By Eli Natinsky
Thank you to Doug Downs, president of Stories and Strategies, for leading “Why Most Podcasts Fail (And How Yours Can Succeed)” in March for IABC DC Metro.
Doug is a podcast producer specializing in podcast development, analytics, and marketing. His company, Stories and Strategies, makes professional podcasts and videos for clients worldwide.
“The fortune seekers of our time in podcasting dig into microphones,” said Doug, comparing these communicators to the miners of the California gold rush. “They start their podcasts with grand visions of instant success only to quit before they find their first real audience. The ones who keep going, who refine their craft and improve their message and persist even when the numbers aren’t there are the ones who will find what everyone else is searching for.”
Why then do some podcasts falter while other flourish? Doug offered these takeaways during the webinar:
1) Workload: A lot of people think podcasting is only a matter of turning on a microphone and pressing record. However, there’s much more work that needs to be carried out. When done well, there’s a lot of planning and promotion required.
2) Immediate Results: It can be hard to find a consistent audience. Your broadcast has to be outstanding, and you also need to remind people that it exists.
3) Solid Show Concept: A lot of independent podcasts don’t have a solid show concept, and that’s because they don’t have a notion that’s appealing. A good show should compel listeners to click play.
A) Art: It’s important to create good podcast art. Ask yourself: When scrolling through a streaming service like Netflix or Hulu, what percentage of your decision to watch a show is based on the graphic?
B) Title/Biography: Your title and biography are important, and they should appeal to the eye. Episode titles are also important — a listener might not take in an entire episode, but they’ll give it a shot if it seems interesting.
C) Search Engine Optimized (SEO): Your show’s title also has to be configured for SEO along with your bio, as the algorithms in Spotify and Apple Podcasts are historic — they’re not as advanced as search engines like Google or Bing. These platforms don’t consider sentiment, but rather they are keyword-based. For example, if your podcast is about peanut butter then you need to have “peanut butter” in the title.
D) Organic Support: You’ve got to earn organic support in that you need to have a show that people recommend to one another. A recommendation is the most powerful form of promotion, and you do that by making listeners feel special and part of the community.
E) Garnering Attention: You need to grab a listener’s attention fast. You get 0.3 seconds to earn three seconds to earn 30 seconds to earn three minutes to earn 30 minutes. You need a lot of hooks every step along the way. The 0.3 seconds might be your art, the 30 seconds might be the title of your show, the 30 seconds might be technical values of your podcast or how you started it off. Doug suggests telling a story at the beginning as anecdotes tend to draw in folks.
F) Chapters: The goal of your episode should be to build 10 minute chapters. In a 30 minute episode, three chapters are each roughly 10 minutes.
A proven format:
▪️ Grabber: Story, statistic, or soundbite
▪️ Narrative: What’s the episode about?
▪️ Three segments (or chapters) that align with the narrative: This is the core of each episode.
▪️ Restate the narrative
▪️ Call to action or cymbal crash
If this sounds familiar, that’s because it’s the outline Chuck Lorre uses in his sitcoms. Lorre is the creative force behind “The Big Bang Theory,” “Two and a Half Men,” “Young Sheldon,” and other successful TV programs.
4) Plant Seeds to Build a Listening Habit Around Your Show:
A) Consistency: Be sure to publish a new episode on a certain day and time. You might decide to publish every two weeks on a Tuesday morning.
B) Accessibility: Build a community, not an audience. Be sure to respond personally if someone leaves a kind message about your show on social media.
“You’re not trying to create a habit for your audience, you’re trying to fit into one they already have,” Doug said. “People are already listening to a podcast when they go to the gym, when they walk their dog, or when they do the dishes — you want to be that podcast.”
5) Clear Niche:
A) Broad: People won’t know what your show is about if it’s too broad. For instance, it’s not enough for a show to be about “people” — it needs to be about specific types or groups of people.
B) Generic: Narrow down your subject matter and lean into your strengths to avoid sounding like everybody else’s podcast.
C) Successful Shows Solve a Specific Problem for a Specific Audience: You can expand into other topics once you grow a sizable audience, but early on you need to be specific.
6) Marketing:
A) Proactivity: The “Field of Dreams” idea that “If you build it, they will come” only works in that movie. There are millions of podcasts, so it’s not enough just to create a show — you need to do more to attract an audience.
B) Email List: Keep an email list and let subscribers know when a new episode has dropped.
C) Partnerships: Look for opportunities to partner with other podcasts. Ask other hosts to mention your program on their show and you do the same for them.
D) Repurposing of Content: Try incorporating portions of an episode into short audio/video clips and social media posts. Or, publish the transcript. Or, publish an e-mail newsletter highlighting what was in your podcast.
7) Audio/Video Quality:
A) Audio: Poor sound is an instant turnoff and it will drive people away. It doesn’t necessarily need to be perfect, but it the sound needs to at least be decent.
B) Mic/Background Noise/Inconsistent Volume: Poor microphone technique can also be detrimental. Don’t be afraid to get close to the mic.
C) Lighting: If your podcast is also on video, you need quality lighting.
8) Consistency:
A) Momentum: Skipping weeks or months between episodes hinders initiative. Doug compares starting a new podcast to joining a gym. Many people make a New Year’s resolution to stay fit, making for a crowded workout space in January. However, attendance tapers off in February, and the place is nearly empty by March.
B) Content Calendar: If you’re not planning content weeks or even months ahead of time, then you’re going to run out of ideas quickly.
9) Confidence/Ability:
A) Ability: Some hosts sound awkward or robotic or they speak in a monotone, and some don’t make sense when they’re talking.
B) Confidence: New podcasters often compare themselves to professionals, making them feel inadequate. The solution to being a better host is to practice and relax, but also to review your content. Make a habit of listening to your episodes a month, or even two months later. At that point, you’ll be removed enough to take it in as an audience member, and you’ll be able to consider the broadcast more objectively.
10) Leverage All Opportunities:
A) Guest’s Audience: Be sure to tap into your guest’s audience, as it’s an easy way to receive exposure. Perhaps a guest would be willing to share his/her email list or promote the episode on their social media or website.
B) Call to Action (CTA): Ask your listeners to subscribe, review, or share the podcast. Also, weaving listener feedback into your broadcast is another way to build community.
Thank you again to Doug for hosting IABC DC Metro’s recent event and for providing excellent insights on podcasting. To learn more about Doug and Stories and Strategies, visit: storiesandstrategies.ca.
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Eli Natinsky is a public affairs specialist, and an IABC DC Metro board member.