Much like with social media, coming up with a consistent posting schedule is crucial to gaining and maintaining an audience for your podcast. But when is the best time to release new episodes and what else should you consider to make your show a success?
What day should I release my podcast?
Research suggests that Wednesday, Tuesdays, and Thursdays (in that specific order) are the best days for podcast episodes to be released. However, it all depends on your personal schedule and that of your target audience’s.
If you’re a branded podcast creator aiming to target young professionals, consider when they’re most likely to listen to your show (perhaps their commute or their lunch hour). If your podcast is aimed at new parents, they may be more likely to listen to your show in the evenings (once their kids have gone to bed).
What time should I release my podcast?
When it comes to a specific time to publish a new podcast episode, early mornings (and we mean early) are the most effective. Posting between 2:00 AM and 5:00 AM increases the chances your podcast will be the first shown in your listener’s daily feed on their app of choice. It’s also a good idea to post on social media to remind your listeners that a new episode is up (and also direct your listeners to follow you on social at the end of each episode).
Marketing is everything here! You can make sure you’re doing everything to promote your show with our ultimate marketing checklist.
How long should my podcast be?
The average podcast has a runtime of about 36 minutes, although the suggested runtime from industry experts is anywhere between 20 and 40. Shorter podcast episodes, understandably, have higher consumption rates. For longer episodes, consumption tends to drop off at around 70%.
However, it’s important to remember to tailor your podcast length to your audience’s needs. Complex narrative shows may require longer episodes than daily news podcasts. Podcasts for kids and teenagers may need to be shorter than podcasts aimed at adults. Our fictional children’s podcast, The Old Man in the Boat, has episodes of around 10 minutes. Meanwhile, Conflicted, our long-standing Middle-eastern history show, has episodes that last up to 90 minutes.
Not all podcasts are created equal, and not all shows are alike. It’s important that regardless of each episode's runtime, your show remains engaging and fun for you and your audience.
How often should I release podcast episodes?
Broadly speaking, once per week is what listeners tend to expect. However, as is the case with everything related to podcasting, this is not a hard and fast rule, nor does it apply to every show. Depending on how long production and distribution takes, you may space episodes out to be released every two weeks, or even once a month.
All of this is up to personal preference and capabilities. Podcast production is a long process and a big undertaking, so it depends on how much time you have to put in.
Should I release my podcast in seasons?
Podcast seasons are a great way to make sure you have enough time to plan and market upcoming episodes. they also provide you with time to take a break from your show if you’re finding your regular release schedule too demanding. Podcast seasons also give you the opportunity to:
Source guests and plan interviews for upcoming episodes.
Create a PR strategy around your show’s next season.
Create additional assets like videos, audiograms and social media graphics.
Pitch your show to Apple and Spotify.
While there’s definitely value in keeping your podcast ‘always on,’ seasons definitely give you a wide range of marketing opportunities.
We recommend giving yourself more time than you need for the first few episodes in case you can’t keep up with a schedule. As always, consistency is key!
Are you ready to get started on your own brand’s podcast with MessageHeard? Get in touch today. We are here to get your message heard and we can help with many aspects of your next great podcast project.