acim podcast is, in and of itself, very easy to do. That can be a positive for many people who are just entering the podcasting field. But, because it is easy to enter, it is also very easy to make mistakes. Here are four common mistakes that I see many new podcasters make.
1. The Length of the Podcast Episode
Many people will view the time commitment of listening to a podcast before they even hit the “play” button. This is especially true of someone who is not familiar with your podcast and, for whatever reason, is interested in hearing a particular episode.
The length of your podcast episode is really dependent on the type of information you are going to share. Statistics indicate the shorter the episode, the more likely it will be listened to all the way through to completion. Once your podcast goes over 45 minutes to one hour in length, your listenership will drop off drastically.
Remember, shorter is better. But you will need to convey the information required by the listener in the time provided. If it takes you 45 minutes to convey that information, that’s OK. But do not try to extend the episode to 45 minutes when you could have said everything in 20 minutes instead. You will lose listeners.
2. Know What You Are Talking About
If you try to pretend (or “fake it until you make it”), your listeners will be able to tell fairly quickly. If you are going to have a guest on your program to discuss a topic you are not proficient in, you need to prepare beforehand and at least have a rudimentary understanding of the topic to be discussed.
By coming up with some pertinent questions before you begin your interview, your listeners will be able to tell you did prepare for the topic of discussion. But if you just go into the interview blind and expect your guest to carry the conversation, you will fail (miserably).
That being said, you do not need to have a PhD on the topic of discussion. You should have a better understanding than your average listener. This will keep you as the expert in their eyes.
3. Do Not Assume Your Audience Knows What You Are Talking About
This topic goes hand-in-hand with the prior topic, but with its own little twist. If you are an expert in a particular subject matter, you must assume your listener knows less than you do on that topic. If you talk “above their heads” on the subject, they will tune out and you will lose a listener.
Take the time to slow down and explain a topic or concept in layman’s terms. If you have an expert on for an interview and you find them discussing something the average person would not understand, ask them to explain it in layman’s terms (even if you know what they are saying).
If you are continuing a conversation from a previous episode, give a brief synopsis of the discussion at hand. Some people are tuning in for the very first time and did not listen to the prior episodes. Do not simply refer them back to the prior episode. Simply give a one or two sentence introduction that brings them up to date. You can then refer to a prior episode if they want more information.