The gold rush is on. Everybody’s podcasting – and hitting it big!
And why not? With more than two million podcasts, the future looks golden. E-Marketer projects ad spending will top $1 billion as sponsors drool over those affluent, educated fans.
Meanwhile, cardboard radio programming sends a steady flow of listeners running for the exits, in search of a more authentic experience. Podcasting offers an intimacy, long abandoned by corporate media outlets.
So, will podcasting stick?
It’s a bonanza for some and a hobby for most. Like rock stars and ball players, the top 1% rake in all the dough. The rest are learning that producing a consistently great podcast is hard. And there’s probably no big payday, so many are going dark.
If podcasting isn’t a cash grab, what’s its real value?
Here’s my take. Steve Goldstein, CEO of Amplifi Media, is a podcasting thought leader who insists “successful podcasts must have Heat, Differentiation and Findability.”
The hottest podcast genres are Crime, Comedy and Christianity. The problem is, those bases are well-covered and it’s damn near impossible to get noticed. There goes my podcast idea about a wacky priest who moonlights as a cop.
To earn listeners’ ears, your podcast better be fiercely original. It must engage, like Obama and Springsteen’s Renegades. It must be quotable, like Marc Maron. Or offer a teaching moment, like Song Exploder.
Whether you’re a megabrand or butterfly expert, your podcast must evoke an emotion. Make me think, or laugh, or scream. Break the mold with a 5-minute podcast (not the typical 25). If you’re good on camera, do a video podcast. Then push every marketing button you can.
But first, ask your doctor if podcasting is right for you.
