Business Hacks for Independent Podcast Producers and Companies
Business Hacks for Independent Podcast Producers and Companies
Author: Amanda Cupido
The first time I was hired to create a podcast for a client was in 2013. This was before Serial launched. Before Gimlet Media was founded. Before I knew anyone working as an independent podcast producer, let alone making "branded podcasts."
I was a talk radio producer who was looking to make an extra buck. Through a referral I was hired by a financial thought leader who wanted her own podcast. I was excited to put my radio skills to work in a digital space; I sourced guests, conducted pre-interviews, developed scripts and then edited the recorded conversation and uploaded it to Podomatic. I referred to myself as a "media coordinator" and charged $25/hr (not bad)!
Fast forward to 2024: I'm now the founder of Lead Podcasting, have written a book (Let's Talk Podcasting: The Essential Guide to Doing it Right) and I've been the executive producer on more than 30 podcast series in the last three years alone. I continue to learn and grow as an entrepreneur and business leader, but I've also spent more than 10 years developing best practices for working in this niche industry. Here are three things I wish I knew from the beginning…
Get clear on what services you offer
Sometimes it's hard to describe the process behind making a podcast and exactly what people can hire you to do. It's beneficial to write a clear list of your top skills. These are your core services. I will warn you now: don't try to do everything for everyone. Be honest with yourself about your strengths.
Next, write a list of services you could do (but might take a bit of extra research or trial/error). I refer to this as the "stretch zone" – it's a stretch, but not totally out of reach for you. These can be supplementary services you offer up if asked. You can slowly take on these tasks to experiment with and decide if they should be added to your core services.
Finally, write a list of supplementary services that don't fall within your expertise and are far outside your stretch zone. Partner with someone in the industry who can execute in these areas and set up a referral system (or bring this person in as a contractor on the project). I'm still doing this as a business owner – for instance, Lead Podcasting specializes in audio-first podcasts but we just launched a partnership with a video studio who can support clients that want a high quality video to accompany their podcast.
Set your scope of work – and stick to it
When you're about to ink a deal for a new podcast project, have a clearly defined scope of work (SOW). This is a document that lists every task that you are committing to do. This can seem tedious, but it's important to get everything in writing and clearly list exactly what is included. For instance, here is what Lead Podcasting lists as part of the line item "launch set up"
-30 min consultation call to discuss hosting platform options-Registration on selected platform
-Upload show graphic, title, tags and description
-RSS setup and sync with players
-30 min follow up call to finalize sync with client's Apple ID, Google login etc.
You'll notice we list very specific activities and time allotment to calls associated with the tasks. This is to ensure the client knows what to expect and we know where to draw the line when it comes to additional requests. Commonly, we send a brief one-pager with all the line items included but include an appendix with this kind of detailed breakdown. I also like to hop on a call with the person we're about to work with to explain everything and ensure we're on the same page. This will set you up for a more seamless working relationship moving forward. But inevitably, there will always be moments where something out of scope will pop up. It's important to flag and track those carefully. Which brings me to my final tip…
Strategically manage freebies
Out of scope requests are bound to come up. Some of them will be major amendments, which is usually easy to identify as a new line item that requires an additional fee. But it's the medium to minor asks that can get tricky; some of which you won't mind doing for free – but this can easily snowball.
In order to keep control of the project, it's best to acknowledge that it would typically require extra budget (assign dollar value to it) but you are happy to do it at no extra charge this time only. On your final invoice, it's important to list these "freebies" and the associated costs and then discount that amount. Sometimes it's hard to demonstrate the added value you offer and this is a clear way to define it and protect you from being expected to throw in freebies in the future.
About the author:
Amanda Cupido is an award-winning podcast producer, speaker, author and entrepreneur. She is the founder of Lead Podcasting, a full-service podcast production company that specializes in developing podcasts for thought leaders and organizations. She is the author of the Amazon bestseller, Let’s Talk Podcasting: The Essential Guide to Doing it Right and recently delivered the TEDx talk: Why audio storytelling is an integral part of humanity. Previously, Amanda worked in major market radio as a producer, news anchor and program director.
Amanda is an adjunct professor in the School of Media at Seneca College. She has a Bachelor of Journalism from Ryerson University and a Master of Professional Studies in the Psychology of Leadership from Penn State University.