Boost Efficiency And Lower Stress With A Podcast System

As the adage goes, "If you want something done, give it to a busy person." I think those of us who podcast are inherently busy people. We're workhorses who get stuff done, which is why we're able to have a podcast in the first place, as podcasts tend to be incredibly work-intensive and difficult to manage.

But wouldn't it be nice to be slightly less busy? I asked fellow podcaster and founder of the upcoming Podcast Success Summit Yann Ilunga about how he gets it all done and he gave me two words: "podcast systems."

Do I Need A System For My Podcast?

‘There are so many moving parts in a podcasting workflow that’s easy to lose track of things as an independent podcaster," Ilunga said. "There’s planning your content, recording it, perhaps scheduling interviews… and then all the post-production: editing, publishing and marketing."

A system can take time up front to set up, but once it's in place, it's a worthy investment. A system will ensure that you're not fumbling for content or "winging it" on recording day. It can also help reduce your mental clutter and anxiety, and ensure that no easily overlooked steps get overlooked.

How Do I Systemize My Podcast?

The first step to systemizing your podcast, says Ilunga, is to get a grasp on your workflow.

Map out the different steps you follow to go from episode idea to episode marketing. After that, you can focus on systemizing each component individually. 

Workflow Checklist

Take the map of steps from above and turn it into a checklist that you can use every time you sit down to create a new podcast episode. (When I first started my show, I used Daniel J. Lewis' free downloadable checklist from The Audacity To Podcast.)

The Content Calendar

When it comes to brainstorming and the organization of ideas, as well as interview or guest scheduling, Ilunga suggests creating a content calendar or editorial calendar. This document can be made using Excel, Google Calendar, a product like the Podcast Planner, Trello, or even pencil and paper.

The idea is to chart out a span of time—a month, a quarter, even a year—and begin sketching out which episode or topic goes where. You may wish to feature an episode with a theme of gratitude near Thanksgiving, or plan for an exceptionally great episode to air during your next conference or event, when traffic to you show may be high.

As Podcast Planner founder Addy Saucedo notes: " A content calendar is critical for podcasters. It helps you understand where you’re going with your episodes and with the bigger picture, your podcast. "

Stay On Track

You may also wish to have your podcast mission statement nearby to make sure you're on track as you plan upcoming episodes. You can add a column or line item to your editorial calendar to integrate per-episode objectives and calls to action.

Automate Your Marketing

Some platforms like Zapier and If This Then That allow you to automate certain aspects of your show. "For me," Ilunga notes, "the Trello power-up Butler for Trello has been a game-changer, as it lets me automate several steps I would find myself carrying out over and over again. And Repurpose is another useful one to put certain aspects of podcast marketing on autopilot."

For my own show's system, I've found social media automation tools to be immensely time-saving. HootSuite is one of many tools that let you pre-schedule posts for Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Google+, and YouTube. I also use Meet Edgar, a paid option that saves even more time (and keeps older episodes evergreen) by recycling past Twitter and Facebook posts.

I also use MailChimp's RSS-to-Email feature to automatically email my list members whenever a new episode hits my RSS feed.

Don't Get Lost

There are a lot of amazing tools out there, and it can be tempting to try and use them all to systemize your podcast. However, a mountain of tools can easily lead to analysis paralysis or unnecessary clutter.

"Something that has really helped me increase my productivity as a podcaster is to get rid of as many tools as possible," Ilunga continues. "When I started out, I would manage my overall workflow using five or six tools, and now those have been cut down to the minimum. I now use Trello to brainstorm content ideas, as an editorial calendar, as a note-taking tool and for the marketing of my podcasts."

A minimalist approach is best when it comes to systemizing tools—as busy as we are, we could all stand to be a little less overwhelmed.

Outsourcing: A Podcasting Luxury

This one may be a little less feasible for independent podcasters, but Ilunga points out that you can win plenty of time back by outsourcing. If you can, conscript or pay others to take care of busy work such as scheduling interviews, editing, ID3 tagging, episode publishing and podcast marketing.

Ilunga is adamant, however, that you be present for the brainstorming part and the actual recording of the content (but that’s pretty much it).

One final note: don't let systemization eclipse the quality of your content . Above all, remember that creating the absolute best show possible should be your number one priority.

Want More Podcasting Strategy Tips Like This?

The digital Podcast Success Summit, where I'll be participating as a panelist, is free to attend and runs from September 18-22, 2017.

Thanks for reading! I'd love to continue the conversation with you on Twitter or in the comments below. Listen to my show, the Write Now podcast, on my website or iTunes.