Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
After trying every short-term trick and tactic to grow his audience, podcast veteran Mark Steadman realised that serving listeners with generosity and consistency is the only way to succeed. Mark works with best-selling authors, TED speakers, TV personalities, impact entrepreneurs, and coaches to help them grow and monetise their podcasts.
You are a Helpful Podcaster. You’re a seasoned, soulful entrepreneur who wants to turn your insights into content fans look forward to, and new listeners can't wait to binge. By leading with your expertise, being consistent and showing authenticity, you’ll build trust with your audience and get paid to do the work you love. Mark is here to help you on that journey.
[00:00:00] Mark Steadman: You can learn almost any aspect of your podcast production process in a day or so. Design principles take a lot longer, but most of us still think we can knock something together in Canva in an hour. Your artwork is the first thing new listeners see, and if they like what they hear. It'll take up permanent residence on their phones.
[00:00:20] Mark Steadman: Getting standout artwork for your show might not be as expensive or fraught or process as you think. And it honestly can mean the difference between someone hitting play and scrolling straight past you.
[00:00:32] Mark Steadman: Welcome to the Helpful Podcaster. I'm Mark Steadman and I'm here to help you, the seasoned, soulful entrepreneur build trust and create long lasting rewarding relationships with your podcast listeners.
[00:00:48] Mark Steadman: As busy solopreneurs we're often having to work outside our core competencies, right? One day we're a writer, the next we're a PA then a bookkeeper then a filmographer. Even putting together a podcast relies on a bunch of skills, most of which probably aren't the ones you actually get paid to deploy.
[00:01:08] Mark Steadman: There's an upside to the plethora of tools that make pretty much anything doable from our own home office chairs. But design is one of those tricky things I think most people think they can do, but rarely actually can. We think, well, I can see shapes. I can see colors. I can read. I can put all those things together. But when your podcast artwork is both the first thing a new listener will see, and the thing every existing listener will see every time they hit play on your latest episode, is it really worth rolling the dice?
[00:01:41] Mark Steadman: In this episode, I'm going to try and make the case for why you should hand off designing your artwork to someone else. If you have the time, I think you can do pretty much everything else that your podcast needs of you. So it's just a matter of how much money you can spend and how much time you need to get back. But your artwork is so important and I want to help you get it right, as I see lots and lots of mediocre cover art and so many unforced errors, and I don't want you to fall into the same traps. I see others stumble into.
[00:02:13] Mark Steadman: So. Let's take a look through some of the biggest dos and don'ts of podcast artwork, so if you're briefing a designer who isn't a podcast specialist, you know what to ask them for and what to avoid. Let's start with the specs.
[00:02:27] Mark Steadman: Your podcast artwork. It needs to be a square image between 1400 pixels and 3000 pixels on each side. It has to be completely square, so both the width and the height have to be exactly equal. I'm belaboring the point in here because it's surprising how many people think squarish is enough. If the artwork isn't exactly square podcast apps like Apple's won't let your podcast through. So make sure your image is an exact square.
[00:02:58] Mark Steadman: There are some other technical considerations too. The image needs to be 72 DPI, dots per inch, which is the traditional resolution for digital images. The image needs to use a color scheme meant for digital displays, rather than for print. The color format you want is called RGB. The file you upload should be a JPEG or a PNG image. If you're incorporating a photo into your art, then a JPEG is best. If you're using a few bold colors, a PNG will do better.
[00:03:31] Mark Steadman: Before you upload it, run the image through a compressor. There's a great one called Squoosh, which you'll find in the episode description. This is an important step, because if the image is over 500 kilobytes, it can cause unexpected issues with your podcast feed.
[00:03:48] Mark Steadman: So those are your specs that you need to pass to a designer. Now, let's have a look at the elements of great podcast artwork. Firstly podcast artwork is different from your podcast logo. Cover art is exactly what you'd expect to see on an album cover, whereas a logo is a part of a larger brand identity. If you don't have, or one to distinct podcast logo, that's totally cool. You don't have to have one, but they're two different things. A logo usually sits on its own with a transparent background and can go anywhere on your website. Your cover image on the other hand stands alone and should tell us what we can expect to hear in an episode.
[00:04:29] Mark Steadman: If you look at the artwork for this show, you'll see it incorporates a logo, some simple typography and a candid shot that my photographer took while we were on a shoot. I can use the logo for the website's favicon and I use the same topography on the site as I do in my artwork.
[00:04:46] Mark Steadman: I've designed a few logos myself, but I'm no illustrators so they all come out looking the same, basically a pictogram in a single shade of color. So I went through a few rounds of designs with a professional. Uh, I've tried a bunch of different permutations and ended on these three simple shapes, which hint at the letters, H and P for Helpful Podcaster.
[00:05:10] Mark Steadman: Now the next bit, uh, might be difficult to hear okay? I've hinted at it in the title. So here goes. Unless you're a designer or you have a design background, I recommend against designing your own artwork. I worked for the digital arm of an old school marketing firm before moving to a design focused digital agency, so while I was then a techie, I learned a few fundamentals that most non-designers struggle with.
[00:05:38] Mark Steadman: The most important one is we can tend to pile too much onto the virtual plate. Your artwork needs two things: a splash of color and some big, easy to read text that tells us what the show is called. That's it. We don't need your name. We don't need your company logo. We don't need a subtitle. Here's why.
[00:05:59] Mark Steadman: This is a, there's an argument going around about whether you should include your face in podcast artwork. One rule of thumb says that unless you're famous, you should include something else because a new listener isn't going to use your face as a reason to click play, where they might do for a celebrity.
[00:06:16] Mark Steadman: I think that's true if you have a generic shot of you smiling or looking quizzical. You know, the format, right? You've seen it in a million different thought leader podcasts. Podcast title on the left. Person's face looking straight ahead and smiling to the right of the picture. What does that communicate? To me it says you should know who I am because my face is enough.
[00:06:38] Mark Steadman: Now consider a photo of you laughing, like really barely laughing or embarrassed or scared. I think there's space for a photo. If you're communicating an emotion in that photo. I like to think the photo of me and my artwork communicates joy and warmth. I want the potential listener to go Aw, look at this dude, rather than Who is this dude?
[00:07:03] Mark Steadman: If you don't want to use a photo of yourself, choose something that's going to clearly communicate what the podcast is about. Hone in on what makes your show unique and what your ideal listener is going to resonate with. Do not. Under any circumstances include a picture of a microphone or headphones. Remember everything in apple podcasts is already a podcast, so you don't need to signify that in your artwork. The same goes for the word podcast. Steer clear of any imagery that's to do with podcasting or audio as it's wasted space, you could be using to communicate value.
[00:07:38] Mark Steadman: You don't even have to use an image. Like I said, a splash of color could be all you need. I work on a show called Dress Fancy. The artwork is just the words Dress Fancy. In massive lettering behind a sort of mosaic of color. This meets one of my top, most criteria for artwork in that it is legible at a small size. If you shrink down the dress fancy artwork to around a hundred by a hundred pixels, you can still read what it says. That's why there's no point having a subtitle or your name in there as it just becomes illegible when you see the image shrunk down, uh, as new listeners will do when they're scrolling through a list of shows. Plus, your name will be visible right alongside your podcast name in most apps, so you don't need it in your artwork too.
[00:08:26] Mark Steadman: If you do end up adding some text other than your podcasts name. Make sure to stick to no more than two fonts, ideally one typeface, but with a couple of different thicknesses. Too many fonts and you lose visual consistency and it starts to look haphazard. Which brings us back to the point I made about simplicity. Any more than three elements. And your artwork is probably going to be too busy. I made a point earlier about your company logo. So let's talk briefly about that.
[00:08:56] Mark Steadman: In order for your podcast to grow, it needs to be seen first and then listened to by people who haven't yet encountered you or your brand. So what it might feel reassuring to existing listeners or in keeping with your brand guidelines, it's not communicating anything to a new listener and therefore it doesn't need to be there. I think your logo just gives you more challenges. You've got to find the right place for it. Make sure it contrasts well with the other images you've got and it's clear, especially at a smaller size, otherwise what's the point in it being there?
