How long should my podcast be?
So, you have decided to start a podcast and now you want to ask the burning question of how long should your podcast be? The answer is not that simple as there is no single answer to your question. The ideal length of a podcast is like juggling a two-edged blade. You don’t want to go on too long, as your audience might get bored and stop listening. Seeing that we are living in an age of information overload; People may not choose to listen to a 30-minute podcast unless it is very interesting.
On the other hand, you don’t want to be too brief when misleading your listeners with valuable information. Please note that your podcast should be as long as necessary to convey your point of view. Ultimately, your goal is to give your listeners something valuable to occupy their time.
Time is of the essence.
Time is a precious commodity for everyone. There is always never enough time. So if you are asking potential audiences to spend time listening to you, then the information or content must be valuable. Valuable information can come in various forms, such as: instructional, educational or recreational.
Having a podcast is an efficient way to communicate with your listeners. It can also be an important tool for converting listeners into customers. People can listen to a podcast while cooking, cleaning, driving, walking, or even doing laundry. Keeping all of these things in mind will help you determine the appropriate length for your podcast. For most people just starting out, about twenty minutes should be the right length.
Shorter podcasts are more easily consumed. If you ask for too much time and deliver too little value, your audience will stop listening. Therefore, you should try to make the most of your audience’s time. Remember, there are over 1,000,000 podcasts (and growing every day as people, like you, start a new podcast). Your target audience must decide if they want to listen to your podcast among the many other options available to them.
Identifying a niche or creating a profile of your target audience will help determine the appropriate length for your podcast. However, there is no set formula to use when determining this. Also, the more episodes you produce per week should result in a shorter podcast. If you produce just one episode per week, a podcast length of 40-60 minutes is acceptable. Subsequently, if you produce just one per month, you could probably get away with longer podcast episodes. However, keep in mind that this can only be achieved if the listener finds value in your content. Ultimately, the goal should be to create and deliver great content in a reasonable amount of time.
Statistics never lie.
Statistics have shown that the more episodes you post in a week, the shorter your podcast should be. This is where the time frame of about 20 minutes per episode would apply. If you put out 3-5 episodes a week, you’re asking for a huge time commitment from your listeners. You need to have really interesting content and be able to deliver it quickly.
The year 2020 saw a growing popularity of podcasts, with an increase of over 50% in listeners! Therefore, your chances of starting a successful podcast are now higher than ever. With a whopping 54% increase in monthly podcast listeners; you can take advantage of this trend.
Popular or well-known podcasts clock in at an average time of about 45 minutes to an hour. Some of the most popular podcasts are sometimes over an hour long. The caveat in this is the popularity of the person. They usually have great name recognition and credibility from a ready audience.
When you’re starting out, you don’t have that kind of recognition (yet). Therefore, it is relatively prudent to design your podcast to be less than 20 minutes and no more than 45 minutes in length.
Again, there are several factors that will help determine whether listeners will spend as much time listening to your podcast. For example, the duration of your trip while driving. Don’t worry too much if your episodes are too short. Just make sure they aren’t too long for your audience. As you continue to podcast, feedback from your customers will tell you the ideal length for your audience.
