Before you buy a microphone or plan your first episode, answer me this: why should anyone choose to listen to you?

In this first episode of the Podcast Beacon, I will break down the one thing that decides whether your show lasts, and it's not your credentials. I share how my own path from customer support to marketing to podcast strategy, and explain why credentials alone won't hold your audience's attention.

In this episode, I cover:

- Why credentials build trust, but your why builds connection

- Why listeners hear it in your voice when you're not fully invested

- How your why doubles as the material for your bio, your speaker sheet and your positioning

- Why you don't need permission or perfect credentials to start a show

👉 Download your free Podcast Clarity Blueprint to track every decision you make this season with me: https://harbour32.kit.com/podcastclarityblueprint

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ABOUT ME:

Hi, I’m Imogen Jones 👋🏼, a podcast strategist who works with subject matter experts to develop and launch a show which excites them, is powerful for their listeners, fun to deliver, and focused on reaching more of their ideal people.

With two decades of human-centered work, I am highly tuned to supporting hosts to embrace their unique gifts, strengthen their voice and understand their expertise from their listeners’ viewpoint.

I co-run a strategic consultant-led agency, Harbour 32, with my talented friend Shelley Rostlund, where we focus on personal brand strategy and podcast shows for subject matter experts.

==================

All episodes are video recorded and can be watched on my website in the show notes at www.imogenjones.co.uk/podcast or on YouTube.

If you've ever wondered whether you'd run out of things to say by episode seven, this episode explains why that happens and how to avoid it before you record a single word.

I explain why "more customers" is not a purpose for your podcast. It’s an outcome. I walk through how to find the real reason your show exists, for you and for your listener, and why that reason is what keeps you going when your download numbers might not be moving in the direction you hoped.

Key takeaways:

• An outcome is what you hope will happen. A purpose is what you hold onto until it does.
• Ask yourself what made you start doing this work in the first place. The answer is usually your real purpose.
• Your listener presses play for one of a few reasons: to learn, to feel inspired, to solve a problem, or to feel understood. Pick two or three and build your show around them.
• A show built on strategic decisions will not run dry by episode seven.

👉 Download your free Podcast Clarity Blueprint to track every decision you make this season with me: https://harbour32.kit.com/podcastclarityblueprint

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ABOUT ME:

Hi, I’m Imogen Jones 👋🏼, a podcast strategist who works with subject matter experts to develop and launch a show which excites them, is powerful for their listeners, fun to deliver, and focused on reaching more of their ideal people.

With two decades of human-centered work, I am highly tuned to supporting hosts to embrace their unique gifts, strengthen their voice and understand their expertise from their listeners’ viewpoint.

I co-run a strategic consultant-led agency, Harbour 32, with my talented friend Shelley Rostlund, where we focus on personal brand strategy and podcast shows for subject matter experts.

==================

All episodes are video recorded and can be watched on my website in the show notes at www.imogenjones.co.uk or on YouTube.

A lot of people describe their ideal listener as a demographic: an age bracket, a job title, a location. That description won't get anyone to press play.

In this episode, I show you how to move from a vague category to a real person, the kind of listener who recognises themselves in your show within the first couple of sentences.

You'll learn:

- Why a demographic tells you nothing about what makes someone hit play

- How to find your ideal listener by starting with a past client you loved working with

- Why narrowing your description gets you more attention, not less

- The difference between your ideal listener and your ideal client, and why both matter

- How knowing your listener shapes decisions about your show's length, pace and format

By the end of this episode, you'll have a homework task: describe your ideal listener in three sentences, covering their role, their situation and what they're trying to get from listening to you.

👉🏼 Download your free Podcast Clarity Blueprint to track every decision you make this season with me: https://harbour32.kit.com/podcastclarityblueprint

- - -

ABOUT ME:

Hi, I’m Imogen Jones 👋🏼, a podcast strategist who works with subject matter experts to develop and launch a show which excites them, is powerful for their listeners, fun to deliver, and focused on reaching more of their ideal people.

