The simple things that can turn your listeners away
If your podcast isn’t working, that doesn’t mean your idea sucks.
It might just mean there’s a problem with the way it’s packaged, how it’s delivered or that you need to work on your measures of success.
So, if you want to give your podcast the best chance of surviving, these are the key mistakes you need to avoid.
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Podcast mistake #1: Your idea is too general
The most common pitch I get is: “I want to do a podcast where I interview interesting people.”
Unfortunately, that idea isn’t interesting to anyone other than the person making it.
Why? Because if someone comes across your show and doesn’t know you, they’re not going to have a clue what ‘interesting’ means to you.
And if it feels like they’re going to have to do homework to find out, they’ll move on.
If you want people to press play on your podcast, you need to give them a reason to do it.
And that means serving up an idea that’s easy to explain and that provides value for the person looking for a new show to listen to.
If you can’t explain your concept and make someone understand why they’d care in one sentence you’re not there yet.
Podcast mistake #2: You’re making the podcast for your ego, not your audience
When you’re starting your podcast you have to be honest with yourself and ask some really important questions like:
“Why am I doing this?”
“Who am I doing this for?”
“What value would a listener get out of this?”
If your answers have more to do with your ego (e.g. “Because my mates tell me I’m funny and that I should do a podcast) you’ll struggle to bring listeners in.
Every decision you make around your show needs to have your ideal audience in mind.
Build a show that they will get value of and you’re on the right track.
Podcast mistake #3: You don’t publish episodes consistently
The single biggest factor in podcasting success is consistency.
So if you want to build audience you’ve got to keep showing up.
If you say you’re going to drop an episode at 9am on a Wednesday, you’d better be there every Wednesday at 9am because it’s consistency that builds trust and having the trust of your audience is a powerful thing.
No podcast has ever ‘made it’ by publishing an episode ‘every now and then’ so if you want your podcast to succeed, you’re going to have to be prepared to play the long game.
Podcast mistake #4: You make avoidable audio mistakes
Bringing new listeners into your podcast isn’t easy.
So when you’ve got someone to press play you don’t want to give them any reason to stop listening.
And nothing turns people off like bad audio.
There’s so much great tech and AI tools out there that there’s no excuse for not releasing a show that sounds good.
You don’t need to hire a studio, you don’t even need to be in a soundproof room.
But you do need to pay attention to what you’re recording and respect your listeners ears enough to put effort into getting it right.
Podcast mistake #5: You have unrealistic measures of success
If item #1 on your list of goals is “Score $250M Spotify deal by Christmas,” you’re setting yourself up to quit.
Nothing kills motivation like not hitting the goals you’ve set for yourself, so you want to make sure you’re chasing the right dreams.
Start with achievable metrics so you can build the confidence to keep going.
Sustainable wins fuel motivation…which fuels consistency…which fuels growth.
The bottom line
If you want your show to go the distance you need to make sure you’re building it with your listeners in mind, show up when you say you will, put effort into how it sounds and set goals that will keep you moving.
Do that and you’ll be well on your way to building a show you love (and that other people love too),
🎙️ Want to start a podcast but feeling overwhelmed?
Grab my free “How To Start A Podcast” guide or get step-by-step support inside my online course, PodSchool.
Got a question about podcasting? Send it my way so I can answer it on the podcast!
