TPU127 – Motivation Tips for Podcasters – 5 Simple Tips for Staying Motivated in Podcasting

Want to learn the art of staying motivated in podcasting?

Then this episode is for you.

Podcasting can become extremely monotonous over a period of time because you are actually doing it solo in your bedroom, literally talking to the walls. This monotony can lead to demotivation and frustration.

In such a situation, how to stay motivated as a podcaster?

You start your podcast journey with a lot of enthusiasm. The ideas flow, you are enjoying your time in front of your microphone, and you’re pumped to share your message with the world.

But then, reality sets in. The initial excitement fades, and you find yourself wrestling with self-doubt and all of those never-ending demands of podcasting.

Add to it the fact, that you are sitting there in the corner of your room, all alone talking to your walls and you have everything to start feeling demotivated.

You’re not alone in this struggle.

It’s like hitting a creative wall, and it’s frustrating.

You start to question your content, your abilities, and whether you should continue at all.

Those weaker moments are what makes even the best of podcasters, throw in their towel and call it quits.

The struggle is real and pretty much every one of us goes through that phase.

Tips for Staying Motivated in Podcasting

And the ones who are able to successfully steer through this phase are the ones who eventually succeed.

But steering through it is not easy.

And there are some simple techniques that a lot of the productivity gurus out there have always suggested which can help you stay motivated with whatever you are doing.

We are going to pick some of these and customize these motivation tips for podcasters.

So today, we will discuss some very simple and practical tips for staying motivated in podcasting.

Let’s get started!

Be a part of a Community!

Communities have been there for a reason.

They not only give you a sense of togetherness but also help you feel valued. Communities can help you find solutions to your problems, can give you feedback, and can help you when you are feeling extremely demotivated and dejected.

A lot of people never really understand the power of communities. They tend to ignore this piece of advice. But the truth is that this is the most powerful piece of advice you can ever get.

Join communities and participate in the conversations there.

If you are interested in being a part of the podcasting community, then you can join my podcasting community. It is a Whatsapp community where we help each other stay motivated.

Just drop me a note using the contact form here.

Revisit your Podcasting Goals

Your podcasting goal is your North Star.

It is what will keep pushing you when the chips are down.

Whenever I feel frustrated with one of those episodes not doing as well as I would have expected it to or, for just about anything that didn’t work, I go back to my podcasting goals.

I have then written it down on the first page of my Journal. I spend a few minutes reading through them and digesting them.

It helps me connect back to them and that generates a new form of energy within me.

An energy that will help me keep going for a few months until I come across the same situation again.

So if you haven’t written down your podcasting goals, then go back and do that.

And whenever you feel low or, frustrated, go back and revisit them.

Stay Organized

Over the years I have observed that the biggest reason for frustration and overwhelm is “not knowing what to publish next”.

That eleventh-hour rush often weighs pretty heavy on our minds and body. When it happens week after week, we tend to do a shoddy job on the content that we are releasing.

Because there is no research, no analysis, and no thought going into what we are releasing. We are releasing an episode just because we have to release one.

And such content is never going to do well.

Which in turn means poor download numbers and listens.

And when that happens over and over again, it is normal to be frustrated.

If you want to get out of this situation, you will want to stay organized.

Put systems in place so that you save time. Get organized so that you are well ahead in terms of your publishing schedule.

Have a content calendar, record episodes in batches as per your plan, edit them, and keep them in stock so that you are not running helter-skelter at the last moment.

Celebrate all achievements

We podcasters are programmed to be focused on big goals – millions of downloads, and thousands of listeners.

In fact, all of the hype on the internet tells us that a successful podcast is one that has millions of downloads.

And this is usually the biggest reason for frustration as well.

But let me tell you the truth.

If your podcast gets about 500 downloads a month you are already in the top 10% of podcasts worldwide.

What does that mean for you as a podcaster?

Stop chasing false goals. Set realistic goals. Break things down into smaller targets.

And most important of all, when you achieve those targets, celebrate those achievements shamelessly.

Post on social media, reward yourself and take a break. Do whatever you would normally do to celebrate such achievements.

But celebrate!

We have all become celebration-misers. We keep waiting for those big occasions so that we can celebrate.

Don’t do that.

Don’t be harsh and hard on yourself.

Take breaks!

There’s a big understanding about consistency amongst us content creators.

We think that consistency is about showing up every week or, every day irrespective of what situation we are in.

And this mindset puts us in a pressure situation. We start pushing ourselves so much that we ignore everything else in our lives and focus on the single goal – showing up regularly.

It is here that the problem lies.

There are 2 things about consistency that you need to understand –

1. Consistency cannot happen if you don’t plan well. Meticulous planning and being organized with what you are doing, are 2 very important aspects of consistency.
2. Consistency doesn’t mean that you cannot take a break or, that you cannot skip showing up. If you look at the top creators in the world, you will see that they also took breaks. but with the only difference that they ensured that the break was planned and that they came back to their routine.

