“Are you aware of the connection of your show name to rape culture?”

That was a question I got in an email a few months ago and it stopped me dead in my tracks. 

Now, I’m not going to pretend that my old show name, Just the Tip was innocent. While it was an exact description of the premise of my show -- just the tip you need to improve your podcast -- I knew there was some sexual innuendo in there. It’s a phrase I grew up with and never really considered it too offensive. In fact, I didn’t really think all that much about it at all. 

Call me naive, but I didn’t equate it to rape or date rape. Once someone pointed it out, I couldn’t think of it any other way. And, I couldn’t go on calling my show by that name. So, I decided to ditch it. 

Changing your show name should not be done lightly. You want to make sure that you are doing it for a good reason. I mean, it’s not like underwear that you change once a week. 

Here are some good reasons to change your show name:

• It no longer represents your brand or your brand values (check)
• You’ve rebranded as a business and you need your show to join the party
• You’ve pivoted (either your show or your audience) and the name doesn’t fit anymore
• You’ve niched down and you need your show name to reflect that. 
• There are a million other podcasts with the same name and you’re getting lost in a sea of sameness.
• You picked a crappy name in haste and you know better now (check) 

If it makes sense for you to change your name, make sure you pick your new one well. You want it to be clear over clever. And, you want to do some research to make sure it’s not going to be taken in a way you don’t (ahem) intend it to be. 

Once you’ve landed on an Oh-So-Much-Better name, you will need to do a few things. 

• Secure the domain of your new name
• Change your show art
• Log in to your podcast distributor (like Libsyn, Buzzsprout or Podbean) and change the title in your show settings 
• Upload your new artwork (listen to this episode for some tips around this)
• Update your categories (if needed)
• Change your copyright on your website
• Audit your social to make sure everything reflects your new name
• Announce it! This is optional, but it’s a good idea to let your fans know that it’s still you even if the name has changed. 

Changes on your distribution network can take 24 hours, so check back in that everything has taken hold. 

That’s it! Changing your name is easy, but you want to get it right. 

And, be careful about blaming the name for bigger issues. Just changing the name may not be enough to save a poorly performing podcast. That might require a bit more work and an actual pivot. This is what we cover in my Podcast Tuneup. If you think you might need a name change or a show tune-up, let’s chat. Grab a free 15-minute coaching call and I’ll tell you what I think.

RELATED EPISODES

https://podcastperformancecoach.com/068-your-podcast-is-not-safe-how-to-protect-it-from-being-pulled-from-itunes/