This featured article is brought to you by: Kayla Wells, Agency Owner & Podcast Strategist
No matter if you’ve had a podcast for 10 years or 10 minutes, there will come a time when you question whether or not you want to keep going. Likely if you’ve had a podcast for 10 years you’ll already know some of these tips, because you’ve really been in it for the long haul. But, if you find yourself in a slump then perhaps you need to revisit the key factor in podcast sustainability and growth.
Having fun!
That’s right. It all comes down to enjoying what you’re doing. Because you are more likely to keep doing things when you’re having fun doing them.
When you think of your podcast, or content creation in general, what’s the first thing you feel? Are you excited? Are you giddy about sharing your knowledge and expertise with the world and can’t wait to get going?
Or are you feeling like it’s all been said, all been done, and what do I even have to talk about?
If you’re feeling more of that second one, then it might be time to do a podcast overhaul and dig deeper into your why, your goals, and what it is that still lights you up in your podcast and your business.
Because podcasting is a lot of work. Owning a business is a lot of work. However you should still be able to wake up each day excited to get to do what you’re doing. Not every day is cupcakes and rainbows, but as long as 80-85% of the time you feel like you’re right where you need to be, then things are good.
So you may be wondering, okay… I’m not having fun anymore. Now what? Do I just quit and call it a day?
Absolutely not!
Your podcast is meant to support your business without hijacking your life. Instead, it’s time to find the root cause of the issue and make changes. Because podcasting is not a one-size fits all. Your show is yours for a reason and it should fit your needs, not the other way around.
Here are three steps to take when you stop having fun:
Still not super clear on HOW to do this? Let’s break this down a little bit more.
When you’re feeling a certain kind of way about something in your business, it usually points to a deeper issue. If you give yourself the time and space to just let everything out, no judgment, just words, you’ll be able to more quickly get to the root cause of the problem.
Give yourself 5 to 15 minutes to just sit down and write about anything and everything that you’re feeling regarding your podcast.
Write it all out. Until you can’t think of anything else regarding your show and your feelings. This is not meant to be grammatically correct. You can write in stops and starts. You don’t need to finish sentences. Just let it all out.
Next you need to take another 10 to 20 minutes to go through what you wrote. You may actually want to take a step away and come back to this step after an hour, a few hours, a day. Give yourself some space from the emotion dump until you evaluate what it all means.
As you review what you wrote, you’ll start to see themes. These themes will likely range anywhere from issues with the messaging, time taken, lack of growth, a desire to spend less time on one area or another, guest management issues… take your pick. But there will be themes that come out of the emotions.
Those themes point to the underlying causes of your discontent with your show. But they will also show you all the things you still love about your show. Let’s not forget, you let out ALL the emotions. The good and the bad. So you should see themes indicating things you want to do more of.
Now that you’ve identified the themes behind the emotions, it’s time to make some changes. This part might feel overwhelming but it should also feel like breathing new life into your podcast! Once you’ve decided on a plan of action the overwhelming emotion you’ll likely feel is relief!
What kinds of solutions could you enact?
Perhaps your main issue has to do with the amount of time you’re spending on guest management and recording. There are several things you can do to switch this up. Perhaps you start doing more solo shows to reduce the guest management hours you’re spending. Maybe you reduce the number of episodes you release each month. You could also consider starting to do seasons rather than releasing week after week to give yourself a break each quarter.
If you’ve found that you’re tired of your content, maybe it’s time to take a look at your messaging overall. Are there things you haven’t talked about? Have there been changes in your industry that might mean updating some older episodes? Maybe it’s time to start repackaging older episodes to give them a new twist.
Remember, this content is meant to be evergreen. It’s not like social media where you’ve recorded it, released it, and now it’s gone off into the ether. Keep using your old content for promotional purposes.
One last thing to consider is switching up your episode structure. Every added element is one more responsibility that lands in your lap. If you’re tired of so much recording, maybe go back to basics. If you’re tired of the same old same old with each episode, perhaps you switch it up and add new elements. Have fun with your episodes!
You may have heard this phrase before, but podcasting is not just long-form content, it’s a long-game content strategy. The more episodes you release, the more your show will grow. The faster you release episodes, the faster you’ll grow. Provided you promote your show.
However, there are many reasons to start and grow a podcast that have nothing to do with increasing the number of listens for each episode.
As you consider the changes you’re looking to make with your show, remember to always go back to your specific and unique goals. Why did you start your show? What purpose was it meant to serve within your business?
I ask this because some people start podcasts just to create connections. Others want to build authority by providing a resource to potential clients. Still others are looking to grow as quickly as possible to use their podcast as an additional source of direct revenue. And on and on.
Podcasting is a versatile medium that allows business owners to provide a litany of solutions to their clients and listeners. Growth does not have to mean more listeners. It could mean a more engaged audience. It could mean more curated content.
But the longer you podcast the more likely you are to reach those goals so long as you take the time to bring it back to basics and evaluate your show.
To wrap it all up, remember that you started your podcast with a plan and sometimes plans change. Make it a habit to re-review your goals, your messaging, and your podcasting plan at least twice per year so that podcasting stays fun.
Your podcast is a fun marketing vehicle designed to give you all the content you need to be in all the appropriate places without creating new things all day every day.
Keep it fun by giving yourself permission to try new things, shake things up, and tweak and test as you go. Your podcast is not set in stone. The way you’ve always done it is not the way it has to be done. Plan, execute, evaluate… and when appropriate… make a new plan!
Happy Podcasting!
This featured article is brought to you by: Kayla Wells, Agency Owner & Podcast Strategist
Kayla Wells is a Podcast Strategist and Manager and the founder of KWells Companies, LLC, a podcast management and marketing agency for professionals. KWells Companies LLC helps support professionals turned small business owners meet their growth and visibility goals through the power of podcasting.
Kayla has been supporting online business owners since 2019. She started out as a VA and quickly realized that she had a love of copywriting and creating systems that talk. Creating efficiency is 100% her jam. When a friend in the online space created her first online course helping VAs become podcast managers, Kayla knew she’d found her niche. Podcasting ties in everything she loves about copywriting and tech and presents a unique opportunity to lean into creating strategic marketing plans. She now helps her clients reach their goals through strategic podcast plans that support their lives and their businesses. Her clients are able to hit record knowing that the KWells Companies team will handle the rest.
>>>>>> Hitting a roadblock when it comes to the numbers & metrics for your podcast? Grab Kayla’s FREE Podcast Audit Checklist here to learn what data to pull, how to read the numbers, and how you can (and should) inform your future content and promotion.
>>>>>> Ready to take a hands off approach to managing & producing your podcast? Learn more about Kayla’s Podcast Management Services here or discover more about her Podcast Consulting Services here.
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