The podcasting world is a booming industry, which has grown to immense popularity in recent years, thanks in part to the prominence of the internet, online marketing, social media marketing, and 24-hour on-demand streaming.
As such, many people look to podcasting jobs as a potential career, with courses being taught in universities around the world, and new podcasts popping up online every week.
But how exactly do you make a career from your own podcast?
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The Key To Podcasting Success
To make a career, and thus money, from podcasting, there are several things that podcast creators need to do in order to get the ball rolling.
Finding Your Niche
When creating podcasts – as well as any business in general – the first important step is to discover your niche.
This could be a comedy, or it could be fashion advice, history, or a discussion of mental health. But it is important to discover what it is you enjoy talking about, and what you think other people might like to listen to.
What’s more, it is important to find out where does your podcast stand on these subjects, which in their basic forms have been done a thousand times.
This could come from a unique personality, point of view, or gimmick, but however you do it, make sure it is interesting and unique.
Building An Audience
Of course, you can’t have a successful podcast if no one is listening to you. This is why building and maintaining an audience is paramount to establishing a successful podcasting career.
There are many ways to build an audience, but the most successful ways tend to be through social media (such as Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat) or through your own personal website or blog.
These are tried and tested methods, and many famous podcasters achieved their initial audience through these mediums.
This is by no means an easy task, and maintaining the interest of an audience can certainly be stressful, especially in the early days.
But with enough charm, the right amount of dedication, and a unique point of view, you have all the tools to gain interest.
ALSO SEE: How To Start A Podcast With No Audience
Offer Something New
This in many ways encompasses both of the previous points. As a podcast producer, the only way to draw people in and get them to remain fans of your podcast is to give them something they cannot get anywhere else.
As already mentioned, the podcasting industry is already quite saturated, so it can be hard to find true individuality.
Think of the podcasts you enjoy, and what it is you like about them, and then try and combine that with your own personality to create something people will want to watch.
Everyone has something different to offer, and podcast hosts like you need to discover what that thing is within you.
This is not the easiest thing in the world, and might not even be something you are totally aware of, but with enough research and planning, you might be able to find what you’re looking for.
Advertise, Advertise, Advertise
Now, this doesn’t mean you have to pay for ads in any of your podcast episodes – at least not in the early stages – but it does mean that self-promotion as a podcast host is the name of the game (also see, ‘How To Get Podcast Sponsors‘).
This means using the vast tools we have at hand, such as social media, to make new connections, push your own work, and get new fans in the process.
Twitter is a good place for this, as is Facebook (depending on your friend’s list size), but the best apps available are the more visual ones – such as TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat.
If you’re also the podcast writer, you can use viral videos and humorous advertisements to attract new listeners – using keyword research, SEO, and other advertising methods to get your content seen.
Be Genuine
This is perhaps the most important thing on this list, and will make the difference when it comes to attracting true followers who care about what you put out in your podcasting company.
Being true to who you are is the best way to endear people to your audio production work.
Authenticity is very attractive to people, and if they believe in what you are saying and the content you are releasing, then you stand a better chance of attaining (and maintaining) a fanbase.
Turning Popularity Into A Career
Once you have established a loyal fanbase, the next step is to turn podcasting from a hobby you are good at, into a thriving business or full time job.
Sponsorship
Many successful podcasts have sponsorship deals with both up and coming and established companies – something that can be a win-win for everyone involved.
The fans get their eyes opened to new products and brands, the companies get potential new customers, and the podcaster gets revenue from the company for advertising their products.
This is commonplace within the industry, and often represents the main source of income for podcasters.
Merchandise
If you have a brand, then you can create merchandise. This is a great way to make money, and give fans to celebrate their love for your podcast (also see, ‘Monetizing A Podcast‘).
These could be t-shirts, mugs, hats, or tote bags, and give fans a little extra incentive to follow your work.
Donations
Many podcasters also use donation sites like Patreon to get more money in exchange for behind-the-scenes footage, exclusive industry news, photos, or even rare merch.
This is a great way of establishing fan interest, and can make you a little money on the side.
Live Events
This could be meet and greet, exclusive zoom meetings, or live podcasts, and can be a great source of revenue for podcasters with a large, growing audience.
Final Thoughts
And there we have it, everything you need to know to make a career from podcasting.
It’s true that creating podcasts has taken the world by storm, and as such the industry can seem overpopulated.
But with the right work ethic and a lot of luck, you too can join the ranks of successful podcasters in this growing podcasting industry.
