The Truth About Running Your Own Podcast

Our team has built multiple podcasts that have ranked Top 100 in their category, and even ranked in the top 3% globally (one even ranked top 0.5%), so we know a thing or two about podcasting. If you’re thinking about starting your own show, there’s a lot to think about, so we wanted to lay out the pros and cons of running your own podcast.

• Podcast Pros 👍

• Podcast Cons 👎

• How to Overcome Each Con ⬆️

PROS

Build Relationships

You can still get value from doing a podcast that has zero listeners. Having a podcast can give people a reason to talk to you that they didn’t have before. No one has time for you to “pick their brain”… unless you turn on a microphone beforehand and upload the conversation to Spotify. Your podcast will open doors to build relationships that would not have been possible otherwise.

Pro Tip: A podcast is a fantastic sales tool. No one likes being cold pitched your product or service but they will be interested in a cold pitch for an interview. Use the time with your guest to interview them about their business and the pain points they’re experience (that your product or service can solve). Now you know their pain points, have started building a relationship, and can talk to them more casually about how you can work together.

Fun Fact: The writer of this letter would not be writing it had he not interviewed Buster on his podcast 5 years ago.

Content Volume

While a podcast may be time consuming and pricey, it yields the best bang for your buck in terms of content output. Not only do you get the full interview, you can cut it down into 7-12 minute long form YouTube videos, and into 30-180 second vertical videos for TikTok, Instagram, YouTube Shorts, and LinkedIn. Then you can transcribe the interview for a blog post on your website, quote graphics for social media, and more.

Pro Tip: Riverside.fm has a free podcast transcription tool you can use without even signing up for their platform.

Audience Connection

A podcast allows you to build a deeper connection with your audience than most other platforms for one simple reason… time spent together. You’re not showing up in someone’s feed for 30 seconds in the middle of hundreds of other videos that they’re watching. You’re spending one, two, maybe even three hours straight with them — the nature of the relationship you’re forming with your audience in that environment is completely different than when you pop up in their news feed.

Subscriber Value

Podcast platforms don’t have great discoverability — most people tend to consume them through their ‘Subscriptions’ feed. While the lack of discoverability is a challenge, when you are able to get someone to subscribe to your show there’s a very high chance that they’re going to listen to future episodes. Unlike other channels, when someone subscribes to your podcast it actually means something.

CPM Rates

While growing your podcast is hard, if you are able to grow your show the CPM rates (Cost Per Thousand Views) for advertising are far higher than other platforms. A big reason for that is the relationship you’ve built with your audience. People trust the podcasters they listen to which allows you to charge more.

Passive Consumption

Podcasts are great because people can listen to them while doing something else; going for a walk, working out, doing the dishes, driving to work, etc. Because they can consume your content passively it gives them more opportunities to listen that other platforms don’t have.

CONS

Discoverability

One of the biggest challenges new podcasts face is getting listeners. Major podcast platforms don’t offer much discoverability for new and smaller shows — typically recommending shows that already have listeners. For a new podcast to get listeners and grow its audience it requires you to be driving people from another platform to your podcast, giving an advantage to those who have built audiences elsewhere.

Note: Of all the podcast platforms, YouTube offers the best discoverability for smaller shows.

Saturation

You know who has a podcast now? Everyone. You know what people aren’t looking for in a podcast? Two friends talking about miscellaneous topics with a bit of humor. Not only is getting your podcast discovered a challenge, you need to make sure your show stands out when it does.

Logistics

Running a podcast comes with lots of administrative work. Not only do you need to reach out and pitch guests to come on your podcast, once they agree you then have to coordinate the time, place, and any other needs your guest may have. If you’re doing a weekly show, you or someone on your team has to stay on top of doing this regularly.

Technical Barrier to Entry

Making a podcast isn’t quite as simple as posting a tweet or filming an Instagram Reel. If you plan on making the show as high quality as it can be you should get a microphone. But what kind do you want? USB? Dynamic? Condenser? Does your microphone need an audio interface? Do you know what an interface is/does? Are you going to do video? You should! Well then you have to consider what type of camera you’re going to use, how many cameras, syncing your audio to all of your cameras, and more.

Expensive

If you’re reading that above list of gear and thinking this is starting to sound expensive… then you’re right. Getting all the gear to shoot an in-person podcast can start to get pricey.

Instead of getting your own gear and figuring out how to use it you could rent studio space — most cities now have podcast specific studios you can rent where they take care of the recording, and do some editing.

While having someone else take care of it for you can be helpful, this option is more expensive over the long haul. Some studios will cost you hundreds of dollars per shoot and that can add up quickly.

Time Intensive

Between the logistics of booking guests, preparing, recording, and editing hours of content, running your podcast can take a ton of time. If you’re a busy entrepreneur with lots on your plate already, you’ve got to make sure you have the time to take on a podcast.

HOW TO OVERCOME EACH CON

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