The Ultimate Blog Podcast - 101. Should You Start a Podcast or Blog First?

Episode Date: November 21, 2023

Should you start a blog or a podcast first? It’s Amy here and I have a solo coming at you. I am giving you the benefits of both blogging and podcasting and then sharing (as both a blogger and a podcaster) whether I feel a blog or a podcast should come first! What’s your guess? Tune in to today’s episode to hear my answer and why!Thanks for listening! Let us know your thoughts on Instagram: @sparkmediaconceptsWe have a goal to reach 100,000 downloads by December 31 and we need your help! Share an episode you love with a friend and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! We would be so grateful!Check out the show notes (link below) for more information including links and resources mentioned in today's episode!SHOW NOTES: www.sparkmediaconcepts.com/episode101

Welcome to the Ultimate Blog Podcast with Amy Reinecke and Jennifer Draper. We're on a mission to empower women who want to start or grow their own blog. This podcast is for women who want to learn blogging basics and who crave inspiration and encouragement. Whether you're just getting started or have been a blogger for years, we're excited to welcome you into this space where we are passionate about creating community over competition. We are bloggers who want to encourage you to believe in your potential, step outside the norm and step into a life where you create your own schedule, your own success and your own story. Join us for weekly episodes as we navigate blogging

and work from home life all while raising a family and having some serious fun along the way. all while raising a family and having some serious fun along the way. Well, welcome to Episode 101 of the Ultimate Blog Podcast, where I am going to have a solo episode all about should you start a podcast or a blog first? This is a burning question, I'm sure for many of you who might be listening. And it is a good question, to be honest. It's something that I think is worthy of asking. I think it's something that is worthy of diving into for sure. And so I'm going to do that today. It's just me. So you get Amy here. It's a solo episode. And I'm going to make it kind of short and sweet. I'm just going to get really right to the point here. Because at the end of the day, I am a blogger and a podcaster. And so today,

I am going to give you just kind of a bird's eye view on what my recommendation is regarding which one you should actually start first. Okay, so blogging and podcasting. You're a content creator, you're putting content out all the time. That's the whole purpose of them is to share content with people who are looking for the kind of content that you are creating. So they actually overlap with a lot of benefits. And I want to talk about, honestly, just a couple of them to get started. Because I don't want this episode to be taken as you shouldn't do one or the other. I think they complement each other very nicely. And so I want to make sure I say that right out of the gate here.

So what are the benefits of blogs and podcasts? How do they serve your community? How do they nurture your audience? Number one, they nurture your audience and community because it allows people to connect with you in a different way. So some people are visual people and they want to connect with you on a blog. Some people are more audio people. They want to connect with you as they're going about their day and such. And either way, it allows you to give people a behind-the-scenes view on who you are, what you're about, what you're sharing about. And that's a really beautiful thing about blogging and podcasting. When we're thinking about brands, a lot of times we don't see the behind the scenes for a bigger brand, like a box brand or something like that. But

in this digital age of influencers and content creators and bloggers and podcasters, we kind of get to have that. And that actually ends up serving us well when we are able to connect with people, show them who we really are. I think they begin to trust you more when you allow them in. And blogging and podcasting allows you to really connect with your community. Another reason that it is really beneficial, blogging and podcasting, is that you can generate leads. You can have affiliate sales. You can do brand sponsorships. If you have a product or a service, you can sell. So you really do have a great way to market what you're doing. You have a great way to earn revenue. As you are creating content, you're also gaining awareness for what you're sharing about and the

different things that you are selling. Because that's what you are doing as a blogger and podcaster. You definitely are selling as well. And having a blog and a podcast or and or allows you to do that beautifully. One of my favorite reasons and benefits of having a blog and a podcast is that you can market yourself, but you can do it very passively. What do I mean by that? Well, on social media, you have to show up every day in stories or you have to show up every day with a post. And honestly, it can feel pretty exhausting. The beauty of blogging and podcasting is that