With two decades of human-centered work, I am highly tuned to supporting hosts to embrace their unique gifts, strengthen their voice and understand their expertise from their listeners’ viewpoint.

I co-run a strategic consultant-led agency, Harbour 32, with my talented friend Shelley Rostlund, where we focus on personal brand strategy and podcast shows for subject matter experts.

==================

All episodes are video recorded and can be watched on my website in the show notes at www.imogenjones.co.uk or on YouTube.

If your podcast sounds like everyone else's in your area of expertise, this episode gives you the exercise to help you fix that.

I walk through the three-part personality plan I use with every client: the personality traits you actually have, how you want your listener to feel, and the tone of voice that shapes how you sound.

I read the same piece of advice, four different ways so you can hear exactly what tone does to a message.

👉 Download your free Podcast Clarity Blueprint to track every decision you make this season with me: https://harbour32.kit.com/podcastclarityblueprint

- - -

ABOUT ME:

Hi, I’m Imogen Jones 👋🏼, a podcast strategist who works with subject matter experts to develop and launch a show which excites them, is powerful for their listeners, fun to deliver, and focused on reaching more of their ideal people.

With two decades of human-centered work, I am highly tuned to supporting hosts to embrace their unique gifts, strengthen their voice and understand their expertise from their listeners’ viewpoint.

I co-run a strategic consultant-led agency, Harbour 32, with my talented friend Shelley Rostlund, where we focus on personal brand strategy and podcast shows for subject matter experts.

==================

All episodes are video recorded and can be watched on my website in the show notes at www.imogenjones.co.uk or on YouTube.

Most people choose their podcast format before they think about anything else. They picture themselves interviewing people, and the decision is made.

But your format shouldn’t be a preference. It decides what your show proves about you and how much control you keep over your own schedule.

In this episode, I walk through the main podcast formats and focus on the two most common choices: solo and interview. I cover the real cost of each, three reasons people choose interviews that don’t really hold up, and the one good reason that does. I also share how a coach I worked with combined solo and interview episodes to match her purpose, and why I chose a solo format for this season of Podcast Beacon.

If you haven't picked your format yet, or you're questioning the one you started with, this episode will help you decide based on your purpose.

👉 Download your free Podcast Clarity Blueprint to track every decision you make this season with me: https://harbour32.kit.com/podcastclarityblueprint

- - -

ABOUT ME:

Hi, I’m Imogen Jones 👋🏼, a podcast strategist who works with subject matter experts to develop and launch a show which excites them, is powerful for their listeners, fun to deliver, and focused on reaching more of their ideal people.

With two decades of human-centered work, I am highly tuned to supporting hosts to embrace their unique gifts, strengthen their voice and understand their expertise from their listeners’ viewpoint.

I co-run a strategic consultant-led agency, Harbour 32, with my talented friend Shelley Rostlund, where we focus on personal brand strategy and podcast shows for subject matter experts.

==================

All episodes are video recorded and can be watched on my website in the show notes at www.imogenjones.co.uk or on YouTube.

How long should your episode be, and how often should you publish? These are two of the most asked questions I get, and it's easy to get bogged down with the how before you've settled the why.

I answer both of these properly in this episode, along with thinking about the shape of your show.

On length, my advice for a solo show is to aim for 10 to 20 minutes, with interview show needing more room, usually 30 to 40 minutes – but that all depends on what the purpose for the show is, and who your ideal listener is.

On frequency, I disagree with the standard advice to publish weekly no matter what. I ask you to look at your current workload and work out the timing from there. My own benchmark is five hours per episode, and a survey of 558 independent podcasters found similar numbers, with a fifth spending nine hours or more.

I also cover why I publish in seasons rather than continuously, and the segment shape I use for every episode.

