I recently attended the "Video Podcasts to the Front" a panel hosted by the Jemma Rose Brown (Signal Awards) and featuring Steve McLendon (YouTube), Daniel Carissimi (Headspace), and Deison Afualo (Co-Host, Two Idiot Girls), and the questions from those in the audience are ones we're all struggling with.
Note from the editors: this article was originally published on LinkedIn by Greg Wasserman, and has been republished with his permission.
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Video is clearly powerful,
But so is knowing when and how to use it.
๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฒ ๐พ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฒ๐น ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ๐น๐ฒ๐ฑ, ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ:
1๏ธโฃ ๐ฆ๐ต๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ด๐ผ ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ผ?
Ask not just ๐ธ๐ฉ๐บ, but ๐ธ๐ฉ๐บ ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต. If thereโs no strong editorial, budgetary, or branding reason to ๐ข๐ท๐ฐ๐ช๐ฅ videoโtry it. Visual authenticity matters more than slick production.
2๏ธโฃ ๐๐ผ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ง๐๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐๐น๐ฒ๐/๐๐ต๐๐บ๐ฏ๐ป๐ฎ๐ถ๐น๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ถ๐?
Nope. Be on-brand and authentic, but thumbnails are ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ฏ-๐ฏ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฐ๐ต๐ช๐ข๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฆ. Even DIY ones boost clicks.
3๏ธโฃ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐บ๐๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐น๐ด๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ต๐บ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐น ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐?
A lot. YouTube favors behaviorโwatch time, clicks, etc. So create for ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ audience, not the algorithm.
4๏ธโฃ ๐๐ผ๐ฒ๐ ๐ง๐ถ๐ธ๐ง๐ผ๐ธ/๐๐ป๐๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ง๐๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐๐ต?
Sometimes. Cliffhanger clips + smart linking (bio, stories, Linktrees) help, but conversion is never seamless.
5๏ธโฃ ๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฆ๐ต๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐/๐ง๐ถ๐ธ๐ง๐ผ๐ธ๐ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ผ๐๐ ๐น๐ผ๐ป๐ด-๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐?
Yesโbut treat them as entry points. Hook viewers with value and link directly to full episodes.
6๏ธโฃ ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐: ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐พ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐?
Always content. Personality and substance beat a perfect set every time.
๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ง๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ: Audio podcasting still holds unmatched power. Itโs intimate, accessible, and often easier to produce consistently. But video can ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ช๐ง๐บ your reach ๐ช๐ง used intentionally. Start with a strong show, then ask: where else can this story live?
๐ ๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐โ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ด๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ: ๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ฝ?
Or if you’re just getting started, whatโs holding you back from hitting record?
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Greg Wasserman is the Head of Relationships for rss.com.
Event photography courtesy of Dane Cardiel and Off The Record.



