11. Should You Start a Video Podcast?
46% of podcast listeners express that they prefer listening to podcasts with video. They like to see people's facial expressions, reactions from hosts and guests, and it helps them to better focus on the podcast. So interesting to me because I think the advent of podcasting and the quick popularity of it from an audio, just a think audio podcast standpoint, was that you could be disengaged. You could be untethered from a screen. Welcome to the Podcircle Podcast where we provide practical tips and insights for every podcaster.
Mickenzie Vought:From aspiring podcasters to experts with hundreds of episodes under your belt and everywhere in between, these conversations dive into all the topics that matter most to you. Alright, Kyle. What are we chatting about today?
Kyle Cummings:Today, we are asking the question, should I start a video podcast?
Mickenzie Vought:Can you just start by telling us what is a video podcast versus what everyone else would just consider a podcast?
Kyle Cummings:Simply put, a video podcast is an audio podcast with a video component. So if you're watching this on YouTube, then you're watching a video podcast. Now there are some audio podcasts I'm thinking, like, Smartless, a really popular podcast. They put their audio podcast on YouTube, and then they just kinda have, like, a motion graphic that plays the whole time, but you can't actually see them, you know, talking, interacting with guests, things like that. So a video podcast is where there are cameras involved, essentially.
Mickenzie Vought:Here's the deal. Like, the lines have kinda blurred, right, between video podcast and just video content. I think typically something is categorized as, like, a video podcast when you can consume the entire content in that form. But I think we're seeing so much more where people are giving you pieces of it or segments of it. I mean, I worked for an organization where we did podcasts a lot, and we would take that episode.
Mickenzie Vought:There was, like, the full episode with a static image like you're saying Smartless does, and then there were 3 or 4 different chunks that were, like, 5 or 6 minutes out of that. And so I think it's just kinda gotten really confusing. But what is your advice when you have clients that say, should I start a video podcast? Should I use video? Yes. You should use video.
Kyle Cummings:But Yeah. You I mean, if you've listened to previous episodes of this podcast, you know, our our thing is that we evangelize people to always record video for their podcast even if they're not gonna package it as an actual video podcast. So the reason to record video is for your your social media assets because people wanna see you. They wanna see your face on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, TikTok. Talk to the people, you know, like, I think the days of the just the static picture and the waveforms and the, subtitles.
Kyle Cummings:I think those days are probably over. And I think that's for the best because let's just be real. The Instagram algorithms are not gonna reward that. You know? No. None of the social media algorithms want a lot of static anything. They're it's all video now.
Mickenzie Vought:So All video. Video is winning.
Kyle Cummings:For that reason, but also at some point, you might decide, you know, 10, 20, 30 episodes in, a 100 episodes in, that you actually do wanna start a video podcast. Well, that becomes a lot easier if you already have that backlog of videos because you can edit that content and release it. And so in a in a way, you've all always had a video podcast. So That's just always a fan. And especially if you're using Riverside like we always do, we're a fully remote podcast, you and I.
Kyle Cummings:Yeah. We we just always capture video. Now we've had a a video podcast from day 1, but it's very easy. You just you press record, and it's there whether you wanna just grab the audio or not. So it's I think it's a no brainer.
Mickenzie Vought:Yeah. I think, as a random side note, you just mentioned to me, and we were kinda laughing about it before we started recording, that every recording that we've done sometimes we've recorded 2 episodes in one setting, but it's all been in a different room or different space because you are a digital nomad. And so I think that's really fun and just kinda speaks to the versatility that remote podcasting has given us in the last couple of years that Yeah. We can have a video podcast. We can have an audio podcast.
Mickenzie Vought:We can do this while living states or countries away from each other. Like, right now, you're in the UK, and we are just finding time in the time zones to have Yeah. It's come together. So
Kyle Cummings:It's almost 2 o'clock in the afternoon here. And what time is it for you?
Mickenzie Vought:45 here.
Kyle Cummings:Exactly.
Mickenzie Vought:Working all the time zones in my head. I was like, what is got it.
Kyle Cummings:Lot of math. A lot of, lot of math.
Mickenzie Vought:A lot of math.
Kyle Cummings:Yeah. But this is I mean, Riverside makes it so easy to record video, and it's just a no brainer. Always record video. If you're an in person podcast, set up your iPhone. Even if you just have one iPhone for for just you or for your guests as well, do a wide shot.
