Podcasts are having their moment to shine in the sun. Due to their prevalence, it is easy to assume that starting and running a podcast is easy and requires minimum effort. Now, starting a podcast is not akin to rocket science, but it still needs effort and also avoiding key mistakes such as:
Boring Content
It doesn’t matter what topic you are covering, if you do not make the topic engaging and be creative in your delivery, your listeners will find your content boring.
No matter how well you think you know a topic, conduct research before each episode on what you are going to talk about. Also, create outlines for the episode so that transition from one topic to another is crisp and seamless.
Aside from researching a topic, also have a script. A script gives you an idea of what to talk about and also, makes is easier to regain your flow if you digress.
Poor speaking tone
This can often happen without our knowledge, but if you want to know if your speaking tone is right, try to get people to listen to the podcast and give feedback on what they think about how you speak.
Speaking too fast/too slow or speaking with too many pauses can make any person loose interest in what you are saying, even if the topic is very interesting. Look into tips on how to work on your vocals.
Bad audio quality and rushed editing
Producing and launching a podcast will often be the most critical part of a podcast. Having a topic is one thing, but if the equipment and editing are not up to standard, then the podcast will not pick as you expect.
Experience dictates that at least 10 hours should go into producing and launching a proper 1-hour podcast episode. So, after recording, your editing and other post-production should take you at least one whole day. That said, no amount of post-production skills can save a podcast recorded on poor audio equipment. So, consider good quality podcast equipment, some of which come at affordable prices.
Lack of consistency/commitment
As with everything else, success in podcasting lies in commitment and consistency. Now, you don’t need to release a podcast every day or every week to be consistent. Rather, create a schedule that you can deal with and stick to it. If you want to release a podcast every two weeks, then stick to it. Just don’t go too long without releasing new episodes as you will be unable to build a loyal audience without giving them regular doses of your podcast.
Podcasting can be a great hobby and if you clear mistakes as you move along, it can grow enough to become an income generator.
