So that you need to begin a podcast? There’s a lot potential in podcasting—and some methods to get majorly tripped up. At this time, I need to speak about the best way to navigate three of the largest podcasting errors or traps that may get in the best way of your podcasting success.
Podcasting Mistake #1: Attempting to Be Good
Let’s be trustworthy. The primary episodes of your brand-new podcast are in all probability going to be… not so nice. However you may’t get to the good things till you get by way of the muck.
As you discovered final Friday on SPI 546, Pat’s first episode of the SPI Podcast was a catastrophe.
The revealed model of the episode was his third take. He recorded the primary one talking off the cuff. He didn’t like that, so he tried scripting the entire thing. That didn’t work both. He lastly obtained one thing satisfactory on the third attempt. (However what’s with that music? Woof.)
All that’s to say, create one thing awful at first as a result of you’ll enhance. It’s unavoidable, to be trustworthy.
The primary few podcast episodes you produce could be one thing you look again at and cringe. However the extra typically you do it, and the extra constant you might be, the higher you may develop into.
We’ve seen it each time we’ve created a new podcast right here at SPI, whether or not it’s Flops, or The Group Expertise (or some future present TBD).
For the very first episode of Flops, I had to return and rerecord components of my interview with John Vuong (thanks, John!) as a result of I simply didn’t do an excellent job interviewing him the primary time round.
However I obtained higher because the season progressed. I didn’t flip into the world’s most wonderful interviewer, however I improved. And you’ll too.
This can be a tricky tablet to swallow, particularly in the event you’re a perfectionist. However as soon as you may settle for it, you’ll be nicely in your technique to a profitable podcasting profession.
So publish your first episodes with out remorse. Regardless that they may kinda suck.
Podcasting Mistake #2: Worrying That Your Viewers Would possibly Be Too Small
Let’s say you use in a fairly small area of interest. What in the event you’re nervous that your viewers is simply too small to create a profitable podcast?
Whenever you’re making a podcast, you need the widest doable viewers, proper?
Mistaken.
Take Phil Lichtenberger, who has a profitable podcast in a small area of interest—the hand held radio interest—referred to as Scanner Faculty.
Phil created the podcast as a result of he simply beloved the interest a lot and wished to attach with different hobbyists. And now guess what? He has superfans, individuals who present up on each single reside stream and pay attention to each single podcast episode. He is obtained firms reaching out to him. All that, regardless of making a podcast in a tiny area of interest.
However what in the event you’ve really seen different podcasts come and go in your area of interest, and also you’re nervous there’s simply not sufficient curiosity in a present like yours?
Right here’s the important thing. Simply because there are different podcasts in your area of interest which have run out of steam, doesn’t imply yours will.
A very powerful factor is committing. Discover a subject you’re enthusiastic about and might maintain your self to making a podcast round.
Commit, commit, commit. There’s a motive it’s the very first piece of recommendation in our How you can Begin a Podcast information.
Podcasting Mistake #3: Considering You’ve “Began Too Late”
Another factor you could be nervous about proper now: that podcasting has develop into “too standard,” and also you’re too late to the sport.
Let me share some numbers that gives you a little bit perspective on why that is undoubtedly not true.
There are over 500 million energetic blogs. There are over 50 million energetic YouTube channels.
What number of podcasts are there? About two million. That is it.
There’s nonetheless a lot room for this medium to develop. If running a blog and on-line video are any clue, the remainder of the 2020s are prone to see enormous and fast progress in podcasting.
You’re not too late for the podcasting growth.
Okay. Perhaps you’re keen to simply accept that podcasting itself nonetheless has room to develop. However what if the present you need to create already appears to have numerous competitors on the market?
You could be considering, “It’s no use making a present as a result of there’s already one other one prefer it on the market.”
Simply keep in mind that even in what appears to be a crowded area, there are methods to face out.
This is some knowledge from Buzzsprout cofounder Kevin Finn in SPI Podcast session 395:
You’ve got stated, ‘Hey, I am interested by making a podcast that speaks to entrepreneurs.’ Nicely, there’s 1000’s of podcasts that talk to entrepreneurs, however what’s your distinctive taste? What’s your distinctive spin on that? What do you must say that different individuals aren’t saying? That can all the time escape from the noise as a result of it is distinctive, and it is your voice, and it is your perspective.
Kevin Finn, SPI Podcast session 395
So, Able to Create Your Present?
If any of the three fears or errors we have talked about have been conserving you from beginning your podcast, I hope this put up has helped you notice how a lot potential there’s to create a profitable present!
You are still early for the podcasting growth, and you’ll succeed even with a present in a small area of interest—so long as you’re keen to decide to the method.
In case you’re able to get began together with your podcast, head on over to our How you can Begin a Podcast information.
And in the event you want a little bit extra hand-holding, our Energy-Up Podcasting 2.0 course is simply the ticket. It will enable you to reduce by way of the confusion—to not solely discover ways to correctly plan and launch your podcast, however be sure it will get discovered, too.
