In just a few months I will have been podcasting for ten years. I went into podcasting reluctantly. I had a blog and everyone around me encouraged me to start releasing audio versions of the stuff I talk about on my blog.
When I started, I was terrible. The audio quality was low. The talent was even lower. But I was committed and that first year I released a show every week. I was doing it, yet I never stopped to really consider if I should be doing it.
So that is what I would like for you to consider before podcasting. Why?
Since you will get better and through hard work might even get a following, how you answer that question is more important than anything else.
Podcasting is time-consuming, not just from a production standpoint. Jut like blogging, it is the stuff you need to do after the show has been released that makes the difference. That means getting out their and hustling, doing anything to get heard in the extremely crowded podcasting world.
If you are already at the top of your game, as an expert on something, podcasting will be a lot easier. People will already want to hear from you. It will most likely enhance your reputation if done right and open more doors for you.
If you are unknown, it is going to be a slog. You will be working against large podcasting networks and hundreds of thousands of shows all competing for ears.
An article published April 25, 2018, by FastCompany states there are:
Over 525,000 active shows and over 18.5 million episodes
Is it worth your time? Unless the journey is fun and you do not expect to become “famous” or make money. The answer is probably not.
Here is a simple test for you. This also applies to blogging.
Ask yourself, how long am I willing to do this without asking for money to do it? That money could be in the form of solicitation of services or an advertisement.
If you need to have an advertisement in your first few dozen episodes. You are probably doing this for the wrong reason and podcasting is not worth your time.
I didn’t write this to dissuade future podcasters, but to level-set your expectations. Podcasting is just like blogging. It works best when it is an expression of your expertise and personality and not just a vehicle for advertising. So think long and hard before you decide to sit down to record and make sure you are realistic about your goals before getting started.