Starting a new podcast is a bad idea…
During my first year of being a self-published author, I did a lot of podcast interviews. I had a great time practicing my interview skills but didn’t sell a single book this way. Unless you are a professional audio story teller/musician, your podcast is going to get lost in the 2 MILLION podcasts available today.
Video wins over books & audio…
I thought bringing my knowledge to the printed page would have the widest reach. It turned out that even during intense quarantine, half of UK adults didn’t read a single book last year.
Average readers in the USA, spend about 15 minutes a day reading. The average American is on their smart phone for 4 hours a day and watching TV for 3 hours a day! You can see your chances of getting through are MUCH higher on a screen than on a page.
If your message can be communicated visually, video is your best bet. YouTube has become the home for anything you can explain in 3 to 30 minutes. The majority of the world uses Google to find answers and Google gives priority to relevant YouTube results–so you will be found if you’re talking about anything people are asking about.
If your message can be communicated in under 60 seconds, then you are ready for Instagram Reels & TikTok. You will do especially well in this format if you live in a beautiful place or can move to a beat.
So where does your message go if it’s not visual or it’s too complex to be broken into video episodes? DON’T START A PODCAST. You thought I was going to tell you to start a podcast didn’t you?
Why A Podcast Is NOT the Solution
I started listening to podcasts when Apple released support for them in 2005. The early days of podcasting were fabulous. Only people who really understood audio story telling bothered to produce them and most were aimed at tech nerds like me.
Fast-forward to today and there are 2 million podcasts and 29 million podcast episodes to choose from.
To stand out in that mess, you need to already have an audience on the hook that will take the time to listen to your podcast and share it with friends. Trying to get famous by podcast first is no longer possible.
So What’s The Most Efficient Way To Be Heard
My prediction is the next “get famous online” track will be live video. Clubhouse exploded onto the social media scene during the height of lock-down with one simple feature…the ability to connect to other people live. The reason they were able to reach a $4 Billion evaluation in their first year was because they were creating live connections between strangers. Clubhouse has since had its ups and downs but you’ll get MUCH MORE feedback broadcasting on Clubhouse than a Podcast.
Live streaming shortens the time between producing content and getting audience feedback from weeks to seconds. You know instantly who is into what you’re doing. Live feedback is incredibly helpful for new content creators. Watch the video below to see how one woman developed a multi-million dollar business around doing what her audience wants to see.
Even if Amouranth’s style is completely different from what you have to offer…you can still learn from her. Broadcasting your message is NOT a one-way street. The person receiving your message is your partner in this exchange. Spend as much time thinking about the person you want to reach as you spend writing your content. These people will become your people. Who do you want to surround yourself with? And what do those people want? How can you help them?
