29 Oops! Podcasting Mistakes 😖
Common podcasting mistakes can sabotage your show—VIC Podcasters are diving into the top ones to avoid so your mic drop moment doesn’t become a mic flop.
Ideas Discussed This Episode + Episode Timecodes:
00:00 – Welcome to the minefield: podcasting mistakes ahead!
00:40 – The unforgivable sin: bad audio (and how to fix it)
01:30 – Rambling on: structure over stream-of-consciousness
02:10 – Upload roulette: staying consistent with your release schedule
03:00 – SEO snooze: boring or missing titles and show notes
04:10 – No marketing, no growth: why you must shout about your podcast
05:30 – Recap and a teaser for part two of the series
Oops! Podcasting Mistakes You’re Probably Making! 😖
No matter how long you’ve been podcasting, there are some classic traps that can trip up even the best of us. In this first of a two-part series, VIC Podcasters covers poor audio, waffle overload, and why your podcast titles might be killing your growth.
One of the biggest early podcasting mistakes? Bad audio. It’s an instant turn-off—no one will stick around for an echo-filled mumblefest. This episode dishes up some no-nonsense solutions: buy a quality secondhand mic and record in a quiet room. Bonus tip? Avoid recording in your bathroom unless your podcast is titled "Shower Thoughts."
Structure matters. A lot. Waffling on without a plan is a surefire way to lose listeners (and patience). Even dot-point scripts can keep things moving while letting your personality shine. Editing is your best friend, not a punishment—trim the tangents and stick to the gold.
And finally, don't just make a podcast—market it. Your show notes, titles, and social posts are how people find and fall for your pod. You’ve done the work, now tell the world. Set up that newsletter, join some podcasting groups (like VIC Podcasters, hello!) and make your podcast visible.
If you’re ready to level up your podcast presence, work with Zoë from the Video Confidence Coach to get your show sounding sharp, seen widely, and confidently marketed—whether you're a hobbyist or hungry for growth.
TIME FOR A QUICK QUIZ 🤓
Which is the #1 podcasting mistake?
A) Not marketing your show
B) Rambling without structure
C) Bad audio quality ✅
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Answer: A) Not marketing your show - How will anyone know if they don’t hear it from you?
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Zoë Wood 00:00
Watch out for the podcasting minefield. Mistakes happen, but some are avoidable. Let's learn from others, so we don't have to learn the hard way. You're listening to the Victorian podcasters podcast, your bite sized slice of podcasting. Know how we're all about connecting Victorian podcasters, newbies, pros and the on gona crowd, or put your money where your mouth is and join our emailing list and Facebook and LinkedIn groups for exclusive updates, resources and our Community Q and A, because podcasting doesn't have to be a solo gig. The podcasters is proudly produced on watarung land. You music. This episode is going to be a two part series about common mistakes I see podcasters make. So check out this episode and the following one. As a podcaster of I think around 15 years at this point, there are plenty of things that I have done myself multiple times over, so hopefully you can learn from me and not do these mistakes when you're first foraying into podcasting, or if you've been doing this for a while, first off, and usually the biggest one, is bad audio. So an instant tune out for anyone who is listening or trying to listen to your podcast. No one can forgive bad sound, not even your mum. So the best way to combat this is twofold. Invest in a decent microphone. Doesn't have to break the bank. Usually, the most common microphones that are out there, again, you can Google whichever one and my recommendation look for the top or basic microphone from three to five years ago. That means it's usually a microphone that is of decent quality, and there's a good chance that you can get some second hand that are still at the top notch that you need them to be. Also make sure that you're recording in a nice quiet space. Say no to echo chambers. Of course, you can check out other episodes about bad audio, but we'll move on to some other common mistakes. The next one is rambling and yapping on and on and on and on and on. Structure is your best friend. Respect your listeners. Time edit out any waffle or any tangents that may not relate to your point or your focus of that episode. Scripts are great, but personally, I like to be able to use dot point scripts where, essentially you know what you're talking about. You are creating a podcast about it. I hope that you know what you're talking about when it comes to your topic, but being able to have simple dot points of not too much words allows you to freestyle, while also keeping structure helps you not sound like a robot. Just pausing your podcasting experience to let you know that I run a business called the video confidence coach, which emboldens women and non binary superstars with killer video marketing strategies, empowering them to show up, stand out and smash their goals. If this sounds like you, reach out to me in the show notes below the next one is an inconsistent upload schedule. Yes, I understand that life happens, and it can be harder to make sure that you're producing and putting podcasts out there in a timely manner. But your listeners, your audience, likes routine. They like predictability in a good way. So do your best to batch record episodes just like we do here at Vic podcasters, to avoid any last minute panic, and if you do disappear, do your best to communicate with your audience so that they know that you haven't completely disappeared off the face of the earth. The next one is ignoring your show notes and titles. There are so many good podcasts that I come across that do not use the power of SEO and the power of the word, the written word, especially for your show notes and your titles. A good title means more clicks, makes it more intriguing, means that you grow your podcast and show notes, helps both robots and SEO and Google, but also helps new listeners find you. You may not be necessarily the exact fit they're looking for, but because you have provided context and reasons why people should listen to you in the description of your podcast, people are more likely to listen to you and you're more likely to show up in playlists with other like minded individuals. A timestamp outline also helps binge listeners find where they need to focus and also helps you in the future as well. And the last one for this episode is forgetting about marketing your podcast. You need to tell people that you have a podcast. It's not a case of if you build it, they might come because you cannot just risk it, especially if you're putting the amount of effort and time into your podcast, whether you are a hobbyist, whether you are a newbie or whether you are a pro at podcasting, sharing episodes across social media in podcast groups like Vic podcasters, as well as making sure that you collaborate with other people and and share with your audience outside of those platforms, so people know that you have a podcast to begin with and there is an episode that will. Key their interest, and as I always say, it's best to rely on email newsletters. So if you don't have an email newsletter for your podcast, highly recommend getting onto sub stack, getting onto MailChimp, whatever is easy, whatever is free. You can always email your audience, because even if it's just your dog and your nan for now, they still want to know that your podcast is coming out next episode, we're going to touch on more mistakes to avoid. Make sure you share this episode with fellow podcasters to save them from some regret, and hopefully we can talk about this at the Vic podcasters, on Facebook, LinkedIn and our email newsletters. That's a wrap. Remember, we're here every week to share quick tips, updates and the occasional bad joke. Feeling inspired good now hit record or go to the show notes of this episode for a backstage past experience of the Victorian podcasting scene. Vic podcasters would like to acknowledge and pay our respects to the wadawurrung people of the Kulin nation, the traditional custodians on the land on which we work, live and play. We pay our respects to their elders, past and present, we stand with the traditional custodians of these lands in working towards a more equal future. Always was, always will be Aboriginal land, and remember, podcasting doesn't have to be a solo gig.
The above episode description and transcript were generated with human knowledge + ai.
Photograph of 4 members of VIC Podcasters who met up in Geelong.
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Who is your Host?
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Find out more about how to grow your personal brand with the power of video right here on vcc.training
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