Seasonal Podcast Logistics
Author: Ona Oghogho
When first breaking into podcasting you have to determine the best format for your show that fits your life and schedule. Many of us land on seasonal podcast because it allows for a built in break; however, is there a science as to how long of a break is acceptable?
So let’s discuss seasonal podcast and the details to keep in mind when building your show.
What is a seasonal podcast?
Podcast seasons are a way to separate your content into smaller self-contained blocks. Each season could have a different focus which allows for you to provide variety in your content.
Benefits of Seasonal Podcast for Podcasters
Gives you breaks from the stress of constant content creation
Frees your time in a hiatus to work on making the upcoming season better
Easier crowdfunding or sponsorship negotiation for an entire season
Benefits to the audience
Builds anticipation for the show's return
Covers topics more thoroughly
Encourages consuming or reconsuming the content archive during the hiatus
Disadvantages to the podcaster
Easy to lose your motivation during breaks
Might give too much time to procrastinate
Difficult to monetize during hiatus
Disadvantages to the audience
Fails to satisfy an audience when they still want the content
How many episodes should be in a season?
There are no set number of episodes that should be in a season. This is based on what works best for your audience, your life and most importantly what you feel you can manage. Each season does not have to have the same amount of episodes; hence, you can change it from season to season until you find your sweet spot. I wouldn’t recommend anything less than 8 and nothing more than 25. The reason is many people take at least 3 episodes to commit, aka subscribe; hence, once you grab them you want to make sure you have enough episodes after to keep them.
How long of a hiatus is acceptable?
As creatives we have to give ourselves time to recharge; hence, many would say take as long as you need. I’d ask this first though; what’s your goal? If you want to scale and monetize, then try to keep your hiatus within 2-3 months max and be sure not to go completely dark. What that means is still engage with them via social media and your newsletter. Your audience is drawn to you for a reason, make sure they have content from you that still engages them.
Now this isn’t to say if you need a 6 month hiatus for mental health or just life, that it’s not possible, but do know you may have to rebuild your audience.
Overall, just make sure you do what’s best for you and you communicate with your audience. They understand that life happens and you have to do what’s best for your platform while balancing other elements. Your podcast is your creative outlet and until you get to a point where you have a team make sure you create a show that fits your life and don’t try to make your life fit the show.