There are millions of podcasts, what’s the point of even getting started?
This week’s news and ruminations
· How many podcasts are you actually competing with?
· More people listen to audio on phones than radios
· I talked on LinkedIn last week about good and bad reasons to start a podcast
How many podcasts are you actually competing with?
From Sounds Profitable
What Does the Competitive Landscape for Podcasting Really Look Like? (soundsprofitable.com)
If you follow podcasting news you’ll hear about there being millions of podcasts out there and it can be a bit dispiriting if you’re wanting to reach people. But it’s been established that only a fraction of those shows are currently active.
Good news right?
But that’s an incomplete picture. Many ‘inactive’ shows still get substantial listens.
Oh, so bad news?
Yes, but not really.
For most people, especially the ones I try to speak to, the point isn’t to start a podcast and get it to millions of people. You need to start it to get to the people you need to speak to. The author of the linked article says that it’s important for podcasts to advertise in other media. After all, a lot of people still don’t listen to podcasts.
And if you’re using your podcast to connect your audiences and create customers for your high-end service or product, a large, broad listenership may not serve you as well as you think.
So, don’t despair. The existence of competition shouldn’t stop you from trying to start a podcast. After all, everything is competitive. But there’s only one you, and podcasting is a great way to share your uniqueness.
And nobody else can compete with that.
Phones overtake radio for listening to audio
From Podcast Business Journal
Phones Dominate The Audio Listening Space – Podcast Business Journal
“Edison Research says 88% of Americans over the age of 16 own a mobile phone with 33% now using their phones to listen to audio, compared to 31% who still use a radio. It’s a trend we’ve been watching for years.”
Radio has seen a steady decline in engagement while phones have seen an equal increase in use over the last few years, and the lines have finally crossed. People are morelikely to listen to the audio source in their pocket than from the radio.
A lot of people are claiming that the future of podcasts is video, and while there is validity to that audio is growing in importance. So audio poidcasts will always have their place. Remember, people can’t watch YouTube while they’re driving. Video needs more engagement form audiences, otherwise it’s just background noise.
What are the good and bad reasons to start a podcast?
From me, lol. A post I made on LinkedIn last week about reasons and expectations.
3 reasons to start a podcast! 2 good, 1 bad
1. Fun, Good.
2. Making money, probably bad.
3. Branding, Best.
A lot of people get into podcasting for the FUN of it, and it is fun. But your expectations need to be reasonable.
Some get into podcasting to MAKE MONEY, but unless it’s part of a general business and marketing plan, the odds are stacked against you.
But if you use podcasting to GROW YOUR BRAND that can translate into sales and clients in the longer term.
Originally on LinkedIn