050 Podcasting a Smart Move or a Time Drain?
Ever wondered if a podcast is the right move for your business? Let’s break down the best time to start one and how to make it work for your brand.
*Please note that this podcast was previously called THE "Video Confidence Coachcast" and the "Do Video Podcast" previous to 2025. THANK-YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING AS I TRANSITION THE BRAND TO BE MORE CONSISTANT FOR YOUR LISTENING AND WATCHING PLEASURE.Quick Quiz Time 🥳
What is a recommended first step before launching your own podcast?
A: Guest on other podcasts first
B: Buy expensive podcasting equipment right away
C: Start a daily podcast immediately
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Answer: A – Guesting on podcasts helps you test the waters before committing to your own, and if you even like it 😉
When To Start A Podcast: Podcasting a Smart Move or a Time Drain?
Starting a podcast can be a game-changer, but timing is everything. If you're in the early stages of business, focusing on stability, cash flow, and foundational marketing might be a better priority. Podcasting, much like networking, builds authority over time but doesn’t guarantee immediate leads or income.
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For those who love to talk (hello my yappers!), an audio-only podcast is an easy entry point. But if speaking isn’t your thing, other content formats like blogging or email newsletters might be a better fit. A great way to start without overcommitting is by creating a 12-episode limited series. This lets you test the waters, refine your message, and decide if podcasting is right for you—without the pressure of a never-ending content treadmill.
If you’re still unsure, try guesting on other podcasts first! It’s a low-risk way to practise, build credibility, and figure out if you even enjoy the medium. Whether you go all-in or just dabble, the key takeaway is that podcasting is a long-term strategy, not a quick-fix marketing hack. If you're ready to explore how podcasting (or video content) can elevate your brand, let’s chat! Work with Zoë Wood, the Video Confidence Coach, to map out your content strategy and get your voice heard.
What Was Discussed This Episode + Timecodes:
00:00 – Why marketing strategies (like Twitter ads) don’t last forever.
01:02 – The 2-3 year rule: When is a podcast a smart move for your business?
04:12 – Why podcasting is like networking (and why it won’t bring instant $$$).
06:14 – The power of guesting on other podcasts before starting your own.
07:20 – Final thoughts: Podcasting is a long-term game, not a quick fix.
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(0:00 - 0:31)
A lot of people were, you know, utilising advertising specifically on Twitter and they thought that that was going to be a sure thing for the forever, for the rest of time. And then, well, I think we all know what happened there. If you're tired of the old cookie cutter marketing advice and want to take your personal brand to the next level with bold actionable strategies that truly reflect you, you're in the right place.
(0:31 - 1:02)
Let's untangle your marketing mayhem with Zoe, the Video Confidence Coach, on the Unboring Your Brand podcast. Unboring Your Brand was recorded on Wadawurrung land. When is the right time to start a podcast? And for those people who are in business, who are building a personal brand, who are starting out, when it comes to podcasting, I would say it's more of a two to three year thing when it comes to starting your business.
(1:02 - 4:12)
To be honest, there is a lot of other things that you need to worry about when it comes to both yourself, but also your brand in general, when it comes to building it. And a podcast, though it may be useful, is not necessarily going to demand the returns that you need in those first two to three years of your business. A podcast is very much in the same realm of promoting yourself and your business as networking.
Networking is not necessarily going to guarantee you money, guarantee you leads, because networking is about connecting with people. And that's the same thing with podcasts. So when it comes to podcasts on your marketing, if you're, say, two to three years in, you're fairly comfortable, your cash flow is going okay, you're paying your debts, you're doing your things, and you've got the capacity to start showcasing yourself and your knowledge and trying to be that authority in your particular niche or space, a podcast is a great spot for you.
It is a great opportunity. It is really easy to start, especially if you're only focussing on an audio-only platform. And if you are a yapper, to be honest, most of the people that I attract are yappers.
We like to talk and like to talk. So for those type of people, a podcast is great. If you are not a yapper like me and you would prefer to write things down, going with a blog post, going with an email newsletter, going with the text-first format.
And if you are neither of those things, we're probably going to have to find another option for you when it comes to containers, formats that we can put your knowledge in. And again, this is all voluntary. A podcast is voluntary for your business.
And when you first start out with a podcast, I highly recommend doing a limited series. A limited series is a series of 20-minute conversations, either with another person or just with yourself. Now, of course, this will take time and practise to put into place.
