Mass Produced Content Vs. Inspired Only Content Production
When I'm in the zone and my creative juices are flowing, I'm an unstoppable force of content creation. I have been known to churn out VLOGs every day and and have been known to produce?up to 15 podcast episodes in a single week (across multiple shows).
But then there are times when I'm consumed by other passions or when I am hyper focused on a new project where I have been known to go for weeks without creating any new content.?
Over the past 17 years, my beliefs regarding the frequency of releasing content have changed drastically. At one point, I was a firm believer that the most effective frequency for a podcast episode was one every single week, with no exceptions.
The issue with the "podcast episode every week" philosophy is that it can be tempting to publish content that is not as valuable simply to meet the deadline for releasing the latest episode.?
I've been producing The Cliff Ravenscraft Show since 2006. For more than a decade I produced this podcast every single week without missing a week. However, for the past few years, I've averaged between 1 to 2 episodes per month.?
I simply made the decision to embrace an "Inspired Content Only" approach to my podcasting. Whenever I felt the creative spark of inspiration, I knew it was time to create a new episode. This has allowed me to focus on producing content that I'm truly passionate about and excited to share.?
The power of the "Inspired Content Only" approach is indisputable. Every single episode of your podcast can provide immense value to your listeners, leaving them eagerly awaiting your next episode. Your content will be so compelling and valuable that they won't mind the wait in between episodes. Until then, they will savor and enjoy the archived content you have provided for them. Crafting episodes with only inspired content guarantees that your listeners will remain engaged and enthused about your podcast.
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Here's a story that illustrates my point: I received an email telling me that someone had discovered me on Clubhouse and had since binge-listened to more than 20 episodes of "The Cliff Ravenscraft Show" podcast in three weeks! Within days of receiving that email, this person ended up signing up for a one-year, one-on-one coaching package with me and recently renewed for a second full year of coaching.
If there had been a few "filler content" episodes that were published for the sake of maintaining a weekly production schedule, this person would not have felt compelled to binge-listen to all those episodes.??
Today, when I'm feeling inspired and in the creative "zone", I attempt to batch record and edit large amounts of fresh, new content with the intention to slowly release those episodes across the the upcoming weeks.
Because I understand the importance of connecting with and serving my community, I often feel a pull to commit to a regular weekly schedule for The Cliff Ravenscraft Show. Despite this, I'm not sure when the most inspired moments will be, so I continue to remain true to my "Inspired Only Content" philosophy. By committing to this, I'm able to ensure that my content is always of the highest "bingeworthy" quality and offers the most benefit to my audience.
There is one podcast that I continue to publish at least one episode a week.?It's a show designed only for those who have already become a true fan and who resonate with the message I put out into the world.
Check out The Train With Cliff Audio Journal Podcast, a weekly behind-the-scenes podcast that goes beyond the surface-level to provide an in-depth look at the entrepreneurial creative process. Whether you're looking for tips, inspiration, or just a more frequent update about what is going on in my own personal and professional pursuits, this podcast has it all. Visit https://TrainWithCliff.com to learn more and start exploring!
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2 年Great points. I’ve always thought of it as Netflix vs HBO strategy. Both have value and work. I’ve always thought the post on a constant schedule was more about ensuring ongoing flow of new readers/listeners and prospects, but in today’s find it and binge it world, having a bank of super high quality, well SEO’d content can produce the same or maybe even better results.
John Maxwell Certified Leadership ??Speaker??Coach + ??Trainer | ??Author,???YouTuber, ?Podcaster, ????♂?Husband, ??Cat Dad
2 年There is a definite "why are you creating content" lesson here that people need to hear. Quality over quantity if you want people to engage. Quantity on a schedule for "followers." Or, if your format is for mostly having guests or sponsors, but I am also coming to see that content very differently these days. I now see my primary content more as a coaching tool than anything. This includes the book I am working on. Do I force myself to write when I am not inspired? I tried for 2 weeks. I erased a good lot of what I wrote. I will say that this is after being established, but it is also why I shut down my podcasts. The sense of obligation was lowering the quality. If I do them again, it will be that I either queue up a bunch of episodes over time to have a seasonal schedule or just stick to the "as inspired" release schedule. I remind myself that practice does not make perfect. Practice makes Permanent. So I would rather practice inspired quality where it matters! Oh, the freedom!
Mr. SharePoint ??
2 年I HAVE to comment on this! First off Cliff, I love your content. So much so, that I am a subscriber to the train with Cliff show. Just wanna put that out there. Second, I've listened to you for a long time and I think what you're talking about here is very very true. More content creators should embrace it. However, I think when you're early in your career and you have that fire in your belly, you might be able to produce weekly episodes of a podcast that is also of a very high quality and very inspired. I bet the only reason you were able to publish every week without missing is because you WERE inspired. Sure you worked hard and knew you had a deadline, but you were able to meet that deadline because you were inspired, I think. You have a ton of podcasts you produce. I think that's because you love using your voice, you KNOW your words are inspiring and you ARE inspired. I think this is the same trajectory for a lot of athletes. When they're in their prime, they go all in. Once they reach a different part of their career, they operate different. They use their heads more because their body isn't what it used to be. They work smarter, not harder. I think you're producing smarter, not harder (and I love it).