As Podcasting grows to be a dominant form of content consumption, it offers a diverse array of voices and topics to listeners worldwide. To maximize their reach and impact, we are increasingly turning to YouTube as a complementary platform. In this blog post, we will provide podcasting tips using YouTube generated by ai and provide some commentary based on this podcasters real life experience.
Leveraging Visual Content
Tip: One of the primary advantages of using YouTube is the opportunity to incorporate visual elements into your podcast. While traditional podcasting relies solely on audio, YouTube allows you to engage your audience with visual aids, graphics, charts, and even video clips. This visual appeal can enhance the overall viewer experience and make your content more accessible and engaging.
Comment: I’d also add that listeners are curious to see what the host looks like, it adds trust. Perhaps technology will get to the point where we as hosts can see our listeners. Wouldn’t that be cool?!
Expanding Your Audience
Tip: YouTube is the second-largest search engine globally, and many users turn to it to discover new content. By uploading your podcast episodes to YouTube, you tap into a massive potential audience. Additionally, YouTube's algorithm can recommend your videos to users interested in related topics, helping you attract new listeners who might not have found your podcast otherwise.
Comment: I have found that it’s not enough just to post the full episode of your podcast which can be 30+ minutes long. I haven’t gotten traction doing that but what seemed to work are short videos taken from the episode where I highlight the guest. I get double the number of views using that format versus an audio clip.
Monetization Opportunities
Tip: YouTube offers multiple monetization options for content creators, including ads, channel memberships, and merchandise shelf integration. While podcasters often rely on sponsorships and donations, YouTube provides an additional revenue stream. However, it's essential to note that building a sizable YouTube audience can take time and consistent effort.
Comment: I think you need to have 1000 subscribers and 4ooo watch hours in the past year, or 1000 subscribers with 10 million valid public Shorts views within the past 90 days! That is a steep bar for those of us with just 19 subscribers. ;)
Building a Visual Brand
Tip: YouTube allows podcasters to establish a visual brand identity alongside their audio one. You can create customized thumbnails, banners, and intros that align with your podcast's theme and message. Consistent branding across platforms helps with brand recognition and strengthens your online presence.
Comment: I’ve been doing this from the start. Canva is super helpful for this.
Interacting with Your Audience
Tip: YouTube fosters direct interaction with your audience through comments, live chat during livestreams, and social media integration. Engaging with your viewers builds a sense of community and loyalty around your podcast, encouraging them to become more active participants and supporters.
Comment: You have to get served up so you can get the comments. I’ve gotten 6 comments out of 2000 views, so not very many. Will look at social media integration next and keep trying to encourage active participation. Recently did a poll via a Google form through the “Girl, Take the Lead!” FB group with 149 members and got 10 responses (6.7%) which is not bad – benchmark is about 3%. Definitely will try again. I also used Spotify to expand the poll and got zero responses but I’m thinking to try it again with a longer lead time.
Repurposing Content
Tip: Repurposing podcast content for YouTube can be a time-efficient way to create additional content. Convert podcast episodes into video format, adding visuals, captions, or slides, and upload them as video episodes. This not only expands your content library but also caters to different learning styles and preferences.
Comment: I repurposed about 80 episode audio clips and got about 1000 views. Thinking it’s much better to convert them to video than to keep as audio.
SEO Benefits
Tip: YouTube is an SEO powerhouse. When you optimize your video titles, descriptions, and tags, you improve your chances of ranking higher in search results. This can lead to increased discoverability and organic growth.
Comment: There are companies you can use to help with SEO but I just take the title I’m thinking of and put into Google to see how much search is going on. It’s a pretty good indicator.
Cross-Promotion
Tip: Collaborate with other YouTubers and podcasters to cross-promote each other's content. This mutually beneficial strategy can introduce your podcast to a new audience while also providing fresh content for your existing listeners.
Comment: Haven’t tried this yet – maybe down the road.
Analytics and Insights
Tip: YouTube offers robust analytics that provide valuable insights into viewer behavior and preferences. Use this data to refine your content strategy and tailor your podcast to your audience's needs.
Comment: Analytics are pretty good – my channel is small without enough data yet to give me juicy metrics on my demographics. I do like the “How viewers found you” and most of mine are external (40%) versus YouTube search (16%). I’m thinking this tells me my direct links are working well.
Conclusion
Integrating YouTube into our podcasting strategy is something we should all be playing with and it could be a game-changer for expanding our reach, engaging with our audience, and monetizing our content BUT it’s a slow build and our content needs to be customized for this channel. I’m often surprised by what does well and what doesn’t. I’ve done 3 episodes featuring celebrities as inspiration thinking they’d be popular on YouTube and the competition must be fierce because I’ve not seen much of an uptake on those. What does seem to do well are shorts (1 min or less) about a trending topic (ie. Work/life balance) or an episode well-promoted by the guest (in addition to my efforts). I can see the power of platform and look forward to more!!
