Most people start their podcast on the right foot – with lots of excitement and research under their belt. They buy the right equipment, and they have a foundational grasp of what a good podcast looks like.
But 1 or 2 years later that initial enthusiasm is stuck in quicksand.
Can you relate?
As of August 2024, there are over 4.3 million podcasts out there and over 464 million podcast listeners worldwide. There’s an audience for everyone, so why do most podcasts go nowhere?
The Biggest Mistake Most Podcasters Make
When I read the 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind, always stuck with me as one of the most important habits.
Often, when it comes to marketing, there’s a prevailing mindset that we “should” do something and we never ask ourselves why we’re doing it. “Well, my competitor has a podcast” or “my kids told me I should have a podcast” don’t answer the fundamental question: What are you trying to do? What is the end objective that you’re trying to achieve?
Are you trying to:
- Sell your goods and services?
- Build trust, authority, and awareness around your business?
- Develop and establish your personal brand?
- Become a thought leader in your industry?
By beginning with the end in mind, you know where you’re going, what you need to do to get there and how success will be measured.
The beauty of knowing your end objective means that you don’t have to worry about superfluous details. For example, most people who pay attention to their analytics are worried about their topline numbers. How many people are listening and for how long?
But unless your goal is to be a thought leader or to build your personal brand, then you don’t need millions of listeners. You need the right listeners.
Let’s say your business is a niche product for a niche market. You wouldn’t expect this podcast to be as popular as someone discussing self-help topics, personal finance, or pop culture.
But for your podcast to be successful, you don’t need a wide audience; you need the right audience.
When you know your end objective, you can plan how to get there – and you can stay focused on the metrics that matter when its time to evaluate success.
Taking the Right Next Step
Whether you are new to the world of podcasting or already have an established podcast, I encourage you to consider your end objective and then judge the success of your podcast by the quality of reach, not necessarily the quantity.
Having an external, objective, and unbiased sounding board always helps. Want to brainstorm ideas? Call (813) 355-0036 ext. 1 to reach me directly.
