Sometimes on my weekly “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast I’m heard talking to a guest who just released new music, yet I somewhat apologetically ask, “So, what’s next?”
It’s a combination of the “what have you done for me lately” mentality as well as where expectations have risen to in these content crazy times we’re in where people just assume that creators are working in their craft nonstop.
This past weekend I was a speaker (pictured above) in Orlando at Podfest Multimedia Expo. Someone approached me on Saturday to compliment me on the talk that I’d given that afternoon, telling me how helpful he found it to be and how he was anxious to take action on what he’d learned from my presentation. I’ve already got more speaking gigs in the hopper, yet in that moment, after thanking him for telling me how much he enjoyed my talk, I was quick to share about the next big fish that I’m trying to catch – a big event that I have my sleeves rolled up on relative to trying to pursue speaking at.
That’s the way you need to be whether you’re writing and recording music, creating a podcast, heck, writing a blog, or doing any other content creation that you’re putting out there for people to consume. Of course there’s the pride and the work that goes with “release day,” so to speak, and yes, by all means you certainly have to promote what you’ve done, but then what?
| Related posts: |
| How to Ensure You'll Get Content Created |
| Turn a Cancelation Into Opportunity |
Think of it this way. If you released an album, say, at the start of last year, and got interviewed now, if all you said you’re doing is still promoting the album from 17 months ago, wouldn’t the interviewer think, “Huh. That’s it”? Meanwhile, others around you have written, recorded, and released lots more new music in that time, plus they’ve gone out and played live shows, gotten interviewed, done some videos, and continued doing more writing sessions.
Heck, I’ve got a BUNCH of “Now Hear This Entertainment” interviews scheduled, thanks to two big upcoming events, yet last night I was talking about “who’s next,” in terms of someone that’s being looked at as a guest to try to get scheduled at some point hopefully sooner than later.
You just can’t rest on your laurels.
I know it’s rather deflating and you want to ride the excitement of putting out into the world the latest iteration of exactly what you do, but consider another example.
Two days ago, when the audience member approached me at Podfest, what if he would’ve asked me, “So, where will you be speaking next”? If I just tried to sail along on the success of the talk that I gave that day, events would come and go and yours truly would miss out. Just like festivals with the participating performers, events book their speakers far (far) in advance. It requires constant work to be looking for the next opportunity.
You could perform at a fantastic event but then I know you’re going to have something else on your live shows calendar a week later, right? The same goes for releasing new music. You’ve got to already have plans for when you’ll get something else out after the single or EP or album that you’re currently promoting.
If someone sees me speak or hears a podcast episode or reads a blog, they follow me and assume there will be more similar content right around the corner. I need to plan accordingly to meet that demand before they say, “Huh, wow, he’s still talking about that Podfest speaking engagement from late May,” and then move on.
Keep your audience by giving them what they enjoy and expect from you.
I’ve been helping performers, authors, entrepreneurs, and podcasters from around the U.S. for 18 years now. Book a private, one-on-one, online video consultation with me and take advantage of all my experience to get the help you need to keep your creator career moving forward. Let’s have a confidential conversation about your questions or challenges and ensure that you’re set up for success.