Adventure of a Podcast Producer - 11 things new Podcasters should know
Over the last 4 and half years of being a professional podcast editor, I have acquired dozens of long-term clients over that time.
My small podcast editing company has grown slowly year on year, giving me a better understanding of the Podcasting space.
I've seen numerous ideas launch and succeed or crash and fail. I decided to share my most significant Podcast lessons over the past five years. I hope this can act as advice to aspiring or new Podcasters.
The vast majority of new Podcasters quit very fast.
There was a stat I heard years ago about how only 5% of the Podcast content is active. 95% of Podcasts online have stopped releasing episodes. Another is that less than 20% of Podcasts make it beyond one year.
As I mentioned earlier, I have had dozens of clients. I went back through my archive and broke them into categories:
A breakdown of my Podcast partners and how consistently they publish episodes.
As you can see the vast majority of people who contact me to start a Podcast, give up before they even get to 10 episodes. Next, come those who quit within a year. Followed by those who publish but do it irregularly or with large breaks. Finally, I counted only 12.5% of my clients who release weekly and have got beyond 50 episodes.
Here are the main reasons I believe Podcasters quit:
Podcasting takes more time and effort than anyone first thinks.
Some aspiring Podcasters want instant gratification or acclaim, and when they don't get it fast, they give up.
"Podcast" is a buzzword, and some people want to launch one so that they can seem relevant.
Many Podcasters don't think about the longevity of their idea. It leads to quickly running out of people to talk to or things to talk about
Discoverability is the biggest challenge in Podcasting.
There are over two million active Podcasts, which is growing at an incredible rate. Releasing a Podcast that stands out in an incredibly crowded market is the biggest challenge to any new Podcaster.
As more famous people and brands come into the Podcast world, it is even more challenging for an independent Podcaster to gain traction.
Patience, dedication and hard work are required to be a successful independent Podcaster. You need to have no fear and no shame. Get on social media, contact bloggers, make friends with other Podcasters. You have to be willing to do all these things and grind at it for a long time before you see growth.
Independent Podcasts should be as niche as possible.
You will be far better served aiming for 1% of the audience out there and deliberately excluding 99%.
A famous person can launch a Podcast without a thread (or theme) because the thread is them. Launching a Podcast without a common thread won't work for an independent Podcaster. If you can't sum up your Podcast idea in 20 seconds, rethink it.
A podcast aimed at everyone will appeal to no one. Don't try and be broad; it never works. As an independent Podcaster, you need to be specific.
Making your Podcast about something niche will give you the best chance of success. Target the exact type of person your Podcast is for and go after them in every way you can.
Being niche will also help you to get sponsorship. Any potential sponsor wants to know exactly who they are talking to.
Podcasters wrongly obsess over downloads and listener figures.
I tell new Podcasters not to read into stats for at least the first 50 episodes.
This advice goes hand in hand with being niche. Don't aim for a mass audience. Aim for the right audience. There are times when lower listener numbers are better than big numbers because they are the right listeners.
One hundred loyal listeners who buy into what you are doing and listen religiously are infinitely better than 500 listeners who have the Podcast on in the background and don't pay full attention or act on your calls to action.
Think of it in terms of monetisation as well. Your listenership might be 50, but they might be 50 highly paid CEO's. That's far more valuable than 500 people who come from many different walks of life.
Stats that show up on your host account are also misleading. They include bots and anyone who has pressed play (that might be for 2 seconds).
Focus less on stats and more on engagement.
How much feedback do you get?
Do people review the Podcast?
Do they act on any calls to action?
Will bloggers write about your Podcast?
Do your downloads lead to subscribers?
Are your website visits growing since you launched a Podcast?
This stuff is far more telling than download figures you see on Podcast host platforms.
Self-serving Podcasts never last.
One of the biggest turn-offs is a self-serving host. Someone who spends the first 5 minutes talking about themselves and what they have been up to then tries to sell you an e-book they wrote before eventually introducing a guest.
Serve your listener, not yourself. The reason you start a Podcast should be to serve or inform others. Otherwise, the Podcast will fail fast.
Listeners will turn off if you don't give them value fast. There are 2 million other Podcasts to choose the listener to choose from. Always keep that in mind.
Treat your Podcast like any good business and always focus on the customer first.
“Long episodes = more value”, is a misconception.
It’s a mistake to assume that everyone wants to spend as long a time as possible listening to your Podcast. It’s easy to think “this guest is so good, let's chat for longer so that we extract every bit of knowledge”. But doing this you will definitely overcook the conversation and be in danger of boring your listener.
People are really busy and being able to give them as much value in as short a time as possible is gold dust.
20 - 25 minutes is the sweet spot for Podcast listening and the ideal length of an episode.
