There is a big trend in podcasting right now. It seems like anyone can do a podcast, and there are a lot of places telling you that you should start one no matter who you are and what your podcast is about. There are plenty of reasons to start a podcast, and it could really help you out, check my article on 5 reasons you should start a podcast. There are also plenty of reasons to not start a podcast. If you’re reading this article, chances are you should be starting a podcast, because you care enough to do some research before starting your show. I’m here to help answer the question, should you be doing a podcast?
Are you in it for the money?
If you have a podcast, then you know even if you have the ability to monetize, it’s not going to bring in a whole lot of money. People who are looking to start a podcast seem to think the money will just start rolling in once you start gaining listeners. Well, I’m here to tell you it won’t.
You can make a very modest amount of money by reading ads, or selling merch, but the amount won’t be able to get you by on its own. Don’t expect fame and fortune when starting your podcast, it takes a lot of dedication without any recognition for a while. There’s a lot of other ways to make money doing something creative, I would suggest looking into another route before going into podcasting.
Do you think it’s easy?
Podcasting can be very fun if you’re with the right people and you’re doing a topic that you really enjoy, and it’s true that starting a podcast is easier to start than a lot of other mediums, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy!
Podcasting takes a lot of hard work and dedication to commit. You have to be prepared each week with the material that you need, even if you are doing a podcast that you think isn’t going to need any preparation, I promise, it takes more thought and work than you are thinking. You need a script to stick to at the beginning and the end of every episode, so you aren’t flailing, running on trying to find the words you need. You also should have loose notes every episode so you have something to come back to when you are stuck, and don’t know where to go.
There’s a lot more that goes into professional shows than most people realize. It takes a ton of preparation to sound like you know what you’re doing. So if you think starting a podcast only consists of buying a microphone and uploading it to the internet, you’re going to be in for a rude awakening once you start.
Are you passionate?
One of the worst mistakes you can make, is starting a podcast “just to have one”. Just because more and more people are starting podcasts, doesn’t mean that you need one as well. If you can’t decide on a good, original topic that would be interesting to you and other people, then maybe you should rethink starting a podcast. If you do have a good idea, and want to start a podcast, make sure it’s something that you are passionate about and know you will be able to continue doing it for a long period of time.
When I say passionate, I don’t mean interested. I mean you have a love for this topic, you would continue to research, learn, or live it even if you didn’t have a podcast. People really respond to passion, and they recognize it. It will not only make your show better, but you will be able to continue your show because of it.
If you made it this far, consider reaching out to me at matt@ieditpodcasts.com to chat about great and creative ways to improve your podcast, or if you would like some help with your entire podcasting process, including launching your show, consultations, editing, or just a more personal conversation!