When Your Podcast Isn't Working.....
When Your Podcast Isn't Working.....
It's been 500 episodes and yet...
If you’re new to this newsletter, this edition will be different. I have more to say than usual, and the typical “Here is what I’ve been up to” with tons of links will be out Friday.
500 Episodes Later, The Podcast Is Not Working
So I released episode 500 of the Podcast Rodeo Show, and it dawned on my that the goal of the show was to inspire people to join the School of Podcasting, or have people hire me as a consultant. I get somewhere between 1200-2000 downloads a month, and I’ve had somewhere in the low double-digits (10-20) people hire me in any capacity. I could say this show failed.
It’s only a failure if I stop.
So, I discussed this situation with the Rodeo audience and members of the School of Podcasting. Ralph from Ask Ralph (accounting advice with a Christian Perspective) mentioned I should throw in a free month to the School of Podcasting with the purchase of a review. I liked that idea, but I needed a way so that the subscription would stop (and it would be a free month). Working in tech support, trust me when I say people buy something thinking it is a one-time purchase and find out there is a monthly subscription tied to it - it doesn’t go over well. It’s something I’m looking into.
Advice = Please Agree With Everything I’ve Done To This Point
When people look for advice, they often just want you to agree with everything they’ve done up to this point. I understand, but we are often too close to the forest to see the trees. I grab a random podcast on The Podcast Rodeo Show and see how long I can hang on. Then, I take my 19 years of podcasting and give you the HONEST first impression. So you get opinions like:
I listened to Lebron James’ podcast and made it 10 minutes in, but I never heard Lebron (aside from a pointless clip at the beginning).
I’m not interested in your guest’s story 99% of the time. I was hoping you could get to the meat of the interview that benefits me.
Witty banter that lets us know how your week went is often great at the show's end, where your superfans listen.
When the show first started, I was a bit more like Simon Cowell on American Idol. I softened up, but I’ve heard people say, “I’m afraid to go on that show.” I ALWAYS point out when someone has a good show (the bar isn’t set that high), but yet they are afraid. The last thing I want as a teacher or consultant is for people to be afraid of me.
The Problems With the Podcast Rodeo Show
The show originated as a “test show,” and I never planned to have it go on and on. Hence, I priced my review at $5 as I had never used Fiverr. The problem with this low price is perceived value. When you undercharge your service, people jump to the “it can’t be any good at that price” mentality.
While I have considerably softened my feedback, criticizing someone’s art will not ultimately win you many friends. While I ADORE feedback (I’m a teacher and always looking to learn), this may not be an attitude everyone shares with me.
The fact that you are getting critiqued in PUBLIC makes it worse. I have had consulting available since day one. I even have time-shifted coaching. While I get coaching clients, very few, if any, list the Podcast Rodeo show as how they found me. When I spoke with my friend David Hooper from Big Podcast, he mentioned how they did a “Demo Derby” segment on his Music Business Radio show to get the audience involved. In the end, that wasn’t a great strategy.
What Are My Options?
I could keep doing what I’m doing. It is a fun show, but I could use my time to work on new projects, like the Your Podcast Website show that is about to launch.
Realize that critiquing podcasts (and praising, but nobody remembers the praise) while labeling yourself as a helpful coach is a weird mix. Maybe it’s time to learn what I can from this and stop producing new episodes.
Rebrand the show (the name requires an explanation as it’s NOT about the Rodeo), come up with a new price, and give away a free month of the School of Podcasting as part of the review order (and this includes all the perks). And I only do the show if someone pays me (giving me my time back).
So Why Am I Sharing This?
If your podcast isn’t giving you what you want, there are other options than quitting. Most good ideas were not born straight out of your head. You came up with an idea, and somebody said, “But what if you did this…” And you went, “YES!”
Also, you’ll notice I know what my WHY is. I want people to hire me. I feel I deliver a service; people have told me they learned a lot from my show. That’s good. My audience is winning. But as I say, you burn out if you don’t get your WHY. I like this show. I believe in this show, but I need to find the people who TRULY want some feedback on their show and are willing to do it in public. (I often point out that my audience will disagree with me if I don’t like a show).
If you hate doing the show, then quit. Life is too short. But if you’re just not 100% hitting all cylinders, maybe it’s time to try a different strategy, format, or style and see what happens. Also, remember (as many people overlook this) that it is OK to get paid for fun.
If you still have the passion, it’s only a failure if you quit. If you keep going, it was a lesson.
I vote to keep learning, keep going, and keep serving.
Thoughts?
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