once you create content, it's out there and people can find it all the time. And whether they are searching in Google or whether they are going into their podcast app and typing in a specific search term there, they can find your content, no matter how old it is, they can still find it there. That is the beautiful thing about blogging and podcasting. Your content just continually is served up to people who are looking for it. Okay, there are so many benefits of blogging and podcasting. But I'm just going to share those three because like I said, I want to keep this episode kind of short and sweet. We are Thanksgiving week. And so I know that you are busy and have a lot going on. And so I just really want to get to the bulk of the content here. So I want to talk a little bit about the benefit of starting a blog first,

and then the benefit of starting a podcast first. And then at the end, I'll let you know which one I think you should start first. Alright, let's kick it off with the benefit of starting a blog first. So why would a person consider starting a blog first? Number one is you can start building your SEO by creating quality content that Google is going to like, which means that you are just going to get in front of more people who are like-minded. And so they're going to be attracted to the things that you're creating more. When you have a blog, and you set it up the right

way, and you start creating content that has been researched for keywords, and you make sure your site is optimized for SEO, you're on a good theme, you're on a self-hosted theme, all of those things. So you have all your ducks in a row, basically. And then when you start putting out content, that's going to work to your benefit. It's going to allow people to connect with you more in that way. So that's one of the first ways. That's one of the first benefits of starting a blog first. Number two is you can start getting email subscribers right away, which can help when you launch things. Your email list is gold. It is pure gold. We have talked a lot about email here on the Ultimate Blog Podcast. We can link a couple episodes in our show notes for you to

go into the benefit of email marketing. No matter what you're doing, whether you are just an influencer right now and working on social media, whether you have a podcast, whether you have a blog, please, please have an email list as well. Be capturing those people who are connecting with you. It allows you to continue to serve them and to connect with them in a more personal way than any other way. And you heard that right, than any other way. Having their email address is awesome. It really is. It allows you to connect with them in a really, really personal way. So do not skip that part. So when you have a blog first, you can put the email subscribe links there for

them to sign up right away. You can put it in your sidebar, you can put it on your homepage, and make sure that you're capturing those people right away who are coming to your blog. It is a super easy way to just start building up that email list. Number three is by having a blog first, you create your home base. You're going to need a place for your show notes. You're going to need a place for people to sign up on your email list. And so that's why we always recommend this is because you can't rely on social media for the place of people to just connect with you and stay engaged. Because hello, the algorithm does not always work in our favor. And a lot of times that just goes by the wayside. I can't tell you how many times I've been like, I really enjoyed following that person. And now

I don't see their content anymore. Well, this is why. It's because we're not in charge of that. So you need a place that people can connect to you. Going back to benefit number two, that's why you also want them on your email list. But this is why having that home base is so, so important. You also own your blog. So everything that you do, you don't own your social media, you do own your email list, and you do own your blog. So those are just really, really foundational pieces of growing your online brand that I don't want you to miss. The fourth benefit is that you have a visual place to house all that you do and all that you are. So somebody gets to come to your blog and they get to see exactly what you're about. Your About Me page

is going to tell them who you are, what you do, and who you serve. It's going to give them important resources that you need them to know about so they can stay connected to you. And having this space for people to go and learn more about you and see the kind of content that you're putting out there, that is really great in building a community. But it's also great when you are wanting to work with brands, or you're wanting to get sponsored opportunities, or you're wanting to work with affiliates. Most brands, if you have a blog, that is even more attractive to them. Because you have a place that their content,

if it's sponsored, can live forever. It can be evergreen content. So that is really attractive to a lot of brands as well. Hey, I just wanted to pop in real quick and say thank you so much for listening to today's episode of The Ultimate Blog Podcast. We are coming up on our two-year anniversary in January of 2024, which is really, really exciting, but we need your help with something. I have set a huge goal to hit 100,000 downloads by December 31st. And we are inching in on that goal each and every day, but there still needs to be more downloads. And so I'm just gonna ask for your help here. Just shamelessly plugging the podcast.

