So, Someone Wants to Start a Podcast…

So someone wants to start a podcast…

My name is James Newcomb and I’m the founder of Podcast Artistry™. You’re here on this website, so I assume it’s because you’re interested in starting a podcast – or you’re in need of some help in producing, giving direction for your existing podcast.

In the next few minutes, I’m going to do my very best to talk you out of doing so.

And if after you’ve heard what I have to say you still want to move forward, then we can setup a call to talk options.

Fair enough?

Okay, so let’s get going.

So let’s talk about some things right out the gate.

Does a successful podcast mean that you have a large audience?

Maybe, but not necessarily.

A successful podcast in my mind and in my experience is one that adds value to a certain market. In a moment, we’ll discuss what exactly will define your market. Each one is different.

If your passion is bug collecting and you have information that you believe is vital for the bug collecting community to hear and digest, are you going to have an audience the size of Joe Rogan or Tim Ferriss?

Of course not.

But think about it. How many avid bug collector enthusiasts are there in this world? I don’t collect bugs, but if I were to investigate and learn more about it and show an interest in it, and start a podcast featuring the most eminent bug collectors in the world, I’ll bet that bug collector enthusiasts would come out of the woodwork to listen. (See what I did there?)

The point is that someone like Ben Greenfield who dominates the fitness industry and is taking on more of a broad-based market or interests with his show or a Joe Rogan who interviews the top minds in popular culture will attract a different type of listener than the bug collecting enthusiast.

You’re not a Joe Rogan, you’re a bug collector and you’re going to create something that is of interest to fellow bug collectors.

It’s just a broader demographic.

The point of a show isn’t to mimic someone who is achieving a certain measure of success. You decide what makes your show successful.

Now does this mean that you’re just going to cobble together some random interviews with someone or with a bunch of people and just just talk about whatever with no real end game, no purpose, no real mission or purpose for your show.

Of course not. That’s not at all what I mean is.

You decide what makes your show successful.

Longtime Podcast Artistry™ client Ariane Sommer hosts a show called Superhumanize. She’s been at it for going on 3.5 years as of the writing of this book in January 2024.

As I understand it, and perhaps I don’t remember exactly what she said, but her goal with her podcast is to build her network within her market. She’s not necessarily trying to make money with it. She doesn’t have advertisers, and she doesn’t have sponsors. She’s invested no small amount of time and resources into her show, but it’s done its job by her own metric. She has built an impressive network of influencers in her niche.

Disavow yourself right now of this notion that you have to be on par with Influencer X, or Superstar Podcaster Y to consider your show a success.

You decide what makes your show successful.

So with that, we’re going to dive into the key components of what I believe in my experience and my training has led me to believe makes a successful podcast.

First we’re going to talk about building an experience for your listeners so that when they press play on something that is published by you, it’s a very distinct and very unique experience from pressing play on anything else out there.

Then we’re going to talk about identifying that niche, the super-specific market that only you can reach and serve.

We’re going to talk about the need to be entertaining. What does entertaining mean? And more importantly, what does it not mean?

We’re going to talk about some of the recording best practices, the equipment that you’ll need. And believe me, it’s not as much as you think you might need.

And last but not least, we’ll talk about the secret sauce of any public output, be it a podcast, or perhaps a video blog. And that secret sauce is building community.

Why a podcast?

Why in the world do you want to do a podcast? There are so many things that you could be doing with your time. There are so many outlets to get your message out.

Why a podcast?

Perhaps somebody else is doing a podcast and is successful with it and you think that doing a podcast is the way to emulate their success.

Maybe it just seems like something that all the cool kids are doing, and so you should be doing it too.

Let me ask you a question: Why did the thought come to your mind that you should do a podcast?

If the reasons are not the right reasons you’re going to burn out. And it’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when you’ll burn out.

But if you do it for the right reasons, then it’s only going to add fuel to the fire that is within you, and you’re going to ultimately be successful at it.

Oftentimes a person in some mastermind they attend is doing it and they rave about how much fun it is, and how they’re having a great time doing it. It seems like such a great idea — at the time.

But like that old proverb, they don’t count the costs before getting into the nitty gritty in the weeds of doing it. They don’t consider what is it going to take? What is required of me?

And many times before they’ve even released the first episode they’ve given up. Or they’ll do 4-5, and hit a wall.

It turns out to be far more work than they were expecting, and they quit. What was a good idea on paper or in somebody’s mind is now in the graveyard of the many good ideas that have never seen the light of day, or have barely seen the first glimmer of sunlight.

But when you do it for the right reasons, then it’s only going to fuel your desire to keep doing it. When you hit the inevitable bumps in the road that are distractions, or they could force you to even take a break from your show.

Point is that when bumps in the road come, it’s a matter of time before you get back on the horse and hit it again – when you do it for the right reasons.

Now let’s talk about why people listen to podcasts.

For one thing, they’re audio only. People can listen while doing the laundry, while going for a walk. They can drive to and from work. They can drive the kids to and from soccer practice and listen to you run your mouth. So it’s just plain convenient.

A benefit I don’t hear discussed too often in circles I run in is the creativity one can have in the editing process. I’ve personally worked some serious magic in the editing room for clients, and no one ever knew about it. When it’s audio only, you can really get people to use their imagination with minimal editing.

Audio podcasts are inexpensive to produce. You can get a decent microphone that costs under a hundred dollars that plugs into your computer via USB. And assuming you have your settings correct, you basically hit record and you’re good.

Now, this benefit of podcasts is also one of the drawbacks of podcasts. Because literally anyone can do it. If you scroll along Apple Podcasts, you’ll see hundreds of thousands of shows. I think I heard they passed the million podcast threshold a short time ago.

You scroll along these shows in Apple Podcasts and you hear a wide disparity of the quality level. Some are really good, most are average, and some are truly awful. This is one reason I don’t understand why people put so much emphasis on “getting found” in Apple Podcasts. Why would you try to attract those looky-lou’s, the knuckle-dragging freebie-seekers anyway? There’s nothing wrong with being listed in Apple, but why would you design your marketing plan around it?