And having this be, say, 12 episodes. So then once that 12-episode period is done, you will have learned a lot. You will have grown a lot.
You will have gained a lot of confidence in the work that you do and also how to speak to a microphone, to a camera, to however you want to do these podcasts. And because it's a limited series, it has a purpose. You have a really clear goal.
You have like 12 episodes that you need to fill. And you have a really clear audience member or type of customer or type of listener in mind. So that when that 12 is done, if you're doing really well and you're enjoying it and it's awesome, you can continue going.
You can make the limited series an ongoing series. And then if you get to that 12, you hated the experience, you hated the time, you hated how it made you feel. And by those 12 episodes, the reason I said at 12 is because 8 is the usually when people just get tired and give up podcasting in general.
Get to that 12. And if you absolutely hate the experience, maybe podcasting isn't for you. It isn't for your brand.
(4:12 - 6:14)
It isn't for your business. Then that's okay. You're going to stop there.
It's going to be a limited series. It's going to do what it needs to do. It's going to help you gain customers and leads into your business over the next 5, 10, 15 years.
The longevity of a podcast and a podcast episode is very, very long compared to say, for example, a Facebook post, which is like two seconds, maybe even three, depending on the day. So when it comes to a podcast, it's always nice to have that idea in the back of your head. Again, give yourself that opportunity to focus on other areas of business, to be a little bit more grounded in what you do before moving into a podcast area.
Not necessarily that you need to avoid entirely guesting on other people's more established podcast is always a great place to start and allows you to take some risks of engaging with other people, engaging with other business owners and other people in your particular niche. And then in that opportunity, you can build up your confidence on having interviews, talking with people, being the go-to person in your particular niche, the authority, you're building that authority. You can be guests on other podcasts.
And then after those, say two to three years, you're comfortable about how your business is going. You're comfortable about the cashflow that you've got going and you've got the hour or two a week that you could invest in, you know, starting your own podcast. Then great.
Awesome. Beautiful. Because you've already practised with other people.
You've already know what you're on about. You're very clear about who you're trying to communicate and who this podcast is for. Then you can start a podcast then.
Awesome. So whatever plan or whatever option you want to go or do going forward, a podcast is a great opportunity. And it's also not something that you need to hold forever, like marketing and trialling new things in your business.
(6:14 - 7:18)
You're not always going to stick with it forever. A lot of people were, you know, utilising advertising specifically on Twitter. And they thought that that was going to be a sure thing for the forever, for the rest of time.
And then, well, I think we all know what happened there. So when it comes to marketing your business, the idea is to bring awareness to your brand, to get people in to your website or a place where you can control it, control the message and control the output and get people to buy from you. That's what you're doing.
And podcasting definitely falls into the trusting factor of the marketing that you do. It's definitely a very long-term thing. And it's not a very quick, if I market, if I start a podcast, I'm going to be rolling the money.
It's not a very quick fix thing. So hopefully that has answered your question. It was a bit of a lommie as it always is, but I am definitely here for you.
(7:20 - 8:04)
Thank you for listening or watching Unboring Your Brand. You can find detailed show notes with tools, offers and episode transcriptions. Just click the first link in the description or go to vcc.training podcast.
Get involved and ask me anything about personal branding, video strategy, or just a friendly small business chat via my email g'day at vcc.training. That is g-d-a-y at vcc.training. The video confidence coach would like to acknowledge and pay my respects to the Wadawurrung people of the Kulin Nation, the traditional custodians of the land on which I record my podcast. I pay my respects to their elders past and present. I stand with the traditional custodians of these lands in working towards a more equal future.
(8:04 - 8:10)
Always was, always will be Aboriginal land. Look forward to me chatting at you next week, superstars.
The above livestream episode description and transcript were generated together human knowledge + ai.
Who is your host?
Feeling stuck trying to build a personal brand that actually turns heads? Women and non-binary super-stars deserve more than just a cookie-cutter approach to their worries. Zoë Wood the Video Confidence Coach untangles your marketing mayhem, helping you own the camera, craft killer video strategies, and connect with your audience like never before. You’ll leave with the tools to show up, stand out, and smash your goals.
Find out more about how to grow your personal brand with the power of video right here on vcc.training
Smashing Your Marketing Mayhem With Killer Video Strategies 🧡
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