ASSUMPTION #1
You have listened to a podcast or two.
Perhaps you are OBSESSED (shameless plug) with the likes of Brene Brown's or Dax Shephard's podcasts. There is a magical quality when you slip your earbuds in and you are greeted by the familiar riffs of a podcast host. You are transported into another world that sparks imagination, creativity, and ideas.
Podcasting is making a resurgence in popularity. The genre of podcasting has been experiencing a sort of renaissance. According to the Intelligencer, the reasoning podcasts may be growing is that the economics are compelling. Producing an average podcast costs far less than producing a TV show or a radio show (all you really need is a microphone or two, a copy of Audacity or some other editing software, and a cheap hosting service for the audio files themselves).
The magic of podcasting can produce income! Podcast advertising rates on a successful podcast are big enough to pay for the costs many times over. Several top podcasters told me that their CPM (the cost to an advertiser per thousand impressions, a standard ad-industry unit) was between $20 and $45. Compare that to a typical radio CPM (roughly $1 to $18) or network TV ($5 to $20) or even a regular old web ad ($1 to $20), and the podcast wins.
ASSUMPTION #2
You are reading this article because you have thought about venturing down the winding road of podcasting.
The power of your voice taking to the airwaves is a scintillating experience. When I embarked on my first podcast (with my amazing co-hosts, Tia Morell-Walden, Mika Altidor, and Tristin Hodges) we were knee-deep in a puddle of emotions. I was gobsmacked with excitement, confusion, overwhelm, and bewilderment.
The list of questions in my head ruminated:
Why should I put so much energy into something that may just lay lifeless in a universe of 2 Billion other podcasts? ( FACT: there are 2 billion other podcasts).
Was anyone going to listen to this podcast?
What if it flops?
WHY PODCASTING?
Podcasting is an incredible vehicle to boost your brand, elicit excitement about something you believe in, and can leverage your expertise. The added bonus is that it is truly fun. As a host on the Obsessed Podcast, I can solemnly swear that the experience has changed my life and the trajectory of my business. The conversations with such notables as Dr. Laura Berman, Dr. Sherrie Campbell, and Dr. JC Doornick have morphed into incredible collaborations and friendships.
More importantly, the power of our voices has changed the way our listeners think about their lives. In a few short months, our rinky-dink experiment with podcasting soared to the top 5% of podcasts globally. Our audience has met us with incredible warmth, support, and generosity. This has impacted my life (and I speak for my co-hosts), so profoundly, that I believe we can never go back to being, regular, old non-podcasters.
The art of podcasting has assisted me in my pursuit of curating a speaking voice that is more confident and self-assured. I have learned to embrace the messy and navigate a platform that seemed like an impossible dream.
ARE YOU READY TO ELEVATE YOUR VOICE? START HERE:
Step #1: Choose a topic you love. Just like blogging, you need to select a niche for your podcast that provides information that is in high demand with listeners.
Step #2: Pick a podcast title. A podcast title can help the listener anticipate the content and purpose of your podcast.
Step #3: Write a sound description. You should write a descriptive paragraph about the contents of your show to entice listeners. ...
Step #4: Get your artwork created. The podcast will require some artwork or a square image that represents your show and the niche it belongs to.
Download the app Anchor.FM (for free) and start playing around. There are dozens of podcast hosting platforms, so do your research. Anchor.FM is a great tool to practice on and get familiar with how to podcast
Warning: Podcasting may be addicting. I adore podcasting so much, that I recently launched a second podcast with the brilliant and huge-hearted Corinna Bellizzi, called Femcasters. While podcasting has an addictive quality, many podcasts fade into oblivion after 6 episodes. There is a term for this phenomenon called Podfade.
WHAT IS POD FADE?
The Urban dictionary defines pod fade as when a podcast suddenly stops releasing new content without a final show or an announcement. Thousands of new podcasts came on the scene last week alone. Although the podcast movement is gaining traction, there is a large percentage of podcasters who stop their show early on.
It is critical you are strong in your mission and committed to a platform that may initially have you scratching your head asking yourself, "Why am I dedicating so much time to this"?
Podcasting is a journey in slow growth. Like all things in life you receive the energy, you give to it. However, if you have a true purpose behind your show, then the reward will be paid back in dividends.
Why not give podcasting a whirl? Come on you know you have been dreaming about it.
IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO JOIN A COMMUNITY OF PODCASTERS, BROADCASTERS, AUTHORS, AND SPEAKERS CHECK OUT:
--YOU GOT THIS, Jules
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