From Lockdown Launch to Thriving Podcast: Lessons from an Award-Winning Indie
Vicki Weinberg, host of the award-winning podcast Bring Your Product Idea to Life, recently celebrated her five-year podcasting anniversary. On this episode, Vicki shares her journey from launching during the first week of lockdown to building a successful show with a dedicated audience.
Starting a Podcast During LockdownVicki launched her podcast right as the UK entered lockdown in 2020, which presented unique challenges as she recorded weekly episodes at home with two small children. Despite the timing, she was determined to create something different from the business podcasts she had been listening to.
"I couldn't find anything where the person that was talking to me wasn't that much further ahead than I was," Vicki explained. She wanted to feature product business owners who were still in the early stages of their journey, making their advice more accessible and relatable to her audience.
Finding and Booking GuestsOne of Vicki's biggest initial challenges was finding guests for her brand-new podcast:
She started by asking people she knew through business networksShe found "warm" connections worked better than cold outreachOver time, as the podcast established itself, she began receiving inbound requestsNow her schedule is booked months in advance with guestsThe Evolution to Video ContentAfter recording as audio-only for years, Vicki expanded to video in early 2024:
She was already recording video for the calls but not publishing itMade sure to inform guests that video would now be sharedCreated a YouTube channel featuring full episodesAdded YouTube shorts featuring guests' top advice and key momentsDeveloped a team workflow to create social content from episodes"The YouTube shorts and Instagram reels have been great for promoting the episodes and highlighting my guests' expertise," Vicki shared.
Building a Podcast TeamVicki's journey includes gradually building a team to support her:
First hired an editor after 12-18 monthsAdded a VA after about 2 years to manage publishing and adminNow has support for video editing, content creation, and guest management"The only things I'm doing now are booking the guests and having the conversation, which is the bit I think I'm best at," she said.
Content Strategy and Format EvolutionVicki's content approach has evolved over five years:
Initially mixed solo and guest episodes randomlyThen did every fourth episode as solo contentNow produces two episodes weekly: Friday guest interviews and Tuesday solo contentSolo episodes are shorter (15-20 minutes) and more focused"I realized that I have my own business, my own consultancy, I have a lot of knowledge to share," Vicki explained about adding dedicated solo episodes.
Looking AheadAfter five years, Vicki plans to continue her podcast with the current format while remaining open to organic evolution. Her main goal is to grow engagement with her audience through her Facebook group to ensure her content remains useful and relevant.
Want to learn more about Vicki and her podcast? Visit her website at vickiweinberg.com where you can find links to her podcast and all her other work.
PodCraft | How to Podcast & Craft a Fantastic Show
PodCraft takes you from novice podcaster to confident broadcaster. We’ll teach you how to start and grow a successful podcast in our easy-to-follow seasons. Let’s start at the start with the groundwork and planning stages. Why do you want to podcast, who do you want to reach, and why? Then, let’s learn what we’ll need to record, publish, and distribute it. Once that’s done, we move on to marketing, growth, and monetisation. Here, we help you to reap the rewards of all your hard work. On PodCraft we also run regular Q&A episodes, offer analysis and data on the podcasting industry, and talk about the latest tools, tips, and tactics that are improving our own processes and workflows.
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