YouTube VS Podcast: Which To Start With? (PROS AND CONS)

We all know that we need authority-building content to get more clients from the internet but there are so many ways you can make that happen and that's where most entrepreneurs get stuck. You could choose either YouTube videos or podcasts, but the issue is that we don't know which one to use because there are pros and cons for each.

Advantages of Starting a Podcast

It's Very Easy to Get Started With Podcasting

The first pro is a low barrier to entry. Anyone can start a podcast and hop on whatever audio platform they're using to go ahead and start recording. You don't have to be dressed up. You don't have to put on makeup or get your hair cut, like how I do. You don't have to do any of that stuff to produce and deliver a podcast. You can sit down in your closet and go ahead and record it or you could be recording it on your phone with a podcast app like Anchor. It's very easy to get up and running.

Podcast Listeners can Listen Anywhere They Want

Another big podcast pro is you have access to people in other places that content doesn't. With a podcast, it's just an audio file, so anyone could listen to it. They listen to it on their morning commutes, their afternoon commutes, when they're at the gym, when they're walking, and when they're cleaning around the house. They could actively listen to the podcast while they're doing other things so, you have access that other people don't. Overall, the idea is the content is mobile and can be anywhere. Because of that, your podcasts can be as long as you want them to be. It can be 20 to 30 minutes and no other platform rewards you for having content that is that long. You can go ahead and make a 30-minute-long podcast, someone is listening to it, and more importantly, they're building a connection with you. They're getting to know you a little bit better, so it does help you build that connection with someone even more.

You Only Need to Upload One New Podcast Episode a Week

If you have the user's attention, you don't have to post every day for a podcast. All you must do is upload one audio file once a week and that's it. So that's great as far as consistency. You don't have to do that much whenever it comes to producing it. You can just take one day out of maybe one month and go ahead and record four podcasts and then start editing.

Disadvantages of Starting a Podcast

Now, it's time for us to go into the podcast cons because there are a few.

Can be Difficult to Build a Podcast Listenership

The number one con is that it's very, very hard to build a following. Podcasting is not a social media platform, so it's difficult to build that following up. In fact, you need to have your own following for a podcast to be successful. Because otherwise, it's only going to be you and your mama listening to your podcasts, and we don't want that. Now, speaking of following and how people are finding your podcast everyone finds it differently. They find it because they know who you are.

Podcasts are Undiscoverable

The next podcast con is that your podcast can’t be discovered. There's no way for anyone to search for your podcast. There's no way for anyone to know about this podcast without you actively doing something like getting onto someone's Live and talking about your podcast. You must actively promote this podcast every single day for you to get that return on investment, which is a pain.

Why can't it just work for you? Why can't you just put it out and then be done with it? We're already busy. Now, we have another baby to take care of. Oh my gosh, that's what it feels like because you're putting in all this work, recording this podcast, and now you must work so hard on getting more people in it. It's not discoverable. No one can find it in search. No one can find it on Google. No one can even find it if they search Instagram.

So, it's very, very hard for you to build that up without having that extra help from an algorithm or a search engine of some sort to help push people to your podcast. It's all on you. When I say it's all on you, that means that this is what you must do to promote your podcast.

Buckle up and get ready!

• If you have a podcast manager or a podcast team, they normally give you an audiogram for you to post up on your stories, Instagram, or wherever you need to but that's the extent that they go.

• Now it's up to you to get onto other people's platforms and promote yourself to promote your podcast.

• Now, you have to bring in guests to your podcast so that you can use their platforms for people to know more about your podcast.

Do you see how you have to actively do these things? Now you're including all these other people, that's how you're trying to insert yourself into their own audiences. That is a lot of work, girl. Wouldn't it just be great if you could just record your podcast and then let people just come to you? That is literally all that I have time for! Because time is money, honey, and if we're working this hard for people to learn about our podcast, why don't we just get them to work with us?

If we're working this hard for people to learn about our podcast, why don't we just get them to work with us?

People don't think about this stuff whenever they do a podcast. They think, "Oh, it's easy. Everyone is doing it, and everyone must be good at it and so I should be able to do it." Then when you start your podcast or when other people start their podcast, they don't recognize how much work they have to do to get their followers off Instagram to watch the podcast. That's the tricky part.

Advantages of Starting a YouTube Channel

You Don’t Need Expensive Equipment to Start on YouTube

Let's go ahead and get the elephant out of the room. No, you don't need a big old, YouTube set. You don't need big flashing lights. You can literally just start with your phone and a window. Just sit near a window, put your phone on a stand, and then start recording. That's really all that you have to do. A YouTube Channel can also be a low barrier of entry. You can do it with your cell phone.

YouTube is a Search Engine. Your Content Can Be Discovered.

Another pro is that YouTube is a search engine. In fact, it is the second-largest search engine, and it's owned by the first largest search engine called Google. Here is what happens.

It's YouTube and Google's job as a search engine to deliver the most relevant information to someone that is searching for something. So, people are searching for solutions all the time up on YouTube. I challenge you to go to YouTube right now and look at whatever field that you're in. Next, find a question that you're asked all the time and put it inside the YouTube search bar. I can guarantee you there are other people in your field talking about that same issue. Why are you not up there?

