In the fast-growing world of podcasting, avoiding common podcast pitfalls can help you achieve your goals and grow faster.
That’s not to say ‘never make mistakes’. We all do – it’s part of learning. But knowing some of the common podcast pitfalls up-front will help to give you a smoother ride.
Let’s delve into three fundamental mistakes that often lead podcasters towards premature abandonment or ‘pod-fading’.
1. Underestimating the Time Investment
One of the most common misconceptions podcasters fall victim to is underestimating the time required for their podcast to start delivering results.
Growing a podcast takes time, and if you’re not willing to commit to regularly posting episodes for at least a couple of years, you’re starting off with the wrong mentality and will be more likely to get frustrated and give up before reaching exponential growth.
The same goes for any form of content for that matter – a blog, a YouTube channel etc. Unless you already have a massive audience who follow you via other channels, achieving substantial growth is a journey that demands dedication and patience. If you enter the podcasting realm expecting rapid success, you’re setting yourself up for frustration.
Commitment to consistently releasing episodes over an extended period, ideally a couple of years, is a prerequisite for sustainable growth. Success doesn’t happen overnight; it results from persistent effort and incremental improvement.
There’s no point worrying about your analytics for the first few months. Sure, keep an eye on any early feedback you get, but keep in mind that podcasting is a long game.
2. Creating Content For Everyone (Or Yourself)
“Who’s your podcast for?”
“Oh, anyone.”
I’ve heard this response way too many times. If your podcast is for everyone, then it’s for no one. There are so many options available within any one niche that if you don’t keep a specific, ideal listener persona in mind, your podcast won’t stand out. Potential listeners will choose a podcast that speaks more directly to them.
We’re not just talking demographics here (although they can help to tailor your content). You need to understand your ideal listeners’ preferences, interests, and pain points. Meet your listener where they are in their life and tailor your content to address their needs.
This listener-centered approach is what creates a genuine bond and fosters a sense of community around your podcast.
The same challenges arise from podcasts centred around the podcaster themselves. If you’re podcasting as a hobby, this might work for you. But if you want to see real growth, keep your ideal listener in mind.
3. Overlooking Audio Quality
And thirdly, don’t ignore the effects that poor-quality audio can have on your listeners’ enjoyment of your podcast and their perception of you. Quality audio and well-edited episodes make your podcast stand out from the crowd and have a big effect on whether or not a listener will stick around and perceive you as worth listening to.
Your listener won’t notice the editing if it’s done well. They’ll just be getting more value without the fluff. And by taking the time to ensure you capture a quality recording, your podcast will immediately come across as more polished than much of the competition.
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Have a think about your podcast and whether or not you’ve fallen into any of these pitfalls. All of this isn’t to say that your podcast has to be perfect from the start. Podcasting is a journey. But keeping podcast pitfalls like these in mind will help you dodge some of the bumps along the road.
