Have you ever thought of giving up your blog to try podcasting? Or creating a blog to complement your podcast? I’ve been intrigued by podcasting for years, but the learning curve! It seems really, really high!
My friend Kathleen blogged for years before launching her podcast Being Boss as a ‘fun side project’ – and now it’s her whole job! Today, she’s breaking down the blog vs podcast argument for us so we can figure out which one is right for us!
I accidentally sparked a career of creative entrepreneurship when I started a personal blog in May of 2008 to capture the story of my life. I was blogging about everything – from my home remodel, to learning how to cook, to my daily outfits.
I was posting up to three times a day and when I look back on my older pieces of writing I wince a little. It took me a minute (or 2 million minutes) to find my style but cringes aside I am grateful to have an archive of my life.
But even more than that, blogging opened my life up to other creatives doing interesting things for a living. And my readers supported me, as cheerleaders and dream customers, when I decided to quit my day job to pursue my own career as a graphic designer. So now I was sharing my life story of figuring out how to be my own boss.
Then something changed. Well, a few things changed. I can list a few pivotal moments that changed blogging for me:
Everyone but me had sponsors
Or at least that’s what it felt like. I guess I didn’t feel good enough to be writing if I wasn’t being compensated by Land of Nod or Old Navy for it.
Google shut down it’s RSS reader
Does anyone else remember how devastating this was? I loved scrolling through my RSS feed every morning with a cup of coffee, and I tried other readers but it just wasn’t the same. I stopped reading blogs which somehow affected my motivation in writing them too.
I had a baby
Now that a huge part of my personal life story involved another person my sharing boundaries changed. And I literally had less time to write and share.
I started a podcast
I loved listening to podcasts, and I loved being interviewed as a guest on podcasts – so when my business bestie Emily asked me to start a podcast with her to talk about work, life, and the overlap between the two I was so game.
So now I have a podcast called Being Boss. We post one full length episode on Tuesday every week and a bite-sized “minisode” on Fridays. I love finding my voice by literally using my voice and have been shocked at the growth and success I’ve found with my podcast that never happened with my blog.
Plus, as I was naturally finding traction with the podcasting format I kind of quit writing as much. That said, there are things about writing that still not only tug at my heart strings but are good for business.
So I thought I’d write a little post sharing the pros and cons of podcasting vs. blogging. If you’re considering starting a podcast and/or starting a blog this simple list of pros and cons might help you determine the best fit.
A CASE FOR PODCASTING
It’s a new and growing platform!
While it might seem like everyone and their dog has a podcast now, it’s not too late! Podcasts are still growing in popularity and now is the time to start.
Your personality can shine in a podcast
Whether your funny, nerdy, witty, or whip smart podcasts are great for capturing your tone and style (which is hard to do in writing unless you’re really really really good at writing).
You get to explore topics in a different way
I love having conversations with my co-host and expert guests. It’s not just the questions and answers but that energy that is created when you have a really great conversation.
Your audience will feel like friends
When someone commits to spending an hour a week with you they will get to know you in a way your blog readers don’t. They’ll know your laugh, your silly mannerisms, and odd-ball quirks. They might even hear you cry from time-to-time. And when you can make friends you can build community… and that is a whole other blog post for another day. But let’s just say: it’s good stuff.
Now, the only potential downside to podcasting is that it takes a bit of technical know-how to record, edit, and upload your episodes. If you have a co-host or guests the logistics and coordination can be tiresome.
Also, the vulnerability hangover you get is no joke – “Did I sound dumb? I wonder if I could have been more sensitive to that topic. I hope I don’t offend anyone with that joke.” – are just a few examples of things I’ve almost quit over.
A CASE FOR BLOGGING
You can write exactly what you mean
You can spend your time on each and every word and come across like an articulate badass.
It’s less of a time commitment
Not for you necessarily (because time can add up when you’re re-reading every word to say exactly what you mean) but a blog takes less time for your audience to engage with.
It’s easier to reference and archive
I love having a professional blog to reference or point people to when I have an answer to their question. While I can point people to my podcast episodes there are more hoops for them to jump through to get what they need.
Search engine optimization
Unless your podcast has a website with show notes people won’t find your podcast when searching for what you have to offer.
When it comes down to it, I think you should be on the platform that gives you the most energy. Share on X If you love writing then a blog is probably a good fit for you. If having conversations with friends and strangers energizes you then a podcast is definitely something you should try.
And hey! You can do a blend of both – there are no rules here. You could write a post and simply read it into a microphone and hit publish so your content is written and audio. Or you can transcribe your podcasts and turn those into blog posts on your website.
I think really, the most important point I want to make here is that you should be creating content to share – whether it’s a podcast, blog, YouTube channel, or just on social media. It will help position your small business, give your brand personality, and attract more dream clients.
Thanks so much for sharing your insights, Kathleen! Have any of you guys started a podcast? If you have, how have you liked it? What tools/platforms/resources have you used?
The podcast world is so interesting to me. I’ve meddled with the idea, and this post is really encouraging me to try. My friend actually just launched one where she interviews actors from cult 80s/90s movie and TV shows – super fun! http://prettyfunnygirl.com/category/podcast/
http://www.wonderlandsam.com
I love the Being Boss podcast! It’s really inspiring me to try to being more boss haha. I love blogging because I’m a writer, but I’d love to experiment with podcasts! Need to find something to talk about now 🙂
Having a hard time deciding whether to commit time into podcasting. I listen to them, but hosting them sounds so time consuming. Your blog was very helpful showing both pros and cons. I’m leaning towards giving it a try! Thank you!
I’ve always been a writer, but the advent of Facebook Live has been super fun for me…It’s definitely a different pace from writing, where I just totally dump my brain onto the page and the reorganize it to make sense. But I like the spontaneity! Also, I move my hands a lot when I talk, and that never comes across in writing, but does in video…
Can you do both? That is, if you publish the transcript of a podcast and do all the SEO stuff with the transcript = 2 birds / 1 stone? People can either choose to read it or view it?
Thanks for the post, great tips and information which is useful for all..
Great post! I’m leaning towards having both a blog and a podcast.