Out With 2023, in With 2024: Year in Review for Your Podcast

Nov 13

Wow, I am sure we are not the only ones who feel like this year flew by.

But no matter how we feel about it, it’s that time of year again when you should review how this year went and begin getting ready for the year to come. In this case 2023 to 2024.

Reflection and planning are important, especially in the context of podcasting because the landscape is always changing (and quickly!) It's an opportunity to assess what's working well, things you need to adjust, and stay up-to-date with all the new changes and advancements in the field. Let's dive right in and explore your year in review while planning for what’s to come!

Reflecting on Your Podcast's Achievements and Milestones

It’s important to reflect on your podcasting journey, no matter what stage you're at. I think a great place to start is looking at your podcast’s “wins”. Remember though, these achievements and milestones are going to range depending on your goals and the niche of your podcast.

I think many of us forget to truly see how far we’ve come, it can be easy to get caught up in vanity metrics like downloads. But being able to actually look at what your podcast has done over this last year can be just as important and worth mentioning!

So consider…

Notable moments you had (with guests, at events, with listeners, etc.)
Episodes you loved (or your listeners loved)
Any comments or love you received from listeners (through ratings/reviews and in emails/social media posts, DMs, etc.)
The growth of your audience
Awards you’ve received
Or just recognition in general your podcast got

Always wanting to grow is a great thing. However, taking a moment to pause and give yourself a pat on the back is necessary too. So, don’t forget this step!

Year in Review

Next, you’ve been able to see all the good your podcast has done both on a small and maybe large scale. Now it’s time to dive even deeper into your review by looking at it all over this whole year.

First, review all of your stats and analytics around the podcast.

If you’ve been keeping track all year (whether monthly or quarterly, for example) then look at how the podcast did over that entire time. And compare all the stats that you’ve been keeping track of.
Also, look at what went well and where are areas that you see room for improvement

Then take a closer look at your episodes.

What types of topics did you cover?
What was a hit or a miss?
Same with interviews or series that you created

As well as the marketing/content created for it.

Where were you posting on social media?
- If you were keeping track of those analytics – review that as well.
What type of content were you posting and how was it doing?
Are there platforms you think your audience is on you need to add? Or ones that you may need to let go of?
What about your strategy? Is it working or need room for improvement?

And don’t forget your listener feedback and interactions.

What were things listeners raved about?
What suggestions did they make that they would like to see changed (or even more of!)

Finally, you’ve looked at the good earlier, now what about the challenges?

Did you come across any setbacks or areas you think you could improve not just within your episodes but across your podcast such as guest outreach, management, or promotion?
- For example, you may need to increase your social media presence
- Or incorporating your listeners more
- Or even set up a consistent plan for outreach (check out our blog on tips for staying consistent)

Once you’ve been able to review your year and see what you want to keep doing and what you are ready to move on from, it’s time to take that information and begin planning for 2024.

Planning for 2024

As I mentioned, it’s time to begin your preparations for the upcoming year. You’ve got all your notes from the previous year, you are ready to start defining goals and making plans.

For podcasting, getting clear on both of these will help keep you consistent and help to burn out. So, sit down and begin to outline your ideas and objectives for your show for 2024:

What is it you want to keep doing?
What are the changes that you will be enacting? This is even a great time to set due dates to hold yourself accountable.
What are your goals for the show?
Are there any new projects, collaborations, or ideas that you plan to do? Or need to make plans for it?
This is a great time to set up your air dates for the year so you can get ahead of recording.
As well as your strategies for your content and marketing plan for the show.

Once you’ve figured all of this out, don’t just stop there. Make sure to add all these notes and the due dates to your project management tool (if you have one, we like Trello) to keep yourself accountable and on track.