Controlling The Momentum Of Your Podcast

Having a set of processes and procedures to keep you and your podcast moving is an obvious success factor. But when those processes and procedures start to fail, can you adjust quickly?

Successfully deployed tactics sometimes have a shelf life and you start to notice their effectiveness waning over time. Best practices are often eroded by the winds of change. Yes, there are plenty of time-tested methodologies and truisms podcasters can almost always count on. 

But at some point, you're going to find that something you thought was a staple of your process is no longer delivering for you or for your podcast.

And if you're like most podcasters—me included—you'll keep doing that thing, comfortable in your own conviction that it's the right thing to do. 

We should learn to drop things that aren't working faster. But there's an actual force working against us when we try: momentum.

Momentum is typically something you want in a time-intensive, creative pursuit, like podcasting, It's a lack of momentum—or at least the inability to quickly achieve momentum—that contributes to so many novice podcasters burning out after just a handful of episodes.

We need momentum in podcasting. We need a force pushing us or carrying us along once the machine is underway. 

But momentum doesn't recognize when the environment in which it exists changes. Momentum is resistant to suggestions or evidence that a tactic may no longer be working carrying you over the cliff when you fall asleep at the wheel. 

But momentum doesn't have total control over you as a podcaster. You have agency, so you can pump the brakes or crank the wheel or take some other action when you find that momentum is working against you. Or at least not working out the way you wanted it to. 

The trick is having enough bandwidth—and foresight—to analyze the effectiveness of the momentum you've developed. Analysis that isn't too quick to jump at the small fluctuations, but also doesn't take you two years to figure out when something just isn't working. 

To do that you have to know why you are doing as much as what you are doing. You have to know the difference between foundational tactics—processes that produce results that by their nature are difficult to quantify—and promotional tactics that can quickly show diminishing results. And are designed to be dropped quickly.

It's very easy to conflate the two. Even for seasoned podcast pros like me. 

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Links

Looking for a remote recording solution that handles both audio and video? You need Riverside.fm! Medium's Partner ProgramPodcast Pontifications In Your InboxBecome A Supporting MembersOver 100K active podcasters trust BuzzsproutGot a podcasting service? Become a sponsor of Podcast Pontifications.Serious about podcasting? Join the Advancing Podcasting Community today! 
Got a podcasting service? Become a sponsor of Podcast Pontifications.Serious about podcasting? Join the

Having a set of processes and procedures to keep you and your podcast moving is an obvious success factor. But when those processes and procedures start to fail, can you adjust quickly?

Successfully deployed tactics sometimes have a shelf life and you start to notice their effectiveness waning over time. Best practices are often eroded by the winds of change. Yes, there are plenty of time-tested methodologies and truisms podcasters can almost always count on. 

But at some point, you're going to find that something you thought was a staple of your process is no longer delivering for you or for your podcast.

And if you're like most podcasters—me included—you'll keep doing that thing, comfortable in your own conviction that it's the right thing to do. 

We should learn to drop things that aren't working faster. But there's an actual force working against us when we try: momentum.

Momentum is typically something you want in a time-intensive, creative pursuit, like podcasting, It's a lack of momentum—or at least the inability to quickly achieve momentum—that contributes to so many novice podcasters burning out after just a handful of episodes.

We need momentum in podcasting. We need a force pushing us or carrying us along once the machine is underway. 

But momentum doesn't recognize when the environment in which it exists changes. Momentum is resistant to suggestions or evidence that a tactic may no longer be working carrying you over the cliff when you fall asleep at the wheel. 

But momentum doesn't have total control over you as a podcaster. You have agency, so you can pump the brakes or crank the wheel or take some other action when you find that momentum is working against you. Or at least not working out the way you wanted it to. 

The trick is having enough bandwidth—and foresight—to analyze the effectiveness of the momentum you've developed. Analysis that isn't too quick to jump at the small fluctuations, but also doesn't take you two years to figure out when something just isn't working. 

To do that you have to know why you are doing as much as what you are doing. You have to know the difference between foundational tactics—processes that produce results that by their nature are difficult to quantify—and promotional tactics that can quickly show diminishing results. And are designed to be dropped quickly.

It's very easy to conflate the two. Even for seasoned podcast pros like me. 

-----

Links

Looking for a remote recording solution that handles both audio and video? You need Riverside.fm! Medium's Partner ProgramPodcast Pontifications In Your InboxBecome A Supporting MembersOver 100K active podcasters trust BuzzsproutGot a podcasting service? Become a sponsor of Podcast Pontifications.Serious about podcasting? Join the Advancing Podcasting Community today! 
Got a podcasting service? Become a sponsor of Podcast Pontifications.Serious about podcasting? Join the Advancing Podcasting Community today!

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Podcast Pontifications is a production of Simpler Media. New episodes are released weekly, providing ideas and questions every serious podcaster should be thinking about.

It's created and hosted by Evo Terra. Follow him on Twitter for more podcasting insights as they come. Allie Press assists with the production and transcription of the show.

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Mentioned in this episode:

Support For Abortion Rights

While Americans overwhelmingly support the right of an individual to make their own decisions about abortion, unfortunately, that right is no longer protected everywhere in the U.S. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade on June 24th.

Abortion is a basic healthcare need for the millions of people who can become pregnant. Everyone should have the freedom to decide what’s best for themselves and their families, including when it comes to ending a pregnancy. This decision has dire consequences for individual health and safety, and could have harsh repercussions for other landmark decisions.

Restricting access to comprehensive reproductive care, including abortion, threatens the health and independence of all Americans. Even if you live in a state where abortion rights are upheld, access to safe medical procedures shouldn’t be determined by location, and it shouldn't be the privilege of a small few.

You can help by donating to local abortion funds. To find out where to donate for each state, visit donations4abortion.com.

If you or someone you know needs help, or if you want to get more involved, here are 5 resources:

1. ShoutYourAbortion.com is a campaign to normalize abortion.
2. DontBanEquality.com is a campaign for companies to take a stand against abortion restrictions.
3. Abortion.cafe has information about where to find clinics.
4. PlanCPills.org provides early at-home abortion pills that you can keep in your medicine cabinet.
5. Choice.CRD.co has a collection of these resources and more.

We encourage you to speak up! And spread the word.

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy
Podsights - https://podsights.com/privacy