In January 2024 I bit the bullet and launched a podcast. It was something I’d resisted for a few years but it felt like the time was right. I took a short course on podcasting and asked my sister (who has her own, very successful podcast) a stream of questions. Felt I was ready and dove in.
It felt exciting to begin with. Scripting then recording. As I’d scripted the initial episodes it didn’t need much editing so it was just layering on the theme tune and uploading it. I’d put the episodes out there and people would listen! Some people….. not very many. But hey, everything takes a while to get started so I wasn’t too worried.
The longer it went on, the harder it became. I had guests on the show and my early guests were all seasoned podcast guests. They were fantastic, they were concise, waited for questions, paused before and after answering (great for editing), all good. Then there were the less experienced guests who steamrolled the episode using it as their one and only opportunity to get their message of who they were and what they did, into the world. They weren’t concise and one particular guest totally sidelined me in their bid to be the star of the episode.
I stopped having guests on the show but still, the love for podcasting had well and truly worn off. I had told myself I’d do it for a year, in seasons tied in with the school terms as most of my customers are parents and go quiet during school holidays. I got to the end of season 2 and started to wonder if I’d even bother having a season 3.
Luckily, just after wrapping season 2 I met podcast producer Neal Veglio and told him why I was quitting podcasting. He suggested an audit and these were the main things the audit flagged:
I decided to give it one more go.
But this time, working side by side with Neal. No more winging it, no more going it alone. Over the following six months we:
We relaunched the podcast in January 2025 and the experience, compared to first time around is like night and day.
Within 3 episodes I had increased my download numbers but, most importantly, made a sale of developer resources, which had come through the podcast. My messaging is much stronger and I’ve spoken about topics which have gone on to build credibility in a new area of my work: supporting website developers and designers.
Neal and I regularly get together about strategy. He does all the editing and production of the podcast so I record it, put it in our drive and my part is over. The podcast sounds 1000 times better than it did and Neal also reminds me to record ad rolls and promote my own products and services through the podcast.
Here’s what I learned over the last year:
Don’t try to do it alone.
Just as you wouldn’t attempt to build a house yourself, or a website, a podcast should be created with industry professionals.
Have a strategy - don’t wing it.
Yes, you’re great at what you do and you want to share it with the world. I hear you. I am you! But have a strategy in how you’re going to release this knowledge to the world. If you throw it all out in a jumble and without much thought, it’s not going to land the way you want it to with your listeners.
Have a solid Call To Action
Just as with websites, if you don’t tell people what you want them to do, then they don’t know to do it. When they’re listening to your podcast is the exact moment you should be saying to them ‘hey, go and do this’! Seriously, try it.
Don’t do it with the plan of having external advertising.
Quite a few people come to me, whether through my mentoring service or wanting a website and say they’re going to start a podcast and their plan is to then make sales through external advertising on the pod. This is a similar strategy to people who create a website, for example a comparison or forum style site with the plan of it bringing in revenue through advertising (you know, the ad blocks which show ads tailored to you). This is a really bad plan for both, podcasts and websites. The reason being:
- People tend to forward the ads so don’t listen to them anyway.
- You need a huge audience for these ads to be viable/pay anything.
- You don’t always get a say in what the ads are and don’t want stuff that’s misaligned with you and your messaging.
Editing matters.
The difference between professional editing and production and a DIY audio podcast is pretty much the same between having a homemade website and having a professional build it. DIY might sound ok to you, but it lacks the finesse of having used an editor.
Guests
Unless your guest is a massive name, don’t have them - people are there to listen to you, not your guest and having guests on won’t build your following. Obviously scrap this information if the whole premise of your podcast is to interview people but if not, ditch the guests.
Podcasts, like websites, are a longer game than the instant hits and likes of Social Media content. Even then, every person who tells you they had a post go viral will also tell you about the years of brand building they consistently did prior to that one post hitting the mark.
When looking at setting up a podcast, look to do it to build your brand, for credibility and to sell your own products and services from it. Any ads on the podcast should be your own and any revenue, come from the leads and sales you get from the podcast. Just as with your website, you need to make an investment and monthly budget for it. Trust me, winging it will break your spirit, tear down your confidence and not get you the results you’re looking for.
If you’re looking to launch a podcast then check out Neal’s company: Podknows Podcasting by clicking here.
If you'd like to talk about a website for your podcast or how podcasting can fit in with your overall online presence and marketing strategy, then book a free, no-obligation call with me, using the button below.
2026 Update: I've now been podcasting for 2 years and if you'd like to hear about my journey, including my latest download numbers. You can read about it here: What I learned from 2 years of podcasting.
I also recorded a podcast episode which you can listen to here:
