When considering how to create a PLN in regards to building a podcast, I would think the most important thing to consider is mutual interest as well as intention. Asking the questions, are the people I’m letting into my PLN genuinely interested in the topic at hand? And are they willing to provide support even when the podcast may be struggling? I believe if other people within the network are also interested in what the podcast is about, then that helps facilitate an environment where every person is more committed to seeing it succeed. 

Creator: Radioshoot
Source: Shutterstock

In addition, looking for people who may have insights or ways to contribute that I myself do not have. For example, I am incredibly inept with technology. So finding a person comfortable with recording devices and audio equipment who could perhaps offer knowledge to me to help my podcast succeed would be of immense value. In considering success stories to emulate or seeing how others have become noteworthy – what I have noticed is a pattern of podcasts about niche interests becoming wildly popular. This is because they are about subjects that aren’t necessarily popular in day to day conversation, so fans of these subjects are so starved for content and for a community that they can then find them in a podcast. There are an uncountable amount of celebrity gossip or global news podcasts in the world that it could be difficult to differentiate one from the other – especially if you are just starting out and trying to build a brand. Meanwhile, podcasts about niche interests such as roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons, Korean pop, anime, video games, or specific television shows have an audience who are actively searching for more content; thus making it easier to break into the market. For instance, if I made a podcast about Korean pop, I could find other fans in the huge global online community to add to my PLN and help spread the word. In a fan community that largely already lives online, this has the potential to gain quicker traction. This is another benefit of niche interests, in that they are often already predominantly online-based so the audience is prepared for an online medium such as a podcast.

Creator: Terry Richardson

When developing an audience online, things like privacy and security can take on whole new meanings. When someone starts to acquire an “online persona” so to speak – there is something akin to a spotlight on them at all times, and in this lies the biggest concerns about becoming influential in a social space. Suddenly the way you act, the way you talk, things you might’ve said in your past, your family history; all become things that the public not only wants to see but also are things that they feel they are entitled to see. Being a figure in media can blur the lines between what it means to simply exist as a person versus an influencer because it runs the risk of people no longer seeing you as a mere human being. Instead, you are seen as something more – something to be idolized. But when someone is viewed as infallible it is only a matter of time before the illusion breaks. Eventually, people make mistakes, and then the fanbase is left floundering at how a person could be human after all and potentially leaving you behind. These concerns are important to keep in mind when building an online fanbase and are why it can be so necessary to maintain a degree of separation between public and private personas. In today’s day and age where everything is online – protecting your humanity and sense of self can be an immensely difficult thing to do, but in doing so it lessens the likelihood of getting lost in what it means to be an influential figure being idolized.