Kyle Cummings:One day, we'll probably do a deep dive into camera setups for in person. Yeah. Because if you have more than one person, I always recommend people have more than 1 Camera. Camera. And we'll at some point, we'll go into the reasons for that.
Kyle Cummings:So but for now, Riverside works awesome, especially the way we at PodCircle edit video podcasts. You know, it's really important from a production standpoint to always have something to cut to. So if right now you see Mackenzie and I on screen, I just took a sip of coffee while she was talking. If the client doesn't want that, you know, then we can just cut full screen to Mackenzie and cut me completely out of it. So from an editing and production standpoint, it's really nice.
Kyle Cummings:In Riverside, you know, if you have 2 people on screen like you and I, you have your camera. Yep. I have mine. It's easy from a editing standpoint to do that. Yeah.
Mickenzie Vought:And so I think what I'm hearing you say is it's not if you should have a video podcast. Like, we think definitely that's winning. Yeah. If you've got the ability to do that, if you've got the capacity to do that. But what I think, honestly, what I've seen is that wanting to do both at the same time.
Mickenzie Vought:And if you're just starting out and your resources are limited, your time is limited, you don't really have a team behind you, Wanting to launch with both can really be a barrier to launching. So I love how you said, yes. Record the video anyway. And if someday you want to, once you've got some traction, once you've got your feet under your under you and you have, you know, some rhythms around this, then launch a video podcast. It's not an if it's a when, find the right timing.
Mickenzie Vought:Because I just think this idea that I have to have both and it has to be perfect and I have to have my entire brand aesthetic figured out and have, you know, when you move to a video podcast, you're bringing in a whole another slew of tasks and things that you need to do. So don't let it be a barrier to launching. I think that's my biggest, biggest encouragement
Kyle Cummings:Yeah.
Mickenzie Vought:Is start small today. Launch with an audio podcast. You've got an idea. Let's get it out in the world. Let's test it. And as you get more into it, you're gonna get your feet, and you're gonna look better on camera
Kyle Cummings:Mhmm.
Mickenzie Vought:And know what you're doing and, you know, just kind of feel those rhythms once you've gotten into it and know what your messaging is. So Yeah. Not an if, when. Don't let it keep you from from launching.
Kyle Cummings:Yeah. It's true. And we we pulled some interesting stats, which are honestly kinda surprising to me. A group called the morning consult did a a study earlier this year in 2023, January. Said 46% of podcast listeners expressed that they prefer listening to podcasts with video.
Kyle Cummings:They like to see people's facial expressions, reactions from hosts and guests, and it helps them to better focus on the podcast. And So interesting to me because I think the advent of podcasting and the quick popularity of it from an audio, just a think audio podcast stand point was that you could be disengaged. You could be untethered from a screen. You could be walking, driving, you know, going to the like, at the gym. You don't have to be visually engaged.
Kyle Cummings:And I think that we're kind of reaching this era to where especially for people that have already have a pretty well formed podcast and have a loyal following. People wanna take that next step to towards, like and you and I were talking about this the other day. You were asking me, like, hey, do you actually watch any video podcast? Because I think you kinda like just the audio podcast. And, like, actually, there are a few video podcasts that I do watch.
Kyle Cummings:And interestingly, I might actually start out on the audio podcast if I'm out and about, you know, with with my son and we're, you know, going for a walk or whatever. And I'll get, you know, halfway through an episode. And then once I get home, because I listen to a lot of podcasts.
Mickenzie Vought:Pick it up at that point.
Kyle Cummings:I'll pick it up, but, like, I'll find, like, oh, we're around 20 minutes. And I'll I'll continue watching it on YouTube, which I wonder how many other people kinda consume content this a similar way than that.
Mickenzie Vought:Yeah. I think that's an interesting thought because I think the advent of it was I'm gonna be doing something else. I'm gonna be driving. I think, statistically, like, the number of things people do are, like, working out, driving in their cars, commuting. You know, they're, like, got that distractible thing.
