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Why are you doing this?
Internal Purpose
The first step in the planning process requires you to define the reason (or reasons) you want to create a podcast in the first place.
This is your purpose.
Your purpose is internal to you and you alone. It should also be a good enough reason to keep your podcast going for longer than a few months.
However, communicating your purpose can be difficult. Many of us have a hard time knowing why we want to do a podcast or why it is important to us.
In the next section, I will give you three (3) good examples of what your purpose could be. If one of them feels right to you, use it!
Defining Your Purpose
The purpose of your podcast should be to make meaning.
This is a principle that Guy Kawasaki, one of the co-founders of Apple Computers, presented at Stanford University in 2004. When he was asked what it meant to make something that mattered -- to give it meaning, Kawasaki told them it meant one of three things:
- To increase the quality of life of yourself or others
- To right a wrong
- To prevent the end of something good
These same concepts can apply to how you give meaning to your own podcast. I like to think of it as the Purpose Principle.
Improve a Life
Are you doing this podcast to increase the quality of life of yourself and others? There’s a good chance that you are. You may have a deep drive to provide your listeners with information that could change their lives the same way it changed yours.
You could also want to entertain people. Maybe you want to bring another person joy or laughter. Many motivational, personal growth, fitness, and coaching shows see life change as the primary purpose of their podcasts.
I believe changing a life is an excellent purpose behind your reasons for becoming a podcaster.
Right a Wrong
If you’re not driven by changing someone’s life, maybe your purpose is to right a wrong. Podcasting has created thousands of true crime investigative journalists and amateur detectives whose whole purpose is to solve a real mystery.
Righting a wrong could be your reason for trying to change the way people think about an overlooked or underappreciated point of view.
Many social, religious, cultural, political, and personal podcasts have this as their purpose. They use their shows to take on a cause worth fighting for. There are plenty of wrongs that need a spotlight. You could certainly do a lot of good with having this as your purpose.
Keep Good Alive
The last way to make meaning according to Guy Kawasaki, is to prevent the end of something good. Many podcasters are very passionate about their topics and go into podcasting to connect with others who care as much as they do. Your purpose can be to become the conduit that keeps a good idea alive long after others have given up on it.
This could include long-forgotten lessons learned from history, pop culture, health, education, technology, sports, art, or even business. There are millions of good things that have been forgotten by the world. You could make it your purpose to remind people of that good and why it matters that we remember it or reconsider the lessons it taught us. Keeping something good alive is an excellent purpose and possibly a lifelong endeavor.
Time to Decide
Because your purpose should be about making meaning with your podcast you may need to take some time and consider your reasons.
The benefit of doing this now is that it can serve you in becoming a driving factor that helps you keep podcasting when it gets hard.
So, what is it? What is your purpose?
