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There's something to be said for making a high-value podcast, which
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is why many continue year after year.
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But making a high-concept show can also be rewarding.
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Do you have time to make both?
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Hello, and welcome to another Podcast Pontifications with me, Evo Terra.
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If you look at a list of the top podcasts like the Podcast Consumer Report by Edison
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Research, which asks people exactly what podcast they are listening to, you'll see
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a couple of different groupings emerge.
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There's the news/talk variety, which is a very big bucket, I will agree, comprising
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of things like politics, comedy, and long-form interviews, even current events.
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Everything else - from true crime to storytelling, to documentaries - we
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can place in another very big bucket that we'll call high-concept.
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While some listeners certainly do have preferences, a lot of the podcast
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listening audience today consumes podcasts from both very big buckets.
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But most podcasters, however, only produce podcasts for one of those very big
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buckets, and most of them are producing podcasts that fit in the news/talk
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bucket, not in the high-concept bucket.
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Why is that?
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You may be tempted to say it's because it's too hard to make a high-concept show.
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While I will not argue against the point, it is hard to make a
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high-concept show, I would counter that with a slight change in perspective.
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News/talk podcasts tend to be easier to make in comparison, and because of that,
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it's easy to apply the learnings from your current news/talk podcast format
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and make another news/talk show format.
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Rinse and repeat.
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It's not that you don't have the skills to do a high-concept podcast.
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You probably do.
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It's just that the gravity of keeping doing what you've
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been doing is quite strong.
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You probably have a high-value show out of that news/talk podcast and you
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know how to make high-value shows.
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If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?
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Well, what if you want to fix it?
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Making a high-concept podcast can be incredibly rewarding and
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applying your skills in a different area to become even more versatile
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makes you all the more valuable.
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Producing a high-concept show can also expose you to a brand new audience,
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one that might be interested in the full compendium of your podcasting
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prowess if you impress them.
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But how do you keep your current podcast train running and devote the time
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necessary to make a new high-concept show?
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I have a suggestion.
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Here are two tips to guide you on your journey to making a high-concept podcast
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alongside the high-value news/talk podcast you probably already make.
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think big, but start small.
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Your concept may be, and probably should be, rather a
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big, but you need to start small.
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Don't forget, you already have a podcast that's working for you and you have a lot
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of learning, research, and trying out of new things ahead of you as you try and
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take on all the new ways you need to learn how to make this high-concept podcast.
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It's very likely that this is going to be a nights-and-weekends project for you,
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which is made all the more complicated if you are already using your nights and
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weekends to make your high-value podcast.
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But hey, that's okay.
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Don't neglect your bread and butter.
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Podcasting is not going anywhere.
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You have plenty of time ahead of you to work on this high-concept show.
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think differently.
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High-concept podcasting doesn't need to follow the same production,
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release, or even promotional schedule as your news/talk format podcast.
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Many high-concept shows take years to produce and encompass less than
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ten episodes, yet they can have huge staying power as new audiences
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discover them year after year.
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High-concept podcasting is not for everyone, but if you'd like to give it
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a shot, there's a lot that you can learn from your current podcasting experience
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that you can bring to the table as you make this new high-concept show.
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Just give it time and give yourself room to see what high-concept podcasting
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means for you and what you can create.
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I know I'd love to listen.
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With that, I shall be back tomorrow with yet another Podcast Pontifications.
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Cheers!
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Podcast Pontifications is written and narrated by Evo Terra.
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He's on a mission to make podcasting better.
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Links to everything mentioned in today's episode are in the notes
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section of your podcast listening app.
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A written-to-be-read article based on today's episode is available at
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podcastpontifications.com where you'll also find a video version and a corrected
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transcript, both created by Allie Press.
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Podcast Pontifications is a production of Simpler Media.
