There was something that frustrated me a little bit today in a post that someone wrote about the things that shouldn’t be discussed at PodCamp, they listed monetization as one of those points, and that there are already many articles online regarding monetizing podcasts and being able to quit your job to podcast full time.
It really flipped a switch for me because when I went to Podcasters Across Borders, I was basically lynched for wanting to hear about monetization, as it was a bad word at that event.
People were focused on podcasting because they were passionate and they didn’t want anything to get in the way of that, but what they don’t realize is: monetization is just a step in building a business.
No matter how the economy is, people should want to turn their passions into their business. Some of the wealthiest people in the world were able to make that leap, and why shouldn’t podcasters? Also, the tips, tricks and ideas from last year might not be the same today, as things are always changing online.
To say talk of monetization isn’t welcome is odd, and shortsighted to me. Sure, there will always be purists out there, but I say, “build a business from your passions” and as long as monetization isn’t welcome in the conversation stream, maybe ask about “building a business” around your podcast next PodCamp.