While the first point is a topic in itself, the second one is something that I want to emphasize here.

As a podcaster, you are putting in a lot of effort. It is not easy. There’s a lot of hard work that goes into every one of those episodes that you create.

So when you are putting in so much hard work, aren’t you entitled to take a break?

So, go and take a break.

The only thing you might want to keep in mind is that it is well-planned in advance. And when you are back, don’t let the hangover of the break disrupt your publishing schedules.

Conclusion

Podcasting isn’t easy. Just like most other forms of content creation, there is a lot that goes into it and since the rewards aren’t that clearly visible always, frustration is normal.

So if you are feeling frustrated or, feel like you aren’t going anywhere, then know that it is normal.

Every creator goes through that situation.

The difference between the ones who quit and the ones who achieve their goals is – how they deal with that situation.

These 5 tips for staying motivated in podcasting, that I shared today are all that you will need to deal with that situation and come out successful.

Show Notes:

Here’s what we discussed in the episode on how to stay motivated as a podcaster –

1. 5 tips for staying motivated in podcasting
2. Understanding consistency
3. Tips to stay organized

This episode is sponsored by Zencastr. Use my special link here to save 30% off your first month of any Zencastr paid plan. 

Thank You for Joining

Thank you all for joining me on the show today.

If you enjoyed this episode then I am sure you will love some of the previous episodes as well. Pick your favorite ones and give them a listen.

The podcasting university is available on all podcasting platforms. You can pick your favorite one to listen to the show there. The links to some of the prominent ones are mentioned below.

CASTBOX: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/castbox
STITCHER: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/stitcher
TUNEIN: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/tunein
GOOGLE PODCASTS: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/googlepodcasts
APPLE PODCASTS: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/itunes
PLAYER.FM: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/playerfm
SPOTIFY: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/spotify
HUBHOPPER: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/hubhopper
AMAZON PRIME: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/prime

Recommended Resources for Podcasting

Here are some of the recommended resources for Podcasting. These are the ones that I personally use and am satisfied with and hence am recommending them.

• Acast Podcast hosting – Acast is my favorite podcast hosting company. They have excellent customer support, have a pocket-friendly plan, and even have a free option with no limits.
• Behringer Audio Interface – You will need an audio interface if you are using an XLR microphone. This is my recommended audio interface.
• Zencastr – Zencastr is the easiest option to record interviews, both audio-only and audio+video. This is a must for an interview podcast. Go to zencastr.com/pricing and use my code “thepodu” You’ll get 30 percent off your first three months of Zencastr professional.
• Audacity – This is the best and the most feature-rich free audio editing software. It gives you a lot of options while editing your interviews.
• Blue Yeti USB Microphone – My recommended microphone
• Tidycal – My recommended calendar and booking solutions
• Fusebox – Embeddable Podcast Player
• Descript – Audio Editing, Transcription and Video editing software

AMAZON DISCLOSURE: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The Podcasting University is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

MICROPHONES –

1. ATR-2100x
2. MAONO AU-HD300T : https://geni.us/ro48q
3. Maono AU-WDM01 : https://geni.us/PhZ3V2v
4. Samson Q2U – https://geni.us/k9cuk
5. Audio Technica AT 2035 – https://geni.us/g2URDI
6. Rode NT USB – https://geni.us/O6b65K
7. Shure MV7X – https://geni.us/w7rZ4

LAVELIER MICROPHONES

1. Boya ByM1 Auxillary Lavelier Microphone – https://geni.us/boyabym1lav
2. Boya ByM1 Pro Lavelier Microphones – https://geni.us/boyabym1prolav
3. Digitek Wireless Microphone – https://geni.us/R3cGd
4. Boya – BYXM6 Wireless Microphone – https://geni.us/OS6gq
5. Vook Dual Channel Wireless Microphone – https://geni.us/V9YBO1i

PORTABLE RECORDERS –

1. Zoom H5 Portable Recorder – https://geni.us/rVTAIAV
2. Zoom H1N Portable Recorder – https://geni.us/dOaDg

AUDIO INTERFACE –

1. Behringer U-PHORIA UM2 – https://geni.us/gBCjm
2. M-Audio M-Track Solo – https://geni.us/RnhHr
3. HAYDEN HY-229 – https://geni.us/c80KbWB

MIXERS –

1. HAYDEN 4 Channels – https://geni.us/cXQ0
2. Behringer Q502USB

MONITORING HEADPHONES –

1. Oneodio Studio Pro-10 : https://geni.us/IQI88Se
2. Maono AU-MH501 : https://geni.us/AbNrU
3. Audio-Technica ATH-M20X : https://geni.us/eEUf9

POP-FILTER –

1. JEYANG Metal Pop Filter – https://geni.us/JMfuY
2. Wright WP 101 – https://geni.us/OcOAzj

DESK-STAND/BOOM ARM –

1. MY-STANDS MC 18 : https://geni.us/Lwnb
2. Bulfyss Professional Recording Microphone Stand: https://geni.us/mV4S

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