Episode 68
Why creating podcast episode artwork is a brand building strategy
Since the dawn of time in the podcasting industry, there hasn’t really been a compelling reason to create episode-specific artwork for your podcast. It was often put in the “I’ll do it later” basket and because podcast platforms couldn’t display specific artwork anyway, it felt like a bit of a waste of energy.
This is no longer the case, and with the changes coming to the latest version of iOS the artwork that you’re able to see on your podcast players can be specific to your episodes. This opens a whole new world of possibilities for podcast branding!
Today I’m walking you through five reasons why podcast episode-specific artwork is a great branding strategy for your show, and I’d recommend putting some serious thought into it.
1. Branding and Recognition:
Just like YouTube thumbnails change with each video, your podcast episodes deserve individual visual identities.
2. Attracting New Listeners:
In a sea of podcasts, catching a potential listener's eye is crucial. As people scroll through podcast apps, intriguing visuals can pique their interest.
3. Engagement and Sharing:
Unique podcast artwork isn't just eye candy; it's shareable content gold. When listeners screen share your episodes, the artwork becomes a visual representation of your show.
4. Professionalism:
Investing time and effort in creating episode-specific artwork showcases your commitment to professionalism. It's a clear sign that you care about your podcast's image and the experience of your listeners.
5. It's Just More Fun:
Episode-specific artwork adds a touch of creativity and uniqueness to your podcast. It's like a digital art gallery that reflects your episodes' diverse topics and themes.
In a nutshell, episode-specific podcast artwork is a fantastic tool to level up your podcasting game. Don't feel overwhelmed by the prospect of creating artwork for every episode. Take it one step at a time, outsource if needed, and explore affordable design services. Remember, it's all about enhancing your podcast's branding, attracting new listeners, boosting engagement, maintaining professionalism, and having some fun along the way.
Resources Mentioned:
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Transcript
why episode specific podcast artwork is
Speaker:a fantastic thing to do for your podcast.
Speaker:I've got five different reasons
Speaker:why to share with you today, and
Speaker:let's get straight into them.
Speaker:Number one is the branding
Speaker:and recognition that having
Speaker:specific podcast artwork for
Speaker:episodes can provide you with.
Speaker:So each episode of a podcast
Speaker:usually discusses a different topic.
Speaker:It's like having a thumbnail, a
Speaker:different thumbnail for YouTube.
Speaker:You don't have the same
Speaker:thumbnail for every episode
Speaker:that you put out on YouTube.
Speaker:That would be bonkers.
Speaker:It does nothing for your brand, does
Speaker:nothing for the recognition, and it
Speaker:doesn't make you stand out at all.
Speaker:Same thing goes for
Speaker:episode specific artwork.
Speaker:And this is something that didn't used
Speaker:to matter as much because when you went
Speaker:to your favorite podcast player, They
Speaker:didn't showcase the separate artwork.
Speaker:Anyway, they just showed your actual
Speaker:podcast cover artwork, but now, and
Speaker:especially in the latest update from
Speaker:Apple iOS that is coming soon, if not
Speaker:released by the time you actually listen
Speaker:or watch this, they're going to be
Speaker:showcasing your artwork in more ways.
Speaker:And so it's a fantastic idea to
Speaker:actually make sure that you start
Speaker:creating this episode specific artwork.
Speaker:I'm going to put in the links here,
Speaker:the artwork recommendation that
Speaker:Apple advises so that you can send
Speaker:this to your graphic designer.
Speaker:Or if you work with us already
Speaker:here at Bambi media, if you can
Speaker:let us know that you really want to
Speaker:start doing that, we'll obviously
Speaker:know what we're doing here and can
Speaker:create that sort of stuff for you.
Speaker:But that first one being branding
Speaker:and recognition is super important.
Speaker:It showcases the episode.
Speaker:It at a glance shows you what
Speaker:it's going to be about and it
Speaker:will make it more clickable.
Speaker:Number two, reason number two as to why
Speaker:you would have episode specific podcast
Speaker:artwork is attracting new listeners.
Speaker:So if people are scrolling through
Speaker:their podcast apps, unique artwork for
Speaker:each episode can attract new listeners.
Speaker:Track new listeners who might be
Speaker:interested in a specific guest
Speaker:or a specific topic, depending on
Speaker:the artwork that they see there.
Speaker:So when they see the artwork, it might
Speaker:spark in them, Oh, I love that person.
Speaker:And then it actually prompts them to
Speaker:go and listen to or watch that content.
Speaker:Again, same reason why
Speaker:thumbnails change on YouTube.
Speaker:You've got to grab the
Speaker:person's attention somehow.
Speaker:And this is a relatively
Speaker:new way to do it.
Speaker:for podcasts specifically.
Speaker:Number three, engagement and sharing.
Speaker:Unique podcast artwork can be a
Speaker:really great way to actually make it
Speaker:more shareable for your listeners.
Speaker:So when they are listening to the show
Speaker:on their favorite podcast platform,
Speaker:they could screen share it and the
Speaker:episode artwork would be there.
Speaker:And then it shows up easier
Speaker:for them if they want to share
Speaker:it on Instagram, LinkedIn.
Speaker:In TikTok or whatever, and they
Speaker:want to share that artwork.
Speaker:It's so much easier to do.
Speaker:And it's specific to that episode.
