Maria (Hernandez) Fisher – Actually Authentic Podcast: Brand Establishment & Growth

Public Relations Emphasis

Background Information

The Actually Authentic Podcast is a newly established brand/podcast run by Liv Gifford and Maria Hernandez Fisher (me). Because Liv and I have been extremely busy with school and work, certain aspects of the branding and podcast quality have suffered including audio quality, brand establishment, social media and marketing. As an experienced Content Marketer, this project allowed me to take the time to establish a strong brand for the podcast and create a stronger social media presence.

Project Description

First, I focused on creating a powerful brand for the podcast. To do this, I created a brand/style guide to help guide the Actually Authentic design style. This guide made it easier for me to create cohesive marketing and social media posts.

Next, I created a brand new website and Facebook page for the podcast. I followed the branding style guide to create a strong logo and cover image for the brand. These designs and images are used on our Spotify, website and social media site. These pages helped the brand reach a larger audience. A strong brand goes hand in hand with a high-quality brand. To increase Actually Authentic’s quality as a brand, I focused on improving the podcast’s sound quality and recording in the best environments and with the best equipment.

Then, I focused on growing the podcast’s number of listeners and social media following. To identify a strong growth plan, I created a SWOT analysis for the podcast. This helped me identify the best way to increase our listeners and followers. I made planned and scheduled my social media (Instagram & Facebook) posts ahead of time. This helped me reach my goal of posting at least 1-2 posts every day (7-14 a week)! This was a large improvement from our previous posting of only 1-2 posts a week.

I also began writing blog posts for the website. Facebook Insights and Anchor helped me track my main goals, which included increasing social media followers, engagement rate and shares and Spotify listeners and followers.

Last, I focused on brand outreach and growth goals. To get more people involved with the podcast, I reached out to multiple people with a social media presence and asked them to be guests on the podcast. I also created a Growth Plan that outlines the steps to reach the podcast’s future goals of over 1K followers/listeners and brand monetization. During this project, I was able to accomplish steps 1-4 of the growth plan tips. As a result, I noticed growth in our Instagram followers, likes and impressions. During this project, we recorded and released 2 episodes with guest influencers. This helped the brand get free promotion and views. I also planned and hosted a giveaway that helped up go from 85 – 137 Instagram followers.