Yesterday, I went to the North American International Auto Show, known to locals here as the Detroit Auto Show, or just the Auto Show. And it reminded me of a common question I get from podcasters - when should I release my new episodes?
Now, whether you release, weekly, biweekly, monthly, whatever, the key to growing your show is consistency. As your show grows, your listeners will learn when to expect new content - whether that's the 2nd and 4th Tuesday each month, or every Wednesday morning, whatever. We are creatures of habit.
The Detroit Auto Show was always in mid-January, usually when it was about 0 degrees here in Michigan. It sucked, but we were used to it. In 2019, they decided to move it to the summer or fall, where it could become a hybrid indoor-outdoor event. Seemed like a good idea. But then the pandemic happened, and this week's auto show ended up being the first since January 2019.
I checked it out with some friends yesterday, and it was pretty meh. Was it cool to have monster trucks at Hart Plaza downtown? Sure, I guess. Inside, it was fun to drool over exotic Corvettes, Mustangs, and concept cars. And there were the ridealongs to check out the acceleration in the F-150 lightning electric, as well as the off-road capabilities of the Bronco and Jeeps. But the show seemed quiet. Was it, as one friend suggested, the fact that people have way more going on in September than in the dead of winter? Maybe. But when people think of the Auto Show, they think of January. Now, this could be a great event again if they can get more buy in and participation from car companies, and if they get the public used to the idea of it happening in nice weather. But it's going to take time. The pandemic gave them a reset, but now they have to build a new habit from scratch. That's why it's important to be consistent with your podcast release schedule.
Amazon Music celebrated two years of featuring podcasts on its platform. If you don't use it, don't feel bad. They boast a whole 0.7% of podcast listening. But putting your show on there is as easy as giving Amazon Music your RSS feed. And it's free, so why not?
Could we be one step closer to using copyrighted music? YouTube is testing out a program called Creator Music, that will allow you to either purchase a use-license for commercial music, or enter a revenue share with the artist. It's still in Beta, they're hoping to launch in the US later this year. So it's a baby step, but if it works, that could provide a blueprint for podcasters. Via PodNews: https://techcrunch.com/2022/09/20/youtube-announces-creator-music-a-new-way-for-creators-to-shop-for-songs-for-use-in-videos
Are audio ads more effective than video ads? Well, yes, according to a press release from Mars Media Group, linked in today's show notes, via Podnews. They claim a 25% revenue increase for audio ads over video. The reason, they suspect, is with so much screen time, visual ads just become more clutter. They also say that audio ads, in their research, haven an 85% listen-through rate. Pretty impressive. https://podnews.net/press-release/audio-ads-mmg
On Medium, Adam Rostad says you should stop buying ads on big podcasts and, instead, create your own podcast for the same investment- or less, I might add. Among his other reasons, the "skip" button in your podcast player, podcast ads aren't forever, and honestly, listeners just crave that human connection. More: https://medium.com/@a.d.rostad/3-reasons-you-should-stop-paying-for-ad-space-on-podcasts-e5bc7ce93f30
What was the first podcast you listened to? For me, it was Serial. Well this week, a judge quashed the murder conviction of Adnan Syed, ordering a new trial. He's been released from jail and is on home confinement, pending his new trial. That's at least in part due to the power of a successful podcast.
Until next week, stay healthy and stay safe. Lata!
Find jag on social media @JAGinDetroit or online at JAGinDetroit.com
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