Month: November 2022

Take A Break….?

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So, this article was written on November 25th when we're starting to think about Christmas in all it's forms - including taking time off. 

So, we want to talk about taking a break from your podcast.

There are a lot of podcasts that don't make any new content during August, and again during December, and we get a lot of questions about whether this is the right course or not.

Now, you will have heard us say this on a couple of occasions, but there are no firm rules on this.

If you feel that creating content during the summer (and festive) months might be a little too hard with everything else in your life jostling for your time and attention - it's fine to take a break.

What's unclear is whether or not podcast listening declines during the summer. From personal research, there is certainly a drop in business podcasts over the festive period in December, when people reset and spend time away from work.

So - the decision to take a break is a very personal one

If you do decide to take a break with your podcast, there are a couple of things that we'd like you to bear in mind..

First of all, plan ahead. Let the audience know.

Use the intro of your final episode before the break to announce that the podcast is going to be taking a break. If you can, tell the listener the specific date when it's going to be coming back - at the very least, the rough part of the month "...we'll be back at the end of September"

By doing this, you are strengthening the bond between you and listener. You are showing that you are thinking about them when you take a break and, by announcing it it feels, to the listener at least, that they are included in the process - and that increases their trust in you, and your content.

Also - and so many podcasters don't do this - keep marketing your podcast whilst you're away.

If you're in a position to be taking a break from your podcast, that must mean that you've got some episodes already published.

Just like we mentioned in another article - don't let them die because they're not the 'new episode'

Schedule some social media posts (with links!) reminder people about the great episodes that they can still listen to, whilst getting excited about when the new episode drops.

So - in summary...

Taking a break is fine, but keep the listener (fans!) informed and make sure that your podcast isn't out of sight, out of mind. Keep talking about it!

Going Down The YouTube Tube

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We want to talk about YouTube.

"But wait!" we hear you say, "Isn't YouTube all about the looky-eye stuff, rather than the luggy-ears stuff?"

Well - yes and no.

YouTube is definitely the premier video sharing and social media platform. It has 2.1 billion active monthly users and there is 452,000 hours of content being uploaded every single day. Mainly videos of either cats doing funny things, or couples pranking one another.

So - where does podcasting come into all of this?

Well, when it comes to podcasting so many people know about Apple Podcasts and Spotify - but it might surprise you to know that YouTube is the 3rd most popular way for people to find podcasts.

A lot of this was down to when YouTube Premium came along, and people could lock their phones - and still listen to the audio on YouTube.

So, if you've ever asked the question 'Should I have my podcast on YouTube?' more and more the answer should be a resounding 'Yes!'

Now, this is where a lot of people go pale and start to shake, and begin to mumble about seeing themselves on camera...

We see you and we hear you.

Thankfully, putting your podcast onto YouTube doesn't mean having to appear in front of a camera, or be filmed - if you don't want.

I know that some of you are already on YouTube, and that some of you are also in-vision for your episodes - that's great, if it works for you.

If you want your podcast on YouTube, but don't want to appear on camera, or you think that your guests would balk at the idea of being on camera; there's plenty that you can do.

If you're using a Windows PC, you'll have Windows Movie Maker. If you have a Mac, you'll have iMovie.

Both of these are relatively intuitive programs to use. You import the audio of your podcast, drag in the cover image of your episode, and drag the image to last the length of your podcast - Hey Presto! Your podcast is now a video and can be uploaded to YouTube.

There is also the web app Headliner which allows you to create audiograms for your podcast. That's the free version. For just a few quid a month, you can create full-length audiograms. This is something that we can help with.

It genuinely is that easy.

To start your YouTube channel, all you need is an account - or a Gmail account -  and that's it. Doesn't cost you a thing.

So, for no cost, you can get your podcast onto Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. That's a huge potential audience.

It's a little bit more work, but it's definitely worth it if you're serious about growing your podcast.

If you want to talk about making sure that your podcast gets onto YouTube, we should talk. Get in touch here