Don't Podcast in a VacuumIt's been said that on any given flight, an airplane is actually off course most of the time. Turbulence, wind gusts, and a number of other factors combine to keep pushing the airplane off its predetermined flight path. It's only through an ongoing series of mid-course corrections that the pilot is able to accurately guide the plane to its final destination. As you can imagine, though, the whole process would be a lot more difficult without constant feedback from observations and instruments. In fact, without that feedback, it would be virtually impossible to get where you want to go. The same idea holds true for your podcast: It will be just about impossible for you to consistently create great podcasts without regular feedback from your listeners. This principle isn't unique to podcasting. In fact, every communications and entertainment medium deliberately solicits input from its readers, listeners, or viewers:
Keeping your finger on the pulse of what listeners are thinking is every bit as important to your podcast as it is to large media companies. The bad news is that it's unlikely you have the same kind of budget available to support those types of efforts. The good news, though, is that you don't need a big budget to stay close to your audience. There are several low-cost and no-cost options available to you. Some combination of them will be just what you need in order to make sure your podcast is responsive to your listener community. |