New Year’s Podcast Resolutions
Before I dive into this post, I have to be honest: I freaking suck at New Year’s resolutions. It’s not that I’ve never tried it out in the past– I’ve bought the bullet journals and created my fair share of lists. It’s just that I’ve never been very good at creating sustainable resolutions. I’m that person who shows up to the gym every day in January, then maybe a couple times in February, and by March, I’ve lost my membership card and my gym clothes are buried at the bottom of my drawer again.
That said, I’m still an idealist around the turn of every new year. I get it that January 1st is just another day. But on the other hand, I think there’s something to be said for a day that forces us to collectively reflect on the 12 months we just experienced, and look intentionally at our goals for the future. Perhaps it’s because I’m just too busy, or maybe I’m too skeptical for that level of reflection the other 364 days of the year, but something about a fresh new year does still inspire that introspection in me.
Since I’ve been so bad at New Year’s resolutions in the past, I’ve learned the trick is to make goals that are achievable and personalized. If you’ve never gone to the gym before, you’re probably not going to suddenly start getting there at 6 a.m. every day just because it’s January 1st. Instead of committing to improbable and abrupt changes, think of resolutions as a framework for how you want to approach the year. Rather than a strict list of targets, it’s a guideline for your actions to help you focus on the things that matter most for 2025.
So that’s what I’ve compiled here in this post– a list of intentions that I’m using to focus my attention where I want it for the next year. They aren’t pie-in-the-sky ambitions; they’re intentional steps to make this year more meaningful, productive, and aligned with what I truly want to accomplish (and what I want to see in the podcast industry as a whole).
With that in mind, here are my podcast New Year’s resolutions to make 2025 the best year in podcasting yet!
1. Quality Over Quantity
There’s already too much content out there. With the rise of generative AI, we have never been more inundated with content. And so much of this content is, unfortunately, getting lower and lower in quality. This year, focus on making really GOOD content, rather than focusing on constantly churning out episodes. A podcast that stands out because it’s well thought-out, creatively conceptualized, and well-produced will have more success than one that’s pushing out content every week just for the sake of staying current. Think about your audience and what kind of content will truly serve them. Staying consistent is important, sure. But if your content isn’t good, no one is going to listen, no matter how many episodes you release!
2. Use AI Tools to Execute Your Creative Ideas, Not Generate New Content
There are lots of podcast tools out there, but using generative AI just to create content can result in boring, formulaic episodes. AI is a great tool to execute your creative vision—improving audio quality, transcribing episodes, or even optimizing your workflow—but using it to come up with entire episode ideas or write your scripts will be immediately obvious to your audience… and NOT in a good way! Remember, these AI tools are just pulling from the mass amounts of content that already exists out there. They’re not generating anything new. If you want to stand out, the creative vision needs to come from a real-life human. AI tools can be great, but they’re there to help you execute on your own original ideas– NOT replace creative generation.
3. Get Smart About Your Video Strategy
I’ve written many times on this blog now about how video needs to be a consideration for every podcaster. But is every podcast really better off with full-length video episodes? I’m still not convinced. You might find that short video clips instead of full-length episodes are enough to reap the benefits of video’s increased discoverability on platforms like YouTube and TikTok. And perhaps the increased budget required for video could be better spent on bringing on a talented sound designer to improve production quality, or hiring a chase producer to get better guests on the show. Not every podcast has to follow the same video format, and not every podcast should have the same video strategy.
4. Be Original With Your Podcast Format
Building off the above resolution: Not every podcast needs to be an interview format!(!!!!) If your idea of a “podcast” is just two people having a recorded conversation, I would encourage you to think outside the box in 2025! You can draw inspiration from other media—games, books, TV shows, or even social media challenges. A new format can make your podcast stand out and keep your audience engaged. If you’ve been doing the same thing for a while, why not shake it up in 2025? You don’t have to reinvent the wheel, but sometimes a small change can make a big difference in keeping your content fresh.
5. Think Creatively About Marketing
Making an amazing podcast is only half the battle. If you actually want people to hear the podcast, you need a solid marketing plan. Just because you build it, does NOT mean they will come. Think carefully about who your audience is and go where they spend their time. Consider collaborating with other podcasters, YouTube channels, or newsletters. Explore creating a subreddit, Slack channel, or Discord group to build a community around your show. Look for creative ways to cross-promote, tap into new communities, and spread the word about your show.
6. Look Beyond the Download
Enough with putting all our emphasis on downloads! We are leaving that in 2024. We’ve seen so many times that downloads aren’t the most important (or most accurate) metric of podcast success. Podcasts are great for having an outsized impact with niche communities– this means reaching a smaller, more targeted audience, in a very impactful way. So, instead of only looking at a metric that gives a general (and often inaccurate) idea of the podcast’s reach alone, focus on other ways to measure engagement and impact. Episode completion rates (available on Apple or Spotify) can give you a better understanding of how much of your audience’s attention you’re keeping. Looking at other metrics like brand lift studies or pixel-based attribution can help you build a fuller picture of your podcast’s success. Don’t just chase numbers—focus on how much impact your podcast is truly having.
7. Talk to Your Listeners
In 2025, we listen as much as we talk! Listener surveys are a great tool for learning who your audience is, what they value, and what they want out of your show. Brand Lift Studies can also provide valuable insights into how your podcast is performing, where it’s resonating, and what can be improved. By engaging with your audience and taking their feedback seriously, you’ll not only build their loyalty as listeners, you’ll also create better content.
8. Set Realistic Resolutions (And Stick to Them!)
When you’re crafting your own podcast resolutions for this year, I want you to ask yourself two important questions about each resolution. First, I want you to ask yourself: Why? Is your resolution to get one million downloads in 2025? If so, why? Is there even that many people in your target audience? Do you need to reach one million people with your message? Or do you need to have a big impact on 50,000 people?
Is your goal to release new episodes of your podcast every single Monday of 2025? If so, why? Did you just decide this is the way podcasts should be released? Is your podcast a news podcast requiring timely episodes that respond to live events? Or could you create higher quality, more impactful episodes by giving yourself more time between episodes.
Secondly, I implore you to ask yourself: Is this actually going to happen? If you want to achieve one million downloads in 2025, but your show so far has averaged about 10,000 downloads each year, is it really realistic to assume you’ll see that level of growth in one year? How many other podcasts are achieving one million downloads each year? What are their resources and their goals?
If you’re setting out to release episodes every single Monday, but know you travel frequently and have a busy schedule, is it really a realistic target? Can you really achieve a weekly episode (and maintain your sanity)?
Don’t set yourself up for failure. And don’t measure yourself against goals that make no sense for you! Achievable resolutions and consistency will lead to more success than lofty goals that inevitably lead to quitting and burnt out.
Remember, resolutions provide us a guideline. They are not a rulebook! These are intentions to set the stage for the next year, built around what I hope to see across podcasting in 2025.
What are your podcast resolutions this year?
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