Podcasting looks very simple to do. And in some ways it is. Get yourself a topic, choose a topic, and start recording. But this isn’t going to bring a new host much success. Instead, you’re going to have to build a podcast strategy that aligns with audience needs and attracts audiences to listen and retain them. This can be a challenge.
Research has shown that there is a growing demand for podcasts. Audiences tend to listen to several in a week. Therefore, demand is not often the problem when it comes to why a show might be failing. Rather it is a mistake that has happened during the planning, production, or promotion phase of the podcast.
Therefore, in this article, we’ll be detailing some of the worst or most common mistakes that happen when someone is looking to host a new podcast. We’ll also be giving tips on how to overcome these mistakes.
Lack of Planning and Preparation
One of the biggest mistakes is that you can just choose a topic, or even choose the challenge of starting a podcast and then start recording. Hosting a podcast takes a lot of time and effort, which you can reduce by hiring a podcast production agency, but there is still going to be a need to plan episodes and strategies.
By not planning and strategizing your episodes several outcomes can happen.
- Episodes have no focus.
- Guests (if featured) feel underutilized.
- Listeners struggle to find a reason to stay engaged.
Yet these problems are relatively easy to fix. You don’t need to script the episode, but you need to detail as much as you can in notes. Start by writing out the main topics of the episodes and the key points that you want to cover. Then research thoroughly the topics, especially when covering complex topics.
You can take this a step further by planning the episodes to cover a series in themes to maintain alignment and give the audience expectations that they can follow.
Poor Audio Quality
Audio is key to the success of your podcast, after all the audiences are there to hear your thoughts and knowledge on a topic. So bad audio is one of the most unforgivable issues when it comes to recording a podcast episode. If the audience can’t hear you clearly, they’re not going to continue listening to you and this will drive the audience away. Some of the things that can cause issues when it comes to audio include:
- Excessive and distracting background noises.
- Muffled voices or the sound is distorted.
- Audio levels are different between the host and guest.
To fix these issues, you should be investing in the best quality microphone. With Produce Your Podcast you get an equipment check where a sound engineer will ensure your video and audio are checked and recommendations made as to what you need to improve the quality of your podcast. We’ll even help order the right equipment and track the shipping before completing another equipment check.
In addition, you will want to record in the best location. Your recording studio should be free of distractions, not echo, and have reduced background noises. Finally, ensure that you’ve got good editing software.
Neglecting a Target Audience
If you’re looking to attract an audience, you need to know who you want to attract. Understand your audience, who they are, what they do, and what they want from the podcast. Otherwise, you could be left with a generic set of topics and ideas that are going to appeal to no one.
Some of the problems that can happen with no clear definition of a target audience include:
- Episodes lack a clear voice or perspective.
- Listeners don’t feel a personal connection.
- Marketing efforts are scattered and ineffective.
To fix this issue, spend time with a marketing professional and determine your key audience. Who are the decision-makers, what do they care about and when do they listen? Then spend time to tailor your script and topics to their interests, pain points, and demands.
If in doubt, spend time on social media and get to know your audience, engaging with them in conversations.
Overly Long Episodes
Long-form podcasts are great, in some niches with some topics. But your episodes still need to be engaging with the audience. If you have a habit of rambling or creating unfocused content, it isn’t going to keep your audience engaged and they’ll exit the episode before it’s finished.
Typically episodes tend to be about 45 minutes long, which is also the same length as many TV
dramas.
And shorter episodes that contain actionable, engaging content are going to be much better. Not just for the audience, but also for you. It means you can get a return on your investment while at the same time, spending less time producing that content.
To help you, remember to write the podcast plan, as mentioned above. And perhaps find a coach who can help you focus your thoughts. Or work with a podcast production agency who might be able to guide you on what you can cut from episodes. Being ruthless on the editing floor can make your episodes sharper and more audience-centric.
Inconsistent Publishing Schedule
Too many podcasters start building loyalty and then suddenly they’re sporadically publishing episodes where there doesn’t seem to be any consistent plan or schedule. Several consequences can happen because of this which can include:
- Listeners don’t know when to expect new episodes.
- Irregularity suggests a lack of professionalism.
- Listeners abandon the show and look at some of your competitors.
To avoid this, start in the planning stages by choosing a realistic publishing schedule and be sure that you can commit to this. It could be weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, many shows succeed on fewer regular shows than many irregular shows.
If you struggle with time, consider batch recording episodes to ensure there is a content buffer for when you struggle with production processes (illness, workloads, personal commitments). And perhaps work with a podcast production agency that can help you maintain a focus and offer support when you’re struggling with production.
Ignoring Listener Feedback
One of the best elements of podcasts is that you build a community with your audiences and guests. While this might sound good in some respects, it will mean that you will receive comments, reviews, and suggestions. For some this is annoying, but these are useful tips to help you improve your podcast episodes and series, and ignoring them can irritate your audience, and perhaps convince them to leave your podcast.
There are a few things that you can do to avoid this mistake.
- Regularly check reviews, emails, and social media for feedback.
- Acknowledge and incorporate listener suggestions where appropriate.
- Use feedback to refine your approach and address recurring criticisms.
And by using these tactics you can improve trust with the audience and build a tighter community feel with your show. And when an audience’s time becomes hectic, you’re more likely to retain the audience rather than them abandoning you.
Overloading Episodes with Ads
Monetization is a key to podcast success, partly because it can offset the costs of production, or provide you with an ROI that makes the podcast worthwhile. There are many podcast hosts who just want to make a return that will cover costs, but there are some who want to maximize revenue from the podcast.