Mickenzie Vought:But, also, we're seeing a massive number of people. I think the number two reason people consume podcasts now is to learn something. And so I think if you're wanting to learn, you're wanting to focus in, you're wanting to look at it and really pay attention where you're not just consuming passively. I'm in a season of my life where I listen to a lot of podcasts, but I consume passively in the background. Now if Dax Shepard had his experts and experts on video, I probably would watch because sometimes I don't catch everything because I am passively consuming it. So
Kyle Cummings:Interesting. So that that specific podcast, like, the Experts on Expert, that one in particular
Mickenzie Vought:I wouldn't do the celebrities. I would do the extras on
Kyle Cummings:experts. Yeah. That's that's really interesting. Yeah. Because some of that stuff can be, can kinda go over your head a little bit.
Mickenzie Vought:You're just like, what was that again? You're rewinding it. But Yeah. So I wonder, like, who who else do you think is doing this video podcasting well? You said you listened to a couple, and you'll even transition from your phone over to your computer to consume the rest of it.
Mickenzie Vought:Who's doing it well?
Kyle Cummings:The Kelsey Brothers, New Heights. Mhmm. I was gonna say of of NFL fame, but maybe I should just say of Taylor Swift fame at this point.
Mickenzie Vought:I I have just become in their algorithm. I keep getting, tons and tons of their clips to my Instagram because Yeah. I'm in Taylor Swift's algorithm.
Kyle Cummings:Yeah. Taylor Swift's algorithm. That's right. I mean, I listen to a lot of comedy podcasts. I love stand up. Pete Holmes, he just added, you know, within the past year a video element. So
Mickenzie Vought:Mhmm.
Kyle Cummings:I like watching his, several pod like, comedy podcasts. There's one called Pen Pals, and they have a a video component as well. They're they're actually one that I'll often, like I said, start the audio podcast, and then I'll maybe even sometimes go back and watch the video version if they just have, like, a a really great guest or something. So, you know, everyone's familiar with the Joe Rogan podcast. His is interesting because he has an exclusive deal with Spotify.
Kyle Cummings:You can consume the video in the Spotify app. Really? Or if you wanna turn the like like, lock your phone, like, put it into your pocket, it'll just turns the video off and the audio keeps playing, which I think is where you're gonna see a lot more podcasts go. I think having both of those options available within one app, I think that Spotify has made a lot of investment in that. I think that's why they paid big bucks for Joe Rogan.
Kyle Cummings:Yeah.
Mickenzie Vought:You know,
Kyle Cummings:and and others to come over. But for him in particular, and I'm and I just bring up him because he's kinda the podcast god right now, I guess, in terms of engagement. He releases just clips of his podcast on YouTube.
Mickenzie Vought:YouTube. Okay.
Kyle Cummings:So not full episodes, just clips. And one might say, well, why does he do that? If he's already got a a video podcast on Spotify, what's because YouTube is a big old search engine, and it's a very well visited and resourced search engine, and it's a huge way that people find new podcasts. So that's the reason that he does it. That's the reason I will say that you should record video and also do that.
Kyle Cummings:Mhmm. Everyone's trying to compete with TikTok right now, including Instagram. So YouTube has something called YouTube shorts. YouTube shorts are, you know, 60 to 90 second. I can't remember their time limit, but just short form clips that you can Yeah.
Kyle Cummings:Put up of the podcast. And then in the bottom, you can even link it out directly to the episode that it came from. So it's all about kind of driving that traffic where you want it to go.
Mickenzie Vought:That's an interesting point we haven't really talked about is the discoverability that you get on YouTube. So even if you're not doing a full podcast show, we really encourage you doing those clips because it's gonna serve you things that are kind of in that vein quickly after the same way your Instagram algorithm would.
Kyle Cummings:Yeah.
Mickenzie Vought:Where on a podcast platform, they don't really do that. You roll 1 episode, you finish it, and it's gonna just give you another episode or, you know, whatever whatever's next on your queue. So that's an interesting thing, I think, especially because YouTube is, they have invested in that because they are a part of Google. So they know about the algorithm, and that's really interesting.
Kyle Cummings:Totally.
Mickenzie Vought:Anything else that you would kind of encourage people in starting a video podcast from a brand aesthetic and how important is it to have a consistent background? I mean, we kinda joke that you and I have done this in other rooms. And so
Kyle Cummings:I go back and forth. I mean, real talk. I'm in a different room when we record every other podcast because a lot of times we record 2 at one time, and then I move to a different city. And I'm in a co working space right now. So is it a hill that I'm willing to die on?
