Mistakes To Avoid When Launching A Podcast in 2023

Starting a podcast can be an incredibly exciting venture, but there are some common mistakes new podcasters often make that should be avoided at all costs. Follow these crucial tips to ensure a successful and smooth podcast launch in 2023!

Rushing Into It

Many first-time podcasters make the crucial mistake of grabbing the nearest microphone and hitting the record button without much planning or forethought. However, it is vital not to cut corners here - you should take adequate time upfront to properly plan out your podcast concept, format, topic coverage, and production plan before investing in any equipment or software. Brainstorm various engaging topic ideas, outline future episodes, decide on a tentative show format and flow, and develop an impactful name and brand for your podcast. This upfront planning and ideation will pay dividends down the road.

Ignoring Production Quality

One of the fastest ways for a new podcast to get turned off and tuned out is poor, amateurish production quality. In 2023, listeners expect a polished, professional sounding podcast - invest early on in a proper condenser microphone, consider acoustic paneling and sound dampening for your recording space, learn some basic audio editing principles, and spend time learning proper post-production workflow. Skipping these steps can degrade the listener experience quickly.

No Clear Target Audience

Every successful podcast tailors its content and tone to resonate with a very specific, tightly defined target audience. Take the time to get very clear on who your ideal listener is - drill down into gender, age range, location, interests, pain points, and entertainment preferences. Let this hypothetical target audience profile guide your show topics, tone, hosting style, marketing, etc. The more you can directly cater your show to appeal to a niche, the more traction you will get early on.

Being Too Broad or Unfocused

Rookie podcasters often try to cover too many unrelated topics, genres, and ideas at once. This scattershot approach fails to attract any specific listener group. Instead, stick to a clear, focused overarching theme, topic, or niche. Hyper-focused podcasts that dig deeply into a single subject attract the most engaged listeners in a niche.

Releasing Sporadically

The most successful new podcasts release on a very consistent, predictable schedule, based on the host's production capacity. Releasing new episodes sporadically or inconsistently trains listeners to become disengaged. Ideally, aim for a once a week cadence, as that is what most listeners expect. The key is sticking reliably to whatever schedule you set - consistency is key.

Not Optimizing for Discovery

Make sure to optimize each episode by including thorough shownotes, an episode transcript, and relevant keywords to enhance discovery. Select the right main category and subcategories during submission to improve visibility. Leverage cross-promotions with other podcasters. These on-page SEO steps make it easier for new listeners to find your show.

Ignoring Promotion

Too often, new podcasters upload their show and expect listeners to magically find it amid the 750,000+ shows out there. You must self-promote across your website, social media, email lists, collaborations with others, guest spots on podcasts, and any other channel possible to stand out and get on listeners' radars.

The first weeks and months after launch are critical - so be sure to avoid these common new podcast pitfalls in 2023! Let me know if you would like me to expand on any section further

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