Is it worth making a podcast now? Or have I missed the boat?
“Great question and this is one I get all the time. You have NOT missed the boat and here is why: the audience numbers for podcasting is growing consistently, the amount of content consumed per listener is going up, the CTA clickthrough rate from a podcast is estimated to be 56% and the demographic of listeners is 80% ABC1. There are currently 2 million podcasts listed on the various content platforms — which might sound a lot — but compared to 47 million FB pages and a billion YouTube accounts, audio is definitely still a growth market. So get started, like, today,”
What are the classic pitfalls of first time podcasters?
“Not promoting their content. This is the most common and biggest fail that I see consistently. Podcasters will spend a load of time, effort, energy and money making a show and then they ‘forget’ to promote it. You should spend as much focus on the promo of the content as the making of it. Simple tactics like a consistent content posting plan for each episode works really well — assets like audiograms, quote graphics, videograms etc. are great ways of constantly and consistently promoting a show”
How do you know what your audience wants?
“You don’t to start with. That’s why, when you’re launching a show, you need to treat it like the launch of anything else to do with your brand.
Look at why you are actually creating a show, what is it for, what’s the outcome of this content… what education / information / entertainment do you intend to create for you ideal listener. Create the show like an extension of the wider brand — create is based on your core values, USPs, Mission Statement, Ideal Listener Avatar, Stakeholder, Target Market etc. Then, once you are up and running, ask listeners what they want. Podcast audiences are a proactive bunch, so ask them — in the show — what they want. Put a link in the show notes to a Google doc, send them to a poll on your socials and tell them to slide into your DMs with content suggestions.”
What does success look like for my podcast?
“Great question and one that only you can answer. Most people think a massive Joe Rogan sized audience is the only metric of success, but in all honesty, I know of (and have run) brands that have done six and seven figures in sales via a podcast without necessarily getting millions of downloads either.
If success to you means gaining a greater perception with your network of industry contacts then an interview based podcast where you are positioned as a peer to the thought-leaders in your sector would work well. If you want to increase your own authority and expert positioning then a solo show could be great. Want to have a way to connect with people that would otherwise be out of your reach? Then a podcast is powerful — people are much more likely to connect with you for 30 mins on a podcast than ‘grab a coffee sometime’. Success, much like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.”
To learn more about James Burtt and his podcasting secrets, you can check him out on Instagram.
This is a Contributor Post. Opinions expressed here are opinions of the Contributor. Influencive does not endorse or review brands mentioned; does not and cannot investigate relationships with brands, products, and people mentioned and is up to the Contributor to disclose. Contributors, amongst other accounts and articles may be professional fee-based.