I have a statistic for you. If you’ve listened to any of my shows, or read any of my blog posts, you’ve probably heard it ad nauseum. But it bears repeating:
93% of podcasts have 7 episode or less.
Let that sink in. The vast majority of podcasts on iTunes implode before reaching their 10th episodes. It’s hard to say exactly why that is, but I have a good idea. People jump into something without doing their research.
I’ll admit, that’s also how I did it. And how a lot of successful podcasters did it. I believe if you really want to do something, you’ll ride through the hiccups and make it work.
But there’s still some things you can do to make sure you have a head start.
At a recent event for Networx, I was lucky enough to sit on a panel with two other successful Australian podcasters: Stevie Dillon of Stevie Says Social and Phoebe Parsons of Confessions of a Twenty Something Train Wreck.
It was a great time, and had some pretty hilarious moments. But here’s a few tips that came from the talk.
Worrying About Tech Setups
The first question we often get asked is, ‘What microphone do you use?’
Good question, but you’re thinking about the wrong things. The tech set-up is the easiest part of a podcast, and one you really shouldn’t put that much thought into. Buy a mic and download (legally) some recording software. Then get at it.
Consistency
A lot of us on the panel, when first starting out, would just release our episodes whenever they were ready. This might be once a week, twice a week — or there might not be an episode for two weeks.
This is a great way to piss off your listeners. People like their routines, and they don’t want to be guessing when a new episode is coming out.
Podcasting is an Art
Listen, there are things about podcasting that you’re not going to learn unless you get out there and just start it. You might be a good listener and a good talker, but you still need to learn when to talk and when to let your guests speak. You need to know which kinds of questions to ask that are going to spark answers that will actually help your audience.
Podcasting is, to put it simply, an art. And like most art forms, you learn by doing. But this doesn’t mean you should be discouraged from starting! If you have a good show idea and enjoy interviews, you’re going to naturally attract people.
Get out there and start your podcast.
Listen to Networkx Panel podcast episode here.
https://mustamplify.com/shouldistartapodcast116/
Author: Ronsley Vaz
Ronsley is the founder & chief day dreamer at AMPLIFY. He is an author, speaker & serial entrepreneur.
He has a Masters’ degree in Software Engineering and an MBA in Psychology and Leadership. He is known as the creator of We Are Podcast – the first Podcasting Conference in the Southern Hemisphere, and the host of The Bond Appetit Podcast and Should I Start a Podcast. He has an audience of over 3 million in 133 countries.