👉 Download your free Podcast Clarity Blueprint to track every decision you make this season with me: https://harbour32.kit.com/podcastclarityblueprint

- - -

ABOUT ME:

Hi, I’m Imogen Jones 👋🏼, a podcast strategist who works with subject matter experts to develop and launch a show which excites them, is powerful for their listeners, fun to deliver, and focused on reaching more of their ideal people.

With two decades of human-centered work, I am highly tuned to supporting hosts to embrace their unique gifts, strengthen their voice and understand their expertise from their listeners’ viewpoint.

I co-run a strategic consultant-led agency, Harbour 32, with my talented friend Shelley Rostlund, where we focus on personal brand strategy and podcast shows for subject matter experts.

==================

All episodes are video recorded and can be watched on my website in the show notes at www.imogenjones.co.uk or on YouTube.

You might already have a name for your podcast in your head, but you shouldn’t be choosing a name because you like it. You need to decide if it's working hard enough for you, and if it's even free for you to use.

A podcast name has two jobs. It has to mean something to you, because you'll be saying it for years. And it has to help your ideal listener decide, in about two seconds, if your show is for them, or not.

In this episode, I walk through the four types of podcast name: clever, brand, your own name and descriptive. I explain why a descriptive name is the strongest for being found in podcast directories, and how I paired a clever name with a descriptive subtitle for this show.

I also share the three checks I run before committing to a name. I tell the story of a well-known show that had to rename because of a trademark problem. And I give the character counts that stop your title getting cut off in search results.

👉 Download your free Podcast Clarity Blueprint to track every decision you make this season with me: https://harbour32.kit.com/podcastclarityblueprint

- - -

ABOUT ME:

Hi, I’m Imogen Jones 👋🏼, a podcast strategist who works with subject matter experts to develop and launch a show which excites them, is powerful for their listeners, fun to deliver, and focused on reaching more of their ideal people.

With two decades of human-centered work, I am highly tuned to supporting hosts to embrace their unique gifts, strengthen their voice and understand their expertise from their listeners’ viewpoint.

I co-run a strategic consultant-led agency, Harbour 32, with my talented friend Shelley Rostlund, where we focus on personal brand strategy and podcast shows for subject matter experts.

==================

All episodes are video recorded and can be watched on my website in the show notes at www.imogenjones.co.uk or on YouTube.

Before anyone hears a word you say, your artwork has to convince them your show is for them. And once they’re listening, the first few beats of your music tell them they’re in the right place.

In this episode, I show you how to turn your personality, and what you want from your show, into something people can hear and see.

If you haven’t listened to episode 4 yet, you might want to start there: imogenjones.co.uk/episode/S01E04

I cover choosing music and stings that match your tone, why you need to check your music licence before you buy, and how to keep your intro and outro to around 60 words each. I also share why I changed my mind about recording my own intro and chose a voice artist instead.

On the visual side, I explain why your artwork needs stripping back to work at thumbnail size, the specs that work across every platform, and the full set of artwork you need, from your show badge to the templates you’ll reuse for every episode.

If you’re about to launch, or your show doesn’t yet look and sound like you, this episode gives you a clear list to work through.

👉 Download your free Podcast Clarity Blueprint to track every decision you make this season with me: https://harbour32.kit.com/podcastclarityblueprint

- - -

ABOUT ME:

Hi, I’m Imogen Jones 👋🏼, a podcast strategist who works with subject matter experts to develop and launch a show which excites them, is powerful for their listeners, fun to deliver, and focused on reaching more of their ideal people.

With two decades of human-centered work, I am highly tuned to supporting hosts to embrace their unique gifts, strengthen their voice and understand their expertise from their listeners’ viewpoint.

I co-run a strategic consultant-led agency, Harbour 32, with my talented friend Shelley Rostlund, where we focus on personal brand strategy and podcast shows for subject matter experts.

==================

All episodes are video recorded and can be watched on my website in the show notes at imogenjones.co.uk/ or on YouTube.