There are a lot of podcast coaches out there.

You might be wondering if you need a podcast coach. That’s a good first question, but the next question should be, “What kind of podcast coach do I need?”

Wait, there are different kinds of podcast coaches?

Yep.

‘Podcast coach’ is a pretty broad term. There are a lot of people calling themselves podcast coaches these days, but they all do different things and have vastly different approaches.

The trick is knowing what you actually need from a podcast coach before you hire one. In this episode, I break down 5 of the most common types of podcast coaches you’re likely to run into (and how they are best suited to):

1. The Fast-Launch Podcast Coach

These are the “be a podcaster by Friday” folks. I even saw someone recently promising to get your podcast up in 24 hours! Skeptical? You should be, although technically, if you didn’t care about quality, you could launch a podcast in 30 minutes. These coaches are all about the quick and dirty.

Who should hire them: They’re great for anyone who has been procrastinating for far too long and just wants to get it done already! And sure, if this is just a hobby, no big deal. But if your business and brand are on the line, fast isn’t the way to go. You don’t want a podcast that could confuse your brand, hurt your authority, or waste your time and money.

Bottom line: The fast-launch coach is your play if you don’t care about the outcome, you just want to get it done.

2. The Technical Podcast  Coach

These coaches live for gear and editing. They’ll show you how to cut your own episodes, clean up your audio, and maybe even sharpen your video skills. They’ll give you that list of equipment to buy, including everything from your mic to acoustic room treatment to the editing software. If your hang-up is tech, they can help. But don’t expect them to talk about your message, your listener, your positioning, your show structure, or how your podcast grows your business. That’s not their lane.

Who should hire them: A technical coach is perfect for you if you have everything else dialed in and you just need the tech to get going.

Bottom Line: Your podcast is the latest extension of a content strategy that you have fully dialed in, and you just need some tech support to get up and running.

3. The Performance Coach

This coach might not even be listing themselves strictly as a podcast coach! Think acting, voice, or speaking coach who has added podcasting to their toolkit. They’ll help you sound more confident, get comfortable with your own voice, and help with delivery so that you can show up strong behind the mic.

Who should hire them: If strategy and tech are already handled, but you freeze every time you hit record (or you’ve deleted a dozen attempts at an episode already), this is the kind of coach you need.

Bottom Line: I’m looking at you, perfectionists. If you’ve already hired the other podcast coaches and still haven’t launched, this is the coach for you.

4. The Business Coach (who also does podcast coaching)

Sometimes your business coach has a podcast, so they tack on a little podcast guidance. That can be quite useful for strategy or marketing, since they already know your business and have likely helped you develop a plan for growth. Everything should be dialed in from a strategy perspective – which is awesome. However, be careful. They may not be the best ones to teach you the technical or performance side of podcasting. It all depends on whether you’ve got a team filling in the gaps (as they likely do).

Who should hire them: Essentially, people who already have. This type of podcast coach is great if you’re already working with someone you trust.

Bottom Line: Be cautious about business coaches who add this on as a bonus. Your podcast should not be created as an ‘Also Included’ because it will take up a significant amount of time and/or money.

5. The Strategic Podcast Coach

These are the podcast coaches who do it all. The ones who look at the big picture and make sure your podcast connects with your brand, your listener, and your business goals. They ensure you have all of the technical know-how you need without overwhelming you. They’ll get to know your business and make sure the podcast attracts your ideal client, generating leads and sales. They’ll work with you on content and performance so you intentionally represent your brand and show up consistently. They’re looking at the big picture because they know that a powerful and effective podcast is the sum of its parts.

Who should hire them: This is the kind of podcast coach you want to work with if you know you want to get it right, right out of the gate. Not just launch fast, but launch right.

Bottom Line: This is the best kind of podcast coach in our totally biased opinion. This is the kind of coaching we offer.

We’ve Been Coaching Podcasters for a While

When I first started out with podcast coaching back in 2015, we were primarily helping people with performance (how to sound like a pro) and tech. What we discovered after working with our first dozen clients was that a great-sounding show will only get you so far. The content and strategy were the more important pieces of the podcast success puzzle. So, we zoomed out to look at the whole picture.

Now, we start with your why, your who, and what you want your podcast to do for your business. Then we help you with the content, the confidence, the tech, the launch, and the consistency.

We don’t do piecemeal. We make sure your show is fully aligned with your marketing strategy so it grows your authority and delivers ROI. And we do it with one-on-one podcast coaching (make that 2-on-1 coaching because you get the benefit of two broadcasting and podcasting experts). Yep, two coaches in your corner from start to finish to make sure you don’t just launch a podcast, you create a marketing asset that fits into your marketing ecosystem. A podcast that serves you, your business, and your ideal clients.

One Key Note About Hiring a Podcast Coach

Here’s what many podcast coaches gloss over because they’re taking advantage of your deep desire to have a podcast: podcasting takes time and money. If your podcast isn’t set up strategically, you’ll waste both and probably end up in the podcast graveyard.

So here’s the bottom, bottom line: be clear about what you want your podcast to do. Then pick the coach that actually serves your needs.

If you’re looking for a podcast coach who can cover all of it (strategy, content, performance, and tech), that’s exactly what we do in our custom Concept to Casting Podcast Launch Program and Podcast Tune-Up Program.

Why not try before you buy?

Book your free podcast coaching call to give me a test drive as your coach. Click Here to book your call right now. No more procrastinating – let’s get your podcast launched the right way or fix that underperforming podcast you already have.