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today on five minute Mondays will cover the pros and cons of joining a podcast network. What can a five minute Mondays? We're doing the best tips and strategies for building your podcast in five minutes or less. So if you are new here, consider subscribing. And today we're gonna cover podcast networks. You might be asking yourself, Well, what is a podcast network anyways? How is that different than what I'm currently doing? So just from a general kind of standpoint, a podcast network is a group of podcasts that work together to promote and monetize their shows. That's what a podcast network is. That's really its core function. Some podcast networks have formal agreements with requirements for membership, and others are just simply a group of shows with similar audiences that enjoy collaborating together. And so they form a loose partnership Ah, with one another. To facilitate those things, to facilitate growth and to open up some monetization possibilities. Podcast networks can be super beneficial, depending on what your goals are for this show. Ah, but they can come with some caveats. So pro number one of joining a podcast network is that there's more cross promotion and that can lead to growth. Now, if you've been podcasting for any length of time, you know that one of the most challenging aspects of podcasting is getting the word out about your show. And while there are certainly marketing strategies that work, the one that seems to be the most effective for podcasters is being a guest on other podcasts. Because when you confined a podcast with a similar audience, you can introduce yourself and your podcast to their listeners for the first time, and a number of those people will start listening to your show as well. So with a podcast network, this marketing strategy gets streamlines because you already have existing relationships with the hosts of the those other shows, and so you can work together on a much more consistent basis to grow each of your shows. The second pro to joining a podcast network is sponsorships. So if you're unfamiliar with the world of sponsorships and how it works, essentially in order to securely a legit sponsorship from a larger brander company, you typically need to be getting tens of thousands of downloads every week to even get on the radar for them. To even consider working with you, but a podcast network can pitch the collective download numbers of all of their shows to get access to sponsorships that you couldn't get on your own and the network organizer. Whoever's kind of heading it up will also typically handle much of that brand interaction and negotiations. So you is the podcast host. Don't have to spend too much time hunting down your own sponsors. Bigness rely on the podcast network to provide those for you. Now let's let's talk about some drawbacks. Con Number one is There is less creative control when you're in a network, because your podcast isn't on its own anymore. Now you're part of a larger group, and you'll probably have to adhere to certain content restrictions because what you say and talk about on your podcast isn't just a reflection on you. It's a reflection on the Pine Cast Network as well, and so I would recommend reading any networks, terms and conditions thoroughly to make sure that you are cool with their content restrictions. So if they're a family friendly podcast network, you need to know that going in. So when you're creating podcast episodes, there's not gonna be any friction there, then the con number two. And this is one that you really need to to pay attention to is that many networks actually take ownership legal ownership of your podcasts. Um, and not just in the leader. Legal creative ownership, but also networks can dictate, which adds, you have to run even if it's not really a good fit for your audience because they've negotiated that sponsorship. So you're gonna run it regardless. Ah, they can dictate how often you need to publish new episodes when you're allowed to take breaks, things like that. And then also how often you have to feature other network podcast hosts. So that collaboration piece that we talked about earlier can be a double edged sword if you're constantly having to have guests in your podcast that you know aren't actually good for your podcast, going back to the legal creative ownership. If a podcast network owns your content, that means that if you decide to leave that network, they own your podcast in all of your content. Even though you created it, they actually own it. So should you join a podcast network? Well, if the network is a good fit and the terms are agreeable than podcast networks can be a great benefit to your podcasts. Long term viability. Just make sure you read the turns the conditions thoroughly so you don't find any surprises down the road. That is it for today. Hit the subscribe button. If you're watching this on YouTube, or you can subscribe to the five minute Monday's podcast in your favorite app, squeeze even more podcasts related content into your life. And if there's something you want me to talk about, a future episode, you can click the link in the show notes to submit your question. Thanks for listening. As always, keep podcasting.
