The 30-Day Launch Plan for a New Show

Most shows launch into silence, not because they are bad, but because the launch was treated as the day the first episode went live. A launch is the four weeks before that day. Here is the plan we give hosts who ask, split into weeks so you can start it on any Monday.

Before day one: three episodes in the bank

Do not start the clock until three episodes are recorded and edited. Launching with three lets a new listener binge, which is what turns a curious click into a subscriber. It also means your launch week is spent promoting rather than panicking over an edit.

Days 1 to 7: the foundations

• Cover art that reads at thumbnail size. If the title is not legible on a phone, it is not finished.
• A trailer of ninety seconds or less: what the show is, who it is for, and one clip that proves it.
• A media kit on one page: art, bio, the trailer, the first episode titles, and how to contact you.
• Your profile here, filled in and naming the show, because the next three weeks depend on other hosts being able to see who you are.

Days 8 to 14: the quiet circle

This is the week most launches skip. Tell the people who already like you, one at a time. Friends, former guests, colleagues, the hosts in your groups. Do not ask them to share anything yet. Ask them to listen to the trailer and tell you honestly what they think. You will fix two things you would have been embarrassed by, and you will have twenty people who feel part of the launch.

In the same week, line up two guest swaps with hosts of a similar size for the month after launch. Swaps booked now give you something to promote in week six, when the launch buzz has faded.

Days 15 to 21: press and platforms

Pitch the newsletters and outlets that cover your field, using the three-line format: why them, the story, the ask. Pitch the smallest outlets first, because a reply from one makes the next pitch stronger. Submit the show to every platform and directory that matters in your niche, since approvals can take a week or more and you want to be listed before launch day, not after.

Days 22 to 29: the countdown

Release the trailer publicly. Post one teaser a day in the feed and your own channels: a guest name, a quote, a question the first episode answers. Ask your quiet circle to share the trailer now, and make it easy with a ready-made line they can paste. Confirm the release time with everyone who agreed to share on the day.

Day 30 and the week after

Publish all three episodes at once, early in the day. Post in the feed with the story of why you made the show, not just the link. Thank every share personally. Reply to every comment and review the same day. On day 33, share the episode again with a different angle. On day 37, publish episode four on the schedule you will keep forever, because the launch is only worth doing if the show keeps coming.

What to measure

Not downloads on day one. Measure listeners who came back for episode two, replies to your pitches, and swaps booked for the next two months. Those three numbers tell you whether you launched a show or just released an episode.