You should also aim for shorter intros, bumpers, outros and inserts. Getting to everything faster will make your Podcast easier to listen to.
The most valuable parts of the Podcast should come in the first half. Don’t spend the early part of the podcast on niceties. Try and give value to the listener as soon as possible. Niceties are fine and show a human side but they should come as you are winding down the chat, not starting it.
Short episodes are more digestible, and it leaves the listener wanting more. It's also much easier to edit and manage if you do everything yourself. You will give yourself a chance of releasing more consistently.
As you grow down the line and build trust, you can increase your episodes' length. For the first 50 episodes, I urge people to make them under 30 minutes.
Related read: I wrote previously about the benefits of having short episodes.
The most successful Podcasts publish consistently and grow slowly.
Seek organic growth, not an overnight success.
You need to be passionate. You need to enjoy it, and you need to be in it for the long haul.
The Podcasts that see the biggest growth are the ones that release weekly for a sustainable period. Short episodes, batch recording and working ahead of schedule can help achieve this.
Bi-Weekly or monthly Podcasts are fine, but they take longer to grow. Can you increase the activity by doing something as simple as a short blitz or solo episode every other week?
Similarly, many Podcasters choose to release in seasons, and I get that. However, it's dangerous as it causes Podcasters to drop off the radar. If you publish episodes in seasons, you still need to be consistent.
The number of times I see Podcasters disappear without any message for the listener is huge. Many come back later at a completely random point and say, "welcome back for season 2". In this scenario, your listeners and subscribers are gone.
Remember that stat again. 80% of Podcasts stop releasing within a year. So if you stop releasing regularly, people will assume that you are part of the 80%.
Be very intentional and defined with your schedule and inform your audience as you go. Think about these things:
How many episodes are in a season?
If you take a season break, when will you be back?
If you leave for months, you will lose lots of listeners.
Always communicate with your audience so that they know when to expect you to publish an episode.
A lot of Podcasters buy the wrong equipment for them.
You should consult with an expert before buying equipment. The majority of people overspend and/or buy something that is wrong for them.
For example, a lot of people buy condenser microphones and try and use them in room that has no soundproofing.
There is no one size fits all “best podcast microphone”. The most expensive mic is often the wrong choice.
The best microphone option depends on a combination of things including; the room you record in, your budget and your experience or willingness to learn how to use a microphone correctly.
While there is no “best microphone”, the best approach is to consider 2 things that will take your standard to a high level in almost any environment:
A Good dynamic USB mic like the Samson Q2U
Some microphone technique.
The second is the cause of the biggest mistake I see in Podcasting. Learning a bit about using a microphone correctly goes a long way. Check out the video below where I explain this further:
Too many Podcast hosts try to sound like other people instead of themselves.
Podcasting is NOT radio or TV. I have seen people try and sell courses to Podcasters that offer to make you "Podcast like a radio host" if everyone did that, it would take all the fun out of Podcasting. Slick or polished radio hosting is becoming very stale. People want authenticity.
For me, the beauty of Podcasting is its authentic nature. Anyone can get behind a mic and broadcast to a potential audience of thousands.
You should speak to your listener as you would a friend you were meeting for a coffee. Remember, people relate to others they feel are like them. Sounding like a wannabe chat show host and using phrases or language you would never use in the real world is an awful habit.
Sure, you can improve on specific aspects of hosting as you go but never try and sound like someone you are not.
There is money in Podcasting.
I am proof of this. I have been a freelance Podcast producer for five years now and have managed to make good money out of it. That confirms that people place value on Podcasts.
Four of my Podcast clients received sponsorship deals in 2021. Advertising spending is slowly moving into the Podcast space. It's still tiny compared to TV and Radio, but it's getting bigger all the time.
I see Niche Podcast sponsorship as the most significant opportunity for Independent Podcasters in 2022.
Don't forget that networking and business leads are the best way to make money through Podcasting. With every guest you have on, you should create a network and generate business leads.
Related read: A previous article about how to make money from Podcasting.
Freelance websites have helped skyrocket Podcast growth.
It’s now easier than ever to go and find an expert to help you set up your very own Podcast, edit every show, look after your social media, design your artwork. Whatever you need is available and affordable allowing Podcasters to get on with what they are good at.
Sites like Upwork and Fiverr are fantastic for getting the ball rolling.
Freelance sites are also invaluable for people like me. The Podcast producer or expert. I now have my own business that connects with clients from various sources. However, it all started by applying for jobs on freelance websites.
My first job on Upwork was $6 an hour. Five years later, my Podcast production rate is $50 an hour and going up all the time due to demand. My referrals and large Podcast network all started with connections I made on Upwork.