Many podcasters follow the same playbook: build a big audience, then give

early, special, and private access to a select group who pay for the privilege.

But what would happen if you flipped the script?

Hello, and welcome to another Podcast Pontifications with me, Evo Terra.

You've likely heard of the term "windowing" of podcast episodes.

Now, for the uninitiated, that's a tactic that is usually employed by

apps and big podcast networks to give their users, paying users, exclusive

access to a podcast for a limited time.

So, if you want to listen to SmartLess when it first comes out, you have to

listen on Amazon Music or Wondery+.

Now, if you have a different listening app, you're going to have to wait a week.

Yeah.

Some windowing times are even longer than that.

I've seen some last for an entire month.

Yeah.

Imagine waiting that long for your content.

Now, indie podcasters do something similar, but we don't call it windowing.

We call it "early release."

We'll use a listener support service, like maybe Patreon or even a premium podcast

subscription service like Supercast, Glow, or even what Apple and Spotify

have now with their premium subscription offerings, we'll then release a podcast

episode to a select and paying group of listeners a day or two early, or

in the case of my show, I release it a few hours early on those platforms.

Just, again, to those special and paying listeners.

And then after that's gone, it goes out to everyone at its regular scheduled a time.

Now, for both indie and big podcasters, these early versions

of the episodes usually don't contain any ads or sponsor messages.

That's just one more perk we give to those people who pony up the cash to be special.

These two approaches probably seem similar, both promise and deliver

special, early access to a select group of people, and then the content is pushed

out to the main audience, if you will.

And once that push to the main audience is complete, that's when the promotional

efforts start to help boost the numbers and get the ad impressions up.

But I wonder if in today's crowded podcasting world, if we're

looking at this backwards and missing out on an opportunity.

The missed opportunity, which we may have, is a way to engender more

loyalty with a select group of people.

But what if we reversed our thinking about them?

What if, instead of viewing that select group as people who get

something early before the main audience, what if that select group

of people was the main audience?

What if that select group of people, a paying a group of people,

were actually who the content was created for first and foremost?

What if the release of content to that select group of people were the event that

then triggered your promotional efforts?

What if you took the approach of windowing your content for a week or more to

that select group of people, and then after that window period had expired

and all of your most loyal listeners had consumed your content, then you

released it to the great unwashed masses?

What if you cared more about that select group of people, than you

do the great unwashed masses?

Or maybe you really only care about that select group of people.

Now look, if you're making a good living running podcast ads on your show, then

this strategy may not be your best play.

However, you do have the chance to run ads after it releases

everywhere, but I get it.

You've got a financial interest in getting as many people downloading

your content as you possibly can so that you can increase your ad revenue.

So don't jump to do everything I'm saying here.

But for shows that aren't pulling down the big bucks from Better Help,

Simplisafe, ExpressVPN, those three are among some of the top-paying advertisers

right now in podcasting, not to my show.

If you're never likely to pull down big bucks because, you know, each

listener is worth about two pennies of ad revenue, then, this might actually

be an interesting approach for you.

No, not just an interesting approach, a totally different approach.

An approach that pushes you closer to serving your best audience.

An approach that drastically embraces being niche.

An approach that may get you out of the "look at me, look at me" cycle.

An approach that may make for a better, stronger, more meaningful connection

between you and your most loyal listeners.

But do you see this as a big risk or maybe it's an opportunity to

do something radically different?

And as the podcast ranks continue to swell, will this become a

strategy that actually shows up and becomes more in vogue with

everyday podcasters like you and I?

Time will tell, I suppose.

Or maybe it is I'm just a crazy person.

Either way, I shall be back on Monday with yet another Podcast Pontifications.

Cheers!

Podcast Pontifications is written and narrated by Evo Terra.

He's on a mission to make podcasting better.

Links to everything mentioned in today's episode are in the notes

section of your podcast listening app.

A written-to-be-read article based on today's episode is available at

podcastpontifications.com where you'll also find a video version and a corrected

transcript, both created by Allie Press.

Podcast Pontifications is a production of Simpler Media.