In this post I want to share my thoughts about seemingly attractive podcasting opportunities I have spotted recently. A company will approach you with their offer – host your own radio show. Or maybe they refer to it as a podcast but the approach is the same. They are very alluring but you need to go in with your eyes wide open. Yes, yes I know that is much easier said than done. That’s why I have written this post for you.It’s hard to know what you don’t know, and podcasting is no exception. I strongly believe that having a strategic podcast is a great asset to your business and is an excellent platform to demonstrate your expert authority.
There are plenty of different ways in which you can launch a podcast.
You can take the Do It Yourself route.Or, you can work with an agency style team, where you are one of a number of newbies launching a show.
A more personal option would be to get individual, personal attention from me as I guide you through my 3 step podcast launch process that takes you “From Fuzzy Idea To Polished Podcast”.There is also a range of internet radio broadcasting companies eager to attract your business. They will typically market their offer as host your own radio show.And there are plenty of other options. You get the idea.There is plenty of choice, but choice can be difficult when you don’t know what you don’t know.Last week a company cropped up in 2 different conversations, and I wanted to share the story, and my thoughts here. I won’t name the company, because they are no different than several others in a similar space. Lets call them “Company X”Related:
Discover The Strategic Podcast World That Is Right For You Invited To Host Your Own Radio Show?
These offers can be very alluring and may seem to be an easy way to have a podcast. But are they suitable for you?2 different women had been guests on different podcasts recently, and some press releases had gone out. Both women were approached by Company X to see if they were interested in launching their own radio show on their platform.It all sounded very appealing.
Of course the company would do everything. They offered a package of shows (might have been 24 over a 12 month period if I remember correctly), distributed in many places (50+) and they would even send the ladies a microphone! Their shows would of course be heavily promoted, with talk of keywords and adwords and such like. Sounds great? Let’s face it, it’s always very flattering to be found, and approached, and be made to feel special, to be offered an easy way to have your own show. Wow.
What’s In It For Them?
Well it may sound great until you understand the underlying motivation for the the company. What’s in it for them?Seemingly advertising revenue. When you check them out, they are not a radio company, they are not a media company, they are not a podcast services provider. They describe themselves as an advertising and promotional company who specialise in internet radio broadcasting.
Let’s Dive Into The Details A Bit More.
It’s worth noting that the details are not shown anywhere on their website – you need to get on a call with them. Quite an intense call apparently. Anyway, each show would be 60 minutes duration – but of that 60 minutes, 15 minutes would be dedicated to advertising. That seemed quite a large proportion of a show to be interrupted by ads…25%. I personally would not want to listen to something which was 25% ads. The host gets a % of the advertising revenue, but the lions share goes to the company, of course.And it is not free to get started with the company anyway. You have to pay them to get started. There is no such thing as a free lunch… or a free and easy podcasting solution.
If you were interested in getting involved with such a deal then it needs a great deal of detail digging and thought, PLUS some equal research into the implications and alternatives. Then you can make a informed choice.Some things to confirm would be around content ownership. For example, do you still own your content when you use their broadcasting platform and network? And what happens to the RSS feed if you decide you want to stop using their services / platform. Could you continue with your show name, and transfer the feed to a new podcast hosting company?What type of adverts are run during the show, and could they even be from competing interests. Advertisers love the ability to target an existing audience, so adverts on your show are targeting your audience – is that in the best interests of your developing brand and your business?If the ‘ready made’ audience is appealing, dig into the demographics. Are they really appropriate to your brand, your show and your business.Related:
Too Many Podcasts In Your Podcast Category? Strategic Podcasting Advice & Show Development?
Is strategic podcasting advice given to you? Even starting at the basics of your show, content, format, longevity, competition, audience interest, etc. This important point is often missed out or under-played.What about advice on building your marketing funnel. How will your show contribute to revenue building for your business…. far beyond advertising revenue.
A strategic podcast can build authority for you. Your show can act as an excellent lead generator, attracting a stream of highly relevant and high quality leads into your business for your services, programs, courses and so on. However, your strategic business building issues are unlikely to be considered if the person helping you is only interested in the advertising revenue they can make from your show.
Planting Podcast Seeds…
Just a few seeds to plant and develop before you go rushing off and join one of those seemingly attractive internet radio broadcasting companies, as the host of your shiny new radio show! A past client of mine used one of those platforms, and although it was a great way for them to get into ‘podcasting’ in the first place, longer term there were plenty of problems which made trying to move and create their own independent podcast almost impossible. Lack of control, lack of detailed analytics, lack of ownership.
Clear Podcast Services
With my services I am clear from the outset. There are no hidden problems or complexities to ponder over.I provide services to launch your independent, professional, strategic podcast. In fact the first step of my process is the
Podcast Clarity Creator, where we look at 5 key fundamentals of podcasting to determine if launching a podcast is actually the right business decision for you.
Want A Chat About This?
If you would like a chat about any of the issues I have outlined in this blog post them please get in touch, drop me a note, message me. I am happy to help – are you eager to learn more?
