Not Podcast OR YouTube, but AND

There used to be a distinct different between podcasts and a YouTube video channel. One was audio and one was video. And they were consumed in much different ways. A YouTube video was watched and the typical viewer would bounce around the multitude of videos presented. You had YouTube time as you used both vision and hearing to consume it.

Podcasts you would put on while you did something else. Your commute to work, jogging a couple miles, or doing chores. Technology aside, the major difference between podcast and YouTube was the manner in which it was consumed. Because people would put podcasts on YouTube and people would put videos on and just listen to them. This blurring between the two became much murkier with the widespread availability of video interview software.

Today, Your choice is which platform will be your primary focus, but it is common to have a show and host the episodes on both a podcast host and YouTube. The question is how much you want to repurpose the show for the different mediums. For the audio medium it does not work to have many visual references. You will alienate your audience. For the video medium you will want to have some sort of visual stimulation. Merely putting your audio to 45 minutes of a still image will have your content on YouTube, but is using it as a podcast host without taking advantage of its strengths. The middle of the road, if you have an interview format, is to record your podcast with video recording software. That makes it easy to put your interview up as a video. You are still not using YouTube to its fullest potential, but I am constantly amazed at how many people will watch two people talking with each other for 45 minutes. 

The bottom line is that podcasts and YouTube are two tools that can be used to present your show. It is no longer a decision of podcast or YouTube. It is a decision as to where you want to start and when you want to put in the additional effort to add the other.

Understanding each tool

Podcasting and YouTubing are essentially two different hosts for your show. But each has its own characteristics and requirements. Most podcasters are constantly evaluating whether they want to put their show on YouTube, while only a small percentage of YouTubers are thinking about starting a podcast. So let’s explore each tool and figure out how they should be used to their greatest potential. And, I say, “greatest potential”, because you can cram most any platform with any content. I actually put 30 minute long podcasts on Instagram. A bold and courageous move to which I was rewarded with almost no enthusiasm. People on Instagram are not there to listen to 30 minutes of audio. Now, I do have to say, that I am absolutely not discouraging you from following your vision if you want to do something that is out of the ordinary. If there was some reason why you wanted to have a podcast show on Instagram, for example, then do it. If you have a vision of how the world can be and you believe in it so much that you are willing to go six months of consistently posting with very little follower growth then do it. Because that is how new trends are started. Eventually people will find you and, if your content is good, they will congregate. But, if you, like most of us, want to create a show and not blaze some new trail off onto the road never travelled before then let’s talk about the two platforms as they are traditionally used to their greatest potential. And then you can decide how visionary you want to be in how you go forward.

Podcasting is, essentially, radio on demand. Netflix without the video. Strangely, here we are almost 15 years since podcasting was made mainstream, and it is still an unknown by many people. But it is quickly addictive once people find out they can listen to radio channels of all sorts of topics. And the reason why podcasting is going strong and growing steadily is that it is a unique medium. It is the only medium where you can be doing something else while you are enjoying it. You put podcasts on while you are driving to work, exercising at the gym, or doing chores. This aspect develops a somewhat more intimate relationship with your listener because your podcast is a friend living life with them. A video, or any of the major social media platforms requires you to watch. This means you can’t do other activities. You have to set aside time from your action item list to watch a YouTube video. A podcast you can consume while you are getting those action items done. So, why is this significant? Well, podcast listeners will commonly listen to your whole 45 minute podcast. Your show is put on at the beginning of a commute and they will listen for their entire commute. And if your show is longer than the commute they will play the rest of your show on the way home. You can have any length podcast show and it can be successful. Some people do daily 5 minute shows and they find a following. So like any platform, there is a wide range of playing that you can do. But, if you have the kind of outreach where you are needing to explain complicated concepts or have a deep discussion, the podcasting platform is ideal. I knew what I wanted to accomplish with the Reptile Entrepreneur show and I specifically chose the podcast format to be the primary vehicle because I knew that was the best way to communicate these topics that required discussion. I could do this on video, but with YouTube I would feel it better to condense the information and/or spend more time putting together graphics and visual explanations. And that would limit my ability to go into the detail I wanted. I am, at this time, working on making these episodes into video and the first thing I am doing is stripping away all the extraneous discussion, but that removes a great deal of perspective. Each mediums has its own characteristics and this content that I am presenting suits the podcast medium perfectly.

There is a drawback to podcasting in that you are on your own as far as letting people know your podcast exists. Outside of that, your listener has to actively search for your podcast topic. And, by the way, keep this in mind when you are selecting the name for your podcast. Make sure there is a keyword in the name of the podcast. You want to give the search function as easy of a time as possible to know who to show your podcast to! There is an advantage to this, though. If is person finds you, the likelihood that your episode will be listened to in its entirety is much greater! They knew what they were looking for and they had to invest effort to find you. 

