Podcasting – To Do OR Not To Do? That is The Question

In the past five years or so, the world of online marketing has been shifting and evolving creating new areas and platforms for people to learn and to market on.

Some of those platforms have been fads that have come and gone while others have stuck around and proven to be both effective and lucrative. One such method that has been catching on is Podcasting. It’s a fresh and new way to create content that can work well to attract new people to your brand or product while boosting the power of your marketing as a whole.

However, a question for many still lingers in the air: Should I do it?

It’s a good question to consider, and one that many wonder — including myself. I’ve put together a list of pros and cons that come with podcasting to try and cut through the rosiness of it and bring it down to earth to see whether or not it’s worth the time and effort.

Pros and Cons of Podcasting

Pro #1: It Can Be Easier to For You To Create Content

While some people do better with writing, other people do better when they speak. If you’re the latter, than podcasting could be a much easier way for you to create content that is unique and informative.

Pro #2: Get Backlink Juice from YouTube

A lot of podcasts and podcasters host their shows on YouTube and treat them more like little tv show snippets than strictly audio based information. Even though links from YouTube are currently nofollow, linking back to your site from YouTube has proven to help with ranking sites better in Google. Not only that, but it’s a great platform to gain exposure on.

Pro #3: You Can Meet Quite Some Awesome People

One of the great things about podcasting is how you can open up the doors to meeting even more people. Many podcasters reach out to other top influencers in their online niche to interview them for their podcast. This gives them an awesome connection with an influencer and give the influencers some added reach and helps establish them as an authority on the topic at hand.

Pro #4: It Can Be Very Lucrative

When you’re doing a podcast (whether video or audio) you add more ways to generate income. YouTube lets you monetize your videos and many advertisers will come to you to pay ad spots in your podcast. John Lee Dumas does this and makes five to six figures on advertising on his podcast. Granted, his podcast has a huge following and is well established, but it does show just how far you can take a podcast.

Con #1: You Need To Buy Equipment to Get Started

Just like writing blog posts, you need to create quality content for your podcast. This doesn’t just mean that you need to think up useful topics to talk about, you also need to sound good as you speak. Using the headphones that came with your iPhone just ain’t going to cut it. Therefore, you need to invest in some quality equipment that could be out of your budget. On the low end of things, you’re probably looking at $300-$500 as a starting point to cover your mic and a plugin to publish your podcast on your site. If you’re going to create video, than you’ll need to consider buying a camera that can shoot in HD, too.

Con #2: It Can Be Time Consuming

When you start a podcast, whether you know it or not, you’re making a commitment to being consistent in creating this type of content. If you don’t see yourself being able to put the time in to come up with ideas, to reach out to guest speakers, to edit your work and really commit to it, than starting a podcast can be wast of time. Consistency is key, especially if you’re looking at it as a way to boost your income.

Con #3: Podcasting is a Swamped Market

With so many people doing podcasting today, getting yours going and making it popular enough to be a hit is going to be seriously tough. That means that you need to spend time learning how to promote your podcast, and depending on how things go over the course of a year or so, you may find that you’ll need to scrap it.

Wrapping It Up

All and all, starting a podcast has a lot of benefits and can be a really fun way of creating content. But just like a blog, even though it’s easy to start, carrying through and getting it done is going to take a lot of time and energy. If you already have a full plate, then putting off a podcast could be better for you, but if you’re up for the task — go for it. But don’t go at it alone.

We currently have a deal going on for Podcasting:

Learn Podcasting With 10 Online Marketing Experts

It’s an in-depth course to help you figuring out how to get your podcast started. If you’re a DealFuel member, it costs only $7. Even if you’re on the fence about starting a podcast, this is a great course to help you decide if it’s worth your while. Grab the deal before it’s gone for good.