The Long Bell Curve of Podcasting

All good things take time...and some good things last.

This article is inspired by a chat I had with Molly of Steady Parade Consulting. We were chatting about how, most of the time, podcasting is a long game. I always tell my prospective clients that, unfortunately, podcasting is not the field of dreams. Indeed, if you build it, they will come. BUT, you’re gonna need a little (or a lotta) patience, strategy, marketing, connection, collaboration, and a growth + faith mindset.

Molly gave me an added perspective: If indeed it is true that it can take time to see ROI from a podcast, everything you’ve built to see that ROI (the consistency, connection, amazing content, etc) will last a long while.

How can we maximize these lasting effects?

• Follow up with and keep in contact with connections, whether it be guests, peers, audience members, community members, fellow thought leaders, etc!

• Utilize your past catalogue. Don’t let those amazing, evergreen episodes gather dust! Make playlists, repackage, repurpose, reference…you get the idea!

• Strategize and optimize SEO that’s been building in your favor. Time is on your side with SEO, but don’t set it and forget it. Adjust and retool.

• Make it known that you’ve been at it for a while…most podcasts don’t make it past 10 episodes. You have the experience, and you’ve grown and improved a lot! If you don’t believe me, just check out your first few episodes 😉

• Study and get to know your audience. The stats are great, but have you really gotten to know your audience? Can you connect in a community? One-on-one? Let’s make podcasting a two/multi-way convo!

• So much more!

I’m always delighted to see my clients’ podcasts continue to thrive and drive success to their businesses even when they’re on a break or no longer publishing episodes.

It can take 6 months, a year, or heck, even longer to get things rolling, but once your podcast is rocking, it can offer invaluable long-term benefits!

Where social media posts are a pop song that’s here then gone, your podcast episodes are as timeless and lasting as an Elton John, Led Zeppelin, or 💙Dolly Parton💙 song.

Thanks for reading!

-Zack