So, where does Youtube come in? Once again, you can do anything with it you wish. People put audio files on it with one static picture. They aren’t very popular videos because, just think about what you come to YouTube for. You are looking for a visual story. Even if it is some person talking and giving their opinion on something, you are wanting to see them talk. YouTube is the perfect platform if what you want to communicate has a visual element to it. You can go as long as you want, but the optimal length is around ten minutes. One study by Statistica put it at between 7 and 15 minutes. The YouTube environment is much different than the podcast environment. First, YouTube is a wickedly effective search engine. And it will do a fair bit of marketing for you. It will not only serve you up to people typing in your search term, but it will pro-actively suggest your videos to people who may be interested, but didn’t know to search for you. Granted, people need to like your show before YouTube will give you wider reach, but at least the tool exists and is always running to be in your service. Just make good content and you’ll have a friend in the YouTube algorithm!

But you are also in a high distraction environment. YouTube wanted to serve your content up to people, but when they are viewing your content the Youtube algorithm doesn’t take a rest. It fills the viewing page with all sorts of other selections. So, your content is being shown with all sorts of other options for your viewer. One look at the analytics and you will see what a huge drop off there is in the first minute or two. And this is because people click on your video and decide it isn’t what they are looking for or they just got distracted by another video that was being shoved in their face. It may be easier to find your video than a podcast, but it is also much easier to click off to somewhere else as a whim.

So, what format suits your content the best? Make that your prime outreach medium. But also consider the other medium. Especially if you have a podcast as your main outreach. There is nothing wrong with making a paired down version for YouTube to take advantage of the marketing and search capabilities!

Equipment

Producing a podcast show does take investment in equipment. It isn’t much so it is within reach of just about anyone with an internet connection. You will need a good microphone, an audio processing software, and a podcasting host.

You can get a great USB microphone for around $100. I suggest looking at the Audio Technica 2005USB. This is an excellent microphone and I have a link to it in the show notes. It lists at $149.99, but it is commonly sold around $80.

The most commonly used audio processing program is called Audacity and is a free download. As you are listeners to the Reptile Entrepreneur Podcast red flags went up whenever the word free is used. There is always a catch and there is always someone making money. Except in this case. And this is one of the few exceptions where you develop a deep respect for software engineers. There are a number of pure software engineers that believe that, at least, some software should be free. There are enough idealistic software engineers that are seriously in love with their art that they have created this open source software program. Never trust free…except in this case. Audacity can be downloaded for free at audacity team.org. If you have a Apple computer, you have a program called GarageBand that comes standard with your laptop or computer and that can be used. Me personally, I use Adobe Audition which is part of the creative cloud. It is a professional grade software package with monthly charge of, presently, $21 per month. But this is not necessary.

And then, finally, you need a hosting platform. A hosting platform will store your audio files and make sure all the podcasting apps are able to access your show. Technically, you could do this on your computer, but that is a lot of memory and the data flow would be too much for standard home internet providers. You can start with a plan that is anywhere from $5 to $12 a month. I use both Buzzsprout and Libsyn and am happy with both. Links are in the show notes.

So, for a couple hundred dollar you can create and maintain a podcast for a year.

If you would like to do interviews for your podcast with remote guests you will need one more piece of software and that is your interview software that will record your guest and you. Preferably on separate audio tracks so you can adjust each track independently. I frequently have guest audio that is of lower quality and if it is on a separate track you can work on saving the interview. There are many services available to record video interview. I use riverside.fm. It has served me well. This software records video and audio on both sides and loads both tracks up to the cloud where you can download it. The huge advantage of this is that poor internet connections do not affect your recording. I have had scratchy audio and connections that couldn’t even support the video portion give me clear audio and sharp 1080p video on the recording. This is the advantage of recording at the source. Now, recording at the source can do nothing for bad audio to start out with so your guest having a good microphone is essential!

It also makes it easy to create a video interview for YouTube upload. Though, note that both the audio quality and video resolution is dependent on the equipment that your guest has on their computer. 

And, on your side, you would need to get a good set of headphones. Really, you, and your guest, only need something to keep what you are hearing from going into your microphone and creating echos. Even standard ear pods will do the job. Software is actually pretty good these days as far as filtering out this audio feedback, but the less software has to work the better chance for good quality. And, in the podcasting game, the key is to put the odds in your favor. All it takes is one thing to be unexpectedly off and you have a nightmare of editing or having to completely redo the interview. I have gone through both and neither is something I would like to go through again. Headphones are also required while editing any audio if you want to be able to really hear the quality.