[00:09:30] Mark Steadman: If you've spent money on your logo, I totally get it. You want to show it off? It's important to you. Because it's an expression of your brand and your brand values. Completely right. But once you're listening to form through relationship with you and starts working with you. They'll see that logo.
[00:09:46] Mark Steadman: To reiterate, here I'm talking about your company logo rather than a logo or an icon you might have that represents just your podcast alone. For example, my company is called Origin. I don't have an Origin logo on my podcast cover up because it's not a household name that is going to resonate or reassure a new listener.
[00:10:06] Mark Steadman: I'm absolutely not advocating you don't include your brand's voice in your artwork. Not at all. I could happily, you've got rid of the HP logo in my artwork. And when people landed on my site they'd know that they were in the right place because they'd see the yellow text in the same font. They'd see the same photo of me and they'd see warmth communicated through the page. So let your overall brand be communicated in the way you use type, color, images and space. That combination will be way more effective than popping a 64 pixel representation of your company logo up in the top left corner. I don't hate your company logo, by the way. I love your logo. We just don't need to lead with it, that's all.
[00:10:48] Mark Steadman: So, what does all of this matter and why am I saying you should get someone else to do this for you? Well, we'll get there in a tick, but first, trumpets.
[00:10:57] Mark Steadman: So, as I've said before, your listeners first encounter with your podcast is almost certainly going to be through your artwork. We wouldn't your artwork to communicate the same things you do. But as I've said so often we end up over-complicating and overcrowding our artwork, which communicates to the listener that working with you might not be quite so easy. Plus, there are subtle things like choice of color, spacing, sizing, and positioning that people like me can notice when they're off, but can't necessarily give you the right name for and which you might find difficult to notice after you've been staring at the same square image for hours. That's why I think you should get help with your artwork. You need an outside eye that can think differently. I certainly needed it to break out of my mano color pictogram design style. Whenever I've used a designer, I've always gone in with an idea or at least a ballpark to play in, but they've always come out with something I didn't expect, and love.
[00:12:03] Mark Steadman: Unless you're a designer or an illustrator. Oh, you have that sort of background. It's unlikely. You have the visual training to communicate what spending time with you is going to be like within a constrained space. I've been at this for years and I'm sure mine is far from perfect, but it's a lot better than previous attempts and it's the only artwork I've ever had. Multiple unsolicited compliments for.
[00:12:26] Mark Steadman: So, I guess I'm saying I may not know podcast art, but I know what I like. And your listener does too. Even if they can't express it or know the language, there are things which so often just don't quite work. And it can be hard to put your finger on. Don't give your next potential listener that itch in the back of their brain. Find a designer.
[00:12:46] Mark Steadman: And look, I say, find a designer. You can just head to Fiverr or 99designs and get something really good for a surprisingly reasonable price, by which I mean anything from 50 to 160 pound. And it doesn't have to take all that long either. If you already worked with the designer, I still consider going with someone with podcast artwork experience, as creating a logo and a brand identity is a different specialism. And if you're just starting out or all of this feels overwhelming, don't worry about it too much. Go for something cheap or start from a Canva template, you can always come back to it and improve it later once you've got some more episodes under your belt.
[00:13:28] Mark Steadman: All right, so the key things to remember here are keep your artwork square between 1400 and 3000 pixels in dimension. Export a JPEG and pipe it through an app like Squoosh to keep the file size down. Make it simple and easily readable at a small scale. Don't include more than three elements. Get rid of the company logo, the subtitle and the word podcast. If you want to use a photo of yourself, use one that communicates an emotion. Don't use images of microphones, headphones, or the RSS icon. If you've got scope to do it, hire a specialist podcast, artwork, designer. They don't have to cost the earth.
[00:14:07] Mark Steadman: So, if you want to chat any of this through or get a sense, check on your own artwork. Join me and other helpful podcasters like you in our community space. You'll find it at thehelpfulpodcaster.com/join. Thanks for listening, and let's do this together.