112. Summer Survival Strategies for Your Podcasting Schedule

Is your summer schedule threatening to throw your podcast off track? In this episode, I'm sharing podcasting strategies that make summer content creation easier and more sustainable so that you can enjoy your summer without losing consistency. 

Check out the Podcast Growth Collective: www.ThePodcastTeacher.com/collective

This episode was produced by me, The Podcast Teacher! Contact me at Hello@ThePodcastTeacher.com.

Take the quiz to find out what you need to focus on for podcast growth: www.ThePodcastTeacher.com/quiz

Transcript

Hey. Hey. And welcome back. Today, we're talking about podcasting through the summer. Because whether you love this season like I do, I'm a summer baby and this is my absolute favorite time of year, or whether you kind of dread it, in either case, it usually tends to mess with your routine. Maybe your kids are out of school. Maybe you're traveling more. Maybe your spouse is suddenly home during the day.

Maybe you're like me and you're hanging out in the pool at every waking moment. Maybe your schedule is just all over the place and your podcasting workflow feels out the window. Summer can be a hard season to stay consistent. Even for me, it's pretty hard to record a podcast in the pool. But the good news is that you don't have to choose between showing up for your audience and enjoying a little bit of breathing room. Today, I'm going to walk you through some ways to keep your podcast running smoothly even if your schedule isn't or you just wanna take it at a little bit of a slower pace. Whatever your version looks like, this can be a season that pulls your attention in a lot of different directions. So instead of trying to push through like everything is just business as usual, I want to help you think about it a little bit differently.

Because as I always say, the goal here is to work smarter, not harder. So that your podcast keeps going and brings you business on autopilot without draining your energy without taking you away from your family without stopping you from enjoying the things that you love. Alright. The first thing is that you need to start by looking ahead and planning for summer now. Believe it or not, it's only four to six weeks away depending on what you call the official start of summer. So take a few minutes today, this week, and look at your summer calendar. Identify when you're traveling, if you have any trips planned, and when the kids will be home, if you have them. And also decide if there are any weeks you already know that you want to take completely off from content creation for whatever reason.

This is applicable any time of year. I'm actually recording this episode early because my stepmom is visiting next week. She typically comes only once a year, so I want to be able to be fully present and enjoy the time with her. I don't wanna have to worry about recording this episode. So while planning ahead is always a great strategy, it's especially helpful during these summer months. Once you've mapped that out, figure out how many podcast episodes you'll need to have done in advance to cover those weeks and allow you to take the time off that you want. Then log out some time in the near future to sit down and batch these episodes. Get them done ahead of time.

Seriously, I want you to put it on your calendar and guard it like a client appointment. Because if you don't, something else will come along and fill that time. I promise you, I've been there. So let's say you normally need about two hours to plan, record, edit, and schedule one podcast episode, and you want to take three weeks off from your podcast tasks this summer. So, of course, that's three episodes at two hours each. That means you need six hours. And you don't have to sit down and do that six hour chunk all in one day, but knowing how much time you need to set aside gives you a real goal to work toward. Batching your content is a really great strategy, works really well for some people, and if you're not normally someone who batches your content, this can be a really great strategy to implement for your summer planning if you only need a handful of episodes.

But if you know that your entire summer is going to be a bit crazy because the kids will be home or you're taking an extended trip and you need 12 episodes, you might need to batch and get creative with your episode formats. So consider adding short value packed solo episodes to your lineup. These are especially great if you usually do interviews because guest episodes are a lot more work to plan, record, and edit. Even if you normally do solo episodes, if there are twenty minutes, try scaling them back to ten minutes. Or if you normally fully script out your episodes, maybe try getting away with just an outline. It is a okay if they are shorter than your usual content. The goal here is to maintain consistency throughout the summer, not achieve perfection. You may also want to incorporate FAQ style episodes.

Look at my episodes released on Fridays to give you an example. You can answer one question per episode to keep them super short. This is not only faster for you to prep and record, but it's easy for your listener to consume. They are probably dealing with a busy summer as well. Another idea is to do a mini series. My podcast startup academy student, Beth, was moving last summer, and she needed some really easy episodes to do during that really stressful time. So she did a ten week series covering the 10 different principles of intuitive eating, which is the topic of her podcast, kind of a back to basics foundational series. And something like that is always relevant.

And if your audience experiences a particular challenge or situation during the summer, a mini series on that topic is perfect too. This approach gives your content a clear through line and simplifies your planning because you're building episodes around one topic instead of starting from scratch each time. And if you are really strapped for time, I have one more trick up my sleeve for you if you have been podcasting for a year or more, and that is to replay a past episode. Choose something from six months or so back that new listeners may not have heard. Also, make sure to choose something that is still relevant and that's worth hearing more than once. Then record a new intro where you say something like, hey. Hey. I'm taking a little summer break, and I'm bringing back an episode that is still just as valuable today as when it first aired.

Here's why I chose it, and then set the stage for them. Also, let them know that you'll be back next week with a new episode, if you will be, in case they are a longtime listener and they don't really wanna stick around for something they've already heard. Replays should not be your strategy for the entire summer, but one or two can be a great way to give yourself a break while still showing up for your audience. When thinking about these alternative episode options and batch recording, remember to take imperfect action. This is something that I am working really, really hard on and that I will be talking about in an episode coming up soon. I want to remind you that you don't need a perfect plan. You just need a plan that supports you through the season that you're in right now. That might mean batching three episodes and then letting yourself breathe.

It might mean shifting from thirty minute interviews to ten minute solo episodes for a few weeks. It might mean incorporating a few replays. Whatever it is, this is about keeping your podcast alive in a way that is realistic and sustainable. And when your audience keeps hearing from you, even if it's in a slightly different format, they stay connected with you. They keep you as part of their routine. They remember that you are someone they know, like, and trust. So start making a plan now before you get into the thick of things. Consider alternative episode formats, and remember to take imperfect action.

You can take time off this summer and still keep your podcast alive. All it takes is some strategic planning and a willingness to do things just a bit differently for a little while. And if you want support with your strategic planning and sustainable podcast growth, this is the exact kind of thing that we can talk about and work together on inside the Podcast Growth Collective. Come join us at the podcastteacher.com/collective. I would love to support you through the summer season and beyond. Until next time, happy podcasting.