A video show is more complicated, but is actually easier to start because everything you need for a basic show is in most smartphones. Although, the audio from the phone leaves much to be desired so it is a good first thing to upgrade. But, I am going to suggest you do not go out and buy a lot of video gear before you start your channel. Make sure you actually have the video ideas! I still do the bulk of my videos on my iPhone. Though I record the audio with my podcast microphone.

There are a multitude of video gear set-ups and a favorite pastime of YouTubers is comparing gear. And it is hard to find anyone with the exact same setup. And we all think everyone else’s set-up is better. Unless you are Richard Stewart from The Tarantula Collective. That guy is on a different level. Check out the shorts and documentary videos he produces and you will immediately notice a different from the standard video thrown onto social media. I would be considered mainstream. I have graduated from just an iPhone to some dedicated gear. So here is what I use. I have invested in three significant items.

Camera. For a camera I still use my iPhone extensively, but I also supplement that with a Sony ZV-1 camera. It is under $1000, does 4k video, and has a flip out screen so you can see what you are recording while you are recording yourself. For audio I either use a Rode microphone in the ZV-1 hot shoe, or, if I have the opportunity, I set up my podcasting mic just out of camera range, and sometimes in camera range, and record a separate audio track to be used for the video. 

Studio Quality Lights. My other investment has been in a set of studio quality lights. I admit that I still need to learn lighting so I am afraid I am not yet the best example of the full potential of the lighting setup I purchased, but I am very happy with what they allow me to do. These are LED panels and are a big step up from the compact fluorescent bulb light fixtures I had before.

Video editing software. I use Adobe Premeire because it comes with the Creative Cloud that also includes audition for podcasts, photoshop and illustrator for image and graphic design, and InDesign which I use for Care summaries, care booklets. So I use many programs which justify the $50 a month cost. But there are free video editing software packages that you can use.

If you are interested in anything I mentioned I have links in the show notes on reptile entrepreneur.com

Advantages and disadvantages of each platform

So, let’s review the advantages and disadvantages of each platform.

Search and discovery. YouTube will find viewers for you. Podcast requires viewers to know to look for you. Entrepreneur is easy. Most people don’t think to search podcasts for chameleons, for example. So, with a podcast expect to be doing your own marketing to find an audience. Of course, nothing says you can’t also put your show on YouTube and use their marketing outreach to promote your show.

Censorship. You own your podcast. You say what you want. If a podcasting host doesn’t like you then you can change hosts and your audience will not know the difference. Although you would have to be extraordinarily controversial for a podcasting host to determine they have a legal exposure to hosting your show. If YouTube doesn’t like what you are saying then they can demonetize or delete your video. They can also remove your channel. It is their platform and their rules. You own your podcast. You rent your space on YouTube. Now, what are the chances that you will run afoul of YouTube’s policies? That all depends on what you are saying. There shouldn’t be a whole lot of danger with a reptile or animal channel, but animal activists will target you and the general public may not appreciate being reminded the animals eat other animals. Many social media platforms have restrictions on the sale of reptiles and Instagram and Facebook are notorious for removing accounts without warning or recourse. TikTok removes videos all the time. YouTube is owned by Google and so has their own set of rules. But animal accounts have been demonetized and removed by Youtube so it is hardly a totally safe platform. These platforms don’t care how much effort you have put into growing your audience. There is no way of retaining the audience you built up if you get removed. A YouTube (or Instagram or TikTok) audience belongs to YouTube (or whatever social media) and you are being allowed to use it. A podcast audience, on the other hand, is 100% yours.

Distraction. YouTube is a platform that makes money depending on how many videos their visitors watch. So YouTube will act in its best interests and will bombard our viewer with other options. So, YouTube will work wonders as far as showing your video to lots of people, but they also are working hard all the time to present competing channels while your’s is playing. A podcast will be the only thing playing and there will be no other suggestions.

Intimacy. I mentioned that Podcasting is the only medium which can be consumed while your listener is doing something else. So your listener will develop a deeper kind of relationship with you. Because you are coming along in their life with them. A YouTube video they stop their life for you. 

But there is another form of intimacy on your part. A podcast you can do at a high tech studio or in a closet or in bed on a Saturday morning. It is also a more relaxed and intimate setting for you as the creator. Although they can’t see you, your voice will communicate so much what your mental state is. Take advantage of this dynamic!

YouTube requires preparation of the background, your hair, your clothes, a shower, correct lighting…it is a production. Even a casual video requires much more attention to detail. So even a casual video will still communicate preparation. 

