3 Podcasting Trends To Take You Beyond 2023

Podcast Pontifications

Politicians get in trouble for flip-flopping on issues. But for podcasters, changing opinions and approaches is a survival tactic. Think about these three questions over the next few months to prep your show for 2023 & beyond.

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Today I'm sharing with you three challenges on the horizon that will require shifts in your/our ways of thinking. I'm convinced that all of these will leave a mark on podcasting. What shape and what color that mark is I really don't know. Much of that is up to you and how you deal with them for your own podcasting efforts.

1. Dissing Of Programmatic Has Got To Stop

This ongoing fad of dissing programmatic content is counter-productive. And yes, I have read the exact same studies you read that show how much more "effective" hard-to-buy, baked-in, endorsement-style, host-read ads are. I just don't believe that the majority of companies eager to spend money on easy-to-buy programmatic ads care about those studies.

So even if you are anti-programmatic ads, at least be open to having your mind changed. I'd hate to see you miss out on opportunities because you thought you protecting your audience. They're probably not as fragile as you think.

2. Stop Ignoring Video

For the new group of "listeners" coming to podcasting, there is an assumption that video will be and should be a part of their podcast experience. And when they don't find that video component on your podcast, they're going to wonder why you aren't providing that experience for them.

I think the question you need to start asking yourself over the next few months needs to shift away from Do I need a video component? to line up with the question those people are already asking: What's stopping you from having a video component?

3, Lean Into Paid Subscriptions

"Podcasting should be free and open!", I can hear you shouting at me right now. I'm good with that! But having the majority of podcasting be free and open doesn't preclude a paid-for and closed subset of podcasting. Nor does a paid-for and closed subset of podcasting threaten the free and open majority of podcasting. Not in my mind. I think they can live happily side by side, simply because they are happily living side-by-side right now!

There's little doubt that the friction for subscriptions is coming down quickly for both listeners and creators. So it's worth your time to consider how you can embrace this as a way to better serve your audience.

Those three are enough for right now. If over the next three to six months you can figure out how to adapt your show to take better advantage of just one of them—I think you'll win. And I think you and your show will sail through the challenges ahead.

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