Why Everyone Should Start a Podcast in 2021

Early on in a career in real estate, I was introduced to one of Gary Keller’s mantras.

“Anyone can do it, but not everyone will do it.”

Now, at the time, he was talking about real estate, but this advice applies to anything worth doing.

In this case, it applies to why everyone should start a podcast in 2021.

Ought implies can. Let’s get this out of the way. Everyone can start a podcast. We’ve been over the gear you need. You’ve read our roundups of microphones, podcast hosting services, podcast recording equipment, how to research the topics, etc.

We’ve got an ultimate guide of how to start a podcast. The tools are in your kit.

You’ve got the nuts and bolts covered. If the answer to the question, can I start a podcast is a resounding yes, then the next question is ought I start a podcast in 2021? And again… emphatically, yes.

We’re All Salesman

I hope I’m not the one to break this to you, but you’re in sales. Everyone is. Dan Pink demonstrates how “being in sales” has changed dramatically over the past 20 years.

It used to be that salesman wore a plaid jacket, had slicked-back hair, and thought gold chains were the epitome of professionalism. In short, they wore a uniform and you could avoid them as such. And they left a bad taste in your mouth.

In the wake of pandemic induced layoffs, you’re either selling yourself for your next gig or building your side-hustle.

Even “traditional” companies are eschewing a formal sales staff in favor of having the company as a whole adopt the sales role.

We have to shift our mindset around what it means to be in sales. Podcasts are an amazing sales medium for the plaid jacket hating crowd. The return on investment is unbeatable.

Podcasts are a sales platform that doesn’t feel like sales.

People Buy Why, Not What.

Simon Sinek. A name that has become synonymous with articulating the mindset shift around sales.

In his seminal TED Talk, Sinek breaks down the psychology underpinning people’s buying habits. He points out that people don’t actually buy what you’re selling. To borrow from Dan Pink’s lexicon, people attune to why it is that you’re selling in the first place.

What made the slick used car salesman successful was his ability to layer on whatever “facts” he saw fit to convince you that his lemon was your lemonade. The internet, barring a few major aberrations, has made that business model nigh impossible.

Enter podcasts.  Their long-form delivery allows the podcaster to crystalize their authentic “why” over time. Not only are podcasts helpful communicating the podcaster’s vision, but they’re also, by their very structure, trust-building vehicles.

Podcasts build trust.

The long-form format helps to establish trust. If for no other reason, the simple act of sticking around for a long period of time means your listener invested. It’s hard to walk away from an investment… especially a bad investment.

They’re inclined to get on board with your program.

This is why sales letters are so long in copywriting. They are playing on the fact that if the reader, even accidentally, invested the time to read the letter, they are more likely to accept the conclusion. It’s the sunk-cost bias. 

Now, knowing that you can use that bias to get your foot in the door, you’ve still got to close the sale. It should also go without saying that these tools are not to be used for evil.

The Market is Remains Wide Open

Podfading is real. The market may have cracked a million podcasts, but that doesn’t mean there are a million active shows.

Estimates are up to 75% of podcasts are no longer in “active-production.”  That’s a polite way of saying they’ve stopped creating content. The best you’ve got there are re-runs.

The conventional wisdom that podcasting is a saturated market and there’s no point starting, seems faulty. While there is a lot of residual value in archives and re-runs, listeners are hungry for content that doesn’t have a known shelf-life.

The Market is Hungry

Consumption of content is just way up. Worldwide, the average consumer of media spent almost 8 hours a day engaged with some form of media. 8 hours a day… every day.

Your audience is listening and searching. Create a podcast. Give them something to find. But how do you get your podcast to cut above the noise? 

Promotion is Still Collaborative

We’ve talked about the nature of the podcast listener market means that the creator market landscape isn’t a zero-sum game. There’s still more value being created by working together than there is in the “every man for himself” model.

Just because someone is already covering what you want to cover doesn’t mean there isn’t room enough in the audience for both.

Promoting your podcast doesn’t feel so cutthroat as a result. You don’t need to step on someone’s show to grow your own show.

You Aren’t Really All That Committed

One of the biggest reasons people sit out the podcast game on the sidelines is they’re afraid to commit. Afraid to commit to the wrong branding, message, format, etc.

Well, there’s really no need to carry that fear. You can rebrand until your heart’s content and you find market traction.

Every time I do a roundup or review I have to make sure that the host hasn’t rebranded their podcast without my knowledge. It’s rarely a clean break and it is more a brand evolution. Podcasting is still young enough to be intellectually malleable. 

And if it feels like you’ve gone too far down a path? Just let the podcast sunset and start a new.

2020 Was Weird

There’s going to come sometime in the future, and it likely won’t be the near term, when everyone’s going to take a deep breath, look around, and say out loud “What the hell was all that?”

We’re going to need to process that energy.

If 2020 taught us anything it’s that you don’t have to be perfect to have influence and value. Conventional wisdom took leave of its senses in 2020. Conventional wisdom decided to go on an overnight bender and it’s not entirely clear she’s coming back.

Do you have it figured out? As much as anyone else does. Which is to say not at all. Your voice is as valid as the next. And if you’re thoughtful and honest about not knowing, there’s value in the uncertainty.

A podcast is the perfect medium to express vulnerability. Let your audience in and grow with you.

Again, as our friend Simon points out, it’s not so much about what you’re selling. It’s why you’re selling it. Just keep that top of mind and your show will pick up momentum.

Conclusion

So get out there. Get out there imperfectly and add your thoughtful voice to the chorus. Posterity demands it. And, along the way, you’ll find your tribe and make more sales. So, really, you tell me, why shouldn’t you start a podcast in 2021?

Have you started one? Need a guest? Let me know in the comments.