Podcast Pontifications

At the risk of sounding alarmist, COVID-19 is likely something we’ll all have to deal with. And while discussing the virus’ impact on podcasting might seem trivial, it’s good risk mitigation to be prepared.

Eventually, many podcasters have to make a choice between fame, fortune, and famine. OK, that last one less choice and more unfortunate reality. For the other two, there’s always the paywall option. Should you consider it?

Sure, your podcast sounds great now. But what about all those episodes where it wasn’t perfect? What about the advice you gave before your opinions changed? Do you worry about those un-enlightened jokes you told for shock value?

If you’re stuck just below the threshold of commercial viability with your podcasting efforts, you may be better served looking inward than outward to push you over the brink that brings in a wave of new listeners.

At some point, if you’re lucky or very strategic, your podcast might become too popular for you to stay on the same low-price hosting plan. Remember: “unlimited downloads” sounds all fine and good until your popular show starts costing them real money.

There’s a new professional podcast group in town, and the reaction has been rather… mixed. But that doesn’t mean indie podcasters should fear it. Those who want to preserve podcasting as it was in 2006? Well… they’ll have a rougher time accepting the change.

At the core, every ongoing podcast shares one common theme: the ability to continue on successfully. The tricky part is understanding where that success comes from and how to exploit it to bring in more.

Most podcasters want one thing: for people to listen to their content. So it makes sense that understanding a podcast’s total subscriber count would be a good thing. Only… it isn’t.

I am about to turn your understanding of SEO for podcasts upside down. Literally. If you finally want to solve your podcasts’ “discoverability problem”, here’s a better way for you to approach the solution. (Yes, you can do it!)

It’s not a question of if but when the next big economic downturn hits. And it’s a certainty that podcasting will be impacted when it does. Here are four things you need to do now to survive the next crash.