“But isn’t it a crazy long and intense commitment to have a podcast?”

Yes, and no. Mostly no. Having a podcast does not necessarily mean you are tied to a weekly schedule, in fact, some of the highest converting and performing podcasts come in dramatically different formats. 

So let’s look at this question of how frequently you need to produce podcast episodes in order to create conversions and sales in your business. 

What other types of formats are there if you don’t want to do a weekly podcast? 

Does your podcast need to be weekly? 

There’s mounting industry evidence and data proving that podcast frequency and commitment is not as linear as we once believed. 

Consider that most listeners will download and listen to more than one episode at a time. In fact, the average podcast listener in 2021, listened to 8 episodes across 5 shows every week! (Data pulled from Signal Hill Insights, 2021).

So what does that mean? 

Binge listening is huge for podcast listeners.

You hook them in, warm them up, make them a nice cozy cuppa tea and invite them to stay with you – and most of them will. 

In fact, most of them will keep coming back over and over again. 

Back to this question of production frequency – if you have a listener who just wants more and more on repeat, then a weekly show is great – but not necessary.  

A regular weekly drop might be a good way to stay top of mind and keep your ideal listener engaged, but it’s clearly not the only way to get them excited about hearing from you. 

For heavy and moderate listeners, dropping a few episodes at a time might be better. 

But leaving all that specific strategy aside, I can tell you with certainty that there are more formats for podcasts than just a ‘traditional weekly’. 

Types of podcast formats to consider

• There are daily podcasts – yes, daily. And if you are afraid of commitment, this concept might scare you. But depending on how you like to create, a daily might be a better choice than a weekly. (There are some drawbacks to daily podcast formats in the long run though. So all things must be considered). 

• There are Pocket Podcasts and Pop-Up Podcasts – two formats that we are pioneering at Story Studio Network after running some testing through the last half of 2021. These types of podcasts don’t even require you to have your own podcast feed, let alone commit to showing up on the microphone every week!
  
  • A pocket podcast is where you engage with an existing show to co-host a series showcasing your brand brilliance and messaging and that you use as branded, sales based, content for your business (until and unless you start your own podcast). 

• A pop-up podcast is one designed specifically to lead people into an event or ‘timed’ situation like a grand opening, live concert, festival or even a store opening. This kind of podcast is a closed loop production, with possibly only 10 shows. Each show in the production would have a particular strategic objective to pull the listener deeper into the content and get them excited and engaged in the end game – namely attending or supporting the event. 

• There are ‘seasonally themed’ podcasts – sure, this can look and sound like a weekly, but if you produce in ‘seasons’ versus weeks, all of a sudden the arc of your show and the journey of the listener shifts. Not only that, but you are able to use your podcast more strategically throughout your calendar year (and sales cycle) to your best advantage. 

Did this intrigue you? I bet it did. Especially if you fall into the camp of ‘I want a podcast but not the commitment’ or you have a concern about not having enough to fill 52 episodes of content per year. 

It doesn’t have to be weekly.