Why You Should Start a Podcast
If you're hesitant about starting a podcast (whether for business or for fun), you are not alone. I was in your shoes not too long ago.
In fact, I had thought about starting a podcast for two years. TWO WHOLE YEARS.
Even after learning about the process, I told myself I'd start when I was "ready." But in reality, I was just scared of putting myself out there.
If this sounds anything like you, guess what? You don't need to be "ready" to start a podcast. Your podcast isn't going to be perfect, and that's okay.
Here are 10 reasons why you should start a podcast:
1) You're introverted (and/or shy).
If you get easily drained from attending networking events or you're shy about building an online presence, podcasting might just be for you. You can record episodes from the comfort of your own home and converse with people in a more intimate setting.
No need to be in front of a camera and no need to record yourself live. Sounds ideal, right?
Of course, anyone can start a podcast—introvert or not.
But for introverts specifically, podcasting is a great way to test the waters of online content creation. I should know; I am one.
Admittedly, I was scared of putting myself out there when I first started. But on the bright side, I was forced to leave my comfort zone without physically having to leave my comfort zone. (Plus, no one could see me!)
SIDE NOTE: If you're reading this and thinking, "What if no one listens to my podcast?" or "what if it turns out that I'm horrible at podcasting?" ask yourself this: what's the worst that can happen? No one listens to your podcast and no one leaves you a bad review! You can take down your podcast whenever you want.
2) You don't enjoy writing.
Although I recommend having a website or a blog for your podcast, you don't necessarily need one to launch a show. You can grow your audience with your podcast and social media accounts alone.
If you don't enjoy writing, a podcast can be your main method of communicating with your audience. That way, you can create show notes for each episode and have the notes serve as your blog posts. That's what I did when I first started this website.
3) You want to grow your audience.
With podcasting, you can reach an audience outside your blog, youtube channel, facebook group, etc. People will eventually want to find out more about what you do as they listen to your episodes. And the more people enjoy your podcast, the more likely they'll check out your site and potentially join your email list. (New audience = new potential clients.)
Think of the entrepreneurs you've found out about by stumbling upon their podcast on iTunes. How many of them did you end up subscribing to or following? I'm guessing a few. The beauty of podcasting is that you can be found by people who had never heard of you before discovering your show.
4) It’s a fun and easy way to network with people.
Inviting guests on your show is a great way to connect with people you respect and admire, including those who are not in your field and those who are further ahead in their careers. It's like a virtual coffee chat that benefits you, the guest, and the people in your audience. In fact, when you have guests on your podcast, you don't really feel like you're networking at all.
Plus, podcasting can serve as a win-win situation for both you and your guest (if you choose to do interviews). When you invite someone on your show, you introduce that person to potential new followers, and they in turn, introduce you to people from their own audience (given that they promote the episode).
5) You can repurpose your content.
Build reach without having to create so much new content all the time. People that are unfamiliar with your blog, for instance, might find out about you through your podcast first. This is a case where you'd benefit from repurposing your blog content, Facebook live videos, etc. and uploading them in the form of podcast episodes. By doing so, the advice you want to give your audience gets shared on more than one medium.
6) You don't need to have a following.
It's true. You don't need to have a huge following or even an existing audience for people to find your podcast. In fact, you might be considered a "nobody" online but your podcast could possibly be grouped with big-name shows like Freakonomics Radio and WTF with Marc Maron. All podcasts are syndicated to major directories, such as iTunes and Stitcher, where shows are organized by category and not search ranking—giving your podcast as good a chance of being found as the big players on iTunes.
7) Your audience will get to know you on a personal level.
The personal and intimate aspect of podcasting allows you to connect with your audience in a way that's different from connecting with them via blog or Youtube. Every week, you're talking directly to your listeners, as they go about their day.
With a podcast, you can introduce your audience to a side of your personality that might not come through in your writing. If your readers are always asking you for advice, you can use your podcast as a space to answer their questions and build trust with new and old subscribers alike.
8) Podcast listeners pay attention.
Because people tend to do monotonous tasks while listening to podcasts (e.g. driving, doing the laundry, cooking, etc.), they will likely be paying attention to your podcast for longer than they might with other mediums. And because people listen to podcasts for specific reasons, such as entertainment or education, the experience is not as mindless as listening to a music playlist.
9) Podcasting is a creative outlet.
Marketing tool aside, podcasting is a refreshing outlet for creativity. You can talk about almost anything you want and exercise creative freedom in various aspects of your show.
Many creatives tend to be multi-passionate people who enjoy exploring all of their passions. If you identify as multi-passionate, podcasting is a great way to branch out from what you normally do every day!
10) Launching a podcast is easier than you think.
Depending on the format of your show and how much research needs to be done beforehand, your podcast could be a big undertaking or a small one. But in terms of getting started, you don't need fancy equipment. You don't even need a fancy website. All you need–if you're on a tight budget—is a smartphone and a computer. You can always upgrade later.
Related readings:
**Want to start a podcast but don't have time for the nitty-gritty? CLICK HERE to see how I can help!
Alright! That's it for now.
If you haven't started a podcast yet, what's holding you back? If you have started a podcast, what do you like most about it?
Let me know in the comments below!