Butts in Seats: Framing Your Goals for Podcasting
How do you measure success when it comes to your podcast? I propose a few alternative methods other than downloads.
Do you look at your download stats and struggle to feel like your podcast is reaching your goals? We see big numbers from others online and stack our own against them. It can feel like we’re not succeeding as these are the only numbers we see. These are the loudest voices after all.
This is a trap. Don’t fall for it or you’ll end up in a pit with lions. Burnout lions.
An often skipped step in podcasting is establishing meaningful and measurable goals for the podcast. If it does happen, the goal is often only downloads per month.
Do you measure the success of your Sunday services exclusively by the butts in seats? I certainly hope not.
While downloads are surface indicators, I’d like to propose some other methods of measuring your podcast’s success.
- Average listen time percentage
- Positive reviews on Apple, Spotify, Podchaser, etc.
- Expansion of your network of fellow leaders
- Learned skills over time (production, interviewing, social media, etc.)
- Personal growth toward Jesus
- 1-on-1 conversations started
- Individual testimonies of positive influence
- People brought to your ministry (or others) for further discipleship
- Professions of faith in Jesus
Most of these metrics don’t show up in a dashboard. But they are what will fuel your podcasting journey. They will help you stay rooted in why you started in the first place. So when the testimony does come through your inbox or you have a meaningful conversation with someone, physically write it down. Put it somewhere you will see it whenever you record. Next to your microphone or on your computer screen.
For the number fiends out there, here are three REAL benchmark to hold your show to:
- Of the 4,000,000+ podcasts out there, only 13% are actively posting new episodes (according to Podcasting Index)
- If you get 32 downloads in the first week of release, you’re in the top 50% (according to Buzzsprout)
- If you have 4 or more reviews on Apple, you’re in the top 50% (according to Pacific Content)
Keep improving, keep making great content, and don’t forget why you’re doing this.
So why are you podcasting? I’d love to know. DM on Twitter to start a conversation!
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