Building an Entertainment Channel from Scratch: Content Plan inspired by Hanging Out

Launch an entertainment channel in 90 days: a single content plan to win podcast, long-form video, and short-form

Struggling to turn ideas into an audience? You’re not alone — creators and small publishers tell me the same three things: inconsistent publishing, scattered formats, and no promotional rhythm. This 90-day content plan template fixes that by combining a practical production workflow, platform-specific tactics, and clear KPI milestones so you can launch a multi-format entertainment channel with confidence.

Why this playbook matters in 2026

In late 2025 and early 2026, the creator ecosystem doubled down on cross-format distribution and AI-assisted production. Platforms now reward repeatable series and repurposed assets: long-form podcasts and video drive depth, while short-form clips drive discovery. AI tools have dramatically cut editing time, and native creator monetization options made subscriber funnels easier to start. That means a focused 90-day plan will yield faster audience signals and clearer monetization paths than ever before.

What you’ll get from this guide

• A day-by-day 90-day content plan for a multi-format entertainment channel (podcast + long-form video + short-form clips)
• Promotional milestones and realistic KPI targets for Days 0–30, 31–60, and 61–90
• Production workflows, plugins, and tools to speed up editing and distribution
• Repurposing ratios, editorial calendar templates, and launch checklists

Big-picture strategy: one show, three formats

The fastest way to build audience momentum is to anchor on a single content flavor — an entertainment show concept — and publish it across formats. Use a single episode recorded as your master asset, then repurpose.

Master asset: a 40–60 minute recorded episode (video + high-quality audio). From that record you produce:

• One long-form video episode (10–25 minutes) — YouTube or Facebook Watch
• Podcast episode (40–60 minutes) — Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Transistor/Libsyn
• Short-form clips (6–12 clips, 15–90 seconds) — TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts
• Social assets: audiograms, quote cards, behind-the-scenes photos, and a newsletter snippet

90-day timeline overview

Structure the first 90 days into three phases: Pre-launch (Days -30 to 0), Launch & Activation (Days 1–30), and Growth & Optimization (Days 31–90).

Pre-launch (Days -30 to 0) — Build a runway

• Define show pillars: humor moments, guest segments, audience Q&A, evergreen stories.
• Record 3 pilot episodes to have buffer for weekly publishing.
• Create branding: logo, thumbnail templates, music bed, and an intro/outro sound cue.
• Set up hosting and distribution platforms: podcast host, YouTube channel, TikTok, Instagram business account, and a mailing list.
• Prepare a simple landing page and a newsletter sign-up with a launch waitlist.
• Seed teaser clips and countdown posts on social between Day -14 and Day 0.

Launch & Activation (Days 1–30) — Signals and momentum

• Publish three episodes across formats during launch week (for bingeability): Episode 1 on Day 1, Episode 2 on Day 3, Episode 3 on Day 7.
• Drop a long-form flagship video and 4–6 short clips on Day 1 to maximize discovery.
• Run paid testing on your best short-form clip to validate hooks (small budget, $50–$150 over a week).
• Begin a weekly schedule: one new long-form video/podcast each week + 3–5 short clips.
• Activate community touchpoints: pinned comment CTAs, newsletter, and a Discord/Telegram group.

Growth & Optimization (Days 31–90) — Scale what works

• A/B test thumbnails, headlines, and opening 15 seconds of video and clips.
• Invite guests with existing audiences on Days 31–60 to boost reach; aim for one guest episode every two weeks.
• Monitor KPI milestones and double down on formats that perform (e.g., if clips convert, increase clip output).
• Start basic monetization experiments after Day 60: affiliate links, early Patreon/subscriptions, sponsorship decks for 90+ day installs.

KPI milestones: targets and how to measure them

Set simple, platform-specific KPIs and a dashboard to track them weekly. Your targets should be aggressive but realistic — use a baseline for a new channel. Below are example targets for a new independent entertainment channel in 2026. Adjust up or down based on your niche and network.

