Why You Should Record Video, Even if You Don’t Release It

It’s official: YouTube Music has rolled out Podcasts in the US. But the debate continues about whether or not you ‘should’ record video with your podcast. 

In fact, here at The Podcast Host, we’ve argued both for and against video podcasting.

But whether you publish video podcasts or not, I’m here to tell you the same thing any reporter or movie director will tell you: no matter what, you should always have the camera rolling. Here’s why…

Why You Should Record Video With Your Podcast

Creating video footage for your podcasts isn’t just about having a full video version of episodes to share with your audience. It’s also about having some visual content that you can repurpose to take advantage of video platforms and the benefits that come with them. For example:

Improve Discoverability

We live in a world where content nearly always requires algorithmic discovery. Having video to share on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube is incredibly valuable. 

That’s because there is a slight podcast discoverability problem. Unlike social platforms, there’s no single site that drives podcast discovery with an algorithm. And while Spotify is trying its best, the changes are too new to understand impact on discoverability.

So first and foremost, having some videos for your podcast will help you improve your discovery. You can do short (3 minutes or less) videos for TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts. You can also do longer, 5-8 minute clips and upload them to YouTube proper.

Boost Your Podcast’s SEO

While I’m no SEO expert, I do know that having YouTube video content will also increase the potential of your podcast showing up in searches. This is because Google owns YouTube, so it will always present video content from the platform in searches if it can find something relevant.

Have a look at your search results on Google. They not only display relevant videos, but the most relevant portion of that video too.

If you’re offering actionable advice on your podcast, uploading clips that answer specific questions can be a fantastic avenue for growth.

Short video content like this gives new potential audiences some short, bingable pieces of content to stumble across. Then, the idea is that this will hopefully convince them to check out your show. 

Build Trust and Affinity

When listeners can see you as well as hear you, this helps to build trust and affinity too. Someone who has no idea who you are may not want to commit to 60 minutes of content. But 60 seconds of content is much more manageable. And once you have them hooked in, they’ll hopefully give you the other 59.

Whether you run a solo show, work with a co-host, or have an interview format with your podcast, it’s always worth keeping the camera rolling. That way, you’ll have raw material for repurposing and creating new content. Content that could be the catalyst for growth.

Repurposing Podcast Video: 3 Use Cases

So in a nutshell: you want your content to be on algorithmically-driven video platforms as this will aid discovery and bring new people to your show. But what does repurposing your podcast video content look like in practice?

The important bit here is that you want to reuse this recorded video footage in a way that requires minimal effort. As you’re not releasing a full video podcast episode, you don’t need to edit the full video, or put the audio through a ton of post-production either.

As you record, make some notes about what would make good short-form videos. Look for 2-3 clips that work well as stand-alone videos. 

If you need some help doing this, there are some great tools out there.

Once you have the assets, it’s time to share them…

1. Promote Video Clips on Social Media

When you repurpose your video, your goal is to create some short-form videos that will work well on social media platforms. We have guides on how to promote your podcast on TikTok and on Instagram, and even YouTube Shorts. 

Again, this will tap into that algorithmic discovery we talked about earlier.

Post each video to the social media platforms you want to be on, and include a link or promo mentioning the podcast.

Make sure to put the value first, then promote using something like an end screen or call-to-action.

Most short-form video platforms allow you to stitch videos together – make sure you leverage that.

2. Use Video Clips On Your Own Properties

You can use these video clips as marketing material for your podcast across various properties too. For example, on your own website or specific landing pages.

Show, don’t tell…right?

Podcasts are a great way to establish yourself as an authority, and having video clips showcasing your expertise really drives the point home.

The same thing goes for crowdfunding campaigns. You can leverage those videos to attract more patrons or members on platforms like Patreon. People are more likely to buy into your crowdfunding campaigns if they can see who you are and engage with your face-to-face (or face-to-screen).

Even better, the full videos (or slightly edited videos) could be included as a perk for those willing to financially support your show.

3. Use Video For More Engaging Emails

Finally, having short videos can help drive home the point you make in your email newsletters and improve engagement. There’s a reason why salespeople are all using video in their emails nowadays: It works.

Embedding a video, gif, or even thumbnail can be a nice visual cue for your subscribers saying, “Hey. This isn’t the only content I produce.”

No matter how you do it, adding short, sharable videos from your podcast episodes is a fantastic way to leverage discoverability that doesn’t yet exist in the podcast space. And the more people you reach, the higher the chances that you’ll grow your listenership. So be sure to keep that camera rolling!