Loyalty. Podcast is more likely to be listened to all the way. I believe that each podcast download is worth at least 100 YouTube views. This is because everyone who has downloaded my podcast has had to go through a number of steps to make it happen. So they are much more serious than the YouTuber who does a test click on your video because your thumbnail was appealing.

Analytics You know everything about your YouTube audience. You know how many people viewed your video and how long they stayed and watched. You know who the gender, age, and geographical location. You know how they found your video and what other creators they watch. With a podcast you know how many people accessed your podcast file and where they are from. And that is it. Some platforms give you more, but, in a large part, you learn about your podcasting audience by the emails or DMs you receive.

The verdict.

So which one should you do? Well, what I wrote above is just a pros and cons comparison of the two platforms. It is now up to you to figure out the best vehicle for your content. Even if you do both, it will have to be optimized for one. And that one is up to you.

A new option: Short Form Video

But, wait…not so fast…what is this? Short form video? Ah, yes, presently, all the social media platforms are scrambling to defend their position from TikTok and implementing their short form video outreach. And they are favoring short form video in their algorithm.

While both YouTube and Instagram report that their users spend a great deal of time viewing shorts they are in an identity crisis. TikTok was built on short form video. Instagram was built on images and YouTube was built on long form video. These platforms are requiring their creators that have uniquely evolved to those environments to learn a new skill so that the platform can compete with another platform. You may be a T-Rex, but here comes an asteroid that doesn’t care how big and bad you are.

But, we need to continually evolve with the times and you now have the opportunity of substantial reach if you incorporate short form video into your show outreach, or, let’s get crazy, you create a show that consists entirely of short form video episodes. The short form format is constantly evolving as creators try new things. So this is your chance to break into the ground floor. Educational short form video is not uncommon so you are not breaking new ground, but it is still being developed so you can be on the ground floor.

My advice to you.

Every platform and every medium is an opportunity for you. So, if you ask whether it would be a good thing to be on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, podcasting, Facebook, Twitter, your website blog, Patreon, and Pinterest I would say absolutely. And go ahead and add on Medium, Snapchat, Vero, and Be Real. And, of course, don’t forget that email list and Discord chat. And that should keep your five person social media team busy. Now, some of you out there may not have a social media team at your disposal and so you are going to have to prioritize your outreach. Every platform sucks time and mental resources from you. Even if you are repurposing content it takes time to repurpose your content, post it, and maintain the followers you get. And every one you take on compromises what you can accomplish with the others. 

YouTube and podcasting are significant players on that list of outreach opportunities. YouTube is the world’s second largest search engine and, of all the options, podcasting is, in my opinion, the most powerful tool for generating super fans. I have not yet achieved the goal where every podcast episode is also a YouTube episode. I make up for it by making many YouTube specific videos. For my outreach I have them as separate entities with a little bit of overlap. So, even I have more work to do. It still takes discipline and effort even though it is the same show. If you want to see someone who has refined this as perfectly as I have seen it done then check out Dillon Perron’s Animals At Home Podcast and Youtube channel. He has his outreach nicely streamlined. Now, keep in mind, all of our outreaches are different and you will have to find your own process that serves your style. So, learn from those around you, but do not copy from them.

So, how do I do this?

So, where do you go from here? You just start. Really. Waiting only wastes time. If you want to do a podcast or YouTube channel then start. You’ll need a logo. And we have already talked about that on this podcast. You’ll need to have some sort of idea what videos you will make. What is your purpose for the show? And then I will suggest you make three to five episodes to launch with. People want to subscribe to shows that have a future and more episodes coming  on a regular basis. If you only have one show out then they don’t get the sense of security that you will be around in the future. And then, if you can, have two or four weeks worth of episodes already ready to go or in the final stages of editing. This is called batching where you are always working on next months episodes and you have the next four weeks already done. This way, little life emergencies don’t affect your show. Though, honestly, I struggle to do this. When I pull it off it is the happiest time of my content creator life. But it is hard to stay disciplined with it and it is easy to slip back to living deadline to deadline. So, I’ll share best practices and fully admit that I am still working on that for myself.

I know the hardest thing to do is to start. The next hardest thing to do is be consistent. That is why people who have done it deserve respect. Nothing I can say can change that it is hard. But, I will say it is worth it. I encourage you to join me on the social media airwaves with a show that showcases your passion, whatever that may be. I am still waiting for someone to start a carnivorous plant podcast. 

And, with that, it is time for me to bring this to a close. If you are getting value from this podcast I invite you to support it via the Reptile Entrepreneur podcast Patreon. You can find that Patreon link on the home page of the reptileentrepreneur.com website. Thank you for joining me here. I look forward to getting together again in this digital realm for the next episode. Take care of yourself. Take care of our reptile community, and let’s see what we can build.