Example KPI targets

• Day 0 (pre-launch): 200–500 email sign-ups on waitlist
• Day 30: 1,000 total cross-platform followers; 3,000 cumulative short-form views; 500 cumulative podcast downloads
• Day 60: 3,000 followers; 15,000 cumulative short-form views; 2,000 cumulative podcast downloads; average retention 50% on podcasts first 15 minutes
• Day 90: 7,500 followers; 50,000 cumulative short-form views; 8,000+ podcast downloads cumulative; 1,000 newsletter subscribers; first 3–5 paid subscribers or $200+/month in revenue

How to measure: Use platform analytics (YouTube Analytics, TikTok Analytics, Spotify for Podcasters), your podcast host dashboard (Transistor/Libsyn/Anchor), and a simple GA4 dashboard for traffic from show notes and landing pages. For cross-platform tracking, Chartable and Podtrac are useful for podcast charts and trends.

Production workflow & tools for speed (2026-ready)

Use AI to accelerate editing but keep human oversight for voice and tone. Here’s a pragmatic workflow and toolset used by successful indie publishers in 2025–26.

Recording

• Camera: Mirrorless 4K or even high-end smartphone with gimbal for multi-angle (record video + separate high-quality audio backup).
• Audio: XLR mic + USB backup or a compact podcast recorder like Rode RODECaster or Zoom series.
• Remote guests: Use clean recording tools like Riverside or SquadCast that produce separate tracks and 4K video.

Editing

• Long-form video: Adobe Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve; use YouTube's chapter-friendly export presets.
• Audio editing: Descript (fast for word-level edits), Reaper for advanced mastering, Auphonic for loudness normalization.
• Clip generation: AI-driven clipper tools (Descript Live Captions, CapCut, or platform-native remix tools) to export multiple short-form cuts in one pass.

Publishing & plugins

• Podcast host: Transistor, Libsyn, or a privacy-minded host if you need advanced analytics.
• Website/CMS: WordPress with a podcast plugin (PowerPress or Seriously Simple Podcasting) plus a schema plugin for rich results.
• SEO: Yoast or Rank Math for on-page optimization and a social meta plugin for thumbnails.
• Automation: Zapier or Make to cross-post new episode announcements to social and newsletter tools (ConvertKit, MailerLite).

Transcription & captions

Accurate transcriptions improve accessibility and SEO. In 2026, Whisper-style APIs and native platform captioning cut costs. Use a combination: automated transcription, quick human pass to correct names and jokes.

Editorial calendar template (week-by-week)

Below is a repeatable weekly plan you can paste into Google Sheets, Notion, or your CMS calendar. Repeat for each week and adjust around special episodes or guest availability.

Weekly publishing cadence

1. Day 1 — Long-form episode publish: Publish full podcast episode + long-form YouTube video (trim to 10–25 minutes). Add show notes and timestamped sections.
2. Day 2 — Short-form clips: Post 2–3 clips from Day 1 episode across TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.
3. Day 3 — Newsletter + audiogram: Send episode recap, highlight quote, and CTA to join community.
4. Day 4 — Behind-the-scenes: Post a behind-the-scenes photo or blooper clip to encourage shares. See low-light and venue tips in the Night Photographer’s Toolkit.
5. Day 5 — Guest/Community content: If guest episode, cross-post guest’s handles and collaborative clip; if not, run an audience question segment.
6. Day 6 — Repurpose micro-content: Carousel post with 3–5 best takeaways and a CTA to watch the episode.
7. Day 7 — Measurement & planning: Review analytics for the week and plan edits for the next episode. Use an analytics dashboard to track weekly metrics.

Repurposing ratios and assets per episode

From one master episode you should aim to create:

• 1 long-form video (10–25 min)
• 1 full podcast (40–60 min)
• 6–12 short-form clips (15–90s)
• 6 audiograms/quote cards
• 1 newsletter edition + 1 blog show note (SEO-optimized) with transcript and timestamps

Promotion playbook: cross-promotion & partnerships

Cross-promotion is the fastest organic lever. Use these tactics in the first 90 days.

Guest swaps and influencer seeding

• Invite guests who bring engaged audiences; offer them short clips they can share across their channels.
• Do short guest swaps: appear on a complementary podcast and trade clips for mutual reposts.

Paid testing and retargeting

• Run a short-form test with a $50–$150 budget on TikTok or Instagram to validate the best hook.
• Retarget people who watched >50% of a short clip with a call to watch the full episode or join the newsletter.

Community-first growth

• Build an email list from day -30; email converts better than social follows for long-term retention.
• Create a low-friction community space (Discord channel or subreddit) and host live AMAs after the first month to retain listeners — consider the routines of the two-shift creator when scheduling recurring touchpoints.