However, the latter can sometimes mean that episodes are overloaded with ads. And these can disrupt the experience with the following effects.
- Ads feel intrusive or irrelevant.
- Listeners skip sections or abandon episodes entirely.
- Retention of the sponsorship is reduced, making your podcast less effective for partners.
To change this, you want to limit ad breaks in your podcast or switch a few to host read adverts or product placements. You should also check that your ads are relevant to your audience and aligned with your own ethical beliefs.
Failing to Establish a Unique Voice
There are thousands of podcasts available to audiences, with them having lots of choices between shows. To grab the attention of the audience you need several factors, one of which is a unique voice. Your unique voice could be related to the distinct tone or language you use or it could relate to the perspective that you have.
If you can’t find that unique voice, you can suffer from the following impacts:
- The podcast feels generic or derivative.
- Listeners don’t see a reason to choose your show over others.
- Audiences get confused between your show and another show.
There are many ways that you can fix this issue. For one, you can forget about mimicking another podcast host. Instead, embrace your personality and expertise. And offer unique insights or a fresh take on the topics. Finally, insert some storytelling, humor, or other elements that play to your strengths.
If possible, speak to a voice coach to help you improve your voice on recordings.
Underestimating the Importance of Show Notes
So many podcast hosts don’t put enough emphasis on the show notes. They’re not just an afterthought or something on a checklist. They’re an essential tool to help you engage audiences and improve your show’s discoverability on Google and other search engines. Without a good set of show notes you’ll suffer from:
- Incomplete or vague descriptions leave potential listeners confused.
- Missed opportunities to link to resources or promote social channels.
- Reduced traffic from search engines.
Therefore, when it comes to show notes, spend time writing detailed summaries for each episode. Include timestamps, guest bios, and links to any resources you’ve mentioned in the episode. Be sure that you spend time optimizing the notes for relevant keywords that have high search value and low competition.
If you’re struggling with this, and don’t have the time, speak to Produce Your Podcast who have expert copywriters who can help you complete this task with ease.
Skipping Post-Production
Raw recordings rarely meet the professional standards that you would expect from a polished podcast, and audiences will know. Several errors can happen because you skip post-production which can include:
- Distracting filler words (“uh”, “um”) clutter episodes.
- Long pauses or interruptions disrupt the flow.
- Audio inconsistencies detract from the listening experience.
To get past this, put some time aside and use editing software. Edit out the filler words, silences, and background noises that might disrupt the flow of the episode. Or you can hire an agency that offers podcast editing services.
Failing to Promote the Podcast
There are numerous competitors in every niche when it comes to podcasts. Therefore, you need to get your name out there if you want your podcast to be found. Spending time marketing your podcast can be challenging, but without marketing you will see:
- Episodes will not be displayed to new potential audiences.
- Limited growth of your podcast.
- Reduction in the revenue you can generate from sponsors.
Spend time with your marketing team to get your podcast noticed. Use social media, blogging, SEO, and other ways to build a profile. Also, don’t forget to use PR to release key, high-profile news about your podcast.
Overlooking Analytics
Data is probably one of the best tools in your arsenal when you want to know how to grow your podcast. Ignoring data means that you’re going to miss out on important insights that can help you find growth opportunities. For instance, you might not know what is resonating with audiences or where there are issues with recordings or topics.
Therefore, you want to complete the following tasks to help you analyze the data from your podcast promotion and releases.
- Track metrics like downloads, listener demographics, and retention rates.
- Use tools like Spotify for Podcasters, Apple Podcasts Analytics, or third-party platforms.
- Adjust your content strategy based on trends and listener preferences.
Burnout and Unrealistic Expectations
One of the biggest issues that you might have with a podcast journey has nothing to do with the quality of the episodes. It can be your own health with burnout a significant cause for episodes starting to go unrecorded. Another issue is unrealistic expectations where you believe you can do it all or that you want more from the episodes too quickly.
Hosts can often feel overwhelmed when they’re not getting the results that they want and the quality of the episodes can start to decline, resulting in a reduction of audience retention.
To solve this, you might need to set realistic goals for your recording, editing, and promoting as well as the results. You should also look at delegating tasks like editing and promotion.
FAQs
Can you recover from these podcast host mistakes?
Yes, it is never too late to recover from a mistake. And you don’t need to re-record episodes if they’ve already been in the public domain for a long time.
How can you prevent mistakes from happening in the first place?
One way to prevent mistakes from happening in the first place is to outsource as much as you can. A podcast production company can help you refine your processes and provide you with your strategy.
Can Produce Your Podcast help prevent mistakes from happening in the first place?
Yes, consultations can advise on the best practices to help plan, produce, and promote your podcast for the best results.
Final Word: The Worst Mistakes for New Podcast Hosts
Above are some of the worst mistakes that can happen to new podcast hosts when they start on their journey. However, these are not always going to happen, and you can avoid the most common mistakes by following best practice guidelines such as those listed above.
You can always hire a podcast production company to help you build a highly successful podcast that will attract audiences and help cement your brand as one of the best podcasts in your niche.
Produce Your Podcast is a full-service podcast production, editing, and marketing agency specializing in helping brands launch, grow, and monetize successful podcasts that impact their bottom line. With 30+ years of experience in broadcasting and business development brought to every project we work on, our team of experts is a reliable partner to help you achieve your goals with your show.
Click here to schedule a conversation with our team today and let’s bring your show to life!
