Connecting With Other Local Podcasters

One of the biggest differences between real-time media like radio and on-demand media like podcasts is that real-time media is a zero-sum game, while on-demand media is not. I can only listen to one radio station at a time. If I'm listening to Station A, it means I'm not listening to Station B. The only way for station B to get ahead is to pull me away from Station A.

This is not true with podcasts. Yes, if I'm listening to Podcast A right now, I'm obviously not listening to Podcast B. But that doesn't mean I can't listen to Podcast B later. In fact, if both podcasts relate to the same topic, and I'm very interested in that topic, there's a good chance that I'll listen to both.

For example, I enjoy the Sunday political talk shows: NBC's Meet the Press, ABC's This Week, CBS' Face the Nation, CNN's State of the Union, and Fox News Sunday. Fifteen years ago, I was forced to pick which ones to watch, because they were all on at overlapping times (depending on my television market). It was a zero-sum game: If I watched Meet the Press, I couldn't watch Face the Nation.

Today, I don't watch these shows; I listen to them as podcasts. Because they are now available to me whenever I want, I frequently consume some or all of them each week. In other words, for me, these shows are no longer competitors. In fact, it's the opposite: they're lead-ins for each other. If I listen to one, I'm more likely to listen to one of the other ones, not less.

In other words, in an on-demand world, shows that were once thought of as competitors now represent a great opportunity to cross-promote. I co-host a podcast about Detroit. People who listen to my show are very likely to listen to other podcasts about Detroit, and people who listen to other podcasts about Detroit are very likely to want to listen to my show.

With that in mind, I reached out to a handful of other podcasters producing Detroit-centric shows. We met up to talk about what we're doing and exchange notes. Detroit is also fortunate enough to have Podcast Detroit, collaborative recording studio spaces run by Dave Phillips. Podcast Detroit regularly hosts meetups for local podcasters.

Unfortunately, I haven't gone beyond networking with other Detroit podcasters up to this point. I simply haven't had the time to formulate a proper promo-swapping program and see who's interested. It's on my To Do list, and hopefully I'll get to it in the New Year. Because I truly believe that one of the best places to market a podcast is on similar podcasts.

LISTEN: Hear the latest episode of The D Brief podcast.

More Glimpses Behind the Scenes:

1. Axing the Weakest Link In Your Podcast
2. What Do Podcasters Do When It's Time for Vacation?
3. Using Recurring Guests in Podcasts
4. The Ideal Length for a Podcast
5. Promoting Your Podcast by Tapping into a Pre-Existing Audience