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Hey Reader! - Autumn comes early in Scotland, and the trees are starting to change. I'm watching the barley field out my window swaying in the breeze. This also means we're coming out of the summer slump, so here's to excellent podcast growth, everybody!

Podcasting Isn't Dead

Every so often, someone comments on a post of mine saying:

“Yeah, podcasting is great, if you started in 2018 maybe.”

Of course, if you started your podcast longer ago, it would be more popular now. If I bought Amazon stock when it was first listed I’d be a millionaire. So what?

Besides, it’s not because there is something magical about 2018, it’s because podcasts take a long time to grow.

I’ve gone back through old blog posts from podcasters, and guess what some people were saying to podcasters in 2018?

“Yeah, podcasting is great, if you started in 2013 maybe.”

Fear is always present. People will always be too scared to start, and they blame the timing.

But the news flash is you can only grow a successful podcast if you’re in the ring playing the game. Complaining from the sidelines won’t get you anywhere.

What To Do About the Growing Competition

Every year, more people start podcasts, and every niche gets more crowded.

True.

But something else happens too.

Every year, more podcasts pack up shop and decide to stop. Pod Fade happens, priorities change, people move on, and what might have once seemed like a crowded space starts to thin out. Those existing audiences then look for fresh content to fill the void of the podcasts they once loved and so move to shows like yours.

As for the other podcasts you can class as competition. So what? It is pretty much guaranteed to happen, and as you grow your show bigger more copy cats will start to appear. I come across podcasts all the time that are people doing My Favourite Murder. Which is fine if you’re having fun doing it, by the way.

The point is that there will always be competition. Instead of worrying about it, focus on your show and your uniqueness and you won’t have to worry about competitors.

Besides, the longer podcasting goes on, the more people start to listen to podcasts. A rising tide lifts all boats.

When I tell people I’m a podcast marketing coach I still have to explain what a podcast is.

The Death of Bogging and the Future of Podcasting

“Blogging is dead,” or so they tell me. I’ve been a blogger since 2015. People told me then not to start because there was no point. I did anyway and grew several blogs that I sold for profit. Now things have changed again and Google is gatekeeping people away from blogs. So now blogging is dead, right?

No. They’ve changed to newsletters. This is a blog post you’re reading. It’s just wrapped up and delivered to your inbox instead of you having to come to me to read it. But everything about it is the same as a blog post, just the delivery method has changed.

Podcasting will inevitably go through similar changes, with more video podcasts being one of them (TV killed the radio, except I can’t watch TV while I’m driving my car). However, the core skills of delivering stories and value through audio will remain the same.

Commit for 5 Years

Growing a podcast audience is hard. It’s a slow and steady turtle vs the virality of the hare. But as we all know the turtle ultimately wins the race. Building up a loyal audience and a distinct show across 5 years is a rare thing indeed. That makes it valuable.

Commit to the process and think long term. Only then can you reap the rewards.

All the best from Scotland,

Kieran MacRae

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How I Can Help You

1) ​​How to get your first 100,000 downloads ebook – Learn what it takes to grow a podcast and make sense of podcast marketing.

2) ​​Work with me 1:1​ – I am an experienced podcast coach, and I want to help you master your podcast marketing. Check out my full list of services and discover how we can work together.

3) Growth Machine Podcast Audits are now available. Don't be blind to the mistakes holding your podcast back from the growth it deserves. Get an experienced and critical eye to give you feedback on everything from show notes to podcast quality and delivery.

4) ​Recommended Tools​​ – These are the tools I use to grow my podcast. I focus on tools that improve quality and save time.

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