Ep 176: How long should your podcast episodes be?

In this episode, I address a common question: 'How long should your podcast episodes be?' I explain that the ideal length varies depending on the type of podcast and audience preference.

I recommend around 45 minutes for guest interviews, but my preference is to keep them to 25 minutes to ensure they are focused and actionable.

Health-related podcasts might benefit from being around 30 minutes long while solo episodes can be as short as 10 minutes.

I emphasize the importance of tailoring the length to your content and audience, and not being afraid to deviate from norms.

00:07 Determining Podcast Length
00:27 Guest Episodes Duration
02:36 Solo Episodes Duration
03:58 Content Creation Tips
05:11 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

 If you're a coach, consultant, course creator, service provider, or author, and want to launch your podcast to grow your business and audience and amplify your message, I have a podcast launch guide that will help you set the tone and foundation for your podcast. ➡️https://learn.hellocsdorsey.com/

Transcript

Microphone (Yeti Stereo Microphone)-2: 0:00

Welcome back to another episode of the helices. Dorsey podcast today, I'm answering a question that I get all the time. And then is how long should your podcast episode beat? And the short answer is it is totally up to you and your audience. So it depends on what type of podcast you have. So if you have, like, for example, I always like pull this up, but I don't listen to them like true crime podcasts. I don't listen to them. Um, but that probably will be a little bit longer if you're interviewing guests. Um, I will say guest episodes generally to be about 45 minutes. Um, sometimes I listen to podcasts that have a 45 minutes or a little bit longer, but I think 45 minutes for guest interview is a sweet spot. For me, it is all about my guests. So I give them the 25 minutes slot because I don't want it to drag on and on and on, especially if they're rambling. I like. For my guests and the episode to be. Focus where people can get what they need, listen, and implement. So that's the reason why I have mine no longer than 25 minutes. Um, that's really good. Especially if you're doing a 25 minute walk or a 30 minute walk, it will definitely, uh, be entertaining during your walks. So. Uh, whatever it is that you're doing. It, um, definitely helped pass the time. So twenty-five minutes is good enough. Uh, cause people attention spans is like really short these days. And. You know, we have so many things out there that's grabbing for people's attention. Um, podcasting is very. I will say it's a relaxing type of platform where people are actually taking the time out to listen. To a different podcast and his Bowman is getting really big and people are finding creative ways to, uh, get their podcasts content or their audio content out there. So, um, I will say definitely keep it four to five minutes. If you have a guest, uh, if you have a podcast that's like related to health, I will say maybe 30 minutes. Um, because you are given a topic you're giving. Research and studies, you're giving examples and then you give in like tidbits or tips for people can, so people can. Apply. Whatever it is that you're talking about. Um, as far as that's health-related in the podcast, so they can apply it at home or, um, give them action steps, different things like that. Uh, if you're doing solo episodes totally up to you. I see most solo episodes are like 20 minutes, so I less. My solo episodes tend to be like maybe 10 minutes or less. Uh, simply because I want to give you. The tidbits that you need. I want to give you the key points, main points and give you something actionable that you can use just given information. And you don't have to get information and it doesn't have to take 30 minutes long. For you to say the thing that you should have said 15 minutes ago. No. I like to just keep it short and sweet and simple.

Microphone (Yeti Stereo Microphone)-3: 3:15

So, yeah, it's totally up to you. What you feel comfortable with after a while you probably feel like, okay, yeah, I can cut it down or I can make it a little bit longer. You'll kind of like gauge as to, um, How long your episodes should be. And if you have guests, you can kind of engage that as well. Uh, depending on the topics and the information sometimes oftentimes when we do an episode. You could kind of like say, oh, well, I know I talked on this particular subject. I can definitely dive deeper. Into this topic and create an episode out of it. So I teach that like pulling things out. Um, when you are doing your research for your content creation, I teach and I show how to go onto Facebook groups. Uh, do your Google search do ask the public. Uh, or a sort of public, um, how to get questions that people are asking and then how to take those questions and create podcast episodes from it. Oftentimes when we are doing the main points, you can actually pull one of the main point and create another episode to dive deeper into that main point. So it is so many different ways you can do this and it's totally up to you. There's no right or wrong answer. I had a guest on my podcast. Um, I want to say. Back to my early episodes. And, um, she actually do too many marketing podcasts. So she gives marketing tips for two minutes. I think it was like every day. And that's it. So that's go, like, if I could get a gold nugget for one minute, I'll definitely take it and run with it. So it's totally up to you. This is your podcast. You do what's best for you. You be creative. And you don't have to do everything that everybody else does. And if somebody say, no, you have to do it this way. Don't listen to them. Cause you don't. That's my soapbox for the day. So, um, if this episode was helpful, please, please, please give me a review. Some stars, wherever you're listening. So my podcasts can reach more people. I'm so happy to talk with you on today. And also if you're coach consultant course creator sellers provider, or any of the above. And you want to launch your podcast so you can grow your business audience, amplify your message. I have a podcast launch guide that I think would be very helpful for you will help set the tone and foundation for your podcast. So the link is definitely in the show notes, go ahead and grab that, and it's totally free to download. And if you want to watch a podcast. Definitely use that step-by-step guide and you will be amazed at how quickly you find how quickly you can launch your podcast. And last time do you think? Okay, so that's something that you want to do? Definitely do. So I started my podcast and my car. I tell a story all the time and, um, people are fascinated by it. I'm fascinated by too, but real real. I started it in my car. Okay. Alrighty until the next episode, take care, be safe, and I will talk to you on the next episode. Bye.