Podcast: Should You Start a Podcast? (with Steve Stewart)
I started listening to podcasts around 2006, when podcasting was still in its infancy. Now, well over ten years later, podcasting has exploded in popularity, with literally hundreds of thousands of podcasts to choose from. Maybe you have considered adding your voice to the mix and starting your own show. If so, this episode is for you!
To listen to the podcast, click the player below.
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I’m thrilled today to bring you this conversation with my good friend Steve Stewart. He started a podcast in 2010 to help market his financial wellness coaching business. In 2016, he had to give the business up, and his podcast, when others began asking for help with the editing and production of their shows. He currently produces 25 shows, mostly for podcasters in the personal finance and investing space.
On this episode, you’ll learn what makes podcasting different from other mediums, and how to answer the question, “Should I start a podcast?” Steve also shares how to avoid common podcasting mistakes, how to measure success as a podcaster, and why knowing your purpose is so critical to your podcasting success. Steve also goes into detail about a vital but often-neglected topic, which is how to write and format your episode titles correctly.
Episode Highlights
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- Steve’s journey with podcasting, and how he became a podcast producer.
- What makes the podcasting platform unique as a communication medium.
- The importance of keeping the listener engaged through storytelling and narrative.
- How Steve releases his creativity through audio editing and serves clients.
- Why podcast listeners, blog readers, and video watchers are three different audiences.
- Some of the common mistakes beginning podcasters make.
- How to measure success as a podcaster and build an audience.
- Why you can start a podcast without having it all figured out, but you cannot start a show without knowing your purpose.
- How churches can use podcasts to support their mission.
- How to title your podcast episodes.
Key Takeaways
1. Knowing your purpose and goals for the podcast is critical.
It’s not enough just to want to start a show. If you don’t have an over-arching purpose or message to share, you will quickly burn out because podcasting is time-consuming and often exhausting. Know up front why you want to do a show and what you want to get out of it.
2. Decide in advance how you will measure your podcasting success.
This is critical because unless you are a celebrity, you will probably not have a lot of downloads immediately. Steve was absolutely right when he said that you measure success by audience engagement. You must play the long game with podcasting and work to grow your audience through providing consistently great content and building relationships.
3. You must make the commitment to stick with it.
The “Born to Create” podcast is actually my third podcast. What you’re hearing now is the second iteration of the show. It’s easy to give up when the excitement of creating a new podcast has worn off, and all you have in front of you is the actual work. But if you stick with it, you will outlast many other people and build an audience over time.
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