Top Podcasting Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

As someone who has been in podcasting for over three years, I have had my fair share of mistakes.

Believe me, there is no such thing as a Perfect Podcaster. If only I could tell you there were!

I’d bet that we could ask the top ten podcasters in every category, and they would all agree and probably laugh as they shared their mistakes over the years.

I’m here to tell you that while perfection may not be attainable, avoiding certain mistakes is possible by learning from others.

So, if I can help add value to your podcasting journey by allowing you to learn from my mistakes, then I’d count that as a success!

My producer, Eric, and I sat down and hashed out the top mistakes we’ve made over the years and wanted to share them with you.

Let’s get to it!

Mistake #1: Not Starting Sooner!

These first few mistakes are in the foundation or background of your show. We’ll get into some of the practical mistakes in a minute.

But the first mistake I see with podcasters is that they want to wait until they have the perfect episodes with the perfect material and perfect guests to launch perfectly.

And the reality is, that the best time to start your podcast was yesterday!

The first time I thought about starting my show was in 2016. I did not launch Build Your Network until 2017.

And that was my first big mistake. Missing out on a year of content. A year of connections. A year of growth!

Podcasting is growing and expanding every day. When you wait to start because it isn’t quite perfect yet, you are only hindering your own results. 

If you want to avoid this mistake, change your mindset and start now!

Realize that imperfect action is and always will be better than no action. If you have your topic and the idea to start a show, do it!

I’ll even provide an easy way for you to put it in action in just 30 days! Check out my 30 day launch course here, and see how if you put your mind to it, you can actually launch your show in 30 days.

Mistake #2: Not Niching Down!

When I start coaching or speaking with someone about podcasting about sixty to eighty percent tell me, “I want to be just like Joe Rogan.”

I immediately stop them and say, “You can’t, so what’s the next idea?”

It’s not really that you can’t, but if you do, the reality is you cannot expect it to have the hundred million download success that Joe has.

The reason that worked for Joe Rogan is because at the time he started there were about 300 podcasts in existence. So his show was niche for that period of time. It was random conversations with awesome people. 

And for that period of time, nobody else was doing it.

So he stepped into that  niche, and he created that market. After his immense success, everyone came flooding in.

But now more than ever, if you want to find real success with your show, you want to niche down. 

It is important to note that your podcast is not meant for everyone. Find that topic or message that is polarizing. 

You will attract other like-minded listeners and develop an army of True Fans! 

And those who may not like your show are those who you would not necessarily want to be working with any way, right?

If you are struggling to narrow down your podcast topic, check out last week’s blog about how to narrow this down and find your topic.

Mistake #3: Not Differentiating between Personality and Format

This is a quick one that ties in with our previous two mistakes. 

Often when starting a podcast, individuals see the personality of other hosts and show styles in their category and mistake it for the format needed for their show.

Here’s an example. My producer, Eric, started a podcast that is niched down to the topic of abuse in fundamental Baptist churches.

A heavy topic in the true crime area that is actually quite different from his personal personality.

If he started out with the same serious format like Dateline, he would have to maintain that for the entirety of his show. 

So he had to choose carefully how he was going to format his show from the beginning. He set up a format and style that was unique and his own. But still very fitting for his category.

Allow your personality to come through, but understand that certain elements of your show’s format will take on a personality of their own.

Will you have interviews? Will you allow cursing? How long will typical episodes last? Is this going to be a guru who “knows it all” sharing with the world, or will you be approaching the topic as a learner yourself?

It is important to differentiate the personality and the format of your show from the beginning. Then stick with it! Consistency is key to building the following for a show.

Mistake #4: Not Prepared for the Interview

When scheduling interviews with guests, the best way to show you are respectful of their time is to be prepared for the interview.

In every way!

Communicate any expectations to the guest, and always ask if there is anything specific to mention or talk about with them.

Do your research on their background and expertise. Look for those questions and angles that are a little different than perhaps every other interview they have done.

Make sure that all aspects of the technical set up are good to go. You will want to have a strong Wifi or internet connection.

You may even want to set up a checklist for yourself to get reach for each interview. We have this very checklist available with my Academy course. More on that later.

Mistake #5: Forget to Hit Record!

Yes, I know. The most obvious part of podcasting, and I am embarrassed to admit that I have forgotten to hit “record”.

Having a checklist would help with this as well. Whether it’s a physical checklist or a mental one, make sure you hit that record button.

Put a sticky note on your computer if you need to 😉

Either way, the second part to remember here, is that mistakes are inevitable.

So don’t be too hard on yourself. Take every mistake as a learning opportunity to become an even better podcaster.

But you may still want that sticky note to remind you to record! 

Conclusion

If you are looking to start a podcast, the best way to prevent mistakes is by learning from the mistakes of others.

I have over four years now of podcasting experience, and I put it all into an amazing podcast course called the Podcast Profit Academy.

If you are interested in learning more from my mistakes and my successes, click here to learn more.

Don’t make the first mistake and wait. Start now! And let me help you.

What mistake do you want to avoid? Let me know in the comments below!

Here’s to leaving every relationship better than you found it. See you next week!