If you would take one minute right here right now, as long as you're not driving and if you would just leave the podcast a rating and review, it would be so instrumental to the success of this podcast. Not only that, we thank you so much for taking the time to do it. We know you're busy. We know that you'll have the choice of literally thousands of podcasts to choose from. And we are honored

that you chose ours. And so thank you so much for just helping us spread the word about the Ultimate Blog Podcast. And thanks for taking time to listen to today's episode. It really does mean so much to us. And we hope that you are learning a lot from us and that we are helping you along your blogging journey. Thanks again for leaving the rating and review. It means the world to us. So those are the four benefits I'm going to share about starting a blog first. But I want to make sure that we shine a light on podcasting. So now I'm going to share four benefits of starting a podcast first. Number one, podcasting is getting more and more popular every single year. I actually looked up some statistics. And according to HubSpot,

podcasts had over 140 million listeners in 2022. I can't wait to see what that number is going to be in 2023. Because I know it has just grown exponentially year after year after year. People can listen to podcasts super easy. They might not have as much time to sit down and read your content. But by golly, they can put an AirPod in or whatever, or pop it in when they're going to be commuting and they can listen to what you're sharing on the go. That is why podcasting is so attractive, to be honest, is because I honestly feel like people are so busy and they're on the go so much, the podcasts are just flat out easy for them to connect to. Benefit number two, you can build your network with a podcast because most likely what you're going to be doing is engaging with like-minded individuals, such as people that

you're interviewing, and you are going to learn so, so much. So I have the Ultimate Blog Podcast, and then I also have my own podcast, Love Your Body Well. And I love podcasting so much because I learn so much from the guests that I have on. It is incredible the amount of knowledge that you gain as a podcast host, getting honestly to have these real, honest, raw conversations with people about things that you're passionate about. Because likely, whatever you're doing, you're going to be really passionate about. And so it is so cool. I mean, when I do interviews, I really am. I'm like, this is the coolest job. This is so much fun. I'm so excited that I get to connect with all these amazing people who are so smart and so amazing and doing these really, really inspiring

things. So having a podcast of your own, that's a huge benefit is that you yourself get to build that network of people to where when you want to host a collaboration event, or you need somebody who's an expert on XYZ, you know where to go because you're building this network as you are building your show. Benefit number three is that you yourself are going to become known as an expert in your niche, especially if you're putting out consistent content. It's a lot easier, if you want me to be honest, especially if you have a podcast manager to put out consistent content with podcasting because you can batch your work really easy. We usually spend like two days a month recording and that can have us out five or six weeks full of content, which is awesome. And as you do that, you're going to

become known as an expert in your niche because you're going to be sharing content each and every week or whatever that looks like for you. But people are going to know, hey, I'm going to go to so-and-so about this. Our podcast, The Ultimate Blog Podcast will be two in January. And it's so crazy that we're on two years almost. But it's so funny to us that so many people will email us and say, Hey, I typed in blogging in the podcast app and your podcast came up and that's how I found you. We're slowly but surely becoming known as an expert in this area. And that is a really, really cool thing that people know like, Hey, we're going to get the info that we need here. The fourth benefit of starting a podcast first

is that you can increase your brand awareness. So you're going to give people kind of a behind-the-scenes look at who you really are. And it just allows you to connect with them on that more vulnerable level. So people are going to be more apt to visit something else that you do when they listen to your podcast each and every week.

Maybe they feel like they really know you. We've been told that. Like, I feel like I already know you girls because I listen to you every single week. And that happens. That really does happen. Think about the podcast that you listen to. And you likely have felt that exact same thing. Like, Oh my gosh, I feel like I know these people. So think about that. Think about when you're starting a podcast first. Once again, you're building that network of people. You're building a community. And then when you start to do things, they're going to be excited to support you because you feel like they're a friend because you're putting out consistent content and you're connecting with them on a consistent basis. Okay. So lots of benefits for each. Obviously,

