Is Video Podcasting the Way of the Future? | RSS.com Blog

In the year 2020, video was crowned king of content for marketers. In that same year, the global pandemic gripped the world, leading many people who were staying at home to their favorite mobile devices to binge on the latest shows, YouTube channels, and Facebook cat videos. 🐱

Many people considering starting a podcast also launched their shows for the first time only to be met with a seemingly overwhelming surge in shows turning to video to gain the upper edge and cash in on the demand for video content. Is video podcasting the way of the future? We’ll explore this topic and share our insights below.

🎬 Video Might Be King, But It Doesn’t Rule All

In his article on Medium in early 2021 when Evo Terra said, “video [is] for work, audio is for an escape.” He explained that after 2020 gave us a year almost everything transitioning from in-person interaction to video only, quite frankly he is sick of video. To him, video is supposed to be for work and audio is his means of escape. 

For some people, they simply want to put their headphones in and listen to a podcast host as the only voice in their ears. There is something intimate about the experience that allows the listener to feel drawn in to the message or story they are consuming, and tune out the rest of the world.

He said in his article, “We know that people use podcasting as a way to escape the hustle-and-bustle of their busy lives, either taking some alone-time, getting some education, catching up with current events, or a myriad of other reasons that don’t require their facial expressions to be placed on display.”

Is Evo right? Maybe, maybe not.

Podcasters Need a Way to Stand Out

In their article 2021 Podcast Stats & Facts, Podcast Insights reported that the number of podcasts in existence now is more than 1.7 million. They also said there are more than 43 million episodes live on popular podcast directories as of January 2021 too.

The simple truth is, there are a lot of people competing for a listener’s attention. Having video in addition to audio is looked at as a means to stand out from the competition, and as a way to make themselves open to new audiences.

In their Video Marketing Statistics guide, MotionCue states that 70% of marketers said that videos showed a positive ROI.

Video provides podcasters a new way to connect with listeners on another platform, and to provide some visual flair to their shows that wouldn’t be possible with an audio only experience.

Video Makes Repurposing Content Easier

One of the biggest reasons podcasters are opting to create video podcasts is that it makes it a little easier to repurpose their content. Not only can they strip the audio from the video to have podcast content, but by filming the podcast as they produce it they now have two pieces of content created for the time and effort required to create one. 

They can take it even further and create an entire menagerie of content including micro-clips of videos that can be shared on social media, blog posts from the transcription, and even “after-the-episode” clips that they sell access to in membership sites or via Patreon. Of course, that is not to say video podcasting is not without its limits.

Should I be Video Podcasting ?

For some podcasters video podcasting is the next logical evolution for their audiences. For others, sticking with audio is the best choice.

What’s best for you? To help you make this decision, try writing out pros and cons to each content method for yourself. And while you’re debating things, ask yourself questions like:

• Am I ready to purchase the additional equipment needed to start video podcasting?
• Will my current listeners enjoy an added way to tune in? (Pro tip – If you already have a decent sized audience, ask them what they think and they might provide the answer for you)
• Are my competitors video podcasting? If so, are they getting enough views to warrant the creation of videos for my own show?
• Am I ready to learn video editing on top of audio editing?

It’s no secret that YouTube is the world’s second largest search engine, and publishing your video podcast on your YouTube channel could help you reach millions of new fans. 

If you’re still unsure, you could always give video podcasting a try and see how you like it. You’re the host. This is your show, and what you do is up to you!