Stop Saying Podcast Seasons Don’t Work! Here’s Some Reasons Why They Do

Take a knee, fellow podcaster. I’ve got a few things to say.

As I put pen to paper today, it’s fitting we’ve just launched Season 3 of my podcast, Let’s Blow This Up: The World’s Most Explosive Podcast About Podcasting.

This season will showcase several months of planning, coordination, collaboration, creativity, networking, and…wait for it…FUN (sorry to drop an F bomb on you so quickly, but keeping fun center stage in your creative process will tell the story of your longevity in this space. More on that in a moment…).

For me, this approach works. But it wasn’t more than two weeks ago I indirectly saw some unsolicited advice that, had I chosen to buy into it, it could’ve derailed everything I’d been working on.

I like to spend time in Facebook Groups and online communities dedicated to podcasting - learning from others, offering guidance when I can, and doing my best to stay connected to the podcast industry at large.

In one particular post, an aspiring podcaster shared their excitement for starting their podcast and how proud they were to bring the first season to life. As I made my way to the comments section to congratulate them, I read through a mixed bag of replies (as expected), many of which informing this person of all the reasons why doing their podcast in season format will never work.

“Why wouldn’t it work,” I thought to myself? I mean, here I am, on the cusp of going into the third season of my podcast with no plan of slowing down…and I’ve gained valuable insights from one season to the next.

It was at this time I came to my senses and realized I was on the Internet. That magical place where things happen at lightning speed and one person’s misstep will be your misstep, too.

And no matter where you turn in the online society in which you exist, someone will be waiting to club you over the head with a diatribe of advice you never asked for.

But here’s the part to remember: Sometimes, it’s not even that the advice is bad…

It’s that the advice comes without any context.

In so many exchanges I see about podcasting (including the aforementioned), I see advice given until the character limit is reached. But what I never see is anyone asking these two questions before dispensing their words from on high:

1. What are your goals?
2. How much time do you have to dedicate to your production?

In my opinion, there are still too many podcast traditionalists clinging to a belief that “at least one new episode a week every week forever” is the only way to fly.

When, in reality, podcasting itself has outgrown those confines and evolved into a multi-faceted platform capable of helping creators check off numerous boxes depending on their goals, needs, and visions.

For many of us, creating a season of content allows us to get incredibly focused for a set period of time, thus leading to better conversations, more powerful insight, and a better resource for our current and potential client base to learn from.

For others, a new podcast season presents a granular way to create a wealth of marketing assets to enhance their brand’s visibility. Through content repurposing, a creator’s new podcast season also becomes video clips, full-length videos, blogs, email campaigns, social media posts, white papers, even the bones of a book.

What other benefits does this approach deliver?

• It eliminates burnout. No more feeling like this week’s episode is a chore! Be fully present while your season is in production, then unplug and enjoy your break.
• It frees up time. During your break, you can recharge your batteries, evaluate wins and losses from your previous season, and come back with a fresh perspective for the next season. Plus, you’ll regain precious time with your family, friends, and loved ones.
• It’s FUN! There I go dropping that F bomb again…but YES…producing your podcast should be fun because you get to spend time waxing poetic about your favorite subjects. Burnout, resentment, and podfade? Not so fun. Produce your show in a way that keeps you engaged in the process long-term.

I’m looking forward to what Season 3 of Let’s Blow This Up brings because I implemented a variety of ideas and updates, including:

• Publishing three episodes a week over the next 12 weeks
• Leaning into three different formats - solo recordings, weekly livestreams, and 30-minute deep dives on various podcasting topics with some of my closest confidants in the industry
• Strategically collaborating with thought leaders I want to further working relationships with and have proven they can unequivocally bring the goods to my audience (aka The Bomb Squad)
• Having a sponsor for the first time and giving them the attention they deserve

Now, here’s the thing: none of these items will “split an atom.” This isn’t all-new, never-before-seen. This is simply what I believe is the best way for me to deliver quality, engaging content to The Bomb Squad.

Not only that, it allows me to utilize the 36 episodes that will make up Season 3 of Let’s Blow This Up to achieve the most important goals I’ve set for myself and my brand: growing my network, creating resourceful content, establishing thought leadership in my space, and building meaningful relationships.

None of this is meant to be a commercial for why you need to do a podcast season instead of anything else. I can’t tell you whether it would work for you or not.

Nor can anyone else. The only person with that answer is you. But once you gain that clarity, you’ll position yourself to experience many more gains with your podcasting efforts.

Evaluate your goals, understand how much time you have at your disposal, and decide a) how podcasting can help you achieve those goals, and b) based on your availability, does producing your podcast in seasons make sense.

Understand no matter which approach you choose (daily, weekly, bi-weekly, seasonal, etc.), there are pros and cons. And NO approach will work if you don’t have the right mindset, realistic goals and expectations, and a strategy to maximize your input.

And no matter what the naysayers might say, I know this works for me…and keeps me fully immersed in podcasting with a big smile on my face.

My advice to you? Podcast on your terms and don’t let the unwritten rules of yesterday dictate how you play the game.

Start creating in a way that benefits you. That serves you. That pleases you.

Good talk. I’ll see you out there.