Your Podcast Consultant: Podcast Tips To Avoid Podcasting Mistakes

The one question you need to answer when starting a podcast is WHAT are you going to give up. EVERYONE who starts a podcast says one thing. This is taking more time than I originally thought. This is because it is new. You can tie your shows quickly now, but when you were five you really had to concentrate I say at my best, I use a 4 to 1 rule. Meaning for every one minute of the podcast it will take four minutes to produce. That 15-minute podcast will take you an hour. You might be thinking but how can that be? I just talk into the microphone for 15 minutes and I'm done. Well, you have to decide what to talk about. That might require some investigation. Then you record it. This takes time, and you might need to edit it unless every single word out of your mouth was perfect (and trust me, it won't be), Then you have to upload the file to your media host, and create a post on your website. This takes some time. You might want to make an image to go with the episode. Consequently, when you start a podcast you have to ask yourself what am I willing to give up? Most of us don't have a ton of free time, so what are you going to give up to create a podcast. For me, I stopped watching a lot of bad TV. I might've stopped watching reruns of Friends and Seinfeld. I quit being sucked into rabbit holes on YouTube, and I turn off Facebook and Email so I can focus better. We all have 24 hours in a day, and often the time to podcast is there. Sometimes it's not. When I get a message saying "I'm in a long-distance relationship, I'm in med school, and I'm working part-time in a restaurant. My initial reaction is you don't have time to podcast. You have a relationship that has built-in hurdles, you have homework, and a job. You have priorities that need your attention. While a podcast might be a fun hobby, wouldn't you hate to find out you got a bad grade on a test because you were up until 2 am editing when you should've been studying? I had a similar situation. When I got my first degree in electronic engineering I was the editor of the student newsletter. I worked as a waiter to put myself through college. I had a girlfriend, and I was running the house as my father was a long distance truck driver and my mother was deceased. Being the editor was fun and exciting as I was doing investigative journalism and spotlighting policies that were horrible at my college. There was only one problem. I wasn't going to school to get a degree in journalism. My grades started to suggest, so the next semester I had to look at the big picture, look at my goals (in this case my degree) and go back to being just a writer for the Newspaper and not the editor. I know as a podcast consultant I should tell everyone they need to start a podcast NOW, but as someone with a little bit of life under his belt, I'm here to say your podcast is not more important than your family, friends, and jobs. So there may be times when you don't start your podcast NOW, but you can start planning for it and launch it later. Ready To Launch Your Podcast? Are you ready to launch your podcast? I would love to help you plan, launch and grow your podcast. I want to be your podcast consultant.Mentioned in this episode:Unlock Exclusive Insights: Subscribe to 'Podcasting Observations' Newsletter!Get insights into the world of podcasting like never before with "Podcasting Observations," your go-to source for trends, tips, and transformative insights tailored just for podcasters. Each issue of our newsletter offers a glimpse into what's shaping the podcast landscape, with actionable advice to boost your podcasting journey. You also get a glimpse "behind the scenes" and bonus content from the School of Podcasting. Go to www.podcastingobservations.comPodcasting ObservationsThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

People ask me, "How Long Should My Podcast Be?" What is the ideal podcast length? For a while, everyone wanted to make a 20-minute podcast as that was the average commute in the US. I prefer the answer from Valerie Geller in her book Beyond Powerful Radio A Communicator's Guide to the Internet Age: News, Talk, Information which is, "There is no such thing as too long, only too boring." You can get the audiobook for free. Longer Podcasts Are Doing Very Well In episode 93 of Libsyn.com's The Feed Podcast, VP of Podcaster Relations Rob Walch states that at Libsyn.com 84% of shows with 100,000 downloads are 51 minutes are longer Those that were 2.0 hours or more with 100,000 downloads per episode or more made up 13.2% of the podcasts on Libsyn. Those that were 30 minutes or less made up 9.9% of shows. This Doesn't Mean All Podcasts Should Be Long The bottom line is, your podcast should be as long as it needs to be and not a minute more. When I reverse engineered all the content I consumed, I found that the content did one or more of the following: It made me Laugh It made me Cry It made me Think It made me Grown It Educated me It Entertained me If you can do more than one of these at the same time, you're on to something. If your content does not of the above, do NOT press record. I would love to help you shape your message. I want to be your podcast consultant.Mentioned in this episode:Unlock Exclusive Insights: Subscribe to 'Podcasting Observations' Newsletter!Get insights into the world of podcasting like never before with "Podcasting Observations," your go-to source for trends, tips, and transformative insights tailored just for podcasters. Each issue of our newsletter offers a glimpse into what's shaping the podcast landscape, with actionable advice to boost your podcasting journey. You also get a glimpse "behind the scenes" and bonus content from the School of Podcasting. Go to www.podcastingobservations.comPodcasting ObservationsThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

You might be thinking, "Technology and I are not friends." I hear this all of the time from clients, "But Dave you don't understand my VCR blinked 12:00 for years." I know. I've heard this many times. To this, I ask: Have you ever uploaded an image to FaceBook, or a file as an email attachment? Then you can upload a media file to your media host Have you ever been listening to the radio in the car and your phone rings and you turn down the radio? Then you know how to mix audio Have you ever press record on a VCR, Cassette Deck, Tivo, or DVR? Then you press record in audio recording software (hint, it's the red button with "REC" on it) Do You Know How To Talk? Then you can talk into a microphone. I Use to Be Afraid Like You Today I share a story about how I was fired for being too shy. I reveal the advice I got from a teacher who got me over the hump, and I want to be the person who can help you over your hump. Don't let the technology stop you from getting your message out to the world. If you want to be heard, then please let me know help I look forward to working with you. I want to be your podcast consultantMentioned in this episode:Unlock Exclusive Insights: Subscribe to 'Podcasting Observations' Newsletter!Get insights into the world of podcasting like never before with "Podcasting Observations," your go-to source for trends, tips, and transformative insights tailored just for podcasters. Each issue of our newsletter offers a glimpse into what's shaping the podcast landscape, with actionable advice to boost your podcasting journey. You also get a glimpse "behind the scenes" and bonus content from the School of Podcasting. Go to www.podcastingobservations.comPodcasting ObservationsThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Have you ever wondered if you should start a podcast? I've asked my audience and clients this question, "Because of my podcast _______" and today you will hear how: Their networks have grown Reaching a global audience They are getting free stuff They are being offered opportunities They are building an audience They are getting paid They are getting hired They are earning awards They are being seen as the media They are speaking to celebrities in their field They have a purpose and direction in their life They are adding dollars to their bottom line They are changing the lives of their audience I've been helping people understand technology for over 20 years, and I've been podcasting for over a decade and I want to help you. I want to be your podcast consultantMentioned in this episode:Unlock Exclusive Insights: Subscribe to 'Podcasting Observations' Newsletter!Get insights into the world of podcasting like never before with "Podcasting Observations," your go-to source for trends, tips, and transformative insights tailored just for podcasters. Each issue of our newsletter offers a glimpse into what's shaping the podcast landscape, with actionable advice to boost your podcasting journey. You also get a glimpse "behind the scenes" and bonus content from the School of Podcasting. Go to www.podcastingobservations.comPodcasting ObservationsThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy