Podcasting Hacks

Join or Build a Podcast Network

There’s strength in numbers when it comes to podcasting, and by joining or building a podcast network, you can benefit from increased numbers in a variety of ways.

Podcasting’s ability to target niche markets can be both a strength and a weakness. It’s a strength because podcasting is uniquely able to provide content where it doesn’t make economic sense for other forms of media to do so. It’s a weakness because those niche markets aren’t always large enough to make it practical for podcasters to promote themselves efficiently or to provide the listener base necessary to attract advertisers.

Podcast networks provide a solution to the niche dilemma by grouping podcasts together, either informally, most likely centered on a common theme; or formally, for commercial purposes. This grouping offers a number of advantages for listeners, podcasters, and advertisers.

Informal Networks

An informal network is defined as one that is formed for the primary purpose of increasing the visibility and therefore listenership of its members. By grouping together podcasts of a similar theme or a complimentary variety, an informal network can promote itself using the combined listener base of its member podcasts. This gives it the ability, for example, to have the same voting power in online directories as larger podcasts. It also has the advantage for the listener of making it easier to find content of a specific nature.

The first podcast network was an informal one, formed ...