Are you a podcaster who’s wondering when the fame and fortune is supposed to roll in? Or are you contemplating starting a podcast and aren’t sure about making the commitment? Maybe worrying about how to grow a podcast audience?
You may or may not be surprised to hear that the majority of podcasters give up after just a handful of episodes. After all the effort and investment required to get a podcast off the ground, why would this be?
Having reasonable expectations up front, and seriously thinking about whether podcasting is for you, will help you decide whether or not to pursue podcasting.
Forget About Immediate Gratification
In today’s on-demand world, we’ve come to expect things immediately. Whether it’s streaming a TV show, next-day delivery on virtually any item you need, or having that taco craving satisfied with a few taps. We all want things fast.
Like anything worth doing, podcasting requires takes patience, time, and commitment. Just as you need time to start and grow a business.
Don’t focus on listener numbers. Don’t expect an overnight success.
You can grow an audience, but you must be able to carry on for a minimum of 1-2 years even when it seems like growth is slow. Be prepared to hang in there for the long haul. Budget for podcast editing expenses. Keep booking guests. Promote your content consistently.
If you have trouble sticking with things long enough to see results, podcasting probably isn’t for you.
Putting Yourself Out There
Getting in the spotlight can be scary! Even if it’s not a literal spotlight, creating and publishing content online opens the door for feedback. That includes both good and bad.
Be prepared to welcome it all. Don’t get discouraged by negative feedback, and find ways to use it constructively.
Set Yourself Up for Success
From running out of episode ideas and guests, to frustration of spending hours trying to learn how to edit, proactively deal with these potential problems to pave your road for success.
Think about ways to generate content ideas for your episodes, find a steady stream of guests, and hire a reliable editor to help ease your workload. The less friction in your podcast workflow, the easier it will be to keep going.
Understand What’s Involved in Producing a Quality Podcast
You have probably heard about how easy podcasting is, how anybody can do it, and how it’s as simple as hitting record on your smartphone. While this isn’t necessarily untrue, there’s a big difference in producing a quality podcast properly compared to producing something amateurish and that you quit after a few episodes. Ensuring each episode sounds good and has interesting content is key when thinking how to grow a podcast audience.
The effort and costs involved with podcasting, as well as the time investment required, are not to be underestimated. You should fully understand these things before making the leap into podcasting.
We’ll leave you with some wise words from Alex Hormozi, explaining how for a long time, his podcast wasn’t doing much. Then, one day, it finally took off. He had to hang in there, and you must be prepared to do the same!