Also, look at the views that other creators are getting when they're answering that question through a video. I'm just saying. It's very easy to rank for these things. It’s YouTube’s search engine’s job to do that, so you are immediately discoverable by using it. That's the thing that is so cool about it and along with YouTube and Google working with you, it's the algorithm that's doing all of this!

When you have content that you are pushing out, YouTube is taking it saying, "Hey, thank you. Now we're going to pair it with someone who is searching for this type of information." Now, I want to tell you a little story about how I made $14,000 in the past six months just from my content on YouTube, because it was being found by Google and YouTube search. Just being real. Also, those videos were made back in 2019, so about a year ago.

Your YouTube video has a longer shelf life than any other form of content. Maybe an Instagram post lasts about three days and then you stop getting the engagement on it. With your podcast, you must actively push out your podcast episodes, and there is no way for anyone to easily find the podcast where you talk about this one tip that they want to know without heavy promotion.

For YouTube, when people are searching, honey, they are in it to win it. They are going to be binge-watching your content, they're going to be served other suggestions of your content, so it's very, very easy for you to be found by people to build the trust factor with you, and eventually go ahead and buy from you.

You Only Need to Upload One YouTube Video a Week

Now let's talk about frequency. How many videos do I have to do? Well, the news is that you just have to post once a week. The standard is posting one video, one time a week. It's the exact same thing as a podcast and when I say consistently you just do that. Afterward, you do all the upfront work yourself, like the planning of the YouTube video, the recording of a YouTube video, then giving it to your team to edit the video, and now you're getting ready to upload it. Then, you do all that stuff upfront once a month and schedule out the videos to be published each week. Bam! YouTube takes it and starts working.

YouTube Videos are Easy to Repurpose

The last pro that I have, whenever it comes to making a YouTube channel, is that it's super easy to repurpose content. I'm such a big fan of repurposing content, and YouTube makes it easier for you to do that because it has all the forms. It has visual and audio components. You can just slice and dice and transcribe and create graphics out of your amazing and funny moments to create something meaningful. You can do all these things that you probably cannot do with a podcast because all you have is an audio file. It can only go but so far. That's why I love YouTube and repurposing content. If you can make YouTube your hub, then you can take that one piece of content and spread it out for months on end.

Disadvantages to Starting a YouTube Channel

Let's just talk more about the YouTube cons because there are a few. I'm not going to sit here and tell you that YouTube is freaking amazing without telling you some of the cons.

YouTube Requires More Planning

When it comes to YouTube, you do have to plan a little bit more. Even though I said before that you can start with your smartphone, you do have to plan it out first. Specifically, you must figure out where do you want to set up and see if the background you choose is what you're comfortable with being on camera. Also, being more consistent with cleaning up the back area. It's just more logistics that you have to plan for, but it's not that bad. It's just figuring out where do you want to film and is it clean? So, make sure that is taken care of.

You Have to Learn About YouTube Algorithm

Another YouTube channel con is you may have to learn about the technical side of the YouTube algorithm because it's not just posting a video on YouTube and boom, you're viral or now you have a lot of viewers. There is a strategy behind it, and that's really what I take my clients through, especially in my “Done For You VIP” day service called “YouTube For Profit”, where I'm making that three-month YouTube strategy for them and providing all the tools, they need to make sure they are ranking on YouTube and Google search. Sometimes you must learn that yourself especially if you're not willing to hire an expert to do it. Keep in mind you can rank and be found on YouTube search and Google search. When you make a podcast, you don't have that possibility.

You Have to Edit YouTube Videos

Lastly, for YouTube channel cons is editing. With editing, it can be difficult, because you're trying to figure out where you look good. Maybe you're trying to see more attention to what you're doing on camera and what you're saying. So, there are more things to look out for when you're editing. Also, podcasting has that same con for editing. If you are not a techie and if you don't really understand how to edit things, it may be a learning curve for you.

However, editing YouTube videos and podcasts is easy. It's just as simple as copying and taking out and then putting together. It's very easy, girl. Don't worry about it. But you can hire someone who knows how to edit. There are tons of experts out there that know how to edit videos very well so that all you do is show up, record, and send the video to an editor.

That is the full list of the pros and cons of podcasting and YouTube. I'm very curious about what you chose. Now, if you chose podcasting as your platform, that's fine. I'm so excited!

But, if you chose YouTube as a resource for your content and marketing strategy, then hey, welcome to the fam, girl! I want to invite you to apply for my YouTube VIP Day where I go ahead and give you the whole three-month strategy so that you can start ranking!

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Meet Jamar Diggs

YouTube Channel Coach for Service-Based CEOs | Ditch the Content Spiral and Start Ranking On YouTube And Google Search.

I help service-based experts (coaches, consultants, strategists, speakers, etc.) RANK on YouTube and Google search so they can stop being a slave to the Instagram content spiral.⁠⁠

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I take my experience from corporate marketing and mix it with YouTube Strategy + YouTube SEO best practices to make you discoverable to more problem-aware people.⁠⁠

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AKA -They know they need help and are ready to give you money 💰