✴ How to Learn From Your Mistakes

Whether you’ve been podcasting for a while or just started a show, podcasting can often feel like ice-skating over a frozen pond...you’re pretty sure things are solidly in place, but one weak spot and things can get dicey. Podcasting with that sense of uneasiness won’t exactly have you sailing along like one of the Mighty Ducks. We want you approaching the mic with confidence!

Now I’m the first person to tell podcasters to resist the temptation to perfect their podcast before launching. Perfection is the natural enemy of progress, after all. Plus, the act of producing your podcast is a huge learning opportunity. You become more comfortable adjusting and adapting on the fly, instead of tweaking every detail in a bubble.

HOWEVER, one thing I don’t often say is that this course of action does come with the occasional slip-up. I know, because I’ve been there. When I started my first podcast I made some easily avoidable mistakes that I wish someone had warned me about. You might be wondering, “So which is it, Lauren? Jump in boldly or brace for mistakes??” Well, it’s a little of both.

BUT, lucky for you, I’m the kinda gal who can admit when I’ve messed up. Today, I’m going to let you in on 6 semi-embarrassing podcasting mistakes that I made so that YOU don’t have to. This way you can jump in boldly, see those potential mistakes comin’ at you, and give ‘em the fingers! ...you know...like all five fingers like...STOP...okay anyway…

Make sure to watch to the very end of the video where I reveal some of my absolute favorite resources to save time, energy, and even a little heartbreak when it comes to producing your podcast.

✴ Mistake 1: Not recording on separate tracks.

Anyone who’s experienced the heartbreak of editing audio recorded on Zoom knows what I’m talking about. There’s nothing worse than coming to find your guest’s phone buzzed during your most poignant declaration, or that you sneezed during your co-host’s funniest quip. Recording on separate tracks means both you and your guests will have their very own audio track making it easier to modify individual audio levels and to make sure you don’t miss a beat from your session due to background noise or talking over one another. While programs like Zoom might seem like the most efficient way to bring guests on the show, I can assure you it makes editing doubly messy on the backend of production. Platforms like Zencastr, Cast, and Squadcast (sub with anything you personally recommend) are great options and super easy to use!

✴ Mistake 2: Not prioritizing high-quality sound.

People will tell you that you can start a podcast with just your phone, and while that might technically be true, more people than ever are listening to podcasts and they expect a professional-sounding auditory experience. To put it simply, if you turned on your television and the picture was fuzzy, you’re likely changing channels. The sound quality of your podcast is enough to make or break how long people are willing to tune in and we want those listeners sticking around for the long haul. The good news is, maintaining clean and clear sound quality doesn’t have to break the bank. Use the link below to see the podcasting equipment we recommend at every price range.

✴ Mistake 3: Not starting an email list for my podcast from the very beginning

Here at The Wave we firmly believe that a well-crafted newsletter is one of the best tools to market your podcast, and turn casual listeners into loyal fans. An effective newsletter can be relatively easy to manage AND can:

Encourage subscribers to listen to your latest episode
Tease an upcoming episode or big interview
Help you stay on listeners’ radar, even during the off-season of your podcast
Authentically promote affiliate links and sponsors without feeling spammy
Offer additional and exclusive content
And my personal favorite, convert listeners of your free podcast into paying customers of your premium content

Creating a value-packed free download on your website is a great way to start building your email list. Creating an authentic and value-packed newsletter is how you keep your audience coming back for more and hopefully inspired to check out your latest episode!

✴ Mistake 4: Not outsourcing time-consuming tasks.

I recommend taking on all parts of the podcasting process yourself, in the beginning. It’s important to know what it takes to produce your podcast inside and out. But once you’re committed to establishing a professional level podcast, the time-consuming stuff MUST be outsourced. Don’t worry, there are professionals you can hire at every price level - stick around and we’ll share some of our favorites. As your podcast grows, you’re going to need the time and energy for other tasks...which brings us to our next mistake...

✴ Mistake 5: Spending too much time editing and not enough time promoting.

Mark these words: Podcasters should be spending equal or more of their time promoting and sharing their podcast with the world, as the time spent producing it. We all want our podcasts to be top quality, but if you spend all of your bandwidth producing and none on marketing efforts, your potential audience won’t get the chance to appreciate your hard work. Between your newsletter, social media, or even partnering with another podcast to swap promos, there are so many opportunities to get your podcast out there and you’ve gotta prioritize it.

✴ Mistake 6: Not tracking success using analytics.

When you’re not tracking your podcast’s success using the right metrics and analytics, you’re likely looking around wondering why everyone has “more downloads than you”. The compare and despair cycle is super discouraging and also, a completely inaccurate depiction of how your podcast is performing. Downloads and streams aren’t actually the most effective means of figuring out how well your podcast is doing...Shocking, I know. Duration of listens is the key to finding out how your listeners are interacting with your podcast and how to curve your content in relation. Third party platforms such as Podtrac and Chartable are great resources to get a deeper dive on the analytics that actually matter. Save yourself some sanity and ditch those vanity metrics.

Before handing over some bonus goods on how to save time, I’ll ask that if you learned something helpful in this episode, please hit the like button. It helps us know what you’re resonating with and what videos we should make more of!

✴ Podcasting Bonus Tip

Okay, now for my bonus tip. I mentioned before that you might want to consider outsourcing the production of the most time-consuming parts of podcasting such as the audio editing or writing your show notes. There are lots of places to find contracts at every price range like Upwork and Fiverr, but we want to share some of our favorite resources: Zapp Social Club, We Edit Podcasts, and Quill. All three are dedicated to making sure gals like you are able to tell your stories through podcasting! Download more about our favorite outsourcing companies for women HERE.

✴ Recap

Let’s review all the mistakes I’ve made that you shouldn’t, shall we?

Mistake #1: Not recording on separate tracks

Mistake #2: Not investing in high-quality sound.

Mistake #3: Not starting an e-mail list from Day 1.

Mistake #4: Not outsourcing time-consuming aspects of production

Mistake #5: Spending too much time editing and not enough promoting.

AND Mistake #6: Not tracking success using analytics

Be sure to check out the helpful resources linked about and subscribe to my channel for more essential podcasting tips. Check out some of our other videos, and if you’ve got questions we haven’t covered, let us know in the comment section and we just might create a whole video about it!

Thanks for watching. Keep podcasting, and enjoy the ride!Let’s review all the mistakes I’ve made that you shouldn’t, shall we?