This myth: “Podcasting can be a time-consuming endeavour that demands a significant amount of resources and effort.” is both a myth but perhaps a legend as it’s based on some level of truth. While it’s true that producing a podcast does require dedication, it’s essential to note that you have control over the way your service engages with the medium.
One of the great advantages of podcasting is its flexibility. Unlike other forms of media that have strict time constraints, you have the freedom to choose the release schedule that works best for you. Whether you decide to release episodes daily, weekly, fortnightly or monthly, it’s entirely up to you and what aligns with your schedule and availability.
It’s important to find a balance that allows you to consistently produce quality episodes while also considering your other commitments and responsibilities. By setting a realistic release schedule, you can manage your time effectively and avoid feeling overwhelmed. Consistency is key in building an audience, so it’s important to establish a schedule that you can realistically maintain.
Another alternative is to purchase the time required by engaging a professional production service, like, say, JM Podcasting Services, as an example. Combining a production service with a seasonally based schedule ensures a podcast with consistent episode releases, an ability to plan 3,6 or 12 months in advance and the opportunity to dive deeply into a topic area for the 8 or 10 episodes per season.
For a disability service this approach professionalises the process, shows your listeners you’re fair dinkum about what you do and puts your service above and beyond the run of the mill services in the sector.
The big question a service faces in these times of change and professionalisation of the sector is: Where are my new clients coming from? And it’s a fair question. I see far too many services using socials and measuring likes, shares and comments but without a metric to define new business. A podcast provides a broad based, given time and a proven track record of publishing episodes when you say you will, a broad based branding tool with many ancillary benefits.
With sufficient episodes on a variety of topics within the general framework of your service’s offerings, potential clients can learn about your service through the most intimate of media. Podcasts speak directly to individuals. They grow a listener base most quickly not through advertising nor ratings and reviews but through word of mouth.
Advertising to find listeners is a task even Sisyphus would shrink from. The ratings and review calls to action by podcasters shows how little they understand the ecosystem. Apple promotes shows and lists them in their top 100 lists based solely on the number of followers and the rate of change in that number. So a show garnering more new followers will be bumped up the list. Ratings and reviews are helpful for social proof in your emails, on your website and so on. They are though just a vanity metric.
Building a listener base takes time and this is the topic for today’s episode, after all. And that’s after the time taken to plan, record, edit, publish and promote. Whilst the best growth comes from word of mouth channels, initially you really need to avail your service of its existing communication channels. Newsletters, email lists and your website are all great places to tell your existing people about your show. They are the ones most likely to know someone they can recommend your show to.
Given that podcasting, done correctly will require a time commitment, the choices a service faces come down to three options:
- Outsource the production process;
- Employ a dedicated podcaster as part of the communications team;
- Bump along dropping episodes whenever you have one together and hope it all works out for the best.
Options 1 and 2, JM Podcasting Services can help with. The full production service is our speciality. However if you have a comms person you’d like to train up in the intricacies of the podcasting, we offer a course based on nearly a decade of podcasting and 1000s of episodes experience. Drop me an email if either of these ideas appeals to you.
Furthermore, podcasting allows for flexibility in content creation. You have the opportunity to plan and structure your episodes in a way that suits your needs. Preparing a well-structured outline can save you time and make the recording process more efficient. Having a clear vision of the main points and topics you want to cover allows you to stay focused and avoid unnecessary tangents during your episodes. Your purpose for podcasting should and usually will, inform your content strategy.
This has advantages in a few ways. Batching recording sessions allow for time management considerations. They also allow your production service to craft the entire season based on your stated theme and the actual tape supplied. Streamlining your time and allowing a timely approach to publishing. And batch recording for those unsure works like this: instead of recording each episode individually, you set aside dedicated time to record multiple episodes in one go. A ten half hour series of episodes could be done in a day. It would be a long day but definitely doable and definitely worth having a go. If you decide on 8 episodes per series it becomes an easier option.
Another advantage of batch recording is the host, if they’re conducting interviews, has the info from the previous episodes, after the first one obviously, in mind. This allows for deeper questions, more thoughtful questions and a deeper dive into the theme for the series. It also allows for references to other episodes in the audio and the transcript, blog post and/or show notes. This expands the reach of the show for listeners and is a help for SEO.
Along with your message, your theme for the series and your people, don’t forget that podcasting is a creative endeavour. Don’t be surprised at what can crop up in conversation, editing or feedback. Yes, audio production is a science but it’s a science with options for creative expression and that is immensely rewarding. It allows you to explore topics your service is passionate about, share your knowledge and experiences and connect with listeners who resonate with your content. The time and effort invested in podcasting yields great professional and personal satisfaction and it’s difficult to quantify this benefit.
In conclusion, while podcasting does require dedication and time, you have control over how much of your service’s time is set aside for the process. Engaging a production service or training up one of your staff are ways to better use your resources. Embrace the flexibility of the medium, enjoy the creative process and connect with your audience through your service’s unique voice and the differences you make.