Speaker:So that's one reason why it's
Speaker:really good, but then also using
Speaker:that artwork on your website.
Speaker:So you can change it out.
Speaker:You can have every episode display
Speaker:different artwork that's going to up
Speaker:level the way your podcast actually
Speaker:looks on your website, instead of
Speaker:it being just the same thing over
Speaker:and over again, an example of that
Speaker:would be our own website, bamumedia.
Speaker:com slash podcast.
Speaker:If you look in there, then you'll see
Speaker:that every episode has its own artwork
Speaker:and it just makes it more interesting
Speaker:for the person visiting the website.
Speaker:And at a glance, they can see
Speaker:what it is that they're actually
Speaker:going to go and listen to.
Speaker:number four, professionalism.
Speaker:If you take the time, or if you
Speaker:have a podcast production team
Speaker:like us here at Bambi Media, to
Speaker:create specific episode artwork, it
Speaker:means that you've thought about it.
Speaker:It means that you've taken
Speaker:the time and you feel value
Speaker:in creating an extra graphic.
Speaker:Something that is easily recognizable,
Speaker:something that has your branding,
Speaker:something that can be a draw in.
Speaker:And if you haven't put any
Speaker:thought or time into the
Speaker:episode artwork, that's okay.
Speaker:Don't feel like, Oh my God, I
Speaker:have to do all these things.
Speaker:Just know that it does definitely give
Speaker:you that next level of professionalism
Speaker:by having extra artwork for each episode.
Speaker:And number five, the last reason
Speaker:why it's a great idea to have
Speaker:episode specific podcast artwork
Speaker:is It's just a little bit more fun.
Speaker:For me personally, I think it's really
Speaker:cool when I go to a podcast and I can see
Speaker:that they have episode specific artwork,
Speaker:that they've put some time and energy
Speaker:into them, and that they look different.
Speaker:It's the same reason, and again
Speaker:I'm going to bring it up, YouTube
Speaker:thumbnails, why they're different.
Speaker:Someone's thought about it, and I
Speaker:think that that is what makes it cool.
Speaker:That's what helps you stand out
Speaker:from others that don't do this.
Speaker:So if we tie that into that
Speaker:professionalism aspect, if you're being
Speaker:pitted against someone else, and you
Speaker:have really cool different podcast
Speaker:specific artwork, and the other person
Speaker:doesn't, then you're going to show up
Speaker:more organically to the person that's
Speaker:searching for a particular keyword and
Speaker:they see that artwork and they see that
Speaker:it's a little bit different or fun any
Speaker:opportunity that you have to increase
Speaker:your brand awareness by having episode
Speaker:specific artwork that feels more like
Speaker:what you're trying to create instead of
Speaker:just your standard podcast cover art.
Speaker:That's going to be a good thing.
Speaker:It's never not a good idea, I think,
Speaker:to spend a little bit more time on
Speaker:your branding, to get a little bit
Speaker:more professional with your show,
Speaker:and to spend a little bit of time
Speaker:creating artwork that is repurposable.
Speaker:Maybe don't just supply it in
Speaker:that 1, 400 by 1, 400 pixel.
Speaker:Do a widescreen version.
Speaker:Do a Reels version.
Speaker:Do a square version.
Speaker:Do different versions of the same
Speaker:artwork so that you have options and
Speaker:you can share them on different mediums.
Speaker:Again, if we use BAMU Media as the
Speaker:example, we create the same episode
Speaker:graphic In a number of different ways
Speaker:so that it's easy for us to share on
Speaker:LinkedIn, in medium articles, on our
Speaker:website, as reels, on TikTok, and
Speaker:then on YouTube as thumbnails as well.
Speaker:and it's just that extra layer of, yes,
Speaker:you've got to think about it, but I
Speaker:think that it creates a better brand
Speaker:recognition and awareness overall.
Speaker:So don't get all up in your
Speaker:head being like Brianna, you're
Speaker:telling me to do too many things.
Speaker:I've already got too
Speaker:much going on in my life.
Speaker:My podcast already takes too much time.
Speaker:I'm not saying you should
Speaker:be doing all these things.
Speaker:Do baby steps.
Speaker:Outsource where you can.
Speaker:If you can't afford a podcast
Speaker:production agency like Bambi Media
Speaker:to help you create these things,
Speaker:then go to services like Fiverr.
Speaker:Go to services like Upwork.
Speaker:Maybe you could try some AI tools,
Speaker:although I haven't found any good ones
Speaker:yet for this kind of specific thing.
Speaker:I have found them to be quite clunky.
Speaker:The customization is a bit blare and
Speaker:I'm sure they'll get better with time.
Speaker:But for right now just
Speaker:look at what's sustainable.
Speaker:What is achievable for you for your
Speaker:budget and your brand And the roles
Speaker:that you have within your organization
Speaker:But know that any extra time that
Speaker:you put into the episode specific
Speaker:artwork is going to be time well spent.
Speaker:If you've enjoyed this episode,
Speaker:please hit the like button.
Speaker:If you're over on YouTube,
Speaker:subscribe to the channel.
Speaker:And if you are on podcast
Speaker:specific platforms, please hit
Speaker:the follow subscribe button.
Speaker:I love giving this information to you
Speaker:and I can't wait to give you more.
Speaker:My name is Brianna.
Speaker:I'm the head honcho here at Bambi Media,
Speaker:and thank you so much for joining me.
