Podcasting is accessible but momentum is tough

by Rhys Waters

Is podcasting accessible? Yes. Is it easy? No. Less than 20% of podcasts that launch will make it to the end of their first year.

Very few podcasts are overnight successes, and most take time to build and develop meaningful audiences. So it's sad to see so much effort fade away (or 'podfade') to 6 episodes gathering dust on an unpromoted RSS feed.

For a business to commit to the development and launch of a podcast, is no small undertaking. So investing in a process that is sustainable is a key part of long-term success.

One big reason is that many businesses or organizations look internally to an already busy team. Someone may already have a mic, another person may have experience with a hobby podcast.

Adding the complex production cycle of a podcast to their ongoing roles will work fine in the first few months. Enthusiasm is high and buy in from everyone will drive it.

Not all the time, but most of the time, eventually the reality sets in. The research, pre-production, booking, editing, audio design and promotion can be a full-time job. Podcast stats are nuanced and having an ill-defined idea of what success should look like only makes it harder to maintain.

It's understandable why you'd walk away from the mic.

That's why we believe in taking the time to understand a client and building a process to suit them is essential to success. We have launched or supported nearly 40 shows and not one client gets the same service.

It's the only way to develop a long term, defined podcast strategy that meets expectations and stays the course.

We love to help our clients develop a sustainable workflow, that allows them to make an awesome podcast. Please reach out if you’d like to have a chat.