In this episode, we are looking at a less discussed topic – Why Podcasts fail and we will also look at how to fix them or, find a solution for these so that you don’t fail and quit podcasting.
Podcasting is one of the most effective forms of content marketing and there is no question about it. Better engagement, longer audience retention, and a growth trajectory, all show that the kind of impact you can make with a podcast is second to none.
With the creator economy in full bloom and a lot of people making content creation a full-time income source, there are a lot of people getting started with podcasting too.
But the sad part of the story is that there are a lot of people who are facing pod fade. Almost at the same rate at which people are getting started.
Podfade is a phenomenon where a podcasters starts a podcast and after a few episodes stop producing episodes gradually or, suddenly leaving the podcast feed to go stale and eventually die.
Statistics show that about 75% of podcasts face pod fade in less than 3 months of starting and about 92% of podcasters quit in about 6 months of starting their podcast.
This could be attributed to quite a few reasons, including the usual hype around things that suddenly become a trend.
Take for example what happened with Blogging.
It was the same hype that destroyed blogging to some extent. People became overnight sensations and started showing off their money checks online. This made a ton of people jump onto the bandwagon expecting to become rich overnight.
But when they saw what it entails, they quit.
.. and then every one of them who quit spread the news that “blogging doesn’t work” which destroyed the entire blogosphere to some extent before it kind of came back on track.
Nevertheless…
The fault is not only with the people who create the hype. But also with those who think they can be overnight sensations.
The quest for “easy everything” – easy money, easy fame, easy success is what takes people down that rabbit hole to eventually find themselves in the mess they get into and then quit.
In this episode, I am going to talk about the 5 main reasons why podcasts fail, why people quit podcasting eventually resulting in pod fade, and how you could fix it.
So this episode is for both, people who are getting started off so that you start off the right way and for people who are already into podcasting but are at a juncture where they aren’t sure which way to go.
Reasons why Podcasts Fail and Podcasters Quit
The internet is a deceptive place to be in if you are in it to make money. Most of what you see is fake and everybody and their dog boasts of success on the internet.
The fact, that starting an online business involves very less investment and the fact that things can go viral overnight making somebody a star, are all lucrative returns for the naive.
They jump in, throw away a lot of money and find that things aren’t working.
This is something you will see in podcasting too. Podcasting is projected as the easiest form of content creation – all you need to do is pick up your phone, record an episode and publish it to become a star Radio Jockey, though the truth is far from that.
People do fall for it and it is this group that forms the largest part of the podcasters who quit.
But then, there are certain basic foundational issues as well which is the reason why podcasts fail. Let us look at each one of them in a little detail.
Starting without an Objective
It is important to understand and accept the fact that podcasting is a time-consuming activity just like anything else. It is not a scheme to get rich quickly or, to become famous fast.
And when you take up any such activity, it is important that you be very clear about why you want to do it.
You take up running to stay fit.
You take up healthy eating to lose weight.
You take up stand-up comedy to entertain people and make money with it.
Similarly, when you take up podcasting, there has to be an objective and a purpose.
What are you trying to achieve?
When you start something without an objective, you don’t really know where you are going and why you are going there.
There is not enough motivation to keep pushing you to do it and no reason why you would want to continue it after a certain point.
It isn’t up there on your priority list and it will soon fall off your list too.
The end result is pod fade.
So if you are starting off, spend a few hours figuring out the reason why you are starting your podcast.
What is your objective and what do you want to achieve with it?
These are questions you need to answer first even before you get into the details of how to get started with your podcast.
Picking a Niche that is too narrow
This is another major reason why podcasts fail.
People just start a podcast because they like that topic and they think they can talk about it for a while.
But then how long is that “while” and how many people other than you are really interested in that topic.
While niching down is an important part of staying relevant and beating the competition, it is also important to understand that the niche needs to have an audience.
A lot of podcasters just pick a niche because that is something that they felt will do good. And they get started without doing any research into the niche.
