Should you’ve been podcasting lengthy sufficient, you will finally hit that second: you are about to speak about one thing, and somewhat voice at the back of your head says, “Wait… have not I lined this earlier than?”
That is precisely what occurred to me not too long ago. Once I recorded my earlier episode (“10 Causes to Rejoice the Independence of Podcasting”), I later realized I had lined the independence of podcasting earlier than (episode 312 from 2017).
Like so many issues in podcasting, when the query contains the phrase “ought to,” the reply actually is dependent upon you, your podcast, and your viewers. So I am not going at hand you a sure or no. As an alternative, I am going to offer you 4 questions that can assist you determine the best reply for your present.
1. Do you could have extra so as to add?
Should you’ve lined one thing prior to now, perhaps you’ve got had extra ideas because you hit publish. That would occur the very subsequent day, whenever you slap your brow and suppose, “Oh man, I ought to have talked about that.”
It may additionally come out of your viewers. Perhaps listeners raised factors you hadn’t thought-about, or they’ve follow-up questions that deserve a follow-up episode. And actually, generally simply the passage of time provides us extra concepts, or higher ones.
Should you genuinely have extra so as to add, that is an ideal cause to revisit the subject. But when it is simply the identical fundamental stuff worded barely otherwise, that is in all probability not the time to publish a brand new episode.
What a few matter that is immediately well timed once more due to what is going on on on the planet? Do you have to re-record simply because it is newly related? That is as much as you. Perhaps you could have contemporary tie-ins to the current second. Or perhaps you determine to easily level individuals again to the outdated episode, or run it once more as a rerun. (Reruns are their very own separate matter, and I am going to cowl these in a future episode very quickly.)
2. Is your authentic episode nonetheless out there?
Relying on the device you utilize to publish, you might need a restrict on what number of episodes seem in your RSS feed. Take a look at large reveals like This Week in Tech and lots of others. They might have revealed hundreds of episodes, however inside a podcast app you will usually see solely the newest 10, 50, or 100. That is as a result of they restrict what goes into their feed. There are good causes to do this, and a few not-so-good ones too.
I dug into this in a earlier episode, “What You Must Find out about Episode Limits and Your Podcast RSS Feed”.
This is the way it applies to repeating matters: in case your authentic episode on the topic is now not in your RSS feed, that provides you extra grace to publish new content material on the identical matter. Give it some thought from the listener’s aspect. Somebody shopping your podcast in the present day may not see that outdated episode in any respect in case your feed is restricted. So far as the podcast apps are involved, that matter merely is not in your present anymore. So it is completely affordable to both rerun the episode or document a contemporary tackle the identical thought.
3. How a lot time has handed?
If it is solely been a few weeks and also you need to cowl the identical matter once more, you are almost definitely including to it or following up on viewers suggestions. That is nice. You do not have to repeat all the identical data. You are able to do a fast evaluate or simply refer individuals again to the sooner episode for the small print.
One essential reminder: strive to ensure each episode delivers its full worth as a standalone. The exception is a serialized podcast, the place episodes have to be consumed so as. That is not just for storytelling reveals, whether or not fiction or nonfiction. It additionally applies to instructional collection, like lesson 1, lesson 2, lesson 3, the place each builds on the final.
But when loads of time has handed and other people have forgotten the unique, even when it is nonetheless in your feed, then sure, it could be the best time to cowl it once more. That is very true if years have passed by and also you now have a extra refined perspective or extra expertise. Perhaps your outdated episode taught a selected technique, and now, after years of training it, you need to share the outcomes. Identical matter, however with one thing new so as to add. (Discover that is questions 1 and three working collectively.)
And keep in mind how audiences move out and in, plus our pure forgetfulness. Lots of your listeners both do not keep in mind the unique content material or by no means heard it as a result of they discovered you lengthy after it aired. Publishing extra on that very same matter is commonly simply wonderful.
4. Do you could have a unique strategy to the subject now?
This one opens up all types of alternative. Generally you will need to strategy the identical topic in a very completely different method.
Perhaps your first episode on the subject was an interview with an knowledgeable, and now you need to cowl it from the angle of your personal expertise. Perhaps you’ve got modified your thoughts. I did precisely that with episode numbers. Years in the past I basically mentioned episode numbers are pointless for many podcasts. Now I see extra makes use of for them, so I launched new content material reflecting that shift. Identical matter, completely different strategy.
You would possibly deliver on a visitor or host a roundtable for extra views. You would possibly characteristic viewers suggestions and their experiences. You could possibly do that years later, or within the very subsequent episode.
I just like the phrase “strategy” as a result of it captures a lot: your type, your perspective, your expertise, your presentation technique, and extra. Simply take into consideration episode titles. I’ve lined easy methods to use episode numbers in titles, easy methods to mix numbers with episode numbers, easy methods to use season numbers, easy methods to do search engine marketing together with your titles, and far more. It is all about episode titles, however each is a unique strategy.
One warning: if the content material may be very comparable, do not stack it too shut in time to the unique. However when you really have a unique strategy, you will in all probability find yourself saying largely various things anyway, even with the identical core matter.
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Disclosure
This publish might comprise hyperlinks to services or products with which I’ve an affiliate relationship. I could obtain compensation out of your actions by means of such hyperlinks. Nevertheless, I do not let that corrupt my perspective and I do not suggest solely associates.
