The biggest podcasting no-no
I’m a little surprised I need to mention this because I thought it would be a given but I still hear it from time to time, so here I am pleading…
If you think it’s a good idea to eat on your podcast. Please. Stop.
Eating on a podcast adds NOTHING of value for a listener
When people listen to your show they’re choosing your content and giving you 100% of their time and attention.
That’s a HUGE privilege so you need to think about your audience and what the experience of listening to your show is like for them.
And I’m not sure what anyone thinks a listener gets out of hearing them eat. Or drink for that matter.
Chomping into someone’s ear doesn’t make them think “this person sounds so relaxed,” it makes them think “this person doesn’t care if I’m here or not.”
You might be having a great time chugging back a few vinos and chowing down on a coq au vin, but for a listener hearing someone eat and drink is distracting and annoying.
It also says “Your time isn’t important to me.”
I’m not saying you have to starve for your art but if you’re hungry, have something to eat something before you record.
Or if the hunger pangs hit in the middle of an episode and you can’t make it through, press stop and pick up the show after you’ve had your muesli bar.
Just don’t eat in your listener’s ears.
They’ve given you their time so make sure you think about what it’s like listening to all that chewing.
(I’ll give you a hint…it’s not good).
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Got some time on your hands? Read the full episode transcript
Hello and welcome to the show. Today's podcast is a little hard because I really thought that this tip was something that didn't need to be expressed. But unfortunately, I have heard this a couple of times on podcasts over the last month. So much so that I thought, look if this is even happening once it’s too much. So, I’m going to throw my two cents in because you know this podcast and my online podcasting course, PodSchool is designed to rid the world of crappy podcasts. I am all about best practice podcasting and about giving you the best chance of success by making your show as high quality and professional as possible. And I tell you what doesn't sound professional…eating on your podcast. For the love of God. I’ve heard this both at the amateur level and unfortunately at the very professional level, and I just wanted to add my thoughts into the ether. If you are looking for a way to really make sure you never make your audience think “I don't think they give a crap if I'm here or not” then not eating is a great way to do that. I'm not sure if the thinking behind it is “After I chomp on something, I’ll sound so relaxed. It'll be like we’re just hanging out.” That’s fine if you're at the pub, but it doesn't sound relaxed on a podcast. It sounds disrespectful because it makes an audience feel like you haven’t thought about them at all. If you want your audience to feel like you were doing the show for them, slurping into a microphone isn’t the way to go about it. From time to time, I'll actually get people who will send me ideas for their podcasts and something that comes up every now and then is this idea of sitting down and drinking and eating and talking about stuff on a podcast. My general advice on that is nobody likes to hear people eat and drink. It's okay, to watch sometimes. But when you remove any of the visuals and you just have the sound of slurping in your ear, as a listener, it's not a terribly enjoyable experience. It doesn't add anything to the show for me. It might add something to the show for you because you’re having a couple of vino’s and cheeky coq au vin but for a listener, it doesn't add to their experience. I mean ultimately, if you’ve been listening to this show for a while, you’ll know my advice is just to be taken and then used in the way that you see fit because it is your podcast. And whatever you decide is your decision. But I would just avoid eating. If you’re hungry you don't need to starve to death but have a muesli bar before you get started. Or if you’re absolutely screaming for something to eat, press stop, have a little nibble and press record again. Your audience will thank you for it. And ultimately, you want to make sure your show sounds as professional as possible and chomping into people's earholes isn't the way to do it. All right, that's it. I'm getting off my soapbox but I just had to say it because I've heard it and I would like to stamp it out. Because if you want to be a success in this game, you have to think about all the little elements that make your show sound as professional as it can and eating isn’t one of them. But my online podcasting course, PodSchool is! I’m opening the course up again very soon so if you’re interested you can check out all the details at PodSchool.com.au. Alright, remember, press stop if you want to have something to eat or eat before you record your podcast! I'll see you next week, and until then, happy podcasting…without any food.
