Should I launch a podcast?

Launching a podcast has become a buzz topic in the entrepreneur circle. But is it for you? It is a question I get quite a lot! So I am putting to you these four questions here in this blog, to help you decide if you should launch a podcast.

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Should I start a podcast: 4 things to consider

Podcasting sounds like a lot of hard work, right? And how do you know if it's even for you? Is it essential for your business goals? Never fear, we're going to get down to the nitty-gritty and find out if launching a podcast is one thing between you and success.

First, a little bit about what makes a bit of an expert on the topic:

• Starting my podcast back in May 2018 has been one of the best things I ever could’ve done for my business. 
• On launch week, it hit #1 in the iTunes chart. 
• In the first 6 months, the show had been downloaded over 100,000 times.
• Beyond the vanity metrics like these, my podcast opened up a ton of speaking opportunities for me – including getting to speak at a podcasting conference in Florida earlier this year. 
• It also put my business on the map and made me really visible – which still is a terrifying thought. But this meant that I’ve been able to grow my business a whole lot quicker!
• Having said all this, a podcast isn’t for everyone.

 

1. WHY do you want to start a podcast? 

First of all, if you only want to start a podcast to keep up with the Joneses, then that’s probably not a good enough WHY to keep you podcasting in the long term. 

Maybe you want to build your authority, maybe you want to make a bigger impact, make more sales… Whatever it is, think about WHY you want a podcast in the first place.

There will be times when podcasting feels like yet another task on your to-do list, so it’s important that you have a strong WHY you can reconnect with at these times?

 

2. Do you have a budget to start one?

Podcasting isn’t EXPENSIVE to start, but it’s also not free. You guys may have heard of the platform Anchor that popped up, allowing anyone to start a podcast for free. Well, you know what? There was a clause in their T&CS that basically said they could use your content however they wish, so you really do get what you pay for.

Having said that, you can host your podcast for like $5 a month. Yes, you can host it on your existing website, but I wouldn’t recommend that as it’s only going to chew up your bandwidth and slow down your website.

Everyone thinks the equipment is the expensive part, but honestly – I used a $120 plug-and-play USB mic for the first year of my podcast. 

The other thing to consider is editing – you either need the time to do so or the money to outsource it. But it doesn’t cost as much as you think to outsource! 

 

3. Who will listen to them?

A lot of people launch their podcasts without an audience, and then nobody tunes in and they give up a few weeks later because they feel like it’s pointless.

It’s super important you build your audience in the lead up to your podcast launch. 

Let me be clear here – you don’t have to WAIT until you have an audience before you start your launch, but while you’re in the pre-launch stage, you should be trying to build an audience and drum up some buzz about your upcoming podcast launch.

 

4. Will you be consistent?

It’s not easy to stay consistent – take it from me! I try to post new episodes 3 x a week, but it doesn’t always go to plan.

A few weeks ago I was sick for 2 weeks – we’re talking 2 weeks of high fever, sleeping for 20 hours a day. So I was pretty useless – and obviously the podcast was one of the things that became a low priority at this time.

I like to think you guys are pretty understanding if I miss a few episodes because I’ve been doing this a while and there’s so much content in the backlog you can go back and listen to. But if you’re planning on launching a podcast and you can’t post consistently at the start, you’re going to have a tough time retaining listeners and building a connection with them.

 

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