Three thing to avoid when making a Podcast Episode
Podcasting is an art!
How many podcasts have you listened to and thought, "Wow, that was terrible"? Personally, I've listened to many.
With podcasting being such an accessible form of media, people think that all they need is a microphone and some editing software to be a success.
This. Simply. Isn't. True.
To be a success you need people to listen and some podcasters make some simple mistakes that turn listeners off right away.
Here are three things you should avoid when making a podcast episode:
Ranting and Rambling - I'm sorry, but regardless of how interesting your personality is, no one wants to listen to you rant and ramble.
Be Prepared! If you aren't prepared for your episode, it will show. Take time ahead of your episode to draft out a plan: what points do your listeners need to hear?
Tell a story! People connect with stories about people! Follow a narrative structure with action, background, development, crisis/climax and ending.
Edit your episode well! Take out areas where you've repeated yourself or used too many "umms" and "ahhs". Include music and sound effects that enhance the story. Include some narrative if it makes sense.
Clocking Hours - If you Google "attention span of adults" the result you get is 8 seconds! That means that every 8 seconds an adult is trying to decide whether or not to keep listening or move on to something else. A successful podcast is not dictated by it's length! It is all about the content. People do not have time in their busy days to sit and listen to you rant and ramble (see above) for over an hour. Not only do you need content that will hold someone's attention, you need to make it concise! Tell your story in less than 30 minutes or you are going to lose followers.
Making it about You - Yes, you are an amazing person with lots to offer. Your opinions do matter but people get bored if all you do is talk about yourself. Podcasting is not a platform for your narcissism. You want to share stories that connect with others, that means you need to amplify voices of other people. Become a good listener and engaging interviewer. Are you selling insurance? GREAT!! Let's talk to some of your clients and share their stories! Please don't create a podcast series about deductibles! You can certainly weave in your opinions, knowledge and skills but don't make it all about you.
Podcasting is an accessible way to reach your customers and clients with some really great information but you want to be smart and plan out what you do.
Avoid these mistakes and you'll retain more listeners who could then become clients!