Kyle Cummings:Clearly not. No. Because, you know, I'm in an office rented co working office space right now with a white background, and it sounds like a gymnasium in here. It's so you know, it's a very live room. Now once I
Mickenzie Vought:We're not keeping it we're not letting it keep us from doing the thing. Right?
Kyle Cummings:Nope. Because we're doing the things we can. We have nice mics. I've got a pretty decent camera. And frankly, I'm a pretty good audio editor.
Kyle Cummings:I've been doing it for a long time, and so I can clean it up and make it sound presentable. But I think most podcasters aren't like me. They have a static somewhat of a static situation. And, so we've talked a lot about a lot of the best practices there. But
Mickenzie Vought:I think from a brand perspective, it's more than just the background. That's important if you have consistency in that, but I think you can also provide consistency in other ways in the way that you're branding the clip, the way that you're designing the templates. There's a lot you can do around that too. And I think if you've got a solid brand, that's gonna help it take it to that next level. It's gonna help it step up.
Mickenzie Vought:You'll notice that all of our, PodCircle podcasts are in a similar color and vein, and so they look familiar. Scroll through your Instagram. You know what it's gonna look like when we've got a reel of a clip from PodCircle podcast.
Kyle Cummings:Yeah. It's always gonna have the PodCircle logo up in the upper right. You know, I don't think we do anything special with our subtitles necessarily, but you can incorporate your your brand colors into your Brand colors.
Mickenzie Vought:Yeah.
Kyle Cummings:And your subtitling. You can use frames. I mean, you and I, we just some of our reels are branded, and some of them aren't. And we're kind of experimenting with what performs better. We would do that the same thing for clients.
Kyle Cummings:Like, sometimes the algorithm doesn't like a lot of graphic design and, like, text. And so we try to keep a good pulse on on what's going on there. But since our content is so topical, sometimes it does work really well to say, like, hey. Like, we just released a reel yesterday. It's when to hire a podcast editor.
Kyle Cummings:And so for our viewers, you know, for the people that follow us on socials, that's probably a question that they're either asking or they've asked at some point. And so hopefully that we've earned their their eyes and ears for 60 seconds on that. Yeah. But sometimes it's best just to put you and your guests up there, stack one on top of the other, and get some subtitles for accessibility and rock and roll and and not overcomplicate it. I think the the biggest thing, and this is what you and I preach all the time, is just consistency, doing it on a consistent basis.
Kyle Cummings:Provide value, provide value, provide value on a consistent basis, and play that long game.
Mickenzie Vought:I think our final thoughts are video is the way of the future, but do what you can do today. Start small.
Kyle Cummings:Yep.
Mickenzie Vought:Get it out there. Imperfectly produced is better than perfectly not produced. So Yep. Make it happen and get it out there and stay consistent and show up. You've got this.
Kyle Cummings:Right on.
Mickenzie Vought:We talked a lot about all the things that go into launching a podcast. So if you need help launching, you can check out our complete podcast starter kit at podcircle.com/start, and you can get that free resource today.
Kyle Cummings:You can. You can also follow us at podcircle. Jump over to Instagram. Follow us at pod circle. We produce a lot of short clips over there just that are Mhmm.
Kyle Cummings:Bite sized tips, for podcasters. So, jump over there and give us a follow. Mickenzie and I, we also do strategy sessions, which we love to do, which are super, super helpful for I was gonna say for new podcasters to help them get off on their right foot. But but even people that have been podcasting for a while, and maybe they're hitting a wall and they're like, man, I'm struggling with, you know, my download numbers have stagnated or I'm I'm kind of running out of ideas, but I see the value of this podcasting thing. I just feel kinda stuck and not I'm not sure where to go.
Kyle Cummings:I'm gonna drop a link in the show notes where you can schedule just a 20 minute discovery call with me and and see if we might be a good fit to help you get unstuck and gain some clarity around your podcast. So couple links there in the show notes for you as always. Anything else for you, Mickenzie?
Mickenzie Vought:No. I think that's it. We'll see you next week.
Kyle Cummings:Alright. See you next
Mickenzie Vought:week.
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