Truth Time! Are You REALLY Giving Your Podcast a Fighting Chance? [ep. 40]

 

Check out the full episode to hear about giving your podcast a fighting chance:

 
 

Podcasting comes with ups and downs

Even the shows that have 1 million+ downloads have had days where they have just wanted to burn it all down!

Maybe you don't feel like anyone is listening.

Your downloads aren't increasing at all, or even decreasing month to month.

You feel like you can't keep up.

You're not really seeing the ROI of your show.

I get it. You may, at some point, wonder what you're doing wrong, or if it's even worth it. That's why in today's episode, I want to have a conversation about what to do if you're feeling a little bit unsure about your show and the growth that it is having.

Story time!

When I thought about doing an episode on this topic, I immediately thought of a story that I'm going to share with you.

I'm going to give you the very watered down SparkNotes version of it. But…just know that I promise, I'm going to bring it back to podcasting!

When I was about to begin middle school, I begged my parents to send me to sleepaway summer camp. They agreed! It was a four week camp and I was so excited…until I got there.

All the other kids knew each other from previous summers, I was separate from my siblings, and felt totally out of place!

My camp experience

I found anything I could to complain about. I didn't like the food, it was too hot. There were too many bugs. I missed my friends at home. I missed my bed. The list goes on and on.

I would call my parents daily and beg them to pick me up. There were so many tears. In fact, I got my phone privileges revoked because I was calling too much!

Halfway through camp, parents came to visit for one day. I expected this to be my chance to go home early.

No such luck.

My mom lovingly told me, You asked for this. You’re going to stick it out.

The turning point

I knew I was stuck. I had to stick it out for the next two weeks whether I liked it or not!

A major pep talk was had, and a flip switched.

My perspective really changed when I asked myself - Am I even giving this camp a chance? Everybody around me is having fun. Why am I not having fun? Am I even trying to make this work?

I needed to really put in some more effort. And when I did, I ended up getting so much more out of it.

For the second two weeks, I tried new things, I made new friends. It was really one of those experiences that left an impact on me and has kind of shaped who I am today in terms of being independent, taking risks, and getting out of my comfort zone.

How this relates to podcasting

If you are feeling any negative feelings about how your podcast is doing, I want you to have a moment of truth and ask yourself, Am I really giving it my all? Am I taking a look at the content that I'm creating? Am I doing market research? Am I putting myself out there to increase awareness around my show?

Or, am I just recording an episode the night before it goes live, slapping a new episode graphic on Instagram, and repeating it all again the next week?

If it's the latter, sit back and think about how you can change it and how you can really put your energy into getting the most out of your show.

You can start by looking at your data and think about how you could re energize your show. In fact, I did a whole episode on how to bring new energy to your show. It’s episode 14, and you can listen here!

Also, if you're feeling any kind of comparison to other podcasters and their success, I want you to put things into perspective. Just like when I went to camp and I felt so out of place because so many other kids knew each other from previous summers.

There are podcasters out there who have been doing this for YEARS! So of course, they're going to have stronger relationships with their listeners and more downloads and a clear ROI. You can't compare yourself to somebody who's at a totally different stage than you are (just sayin’).

So what next?

What I want you to do today is to sit down and really have that hard conversation with yourself about if there's something that you could be doing differently - if there's a little bit more that you could be doing.

Or maybe some of the things that you're doing, you don't need to be doing, and it's just a time suck! Think about how you can rework all of this to make you feel better about your show and the way that it's performing and the impact that it's having.

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More about Podcasting for Educators:

Podcasting for Educators is the podcast for TpT authors and other online educators. It's a show that will help you get your podcast in front of those who need it most - teachers, counselors, literacy specialists, SLPs, parents, and more! Each week, Sara Whittaker and her guests will share top tips and actionable strategies that you will need in order to launch, manage, and grow your podcast. You’ll learn how to leverage your show to build long-lasting relationships with your audience and promote your TpT resources, courses, and memberships, all while providing valuable and accessible content!

 
Sara Whittaker