I'm a fan of both. I really do. And if you put me in a corner and said, you have to pick one, it would be really hard for me to say I love one more than the other. So I want you to know this is coming from a very unbiased space. Even though I am a blog coach, I also do have two podcasts. So I love both of them so much. But my recommendation is that you have a blog first because you need a home base first, which is your blog. It's your place where people can go to. And I also want to say here, when I say blog, I want to make sure that you understand what I mean. A blog and a website that can be kind of

used interchangeably. So you need a website that is going to house your content. I highly encourage you having show notes if you're going to have a podcast. And so if you don't have a blog or a website, you have no place to house those show notes where people can go to and connect to. I mean, you can put it on the app. But I think that... I don't know how many people actually scroll through and use that as much. I mean, I think they do it for quick links. But to actually see like, do I actually want to listen to this episode?

Do I actually want to do this? It is also going to be very attractive to your interviewees that you're having on is because you're going to give them backlinks for their blogs as well, because you're going to be sharing their content that is going to live on. And so that is something that you get to offer the people that you're interviewing as well is not only the podcast episode that goes out, but also the blog post that is going to be put on your website that is once again going to be evergreen and live forever, just like the podcast episode. So once you get your blog set up with all the necessary components, such as a self-hosted website, making sure you're on a great theme. And if you need any help with the setup of your blog, the Ultimate Blog Bootcamp is always open. And it is open right now. You could start the brand

new year with a new blog and we could help you. So we'll make sure to put a link in the show notes for the Ultimate Blog Bootcamp so you can get signed up if that's something that you do want help with. Because I know that the technical side is something that holds a lot of people back. And we just don't want that for you. And we want you... Especially if you're like, I just really want to start a podcast. But I know that I need a website in order to get started. We just want to help you through that and help you get that set up right away so you can get started on the podcast and really be sharing the content in the direction that you really want to go. And know that it is a great thing just to think about, to know how is my blog going to support my podcast and how is my podcast going to support

my blog. And that is the beautiful thing about doing both, to be honest, is that they can do that. They can support one another. They can work in conjunction with one another. And they can do it very beautifully. So go into that when you're thinking about this, when you're asking yourself, which one should I actually start first if I want to do both? Having that home base is what I recommend. And it's going to be a really important component, I think, to your success to have that home base set up. Don't skimp on it. That would be my recommendation to you. Make sure that you set it up the right way from the start to make sure that it's not something that you have to go back to and totally redo. We have a lot of people who come in and that's what they've done. They've kind of like,

kind of like piecemealed some things together. And they're like, I have no idea if I've done this the right way or if I have the right things. And they really just want to start. They just want to start doing what they want to start doing. And I recognize that completely. So that is my recommendation on should you start a podcast or a blog first? I'm sure you knew when you clicked on this episode that I was going to say a blog. But I think it helps just to explain that there really are benefits to both. And knowing that each one can serve its own purpose, you're going to have communities of people in each space. And some of those people will overlap, but some of them won't.

And so knowing that you can serve more people doing the different things that you love is a really awesome thing about being a content creator. So I hope this episode helps you make that decision. If you were on the fence either way, and if we can help you in the Ultimate Blog Bootcamp, please let us know. Just click the link in our show notes and Jennifer and I can support you as you start your blog. And if you need recommendations for podcasting or anything like that, feel free to just send

us a DM or an email. And we would really love to share our experience with you. It's something that we've done for 2 years now. We've learned a lot along the way. And it's something that we really enjoy doing. So we are always happy to be a resource with that as well. So thanks for listening today. And I hope you have a really happy Thanksgiving. We are very thankful for you here at Spark Media Concepts and could not do what we love without you. So have a great week with your loved ones,

and we will see you again next week. Thanks so much for tuning in today. If you'd like to continue the conversation about blogging with us, please find us on Instagram at Spark Media media concepts. You can also sign up for our weekly newsletter where we share blogging tips and inspiration. You can sign up by finding the link in the show notes. For those of you who are ready for the next step and want to start your own blog, join the waitlist for the ultimate blog bootcamp. The link to join the waitlist is also in the show notes. Go out and make today a great day.