Small Shows Are the Future [Day 29 30 Days of Podcast Notes]
September 29, 202600:03:25

Small Shows Are the Future [Day 29 30 Days of Podcast Notes]

Most podcast ad money goes to the biggest shows, and the big companies that bought networks aren't seeing the returns they wanted. So I think podcasting goes the way blogs and YouTube did: go niche and serve a specific audience, because a thousand super fans beat a million followers. If you niche down, you'll have a smaller show, and that's okay. I'm not saying a small show is better than a big one, but it's better than the pursuit of a big one, which for most of us isn't worth the effort. Stay small, help the people you help best, and make money through dynamic ads, your own products and services, or a sponsor who fits your audience really well.

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00:00:00 --> 00:00:04 Hey everybody and welcome to episode 29 of 30
00:00:04 --> 00:00:08 days of podcast notes, the penultimate in this
00:00:08 --> 00:00:12 main series before we get to the behind the scenes
00:00:12 --> 00:00:16 series. The last thing I want to talk about here
00:00:16 --> 00:00:21 is smaller shows. In the future will they work?
00:00:21 --> 00:00:23 I've kind of shown my cards for this already,
00:00:23 --> 00:00:27 but most podcasts advertising money goes to the
00:00:27 --> 00:00:31 big podcasts. you know, the Joe Rogans and the
00:00:31 --> 00:00:35 Dailies and the big publishers who also happen
00:00:35 --> 00:00:37 to be creating podcasts, celebrity shows, right?
00:00:37 --> 00:00:39 The fastest way to grow your podcast is be a
00:00:39 --> 00:00:44 celebrity. But the other thing that maybe is
00:00:44 --> 00:00:47 not talked about as much is that big companies
00:00:47 --> 00:00:49 are not seeing the returns on their investment
00:00:49 --> 00:00:54 they'd like to see for podcast networks or podcasts
00:00:54 --> 00:00:59 they've acquired. Podcasting is a form of entertainment,
00:01:00 --> 00:01:03 but it's also just helpful, possibly educational
00:01:03 --> 00:01:06 content. And so I think what we're going to see
00:01:06 --> 00:01:09 is the same sort of thing we have seen with blogs
00:01:09 --> 00:01:15 and YouTube, which is go niche, serve a specific
00:01:15 --> 00:01:20 audience, and really like, you know, it's better
00:01:20 --> 00:01:22 to have a thousand super fans than a million
00:01:22 --> 00:01:26 followers, right? And so I think the future of
00:01:26 --> 00:01:30 podcasting is this. It's kind of what it always
00:01:30 --> 00:01:33 has been. A way to connect with your audience
00:01:33 --> 00:01:37 and your people. But we've been told that downloads
00:01:37 --> 00:01:41 matter and we need to grow. And as a result,
00:01:42 --> 00:01:45 I think some of us have lost the thread. Where
00:01:45 --> 00:01:52 the thread is, serve people. Have a mission statement.
00:01:52 --> 00:01:55 And if you niche down and you serve a specific
00:01:55 --> 00:01:57 market, you will de facto have a smaller show.
00:01:58 --> 00:02:01 And that's okay. You don't need to have the biggest
00:02:01 --> 00:02:03 show with the most downloads. You need to have
00:02:03 --> 00:02:06 a show that helps people authentically. And that's
00:02:06 --> 00:02:10 really how I want to end this series. If you
00:02:10 --> 00:02:12 are listening to this, you probably have a small
00:02:12 --> 00:02:15 podcast. And that's good. I think that's going
00:02:15 --> 00:02:17 to be better in the future. Where the future
00:02:17 --> 00:02:18 could be six months from now, it could be a year
00:02:18 --> 00:02:21 from now, it could be five years from now. A
00:02:21 --> 00:02:23 small show that serves a specific audience is
00:02:23 --> 00:02:26 better than having, than growing, than trying
00:02:26 --> 00:02:28 to grow a massive show. I'm not going to say
00:02:28 --> 00:02:30 here and tell you that having a small show is
00:02:30 --> 00:02:33 better than having a big show. But having a small
00:02:33 --> 00:02:36 show is better than the pursuit of trying to
00:02:36 --> 00:02:39 get a big show. Because that is a lot of work.
00:02:40 --> 00:02:42 And for most of us, I don't think the juice is
00:02:42 --> 00:02:45 worth the squeeze. And so I would say stay small.
00:02:46 --> 00:02:48 Help the people that you help best. Serve your
00:02:48 --> 00:02:50 audience. Make money through Dynamic Asma. Make
00:02:50 --> 00:02:53 money through offering them helpful products
00:02:53 --> 00:02:56 and services. Or by finding a really good sponsor
00:02:56 --> 00:03:01 who fits insanely well with your audience. I
00:03:01 --> 00:03:03 think small shows are going to be better in the
00:03:03 --> 00:03:05 future because the small shows are the authentic
00:03:05 --> 00:03:08 shows and you're serving a specific audience.
00:03:09 --> 00:03:12 So that's it for this episode. Tomorrow's the
00:03:12 --> 00:03:14 last one. If you've been enjoying this series,
00:03:14 --> 00:03:17 check out my other podcast, The Streamline Solo
00:03:17 --> 00:03:20 Per Newer. over at streamlined .fm or wherever
00:03:20 --> 00:03:22 you're listening to this now. Thanks so much
00:03:22 --> 00:03:25 for listening and I will talk to you tomorrow.