Everyone can start a podcast but not everyone can commit to the kind of work podcast demands. In fact, it has been established that around 80% of podcast shows experienced podfade in time of the pandemic.
I had the opportunity to interview one of the coolest people I know in the podcasting realm, Kerry-Ann Reid-Brown. We dive a bit deeper as to why some podcast shows are slowly fading away.
Now, there may be a lot of reasons for this, but as podcasters, we know that podfade usually starts from within. I typically say that podcasting is a lot of work. People may think of it only as a hobby but Kerry-Ann and I will tell you that it requires too much work to become a hobby.
And when we are faced with tasks that require too much of our time and energy, we either roll up our commitment sleeves and take on the challenge, or we raise the white flag and say “this is not for me.”
Prior to starting a podcast, there should be commitment. Commitment to show up regardless of what and commitment to deliver quality episodes on schedule. Although this is not an easy task, it starts with having the right mindset that you will provide what is expected.
Another reason why podfade occurs is not being authentic with yourself and with your audience. Some people consider podcasts as a growing fad, and it’s something that can be done for money, but this should not be the case.
As I mentioned, if your intention for creating a podcast is money, people will know, and they will see through that.” People will sense that you are not showcasing your authentic self, and you’re probably doing an episode for advertisements and earning money.
When listeners don’t get the value they want from you, they’ll start avoiding your show. You won’t have a special bond with your audience and the podcast itself will not get significant engagement.
Kerry-Ann asked herself “If I don’t make money directly through this podcast, do I still want to do it?” and her answer has always been yes. This is the kind of commitment and authenticity you want to have when you are podcasting.
The revenue will just be a bonus, it should not be the end goal. You may have various reasons for wanting to start a podcast, but it should come from a place of being able to share who you really are, your values, and what you think other people can benefit from.
When people know that you are expressing your true self with your episodes, they’ll realize that you are committed to offering your best out there and this keeps podfade on a far distance.
