or they may help help simply because they like you.

7. Setup separate affiliate IDs

My biggest mistake with multiple podcasts was using a single affiliate ID across all podcasts. Now I have separate tracking IDs or domains with nearly all of my affiliate links, so I can see how much affiliate income each podcast generates.

8. Consider separate social-media accounts

Because each podcast will have its own content and audience, you may want to target your social-media presence to each community. This could mean extra Facebook pages, Google+ profiles, YouTube channels (or playlists), or even separate Twitter accounts.

Use these channels appropriately and they can help you build a larger community.

9. Get things right from the start with this launch

Launching a new podcast means another opportunity to get things right the first time with it. Here was my original list from episode 68.

  1. Control your RSS feed
  2. Launch with at least three episodes
  3. Have podcast cover art when you launch
  4. Keep episode numbering simple
  5. Offer standard formats
  6. Split podcast and blog RSS feeds
  7. Have and use your own domain
  8. Make a branded email address
  9. Use a media host, or not
  10. Encode your files well
  11. Write at least basic shownotes
  12. Reserve social accounts with your brand
  13. Start strong and on-topic
  14. Recommended: skip USB mics and buy a mixer and mic

10. Avoid crossover content, unless concise

Crosspromoting and sharing big items across your podcasts is great, but keep it concise.

You may not need to tell the same story about your goldfish in every episode.

11. Use Blubrry's free or premium stats for separate tracking

Regardless of where you host your podcast media (I recommend LibSyn with the promo code “noodle” to get a free month), you can add one or more Blubrry tracking “keywords” to it. I use two for my podcasts: a network-wide keyword, and a show-specific keyword.

Having separate “keywords” for each podcast allows you to track its own stats and growth over time, instead of filtering through a giant mix of all your podcasts.

I highly recommend Blubrry's premium stats and prefer them over LibSyn's.

What are your thoughts and tips?

If you have some experience launching additional podcasts and want to share the story or tips, please comment below!

Need personalized podcasting help?

I no longer offer one-on-one consulting outside of Podcasters' Society, but request a consultant here and I'll connect you with someone I trust to help you launch or improve your podcast.

Ask your questions or share your feedback

  • Comment on the shownotes
  • Leave a voicemail at (903) 231-2221
  • Email feedback@TheAudacitytoPodcast.com (audio files welcome)

Connect with me

Disclosure

This post may contain links to products or services with which I have an affiliate relationship and may receive compensation from your actions through such links. However, I don't let that corrupt my perspective and I don't recommend only affiliates.

About the Author
As an award-winning podcaster, Daniel J. Lewis gives you the guts and teaches you the tools to launch and improve your own podcasts for sharing your passions and finding success. Daniel creates resources for podcasters, such as the SEO for Podcasters and Zoom H6 for Podcasters courses, the Social Subscribe & Follow Icons plugin for WordPress, the My Podcast Reviews global-review aggregator, and the Podcasters' Society membership for podcasters. As a recognized authority and influencer in the podcasting industry, Daniel speaks on podcasting and hosts his own podcast about how to podcast. Daniel's other podcasts, a clean-comedy podcast, and the #1 unofficial podcast for ABC's hit drama Once Upon a Time, have also been nominated for multiple awards. Daniel and his son live near Cincinnati.
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Andrew Hellmich
Andrew Hellmich
11 years ago

Hey Daniel – love your show and appreciate all the work you put into it.

I’m about to start a 2nd podcast so loved this episode and have a question.
My current podcast is hosted with Blubrry and I definitely have spare space to add another podcast on my current plan.

When I questioned them about having two feeds going to the one account, I was told I wouldn’t have separate stats. You mentioned in your episode that may not be the case?

Do you have a contact over there you could ask or direct me to the right person? I’d rather not pay for a whole new hosting package if possible.

Thanks
Andrew

Andrew Hellmich
Andrew Hellmich
11 years ago

Awesome thanks Daniel. That sounds like a much better solution.

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