Monetization roadmap after Day 60

Start small and validate. Use these incremental revenue plays in order:

1. Affiliate links in show notes for products or services mentioned on the show
2. Patron or membership tier with bonus episodes and early access
3. Sponsorships for episodes once you sustain 1k+ downloads per episode or consistent short-form reach
4. Merch drops or live ticketed events after you confirm an engaged core audience

Analytics dashboard: what to track weekly

• Podcast downloads per episode and 7-day retention
• YouTube watch time and audience retention for long-form episodes
• Short-form views, completion rate, and followers gained per clip
• Newsletter open and click-through rates
• Conversion rate from follower to newsletter or membership

Example 90-day KPI dashboard (sample targets)

These targets are illustrative. Use them to push for consistent weekly growth.

• Week 1–4: 500–1,000 followers total; 3k cumulative short-form views; 500 podcast downloads
• Week 5–8: 3k–5k followers; 20k cumulative short-form views; 3k podcast downloads; 300 newsletter subscribers
• Week 9–12: 5k–10k followers; 50k+ cumulative short-form views; 8k podcast downloads; 1k newsletter; first recurring revenue

Case study inspiration: lessons from established creators

When established personalities move into digital entertainment channels, they lean on familiarity and repurposing. One recent example saw a multi-decade TV pair ask their audience what they wanted and deliver a relaxed 'hanging out' format across podcast and social channels — and that simple alignment between audience desire and format made early traction easier.

’We asked our audience if we did a podcast what they would like it to be about, and they said they just wanted us to hang out’ — that listener-led approach is exactly why a focused 90-day plan works.

Checklist: Launch day and weekly must-dos

Launch day must-dos

• Publish 3 episodes across podcast and video with complete show notes and timestamps.
• Send a launch newsletter to your waitlist with direct links and an ask to subscribe/follow.
• Pin a featured clip on your profiles and set a pinned comment CTA on YouTube and TikTok.
• Share press-ready assets with any partners or guests for immediate reshares.

Weekly must-dos

• Publish on schedule and create 6–12 clip slices per episode.
• Engage in comments for 15–30 minutes daily to build visibility.
• Review analytics and document one test to run next week (thumbnail, hook, post time).

Common launch pitfalls and how to avoid them

• Pitfall: Publishing one format and expecting cross-platform growth. Fix: Always publish at least two formats from your master asset on launch day.
• Pitfall: Ignoring short-form discovery. Fix: Prioritize 4–6 short clips per episode to feed discovery algorithms (short-form best practices).
• Pitfall: Not tracking conversion to email. Fix: Make the newsletter the primary retention channel and track follower-to-email conversion weekly. Use SEO and tracking best practices to capture referral traffic.

Templates to copy into your stack

Copy these simple templates into Notion or Google Sheets to get started immediately.

Episode brief (one-liner)

• Episode title:
• Theme/pillar:
• Guest (if any):
• Top 3 hooks for short-form:
• Newsletter CTA:

Shot list & clip plan

1. Intro hook (0–15s)
2. Top moment 1 — clip
3. Top moment 2 — clip
4. Funny/viral moment — short clip
5. CTA clip — subscribe/visit site

Final thoughts and 2026 predictions

In 2026, the most successful entertainment channels will be those that treat content as a system: one master episode feeding multiple formats, measured by consistent KPIs, accelerated by AI-assisted tools, and anchored to direct relationships via email or membership. Your best bet is a repeatable 90-day sprint: record, publish, measure, and iterate.

If you execute this 90-day plan and continuously iterate on hooks and distribution tactics, you’ll build the kinds of cross-platform signals platforms reward in 2026 — watch time, completion on short clips, and returning listeners. Those signals unlock organic reach and create an economic path to monetization.

Next step: launch-ready checklist

• Record three pilot episodes before launch day
• Set up podcast host, YouTube channel, and social accounts
• Create and schedule 6–12 short-form clips from your first episode
• Prepare a landing page and a launch newsletter
• Define your Day 30, Day 60, and Day 90 KPI targets

Ready to ship? Download the free 90-day editorial calendar and episode brief template to copy into Notion or Google Sheets — use it to organize your first 12 episodes, assign tasks, and set KPI reminders. Launch deliberately, iterate rapidly, and build the audience you deserve.

Call to action: Subscribe to the Creator Playbook newsletter for weekly tactics, and grab the free 90-day template to start planning your entertainment channel now.

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