How to Prevent Podcast Failure
You've been creating and posting your podcast but things aren't taking off they way you expected. Is it because your podcast will never take off and you need to let it go? Or maybe you just need to give it more time!
There's a lot that goes into creating a successful podcast and it can be really easy to lose sight of why you started in the first place. But when you fear podcast failure, whether it is a good idea to persevere or let it go depends on a few things. Here at GGC we always say to make sure you are giving it your best shot and to remember success doesn't always come easy. So let's talk more about why your podcast may not be taking off and how to prevent podcast failure!
Podfade
One, very common, issue that causes podcast failure is ‘Podfading’. What does that mean? Podfading, essentially, is when a creator stops their podcast all of a sudden, or seemingly out of the blue! This is not the same as podcasts that was only meant to have a set number of shows/ or a limited series.
The podcast was not intended to end but production stopped, therefore, resulting in viewers losing interest. Because of this, even if the creator wants to start back up they have to start from scratch. Which can result in podcast failure. Why might this happen?
Well there is a plethora of reasons that a creator may end their show. You may lose focus, for whatever reason. Maybe you had your podcasts’ planned for the first 2 months and after those plans were used it became difficult to think of new ideas.
Often times consistency can be the issue. This goes in tandem with losing focus. If you are not planning out your episodes, at least to the point of recording and posting regularly, it can be really easy to lose focus. Before you know it you haven’t posted an episode in over a month and all of your viewers are gone. This feeling of failure may push you further into a rut – making it hard to think of new topics and giving up all together.
Sometimes it is as simple as, you just were not into it to begin with. It is really important, when starting a podcast, to have a solid ‘why’. Why are you starting this show in the first place? Are you passionate about a specific subject, helping others learn, speaking with guests, etc? Not everyone has the same passion and you definitely don’t have to have a specific topic in mind. That being said, having a solid ‘why’ is necessary to make sure you are passionate enough to put in the work. Think “Why does this podcast matter to you?”
While creating a podcast is really fun it is also a lot of work!
Workload
One major reason for podcast failure, that goes in tandem with podfading, is the massive workload that it can be! Not only do you have to come up with ideas, questions, guests, etc. You also have to record the show, do an intro/outro, edit, post, and more as we've discussed in our blog "Are you Ready to Start a Podcast". If you are working hard for viewers you are likely doing additional work on social media, blogs, etc. This is no light load for any individual and the more shows you produce the more work you have!
As you can see, this is lots of work that can be hard to keep up with. It may seem easy at times to give into podcast failure when the to list feels longer than you can manage. It can be really easy to lose your focus, become inconsistent, or burn out!
Expectations
Setting your expectations before starting is important in order to avoid podcast failure. Even if you have already started, taking a step back and re-evaluating your expectations can make a difference. The podcast journey is a marathon, not a sprint. More often than not, you will be posting shows, with little attention, until one day it takes off. This can be months down the line or a year!
Not only setting clear expectations on the workload and viewership but also on money is huge! Maybe you created the podcast for fun but were hoping it would bring in money. Even if you created it to become a full income - it can become easy to feel like you're failing when the podcast doesn't bring in immediate income. You have to put in work to monetize your podcast. Even if you are making money from subscribers only, you have to build up your viewers to make an impact.
When the workload doesn't let up and money isn't coming in, you may want to give up! This is a huge culprit for podcast failure. But you likely are giving up too soon! The Podcast Host goes further into detail on this and shows a creator who had close to no viewers for the first 18 months! Overnight success is far-fetched and those who came to fame were likely working for months if not years behind the scenes. But with patience and consistency, you can become successful!
How to Avoid Podcast Failure
We’ve gone over a few reasons for podcast failure. At the end of the day, it’s more so because the creator gave up and let their show ‘podfade’. First and foremost it’s important to remember, this takes time!
So take a step back, make sure this is something you are passionate about, layout the workload and set clear expectations for yourself. Once you’ve done that go ahead and plan out your work! We suggest doing a high level plan for the year or at least 6 months. You can get more detailed month by month but this way you can keep yourself accountable and stay up to date on tasks. Most importantly, the goal is to catch yourself before you get too far behind to manage.
Once you’ve made a plan for yourself, stay consistent! Get your episodes recorded ahead of time and if you’ll be on vacation record episodes for while you’re away. Your viewers don’t want to guess when your show is coming out, make it easy for them to return!
With hard work and consistency your viewers will come and with viewers you can start to monetize and create cash flow.
Conclusion
Unless your podcast really is just for fun and something you do on the side – view this as a job! Make sure you have a ‘why’, something you are passionate about. And give yourself room for mistakes – missing one episode won’t result in podcast failure. But giving up will!
And remember, if this is your passion, but you don’t have the time/energy to do all of the work of editing, planning, etc. we are here to help! Let us help you drive your passion and reach the masses.
Hav
This blog post was updated November 28th, 2023
