55. The best time to stand out as a podcaster

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Should you keep your podcast going over the summer holidays or should you pause it

Laura: Hello, it’s Laura McCrae. Um, and welcome back to Podcast Strategy that Brings in Clients. We’re heading into that time of year where everything gets a bit chaotic. School finishes, kids are at home, clients are trying to squeeze things in before the holidays, and you’re probably juggling a very long list of end of year stuff to do. Summer holidays are fast approaching here in Australia, and, and if you’ve got a podcast, there’s often this big question hanging over you. Should I keep my podcast going over the summer holidays or should I pause it? A lot of business owners assume everyone stops listening at this time of year. I hear things like, no one’s going to be listening over Christmas, or I’ll just pick it up again in February when people are back. But here’s what I’ve noticed when I look at my own show and my client stats. Those numbers don’t suddenly fall off a cliff over the summer. In fact, people are still listening while they’re at the beach, on road trips, on flights, going for walks, hiding from their family for a bit. You know what it’s like. So in this episode we’re going to talk about why it’s okay to take a break if you need one, why this time of year can be a great time to keep showing up, and a few simple things to stay visible when you without making things harder for yourself.

If you’re tired, overwhelmed and feeling like you need some time off

Welcome to Podcast Strategy that Brings in Clients. I’m Your host, Laura McCrae, podcast producer and content strategist. If you want your podcast to bring in leads, build trust and support your business, you’re in the right place. Because smart content starts with your podcast, but it doesn’t stop there. Let’s start with this. If you’re tired, overwhelmed and feeling like you need some time off, that’s valid. You might be wrapping up client projects, planning for next year, looking after kids at home, or just needing space to clear your mind from a busy year. If you decide to take a break from your podcast over the summer holidays, that doesn’t make you unprofessional or inconsistent. It means you’re thinking about your well being and that matters. So if you’re listening to this and your whole body is going, please stop asking me to do more, you have permission to pause. What matters most is that it’s a deliberate decision, not something that happens by default when your to do list just explodes and you’ve had enough. We’ll come back to this in a minute.

Podcasts take a break during the holidays to build trust and grow audience

Now, let’s talk about this idea that everyone checks out over the summer period. When I look At Client Stats, I don’t see a big drop in downloads over the holidays. What I see instead is people catching up on episodes they missed earlier on in the year and sometimes little spikes when people finally have time to binge. Think about your ideal listener for a second. They might be lying on the beach with their headphones in, going for a morning walk before it gets too hot, driving to see families doing a long flight, or pottering around the house between Christmas and New Year. Those are, uh, prime podcast listening moments. So while some people will absolutely switch off and go offline, there will be people who are actively looking for something useful, comforting, encouraging, or interesting to listen to. I often hear people say, um, I’m taking a break from social media over the holidays. But I’ve never heard someone say, I’m taking a break from listening to podcasts over the holidays. So if you’re still showing up in their feed when other podcasts have gone quiet, that can really help you stand out. If a lot of podcasts in your space take a break and your show doesn’t, you automatically become one of the few consistent voices they’re still hearing. And that can build trust because you’re showing up when others have gone quiet and position you as steady and reliable. Want your podcast to bring in new leads without doing all the work? Then you need a podcast producer who doesn’t just edit episodes, but makes sure every one of them supports your business goals. That’s what I do. I manage the whole process. So your podcast does what it’s meant to build trust, grow your audience, and, um, bring in leads. I only work with 10 podcasters at a time. If you want one of those spots, book a call@, uh, podcastsupportservices.com au contact. Now, I’m not saying you have to produce massive, high effort episodes every week of December and January, but even a simple short check in episode can remind people you’re there, help them feel connected, and give them something useful or encouraging to take into the new year. So what I’m saying is it’s okay to take a break and at the same time, it can be valuable to stay consistent. Just choose one that works best for you.

There are several ways you can keep your podcast alive over the holidays

Let’s look at a few practical ways you can keep your podcast alive over the holidays without creating a

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huge amount of extra work. Repurpose older episodes. You don’t always have to create brand new content. You can pick a couple of the most downloaded or most helpful episodes, package them up as summer replay episodes, and re release them with a short new intro for example, you could say something like this at the beginning in today’s summer replay, I’m m bringing back one of the most downloaded episodes from this year. If you missed it first time, this is your chance to catch it. And um, if you’ve listened to it before, there might be something new that lands differently now. So repurposing these older episodes is an easy way to stay in your listeners ears while giving yourself some breathing space. If you’ve got the capacity to do a little bit of editing, you could create a best of episode. For example, pull together three or four favourite clips or tips from past episodes, add a simple intro to explain what you’re doing, and give listeners a helpful bite sized wrap up of the year. At the beginning of the episode you could say something like this. Today I’m sharing some of my favourite moments from the year’s episodes. Another option is just to reduce the pressure and length of your episodes rather than stopping entirely. So just do solo episodes that are shorter. Make them just short tip episodes which are 5 to 10 minutes long. In these episodes, share one practical idea or reflection and just keep the editing simple. That uh, way you’re still nurturing your audience, but you’re not trying to create a huge heavily produced episode while you’re still trying to make sure everyone’s okay at home. Another simple episode is just to do a Q and A episode. Collect questions from your audience. Now pick your favourites, record a single session where you answer them, and then split that into one or two episodes. Over the holidays you can batch the recording. Now, while you’re still in work mode, schedule the episodes and then let them go out while you’re off at the beach. Now if you’re listening to this and thinking, nope, I still want a proper break, let me tell you, that’s completely fine. But if you do decide to pause, I just recommend that you let your audience know. You could record a short I’m on a break episode or at the end of the last episode, just let people know and give them a date of when you’re coming back so they know when to tune in again and maybe suggest a couple of episodes they can listen back to. In the meantime, you could say something like I’m taking a break from the podcast over the summer holidays so I can recharge and spend time with my family. I’ll be back with new episodes on and then adding a date. In the meantime. If you’re on the beach or going for a walk and want something to listen to, here are three episodes I recommend and then list those episodes and then put the links in the show notes. That way you’re not just disappearing, you’re communicating clearly and and that also builds trust. If you’re listening to this and you’re not sure what to do, here are a couple of questions to ask yourself. What do I realistically have capacity for over the next six to seven weeks? What would support my listeners and my business without stretching me too far? And would I feel better having something scheduled or just switching off completely? Remember, there’s no right answer here. You might keep your regular schedule, switch to lighter, shorter episodes, do a replay series, or take a full break with a clear plan to return. The goal is for it to be a choice you’ve made, not something that just stops because you were juggling a lot and then you’re left feeling guilty about it. If this episode has got you thinking about your podcast over the holidays, I’d love to hear from you. What feels hardest about keeping your podcast going over the summer or deciding to take a break? You can answer the questions on Instagram, DM M, me @podcast support Services, or if you’re on Spotify, just comment on this episode. Your answers really help me understand what you’re juggling with and what kind of support and episodes will be most useful for you. Enjoy some sunshine if you can get to it and I’ll chat with you next week. This episode is brought to you by Podcast Support Services. Podcast strategy that attracts leads, clients, and credibility Are you looking for a podcast producer? We may have availability. Head to podcastsupportservices.com au.

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