What Your Therapist Thinks
The strategies used to support What Your Therapist Thinks, a mental health podcast, in reaching #1 in Apple Podcasts US Mental Health and #1 Apple Podcasts US Health & Wellness.
50,000
Monthly downloads
6
Months
+100%
Website Trafic
The launch of a podcast is one of the most defining moments for success. After months of ideation, strategy, and all stages of production, it’s finally time to share your podcast with the world. If you’ve done everything right so far, you might feel like you’re running out of fuel. Yet, how a podcast is launched is a key piece of the puzzle. It’s the number one opportunity to kick off with a bang and get all the right ears on your feed.
In this case study, we share the strategies we deployed for BestTherapists.com in launching their #1 mental health podcast What Your Therapist Thinks, reaching #1 in Apple Podcasts US Mental Health and #1 Apple Podcasts US Health & Wellness. Thanks to the strategy, branding, production and growth support, WYTT topped Apple charts, amassed 500,000 plays in its first season and scored its first sponsorship.
These milestones were all achieved organically, with no ad spend.
Here is the gist on the co-hosts. Kristie Plantinga is the founder & CEO of Place Digital, a boutique marketing agency for therapy practices and founder of BestTherapists, a licensed therapists directory. This was her first podcast and WYTT is supported by BestTherapists. The co-host, Felicia Keller Boyle, is a business coach for private practice therapists and the founder of The Bad Therapist, and its complementary podcast, The Bad Therapist Show. Kristie and Felicia had been friends and collaborators for years and developed the show concept with Jeremy Enns.
The WYTT hosts came to us with a clear concept and a name - What Your Therapist Thinks, a mental health podcasts where licensed therapists discuss different topics, share their expertise, and comment on Reddit-sourced stories.
They brought the right ingredients to the table: a strong concept that stands out while appealing to a general audience, a strategy on business to podcast, and a great co-host chemistry.
“You know the podcasting world. Kristie and I didn’t know what we didn’t know. You brought the knowledge and expertise of the industry to our show. I was shocked at how much attention the show got including multiple features by Apple Podcasts. I could have never anticipated how powerful great cover art and buzz building would be.”
— Felicia Keller Boyle, co-host of WYTT and host of The Bad Therapist Show
Still, from concept to a successful launch, there is a long way to go.
Once the concept and promise to the listener were clear, we started filling in the gaps.
We built a weekly production system so nothing slipped through the cracks. This was developed with clear workflows and systems so that:
Getting a smooth production process from the start allowed us to continue strategizing and enhancing the content as the season progressed. WYTT is an audio-first, video-second podcast. Still, video being second doesn’t make it an afterthought.
Our team enhanced the YouTube version of the podcast with animations, on-screen dynamic text and title cards, all planned to be cohesive with the show’s visual identity. Despite the podcast being recorded remotely, these video elements kept the audience engaged across platforms.
A key element that contributed to the success of WYTT is the branding.
The cover art is the first contact potential listeners have with your show so it’s a must for it to be attention-grabbing and stand out in a sea of options, especially in the extremely popular category WYTT is, mental health.
Based on the concept brought by Felicia and Kristie, our team started rendering three concepts for the cover art. This consisted of research on other mental health shows and inspiration drawn from various media.
Once the final concept was chosen, the color palette, the fonts, the YouTube thumbnail templates, and the video elements were developed.
A good cover art should successfully describe both the podcast’s theme and tone. The WYTT cover art does just that. It’s a colorful array of shades that is instantly attention-grabbing. It depicts a common image of a therapist behind their journal, and pensive. The illustration style is playful, yet mature.
Then it was time for the most anticipated moment - the launch.
A successful launch looks beyond social media. Friends and family will most likely support your podcast but anything beyond that is a big ask unless the person is already a casual podcast listener. Converting non-listeners into podcast listeners is a real challenge. That’s why the best place to find new podcast listeners is where they already are: podcasting newsletters, publications and listening apps.
Podcasting newsletters form communities of avid listeners looking for the next show to add to their queue. Newsletter writers regularly feature new launches or seasons, newsworthy episodes and industry news. Subscribers follow these writers and reviewers and they trust them. That’s why these outlets are a priority for a podcast launch. Listening apps being part of a podcast launch strategy is a no-brainer but the success is in how you pitch. It’s important to know that multiple apps are open to pitches. To maximize results, you should put your podcast in front of them all - Apple Podcasts, Spotify, PocketCasts, Castbox, Amazon Music, etc. The pitching guidelines are very important. For example, Apple Podcasts does not accept pitches without their full show artwork and the hero artwork.
