Not all that long ago, no one knew what you were talking about if you told them you were listening to a podcast. If you told them that you had a podcast, they would likely recommend a good doctor who could treat it. Podcasting was not exactly a household word. That time has come and gone. Now, podcasts have entered the mainstream. Everyone knows what podcasts are and very likely could tell you their favorite one.
That said, content creation is still a mystery to most people. It is something akin to the dark arts. Because podcasts have become so commercialized, they are associated with a high level of technical skill and very deep pockets. Limbaugh was a radio phenomenon while Rogan is a podcast phenomenon. Doing that sort of radio program was well out of reach for the average person. So it is assumed that podcasting is the same thing.
The good news is that unlike talk radio, podcasting is well within reach of the average nobody. You don’t need a lot of skill and you don’t need a lot of money to get started and be successful. While it is true that your chances of striking it big and becoming wildly successful in podcasting are slim, your ability to get yourself out there and gain a respectable audience is rather accessible.
Knowing that you can start your own podcast and actually doing it are two very different things. The most basic thing you have to figure out is why you would want to do it in the first place. Wealth and fame should probably be off the table. That still leaves plenty of good reasons to toss your hat into the podcast ring, especially if you are a person with a visual impairment. Here are three:
YOU CAN FINALLY BE HEARD
When you were a kid, someone very likely told you that you could be seen but not heard. That might explain the generation of people who insist that their greatest desire is to finally be truly seen. In the same way, many people were made to feel like they didn’t have a voice. It was their place to blend in and not cause trouble. They were never allowed to speak their truth. Such privilege was reserved for the powerful.
Every blind person knows what it feels like to go unseen and unheard. Podcasting casts all that aside. You can finally be heard without your disability getting in the way. In a podcast, there is only your voice and your words and your truth. And that can return the power that others have taken away due to bigotry.
It doesn’t even matter what your truth happens to be. A podcast can be heard by anyone with an internet connection anywhere in the world. Rest assured that someone out there will vibe with your particular brand of madness. You will find your tribe and they will very much appreciate discovering you. You have been silenced long enough. Speak up and be heard. It is easier than you think.
STAY SOCIALLY ENGAGED
According to the Mayo clinic, there are enormous benefits to staying socially engaged:
SOCIALIZING NOT ONLY STAVES OFF FEELINGS OF LONELINESS, BUT ALSO IT HELPS SHARPEN MEMORY AND COGNITIVE SKILLS, INCREASES YOUR SENSE OF HAPPINESS AND WELL-BEING, AND MAY EVEN HELP YOU LIVE LONGER. IN-PERSON IS BEST, BUT CONNECTING VIA TECHNOLOGY ALSO WORKS.
It used to be said that socializing online was not really socializing at all. That has never been true. But now, the medical profession is catching up to the fact that socializing online carries most of the same benefits as socializing in person.
When you do a podcast, you are connecting with potentially hundreds of likeminded people. Once you allow commenting on your feed, then your audience has a chance to communicate with you as well. You can have as much or as little engagement as you need. When you produce the podcast, you are in control of the engagement. You already know the benefits of social engagement. Starting a podcast provides you a means of that engagement.
IT’S EASIER THAN YOU THINK
Put away the idea that all this podcast magic is beyond your capabilities. As with everything, there is definitely a learning curve. But that curve is quite gentle. You could actually do it with only your smartphone. If you can use apps and talk on your phone, you already have the biggest part of what you need.
There are free services for starting a podcast that take you from concept to audience in minutes. You don’t have to figure any of this out yourself. If you have something to say, find your voice and say it. Reep the benefits of increased social engagement. And get started right away because there are no more barriers between you and finally being heard.
David Johnson