Podcasting vs. YouTube

Podcast episodes don’t go “viral.” Podcast episodes don’t have the “discoverability” that a video on YouTube has, because we can listen to them anywhere and don’t have one of the world’s biggest sites pushing them to people based on algorithms.

It takes a while to build a podcast audience.

Yes, if you already have an established audience, you can grow a podcast quickly. But if you’re starting from zero, significant growth is going to take a while.

You’re going to have to show up. And keep showing up.

But don’t be fooled—YouTube is no better.

Yeah, some people can get a ton of traffic sometimes. 

Then what?

Nothing.

Whatever happened to that guy from The Bachelor?

It doesn’t matter, because there’s a new “guy from The Bachelor” each season.

Same for viral videos.

If you want to play that game, play it. It’s fun! 

And when people win, they win big.

But most people lose. It’s like the lottery—your odds of winning when you play are almost statistically the same as if you didn’t play at all.

And if you win, your odds of being able to keep winning are even smaller. 

Podcasting isn’t nearly as sexy. You’re probably not going to be “everywhere” and certainly not all at once.

But it’s a game you can win, if you’re winning to show up. And keep showing up.