Five Unfortunate Things I've Heard Podcasters Say

I get it.  When you get into podcasting, you're likely going to learn some things the hard way.  I know I did.  When I launched my first podcast in 2011, my mistakes included:

• An intro that was way too long
• A show theme that wasn't focused enough
• Launching my show too soon (before I optimized the format)

However, it's 2020, and podcasting is going more mainstream every day.  With that, it's a lot easier to find good podcasting advice from reputable professionals.  When I started, I found some random guy in Australia who produced a podcast about podcasting.  Now you can find great experts like Cliff Ravenscraft, Daniel J. Lewis and Chris Brogan to help guide you.

While I think it's important to continue learning, there are some things I've heard podcasters say that made me instantly facepalm.

"That's what WE want to talk about."

While talking to a couple of podcasters who hosted the same show for several years (but struggled to increase listeners over time), the subject of formatting  and audience strategies came up.  I was trying to listen for show elements or discussion topics that might turn-off their listeners.

The show was very pop culture-focused, so they talked about a lot of movies and TV shows.  However, they would add a lot of unnecessary layers to the discussion.  For example, they discussed what they were doing in school when the movie came out.  With that, they would talk extensively about the activities, music and fashion they loved back then.  

 In other words, it was no longer about the advertised topic.

I asked them, "Is this what you're listeners want you to talk about?"

They answered, "It's what WE want to talk about."

Well, that's a fair answer if you don't care about your listeners.  I know podcasters who aren't worried about downloads.  They like talking and uploading it to the internet.

However, these podcasters wondered why their audience hadn't grown.  One answer is universally simple - 
If you promote an episode topic, then talk about it.  If you veer off the subject too much, listeners are likely to bail.

Plus, listeners like to feel like their part of your conversation.  In this case, if two people talking about their school lives together, the listener may feel like their eavesdropping on two people talking about something they were not present to experience with them.

"I host my podcast on Soundcloud."

This is too common.  With all of the great options out there, I do not understand the interest in "hosting" their podcast on Soundcloud.

Some say they do it because it's free/cheap.  Fine.  Just remember, you get what you pay for.  Over the years, the red flags have been there.  Examples include anything from Soundcloud's financial instability to fair use issues that could get your episode removed from your page.  Plus, if Soundcloud goes under and deletes its presence from the web, you better have your episodes posted somewhere else.

That's why I say go with a reliable option that better fits the description of a hosting service.  Do some research on the services of Libsyn, Blubrry, Buzzsprout, Anchor, Spreaker and others.  

I think the better option for Soundcloud is to showcase episode clips or previews with links and mentions to your podcast website.

"My listeners love my five-hour episodes."

Okay, full disclosure, nobody said this to me.  At least not word-for-word.  However, I have discussed the importance of respecting a listeners time through format focus and editing.  While there is not a rule that states how long a podcast episode should last, that doesn't mean you should be reckless about it.

When I see podcast episodes that push past 90 - 120 minutes, I facepalm.  I refuse to believe that most of those shows couldn't focus or edit down their discussion more than that. 

It's similar to my first example where the hosts added a lot of unnecessary details to their discussion, and they didn't care if the listeners wanted it in the conversation.

Just because you can talk without limits, it doesn't mean you should.  Remember, you're not only a podcast producer, but you're a consumer of content.  Put yourself in the listener's shoes and try to measure when something is dragging on for too long or veering off course for an extended time.

In response, I've had people tell me, "Oh, but our listeners say they love our really long episodes, and they want more."

Really?  How many of them told you that?  Two percent?  

Even if it's 80 percent, don't listen to them.  Respect their time, and keep your shows at a reasonable length.  I can promise you that your listeners will appreciate it.

You probably won't get a lot of emails saying, "Could you please talk about things for another hour?"  Instead, if your episodes are too long, most people won't say anything.

Instead, they'll unsubscribe.

"You can't go in-depth in 30 minutes."

​This might as well be a second part to the last example because someone said this to me while discussing podcast formats and focused segments.  It is one of the most unfortunate and facepalm-worthy statements I've ever heard.  This isn't a counter-point to responsible producing.  It's an excuse not to care about editing or formatting a podcast.

Here are some examples of why this statement isn't true:

My first show featured engaging interviews that lasted 20-40 minutes.

My most popular show (over 1,000+ downloads per episode) has three people who discuss the backstory of comic book characters, and the episodes are 30 minutes or less.

Not to mention, if you think 30 minutes isn't enough, you haven't listened to Mike Rowe's podcast.

"Our show gets over 1,000 downloads PER MONTH!" 

Check the difference between this statement and the one I made about my most popular show. One of them isn't going to mislead you.

1,000 downloads per EPISODE vs. 1,000 downloads per month

One is more precise, and the other is often used to bloat the numbers.

One tells you how many people are listening per release (usually in the first week), and the other is hoping you don't realize it means they get about 250 downloads per episode.

As they said in Beverly Hills Cop - don't fall for the banana in the tailpipe.​

As Daniel Lewis says - Don't fall for the podcasting myth of monthly downloads.

In 2020, podcasts are bigger and more popular than ever.  That means there area lot more resources available for building a good show.  Take advantage of it, and don't forget to keep learning along the way.