If your niche is too narrow and you don’t really have a plan on what content you are going to produce, then it is unlikely that you will stay there in the long run.
Keep in mind that podcasting isn’t about creating 10-15 episodes and then counting the cash. Some podcasters spent years before they could call themselves successful.
The curve to success has considerably reduced with all of the resources and awareness around podcasting, yet the fact is it takes time to succeed at podcasting.
Hence, you need to be ready to churn out content for at least the next 3 years.
If your niche is too narrow and you are finding it difficult to find an audience, find enough content or, find a good guest, then slightly broaden your niche.
If you think, you cannot broaden your niche or, your niche is something where there is no audience at all (which is highly unlikely), then go back to the drawing board and start afresh.
You have NO interest in the Topic
This is another big reason for pod fade.
Content generation needs two core things.
First, the topic needs to be something you are really interested in and second, you need to have the interest to learn new things and keep learning.
When you enter the content generation game, if the topic that you pick is of your interest, you automatically get into that learning mode and start to learn more about it.
This then helps you keep generating content.
But if you aren’t interested in the topic, then there is a high chance that you will not be interested in learning more about it as well.
And when you don’t learn, you will face a dearth of content.
Lack of interest, lack of content, and lack of knowledge will eventually lead to pod fade.
The Overwhelm around Podcasting
Podcasting, just like most other content creation methods, involves a lot of work.
Recording, editing, finding guests, scheduling interviews, recording interviews, promotions, distribution, and whatnot.
Now with so many things to do, overwhelm is normal.
Add to it the many things that people talk about on the internet, and their fake success stories and you have an excellent recipe for disaster.
Usually, when you start off something thinking that it is easy and that you can click a few buttons and become a star overnight, you end up getting frustrated with all of the overwhelm.
But if you start off with the right frame of mind then, it is very unlikely that you aren’t prepared for what is in store and hence you won’t feel burdened.
If you are at a point where you are feeling extremely overwhelmed, then take a break.
Write down every one of the activities that you have to do. Plan it out and organize it for specific days. Combine similar activities for a single day so that you are free on some of the days.
Another thing that I recommend is to create templates and frameworks so that your work is simplified. Simplifying your work is the easiest way of getting rid of overwhelm.
The Quest for Perfection
Every podcaster, when he is starting off wants to sound like the next Sean Connery. And there starts his quest for perfection.
One of the things that most podcasters keep struggling with is in creating the perfect sounding audio.
Content creation is not about perfection. It is about value.
So, don’t stress yourself about editing and creating the perfect piece of content.
If your content is only half-perfect but delivers high on value then it is good enough. Go ahead and publish it.
There are two things that this quest for perfection leads to – overwhelm and stress, and procrastination.
Keep in mind that your objective is to put that content out there and not polish it and make it shine so much that it can go into the British Museum.
Conclusion
While these are 5 primary reasons why podcasts fail and people quit podcasting, there are other reasons as well, which we can cover in a later episode.
If you are stuck with your show because of any of these or, any other reasons, then my upcoming podcasting workshop is for you.
Join me for a 2 hours podcasting workshop where I will show you how to put together a podcasting strategy and get started with your podcast the right way.
If you are stuck and want to talk to someone about how to get unstuck, then you can book a 1×1 consultation with me at a very nominal price.
Resources that I recommend
Here are some of the resources that I use and recommend to all podcasters who are getting started.
- Microphone – Blue Yeti
- Podcast Hosting – Hubhopper (FREE hosting)
- Podcast Hosting – Acast (Premium)
- Transcripts – Descript
- Boom Arm
- Audio Interface – Behringer
Thank You for Joining
Thank you for joining me on this episode.
I hope you enjoyed the tips I spoke about today and that it will help you do better in podcasting.
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If you are new to podcasting, you might want to join my FREE “basics of Podcasting” ecourse to learn more about getting started
