The Dunk Talk Publishing Checklist

This is the exact checklist we run on every Dunk Talk Podcast episode before it goes live. The goal of this page is that literally anyone could pick up this checklist and ship a clean episode, so it’s deliberately specific.

The items are grouped into the four stages of Dennis Yu and BlitzMetrics‘ Content Factory: Produce, Process, Post, Promote. Dennis broke down how the framework applies to dunkers on Ep 59. At the bottom of this page is a real worked example from Ep 47 with Jordan Kilganon, with the actual link for every item on the checklist.

Stage 1: Produce

  • Film the episode.

Stage 2: Process

Clean up the recording first, then run almost everything else off the YouTube transcript. Pull the transcript once, then feed it into every item below.

  • Descript audio enhancement (Studio Sound) on the recording.
  • Descript trim: cut the dead space off the front and back. Takes seconds in Descript.
  • YouTube metadata (have AI optimize using the transcript):
    • Title that ranks on the guest’s name, picks up the search-relevant terms in the conversation, and stays consistent with the other titles on the channel.
    • Description with the standard CTA, links to the rest of the podcast’s socials, plus Spotify for Creators and Apple Podcasts, and a link to the blog post for the episode.
    • Tags pulled from the actual transcript.
    • Thumbnail.
  • Blog post draft for dunktalks.com with the YouTube video embedded at the top. Follow the BlitzMetrics blog post guidelines. Interlink to the hosts, the guest, and other related episodes in a way that actually helps the reader, not just jamming links in. Real, relevant connections that benefit the reader and the people being linked to.
  • Descript podcast clips: pull the best stories and the most authoritative short moments out of the YouTube version.
  • Social posts (AI drafts from the transcript):
    • LinkedIn-style long-form post with a CTA at the bottom to watch the full podcast on YouTube, plus a “read more about the episode” link to the blog post dropped as the first comment.
    • X post: shorter version of the LinkedIn one.
    • Instagram caption: same as the LinkedIn-style post.
    • LinkedIn Company Page copy: the LinkedIn-style post.
    • LinkedIn Personal Page copy: same content, rewritten as a more personal reflection.
    • Facebook Personal: same personal-reflection version.
    • YouTube Community post: shortest version of the LinkedIn post.

Stage 3: Post

  • YouTube: publish the video with the title, description, tags, and thumbnail drafted in Stage 2. Sort into the right playlist.
  • Spotify: publish with the title and description, and add the season number and episode number. Spotify cross-syndicates through the RSS feed to Apple Podcasts and other podcast platforms automatically.
  • Instagram Post from the brand account (auto cross-post to the Facebook Page turned on).
  • X (Brand): post the X copy from Stage 2.
  • Facebook (Personal): post the personal-reflection copy.
  • LinkedIn (Company Page): post the LinkedIn-style copy.
  • LinkedIn (Personal Page): post the personal-reflection version.
  • YouTube Community Post: schedule a few days after release so it re-surfaces the video to subscribers.
  • Blog Post: publish on dunktalks.com.

Stage 4: Promote

  • IG Story + Highlight (Brand).
  • IG Story (Personal).
  • RT (Personal): retweet the brand X post from the personal account.
  • Ask guests and dunkers from the episode for a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Important caveat: only ask after they’ve actually watched or scrolled through the episode. Empty reviews get pulled and they hurt more than they help.

Worked Example: Ep 47, How Jordan Kilganon Became the Greatest Dunker of All Time

One full pass through the checklist on a real episode. This is Ep 47 with Jordan Kilganon, the biggest interview the show has done. Embedded video, real links for every item.

Produce

  • Filmed in studio with Jordan on the line.

Process

Post

  • YouTube: live on @DunkTalkPod, sorted into the Dunk Talk Podcast playlist.
  • Spotify: The Dunk Talk on Spotify, tagged with Season 1 / Episode 47. Auto cross-syndicated to Apple Podcasts via the Spotify RSS feed.
  • Instagram + Facebook Page: posted from @dunktalks, auto cross-posted to the Dunk Talk Podcast Facebook Page.
  • X (Brand): posted from the Dunk Talk account.
  • Facebook (Personal): personal-reflection version on my profile.
  • LinkedIn Company + Personal Pages: LinkedIn-style post on the Dunk Talk page, personal reflection on my personal profile.
  • YouTube Community Post: scheduled a few days after release.
  • Blog Post: live at dunktalks.com/jordan-kilganon-greatest-dunker-all-time.

Promote

  • IG Story + Highlight (Brand): brand story with Jordan tagged, saved to a Highlight.
  • IG Story (Personal): my personal account, tagging @dunktalks and Jordan.
  • RT (Personal): retweeted the brand X post from my personal account.
  • Reviews: asked Jordan and the dunkers around the episode for honest 5-star reviews on Apple and Spotify after they’d actually watched.

If you want the framework all of this is grouped under, read the full BlitzMetrics 4 Stages of the Content Factory article and Dennis’s episode on Dunk Talk (Ep 59).

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