Make Your Podcast Better Without Spending: Ditch Mistakes that Have Become the Norm

Podcasting is a very competitive space. If there is anything you can do to get ahead of the masses, you should grab that chance.

Too often, I see those looking to grow a podcast default to marketing as a solution. More videos, more clips, more edits, more posts, more promos, more channels. While all those things can help, they cost time and money and there may be some basics that you are getting wrong that can be fixed for free.

Here’s my list of the most common bad habits I hear and see in Podcasts and why you should think about fixing them first.

If you do any of these, it’s not a criticism. Most people do at least some of them which means they have to some extent, they have become acceptable.

Throughout this article, you will find a prevalent theme: VALUE.

Don't Address the Listener as a Collective. 

"Hi, everyone.", "tell the listeners…." 

It may seem small, but listen to any motivational speaker. They always address the individual, even if they are in a packed room. There is a psychology of speaking to the individual for impact. 

If you have a podcast, its main aim should be to provide value to a listener. People are more likely to embrace the value if they feel it's specifically for them. Saying things like "everyone" or "the listeners" conjures up an image of a room packed full of people; in that scenario, no one will feel like the content is actually for them. It will always feel more like a lecture. This is why the best public speakers (who speak to a room full of people) still don't address the audience as a collective.

When people listen to podcasts, they are in a world of their own.

Where it becomes even more prominent for podcasts can be magnified by asking a simple question: Who listens to podcasts in a group?

You might imagine speaking to a collective of people, but every person listening does so in their own "me time". The scene for them is wherever they are at that moment. You should play to that.

Podcasts are (arguably) the most personal media in the world right now. People listen often on earphones or headphones. People choose niches that speak to them in a personal and individual way. When you think of it like this, why would you open with "Hello, Everyone!"

Don't Put the Episode Number at the Start of a Title

The episode number has no impact or relevance on whether someone will give you a chance. Good content is good content, and as an avid podcast listener, I don't care if you are on episode 3 or 300; if you're discussing a topic I'm interested in, then sell it to me. 

A title plays a VITAL role in targeting new listeners. After the content itself, it's the most crucial element. So, it needs to be as simple and effective as possible. Including the episode number at the beginning only clouds it. Is a number the first thing you want a potential listener to read?

There's a second reason. It's damaging your searchability. Algorithms (on podcast platforms and YouTube) are looking for titles that fit a search; if you put a number first, you're effectively prioritizing it. Let's take two examples of how podcasts that might be competing for ears:

[EP #104] Financial Growth: Mastering the Art

Financial Growth Hacks 101: Unleashing Your Income Potential

In the first sample, "EP #104" has been prioritized as the first keyword, whereas the second title's opening keyword is "Financial Growth". For anyone searching for "Financial Growth", guess which one shows up first.

I think episode numbers at the end of a title are acceptable; mentioning the episode number in the podcast is also okay, but neither is essential. Always ask yourself, what value does this provide?

Don't Make the Intro about You or Your Guest

Long intros are a massive turn-off for podcast listeners. Unfortunately, most podcasts I listen to have intros that go on too long and focus on the wrong thing. Too often they focus on the hosts themselves;

“Here’s what’s going on in my life and with the podcast”

Or they focus on the guest;

“My guest this week is Joe Bloggs, and he has worked for Spotify, Microsoft and Apple. He won an award, he has a wife and 3 kids and loves taking his dog for a walk”

While it might seem logical to give a background on your guests and everything they have done in their careers, it's unlikely to impress the listener. 

The person listening wants to know what's in it for them. You need to be highly strategic about your intro. Make it as short and punchy as possible; instead of reeling off your Guest's CV, the intro should highlight what the listener might learn or take away from listening to the podcast in full.

Always think about these two things: aspiration and relatability; 

Aspiration: Has the Guest achieved something your listener would like to replicate?

Relatability: Do they have a story or vulnerability that people will relate to?

Aspiration: If you have a guest quit a corporate job and become a millionaire, that's impressive; many people might have that ambition. 

Relatability: Before you hit record, they seem a bit nervous; that's an excellent opportunity to make someone relatable. Let the guest share that vulnerability.

Remember that people are only interested in stories they can see themselves in. Craft an intro that connects with the listener in some way.

Don't Forget to Offer Value FAST (within the first 2 minutes)

An extension of the last point. Podcasts are all about value. It's the most critical element that you must keep coming back to. If someone is going to listen to your podcast, they expect to take something away that they can implement into their life to improve it. So give them something very fast to entice them to stick around.

Once you've crafted an intro that teases what the listener might learn or takeaway and you've made it relatable, it's time to get into the conversation and here's where MANY podcasters slip again.

"So, tell me about yourself", shouldn't be your starting point. Any variation of "tell me about yourself" is going to lead to boring content. On top of that, guests hate being asked that question as it's difficult to know where to start. Be specific and start off with a question or allude to a story that is going to give the listener immediate value.

Don't Place Ads or Calls to Action too Early or Too Late

Placement of ads and CTAs is less important once you build enough trust and credit with your audience. But for those podcasts scrapping for listeners in a competitive space, you need to consider this one.

“Please, like, subscribe and share this podcast”

I've heard many podcasters place ads or calls to action very early. In the case of ads, it's an annoyance. In the case of calls to action, it's the psychology of asking for something before you've given anything first.

Give first. You have to give the listener something before you ask for anything in return. Something as simple as "Please like and subscribe to this podcast, or give a 5-star review" is not well placed in an intro because you are asking for a return before you have proved that your podcast is worth anything.

Similarly, you shouldn't wait until the outro to place these things; the end of the conversation is the end of the story arc for the listener. They will turn off or mentally switch off once the goodbyes are said. For example, how often do you pay attention to the movie credits?

Best place for calls to action: After a big piece of value. If your Guest has just given a ton of free advice or shared a valuable story, immediately after is the optimal place to take a break and ask for something back. The listener has just received something they can take away and implement. They are far more likely to hit subscribe or act on another favour in return for the fresh value they just got for free.

Don't Make 'No Microphone' the New Normal

The most damaging one of all. Just because you've heard other podcasts where people use laptops or webcam microphones doesn't mean you should. Having worked exclusively on podcasts for five years, I would say there is a massive gap in the market and an easy win for new podcasters: get your audio right.

It's undoubtedly the most significant cause of an immediate drop in quality. Laptop microphones don't sound good. It screams amateur from the moment you press play. If you want to represent yourself or a brand professionally, it's imperative to have good audio quality.

Listen to how microphones that cost as little as $25 can instantly boost your podcast's quality. In this podcast, the host uses a Samson Q2U and sends guests a Jabnecter Headset mic, which costs just $25:

Using microphones doesn't have to be expensive or complicated. A USB headset mic is 100x better than the built-in laptop mic. I demonstrate in this video: