Welcome back to Podcaster Plus, the podcast dedicated to simplifying and automating your podcasting journey with practical tips, insider tricks, and strategic insights. In this episode, host Nathan Wrigley tackles a burning question for many modern podcasters: Should you post your podcast on YouTube?
With YouTube commanding a staggering 2 billion monthly users and holding its place as the world’s second largest search engine, it’s easy to see the appeal for podcasters aiming to boost their reach and engagement. Nathan delves into the unique advantages that YouTube offers, such as built-in community features, powerful discoverability, and additional monetisation streams beyond traditional podcast sponsorships.
However, it’s not all upside, he also highlights the real-world challenges, including the extra workload of creating video content, the risk of diluting your audience across multiple platforms, stricter copyright controls, and the need for a tailored approach rather than just repurposing audio files.
Drawing from real-world experience, Nathan unpacks common mistakes podcasters make on YouTube, from simply uploading static audio files to expecting automatic growth. Instead, he reveals actionable strategies for making YouTube work for your show, like starting out with highlight reels, focusing on quality over quantity, and leveraging YouTube’s unique features for audience engagement.
Whether you’re a seasoned podcaster contemplating a move to video, or just exploring ways to widen your show’s influence, this episode arms you with the knowledge to decide if YouTube is the right next step.
Join Nathan as he sifts through the hype and gets practical about whether expanding your podcast onto YouTube will really move the needle for your goals and audience. Tune in now to find out if YouTube should become part of your podcasting toolkit!
Resources:
Key topics:
The Allure of YouTube
- Massive potential audience (over 2 billion monthly users)
- Second largest search engine globally
- Discoverability opportunities
- Built-in engagement features (comments, likes, dislikes, sharing)
- Ability to foster a stronger community
- Monetization options:
- Ad revenue
- Channel membership
- Merchandise sales
- Additional revenue streams beyond standard podcast sponsorships
Weighing Up the Pros and Cons
- Advantages of YouTube:
- Broad audience reach
- Enhanced engagement mechanisms
- Monetization beyond traditional podcast models
- Drawbacks of YouTube:
- Increased time and resource commitment for video production
- Need for expertise in editing, thumbnails, and SEO optimization
- Audience expects visual content, not just static images or audio
- Potential challenges in adapting audio formats to video
- Stricter copyright considerations on YouTube
- Risk of audience fragmentation across multiple platforms
- Complexity in community building and analytics
Avoiding Common Mistakes
- Auto publishing without adaptation:
- Uploading audio with a static image is ineffective
- Need to adapt audio for the visual YouTube medium
- Direct repurposing without engagement:
- Plainly repurposed episodes fail to engage
- Recommendation to create dedicated YouTube content, such as highlight reels or shorter segments
- Expecting organic growth without effort:
- Necessity for active engagement and optimization
- Importance of interacting with viewers and using analytics
Strategic Approaches to YouTube
- Start small:
- Use short clips or highlight reels before full episodes
- Focus on quality over quantity:
- Prioritize high-quality, tailored videos rather than uploading every episode
- Leverage YouTube features:
- Utilize cards, end screens, and playlists to boost engagement
- Promotion:
- Cross-promote YouTube content on your podcast and other social platforms
The Final Verdict (Conclusion)
- Align the decision with your specific goals, resources, and podcast format
- YouTube can significantly expand reach if you have the capacity and a video-friendly format
- If resources are limited, focusing on your main podcast platform may be more effective
- Carefully evaluate the pros and cons to choose the best strategy for your show