Podcasting is massively ‘on trend’ still. So it’s possible you might think “oh well then I might get involved.” But before you do, you might want to point your eyeballs at my list of five reasons why starting a podcast might be a bad idea for you!
Judging by all the social media feeds these days, you’d be forgiven for thinking that literally everyone on the planet has a podcast now. Especially on LinkedIn and the platforming artist that’s formerly known as ‘Twitter’.
But that couldn’t be further from the truth. There are only three hundred and fifty thousand active podcasts in the apps at the time of writing.
That might present a tempting lure for some new podcasters to finally take the plunge. But whacking content out to the world via an RSS feed (what podcasting actually is) isn’t for everyone.
Here’s a list of statements that might be true for you, and will mean that starting a podcast might be a bad idea for you.
Reason numero uno why starting a podcast might be a bad idea - your lack of commitment
If you’re not ready to take this seriously, then you need to find something else to do. Like, I don’t know… posting your dumb memes on LinkedIn?
The Challenge:
Starting a podcast demands a commitment to consistency.
That’s literally what the podcast app algorithms are hunting for; regularly updated content.
Podcasting success is a marathon, not a sprint.
If you’re not ready to produce content regularly, your podcast is definitely going to suffer from erratic releases, which not only sends negative signals to the apps, but it can frustrate listeners and lead to a drop in engagement and growth.
“Where the fu*k has my favourite podcast disappeared to? I need to find another podcast now! Ugh!” isn’t a super common complaint, but if you’re ticking the right boxes with some of your listeners, it could be one that leads to your ultimate failure.
The Pro Turnaround: A professional podcast consultant can help you batch record episodes and create a content calendar, ensuring a steady stream of content.
They can manage the production timeline and take the pressure off your shoulders, so your podcast never misses a beat.
Technical challenges
Bad podcasting is very easy to achieve. You just plug in a mic, set up a free hosting account, and churn out your terrible content to your very few, if any, listeners.
Good podcasting on the other hand requires just a little more input from you.
The Challenge:
The technical side of podcasting can be daunting.
From audio equipment to editing software, the learning curve can be steep. Poor audio quality or editing can turn listeners away, regardless of how good your content is. And what if they’re not able to be in the same room as you.
(Psst –I’ve a downloadable for that!)
The Pro Turnaround: With a seasoned podcast professional, you don’t need to worry about the nitty-gritty of decibels and editing cuts. They bring the technical expertise that ensures your podcast has crisp, clear audio quality and polished production, matching the standards of top-tier podcasts.
Content saturation
Let’s face it, you don’t know what you’re doing with general content, let alone with a podcast. So unless you’re willing to spend a few years learning how this whole thing works, you’re not likely to have your content found, much less listened to.
The Challenge:
With millions of podcasts out there (4.2 million at the latest count) there’s a chance your topic is already being covered extensively. Entering a saturated market can make it challenging to stand out and capture a significant listener base.
The Pro Turnaround: A podcast consultant can help you find your unique angle. They’ll conduct market research, identify gaps in the content landscape, and position your podcast to appeal to a niche audience.
You're a marketing mopefest
Like any kind of marketing, podcasting is content that requires skill and experience to build a community around.
Do you know what you’re doing when it comes to attracting ideal listeners?
Didn’t think so.
The Challenge:
If marketing isn’t inside your circle of excellence, your podcast might languish in obscurity. Podcast growth requires strategic promotion, SEO, and engagement tactics that go beyond just making great content.
The Pro Turnaround: Professionals come equipped with marketing strategies tailored for podcasts. They can increase your visibility through targeted promotion, leverage SEO for discoverability, and engage with your audience to build a loyal community around your podcast. Using clever podcast SEO tricks, they can help your podcast be heard as a fresh voice in a group of drunken off-key pub singers.
ROI expectations (return on investment)
Oh this one’s my favourite. Mostly because I get to offer you a truth bomb that no other podcast consultant or ‘guru’ is going to offer you.
For the first couple of years at least, there isn’t going to be any financial ROI at all.
Unless you invest in fast tracking that ROI using an expert (like moi) to help you find your ideal listeners more quickly.
Unless you’re willing to do that, you can look forward to a long slog of seemingly putting out content week after week that seemingly delivers little for you, other than a mild ‘ego w*nk’.
You might get lucky and experience some non financial returns such as being invited on other podcasts, invites to exclusive events and maybe even some freebies. But otherwise, pencil in three years from now on your calendar, and check to see what you’ve achieved from your podcast in that time, if you’re going it alone.
The Challenge:
Podcasting can be a really slow burn when it comes to ROI, unless you’re talking about something hyper niche. If you’re expecting instant financial returns, you’re going to spend the majority of your time crying for the first several months.
The initial investment in time and resources can be considerable without immediate payoff.
The Pro Turnaround: By working with a podcast expert, (here’s a good one) you can set realistic goals and timelines for ROI. They can implement community building, sales funnels, and client nurturing strategies from the outset.
Their experience means they know how to turn content into cash flow more efficiently.
In conclusion, while there are significant challenges to starting a podcast, working with a professional can transform these potential pitfalls into stepping stones for success.
With expert guidance, the podcasting journey can be less of a wild gamble and more of a calculated ascent to a thriving and rewarding endeavour.
Wanna ignore all my advice about why starting a podcast might be a bad idea, and start one anyway?
Sigh. Ok. It’s like talking to a brick wall sometimes with you. But if you’re gonna do it, at least give yourself a half-a-chance at doing it right.
Book in to have a chat with me, so we can strategise your podcast’s success journey.
(Which will probably take at least two years unless you’re willing to invest in one of my better packages!)
If you wanna keep it casual, no worries.
There’s also a simple contact form below you can use to either find out more, sling some insults at me, or try and con me into giving you my bank details.
If you’re a total freeloader and just want to get my advice and then go it alone, hey I get it.
This is exactly why I avoid hiring pro copywriters and instead subscribe to their emails even though I can’t write a blog post to save my life.
Here’s one of my posts about getting started with a podcast that you might find useful.
And here’s another that’s a bit more specific about podcast structure.
