Pod-Crashing Episode 30: Are We There Yet
We’ve talked about it multiple times. Podcasting’s history. It’s been trudging along since the late 1980’s. Gained some speed during the birth of the iPod generation and has lightly floated around at an uneven pace without any real race.
Podcasting’s always been that nearly next to underground thing comedians, politicians, home studio junkies and maybe a few teachers have done. Hey man you can say anything. Play anything. Make it your own thing or copy someone’s pretty good thing. Those dropping vocals on the platform clearly stayed true to their ambition, “We aren’t radio. We are us.”
Better technology and cheaper data lifted listeners to a new level of connection. Millennial’s that loved NPR started gravitating toward podcasts because of the power of choice. We are that layer of people that dig it when we can get it on demand.
It’s completely natural to think we’re living in the Golden Age of content consumption. Whoa whoa slow down. Not a lot of people on this side of the microphone are leaping onto that idea just yet. I mean compared to my early steps through hairy jungles and bitterly cold snowcapped peaks of 2012 forward, the information generation has latched onto some huge support from iHeart Radio, Radio One, NPR and small terrestrial station owners that think it’s a cool way to give advertisers an added benefit. Buy our radio station and we’ll toss your commercial onto a podcast free!
Podcasting’s gettin some love and affection but it feels like we’re only six month into a marriage. The endorsements are coming in. Just today on Bob Pittman’s Math and Magic podcast, the legendary Walter Isaacson totally lifted his hat and praised the platform because it’s bringing the world back to storytelling. Who better to know that then the writer and creator of Disgraceland Jake Brenna. I asked him if we were living in the pioneering days of AM Radio mid 1920’s.
From his heart he believes this new age of tossing out thoughts and journey’s is still 40 years from becoming a true super power. He used my mid-1920’s reference while explaining how long it took terrestrial radio to true become a part of the entire nation. Movies the same. Where we are today with motion pictures is lightyears beyond those initial first shots.
So it got me thinking. Technology over the past 100 years has pushed the human mind and spirit further than any other time in history. Why would it take another 40 years of podcasting to truly be seen as a powerhouse form of entertainment, communication, teaching, building and making money?
Because it’s still a guessing game. Those that should be doing aren’t. It’s not part of their threads of success because the old way is still working. There’s no interest. Bob Pittman loves the idea that teens and adults in their 20’s are hopping onto the podcast scene. Remember he’s the dude that created MTV. The I-Gen generation is fearless and has spent the past 15 years getting exactly what they want on demand.
As each member of the I-Gen team grows inside their careers they’re bringing with them an experience. This is how podcasting worked for them as a creator and as a listener. Once a position of decision making is reached that opens the field of communication to be replanted.
As of right now there’s way too many podcasts on the platform that should be making money but where’s the sales staff? You can’t keep pouring a lot of energy into an idea if nothings coming back. Podcast creating demands time. Thirty plus episodes feels fun. Advertisers need hundreds with huge listening and download numbers.
Those fronting the advertising budget need a return on their investment. Sixteen hits a day isn’t exciting enough for businesses to play. Here’s what makes the game even tougher. Where is your listening audience? Johnny’s Burger Shack on Broadwater Ave isn’t interested in building a relationship with folks in a town 2,000 miles away.
Talk about a buzz kill right? No! It needs to be talked about. Super Mega podcast connections like PodcastOne went the route of bringing in the big dogs like Adam Carolla, Laura Ingrahm, pro wrestler Steve Austin, Dr Drew, Shaquille O’Neil and more. Big names bring in clients.
It’s moments like this that you gotta pull off an out of control but completely natural gut check. Is David available to take on Goliath one more time? Jake Brenna from Disgraceland is onto something. He knows how pretty the podcast adventure smells right now cuz for the first time terrestrial radio bosses are seeing the potential of money being made.
How do you jump onto that gravy train? Let me ask you this? Are you sure you want to? Don’t forget what we talked about a few paragraphs back. Podcasting is nearly next to being underground. There’s been a lot of pride put into the roots of this machine from people that still believe, “We aren’t radio. We are us.”
I learned one very important rule during my 37 years on that tower of power. Radio sales people are hungrier than the on air talent they’re selling. Somewhere out there are budding ad agencies searching for podcasts that have healthy analytic numbers. More importantly… podcasts that are destine to stick around and not suddenly disappear from the map because you weren’t the mood to perform this week and the one before that too.
What we need are podcast lifestylers that want to make money away from their corporate radio job. To step out at night or during lunch and pull off something that’ll probably get them fired. You know… conflict of interest. But you can’t put your home front on the line until you’re comfortable with the writers, producers and performers that are addicted to the podcast sickness.
I’ve yet to meet another me. Not conceited. A man of truth. In the studio everyday 530am til 4 pm and later. Hundreds of people write to me about needing to make money from their podcast. I always ask, “When did you post your last show?” Um last month. Maybe next Thursday. No wonder an army of sales executives aren’t marching this way.
Marc Maron gives us two shows a week. Joe Rogan the same. They travel the world every week and still pull off episodes that are longer then every Star Wars movie combined. If you don’t have the time then think about creating a twelve show season. Hit the streets promoting the crap out of it. Make a lot of noise and shake up the atmosphere with your art.
The podcasting trail is no longer a little chunk of land with patted down grass. There’s dirt where there was once green. One day the greenway maybe paved. In order to call it a success the path can’t be a half mile long. I hike Kings Mountain State Park for a reason. Over 20 miles of incredibly different leg busting lung piercing trails designed to kick your ass.
That’s what’s gonna catch the eye of a chance taking sales force. Cause a conflict of interest.