We strategically planned WYTT’s launch around World Mental Health Month in October. Once the trailer was released, two weeks before the first episode launched, we notified all key players in the podcasting industry: the top podcasting newsletters and all listening apps.
The strategic timing, the reliance on strong podcasting communities and the outstanding artwork of WYTT all led to the show being featured in Apple Podcasts US for more than one month.
As a result, WYTT reached 500,000 plays in its first season and topped the Apple Podcasts charts, becoming the #1 Mental Health and #1 Health & Wellness Podcast.
More than one single strategic choice contributed to WYTT’s success in its first season. Despite the competition in mental health podcasts, WYTT stood out thanks to a unique concept, an outstanding visual identity and a strategic PR campaign that got all ears on the feed.
Here’s Kristie and Felicia’s advice:
“If you want the best chance of growing quickly, getting sponsors, and more well-known guests, invest in the best help possible. Don’t half-ass it. Work with an incredible team.”
The successful launch of a podcast means more work, not less. If you’re missing a growth strategy, new listeners might slowly fade away and their loyalty will go elsewhere. So our team focused on several strategies to ensure WYTT is a continued success and that the newfound audience was there to stay.
One of the best methods to bring in ongoing growth is setting up partnerships with like-minded podcasts. We researched podcasts with a similar tone or that address similar topics to WYTT and reached out to them with a personalized message and ideas.
In season 1, seven cross-promotions were set up with both independent and network-based podcasts. We set up an easy-to-use promotional calendar to coordinate and follow through on these partnerships. While WYTT was amassing new listeners through listening app features and podcasting newsletter highlights, another audience was also discovering the show by listening to their favorite podcast.
Since WYTT is not an ongoing show, bonus episodes in between seasons are a must. Listeners also need to know about any changes in the publishing schedule.
After season 1, our team produced two timely episodes that had the same reach as regular episodes. One episode focused on boundary-setting at family events during the holidays. The other episode highlighted Felicia and Kristie’s personal and professional journeys and their motivation for starting WYTT.
The connection between the hosts and listeners is meaningful for growth, community-building, and even monetization opportunities.
Podcasting feeds don’t allow you to “own” your audience. A podcast may have millions of downloads and no engagement or interaction with listeners. Creating means of communication with the audience is another step of laying the foundation for long-term growth.
In between seasons, we set up social media accounts and a Substack newsletter for listeners to stay in touch with Kristie and Felicia. The content was repurposed from season 1 but we also created added value for listeners by sharing, for example, issues of Kristie and Felicia’s favorites of the month.
While strategizing on the content of season 2, we developed a monetization strategy for WYTT to secure a sponsorship.
Our team researched brands in the same tone and with a similar target audience as the podcast, while also prioritizing Kristie and Felicia’s favorite products that they use on the daily.
Based on season 1’s success, we created an insightful media and sponsorship deck to highlight WYTT’s reach and its potential for advertisers. As a result, WYTT was sponsored in season 2 by Cozy Earth, one of Kristie and Felicia’s personal favorite brands.
A new season led to new opportunities.
WYTT was now a #1 podcast with a loyal audience and sponsored by a top brand. In terms of the content, season 2 brought new voices to the forefront: high-profile licensed therapists with millions of social media followers and loyal, engaged communities. Episodes also focused on specific topics suggested by listeners in reviews and on social media.
To maintain high standards, we followed updated, high-quality production workflows and systems.
For cross-promotion, we moved from partnerships with more-so independent podcasts to the CBC, Slate, Pushkin and iHeart.
The audience continued growing and the business supporting the podcast, BestTherapists, received increased traffic to the website.
By working with a professional team, as an independent podcast, WYTT achieved:
“It’s definitely put a lot more eyeballs on me and my business. This podcast already has the kind of success that makes podcasting itself seem like a realistic career. Being able to say “top ranked podcast host” definitely makes us feel more legit and certainly lends credibility in our other endeavors.”
— Kristie Plantinga, co-host of WYTT and founder of BestTherapists.com
Launching a podcast with the right strategy and partners will set you up for success.
If you want to learn more about how we can support your podcast, reach out!
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