I’m often heard telling people that (I’m proud of the fact that) I’ve delivered a new episode of my “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast on-time, every week since February 2014. That’s more than eight years now and 430 episodes so far. But a similar streak, still active, is close behind that one.
I’ve been publishing a blog on this website every week since September of that same year, or, on-time, every Monday for more than seven-and-a-half years now.
A lot of people I talk to about the above say, “Psshh, I don’t know how you do it. I wish I could be that consistent with something.”
And I’m here this week to tell you that you can. You might be a victim of overthinking it, or, making it tougher on yourself than you need to.
Full disclosure, yes, there are times when the blog is challenging as it relates to coming up with a topic. Thankfully, I have lots of experiences to draw from, having been running Now Hear This, Inc. for more than 18 years now. Plus, the more that I’ve continued to build relationships, the more there have been people to extend opportunities to for writing a guest blog (as we saw as recently as two weeks ago).
The podcast, well, trust me that there is no shortage of guests for me to find to keep doing interview after interview after interview, especially with all the events that I go to. The latter also feeds into the above reference about meeting more people. And remember that this is actually a formula for making connections not just for an interview, meaning, to continue staying in touch well after the conversation has been recorded and the episode has been released. I’m very outspoken about the fact that we should all be helping each other. But oops, I digress.
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Having something on my calendar like a new podcast episode every Wednesday and an original blog post every Monday forces me to create content, though. And you can use that same tactic to ensure a level of accountability. Set realistic deadlines that will create habits that you’ll incorporate into routines.
Be sure to note the word ‘realistic’ there, though. When I’m out doing a speaking engagement about podcasting or I’m coaching would-be or already active podcasters I give the advice, “Pick a schedule that you can keep up with. Don’t get too ambitious and then find after two months you can’t maintain that.” It was amazing when I interviewed Grace Askew and she talked about her self-imposed challenge to write a new song every day for a year, but that’s probably a little extreme for most.
I’ve got two other examples that will be really helpful for you.
I was in Nashville two months ago and visited with Chloe Collins who had been on NHTE 294 (after having first been on Episode 95) and she told me she’s posting three times a day on TikTok. (More recently you heard Peach Martine talk about how active she is on that platform.) I know, three times a day on one social media channel is a lot. So, what is manageable for you, though, and enough to stay present with your audience?
When I’m out speaking, I encourage the audience to follow the official Instagram account for the “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast so that they can steal ideas. (Yes, I really say that.) The reason is, they hear that a new episode “only” comes out once a week, yet I post seven days a week on there. What could I possibly be coming up with? It’s a challenge I’ve put upon myself so that I do keep creating an awareness of NHTE, which can only better position me to get more listeners.
The other example is the weekly e-newsletter. While some people are annoying me by hitting my email inbox several times a week, I’m consistently showing up every Wednesday to subscribers on the list – and that’s all. It might only be one day a week but I’m staying in front of them while keeping a frequency that’s manageable for me.
By setting these types of deadlines, schedules, routines, whatever you prefer to call them, you’ll ensure that you’re creating new content at a pace you can keep up with. And your fans, your followers, your supporters, won’t forget about you.
I have worked with performers, authors, entrepreneurs, podcasters, and more from around the U.S. since 2004 and would love to help you out too. Let’s get on a private, one-on-one, online video consultation and talk about the challenges you’re facing. Take advantage of all my years in the entertainment industry to keep your career moving forward. Schedule a session now and let’s get you the help you need.