The Habits That Keep You Podcasting (and the Ones That Don’t) – Episode 121

[MUSIC IN – GHOSTHOOD FEATURING SARA AZRIEL “LET’S GO” BEGINS]

MARY:

Alright, how familiar do these scenarios sound? You know, you have an episode coming up, you either haven’t planned it yet or you know the topic you are going to riff on. So you either take a long time recording it because you’re riffing and you kind of go on tangents, or you’re still working out the episode and never actually get recording in time because you’re still typing away. Or maybe you’re on that other end of the spectrum where you love batch recording and you have a whole stack of interviews ready to go, but haven’t put them together to edit or publish and they just kind of sit there for now. 

These are all very common scenarios that I myself have lived in all of these versions in one form or another. And having worked with so many podcasters with varying personalities, I’ve seen a thing or two about creating habits to keep you podcasting, meaning to keep you publishing episodes so people can hear the work that you do and the message that you have to share. There’s no one way or the right way to do things. So let’s explore what’s possible for you to keep recording, editing, and publishing each and every episode with some podcasting habits that you’ll actually enjoy. 

These habits could actually make podcasting more fun to create and to help you publish on a more consistent basis, because the more episodes you produce, the more episodes you actually need to record too. So what kind of podcasting habits are keeping you, or actually not keeping you podcasting? 

This is episode 121 on the Podcaster’s Guide to a Visible Voice.

<< WOMAN SINGS: So so so so let’s go >>

Hey, welcome to the episode. First off, a shout out listener in Ashburn, Virginia. 

[INTRO MUSIC FADES AND ENDS]

Hi, I was reviewing podcast stuff the other day and noticed a few downloads coming from Ashburn, Virginia, which is new to me. So you must be enjoying the show. You’re probably new and you’ve downloaded a few episodes. So just wanted to say welcome, hello, and if you get this message, of course, please do leave me a voice message. And anyone else who wants to leave me a voice message can do so as well on my website, VisibleVoicePodcast.com there’s a little purple “send voicemail” button. Click on that and you record it straight from your phone. Fun, easy, dandy, love to hear from you.

[THOUGHTFUL JOYFUL MARAMBA MUSIC IN]

All right. Consistent podcasting, you know, what does that really mean? I’ve had a few episodes about podcast sustainability, so like sustainably being able to podcast in your capacity and this sort of riffs on that as well. Because I know you enjoy podcasting, I know you enjoy talking with people or working out your inner thoughts and making everything sound the way you want it to sound. 

Yet sometimes life just gets in the way. But there are tricks that you can use. Not hacks, but like, ideas to help you keep that workflow going for you. And as I said at the top of the show, these aren’t things that you have to do or that they’re recommended for you to implement right away. Like, a lot of these things are just things for you to think about, because how you work will change some of your podcasting habits so you can produce more on a consistent basis. 

[MUSIC ENDS]

So let’s start at the very beginning, the planning of the episode. This is where you pull your ideas of what you want to talk about or who you want to talk to. Some of the best ideas happen during life. Like you’re just doing things and an idea pops into your head. You need a spot, especially where you can access it on your phone, or maybe it is tied to a cloud drive or something for you to jot down your notes as it happens. 

For me, it’s Trello. I have a Trello board, a list of ideas. Whether I am chatting with someone that I’m like, whoa, that’s a really great idea. I note it down, or I’m researching something else, and I’m like, oh, that’s a good one. And I share that link to my Trello board or what have you. You just need a small spot to gather these thoughts and ideas. 

Some people love the physical notebook, and that totally works too. Some people have a Google Drive doc with all the episodes. Okay, that works. The idea is putting it down somewhere. So when you do sit down and plan your next episode or the next series of episodes, you have all these ideas here as a jumping off point. 

Whether you actually use those ideas or not is a totally different thing. It is the fact that you are kind of like training your brain to notice episode ideas as life happens. Because, let’s be honest, most people, when they podcast, they are podcasting about something they are very passionate about and probably something that they already do on an everyday basis. So why not integrate what you do consistently so that you can produce podcast episodes consistently as well? You have a spot to nurture all your ideas and to actually get it out of your head so that you can think about other things as well. So however you want to organize your thoughts and ideas, have a spot for it. 

[DRIVING RHYTHMIC DRUM AND GUITAR WITH SYNTH MUSIC IN]

The other part about planning, too, is scheduling in time. Now, I know not always the best because I do it too. I have slots in my calendar where I’ve blocked off time to do different parts of my show. Do I ever actually use that time for it? Actually, no, I don’t. Honestly, I see it on there. And because I am very much an outer accountability type of person, if it’s my own deadline, I tend to push it. But if it’s like a deadline for my clients show, no problem, I can make it to that deadline. I will make sure we get things done. But it’s quite funny that when it’s my own work, I’m like, oh, well, I can just move it on the calendar. Oh, I can just move it again. So figure out how you work and if scheduling time in your calendar to produce different parts of your show works great. 

I have a client who is like, every other Friday is her podcast day. She either records an episode with a guest, records her solo episodes, or she does like the show notes and all the other things to do with podcasting. She did it one day a week. So whatever works for you, locking in time, or for me, just knowing which week I need to start doing things. Because this very podcast is only every other week, so knowing ahead of time when I need to start recording. 

[MUSIC ENDS] 

Okay, but what about, you’re one of those people that batch records, right? You’ve got a whole bunch of episodes done, or you have the ideas all worked out, you just need to record them or you just need to edit them. Like, these are habits to put systems into place. First you want to go back to, how do you produce your show? So knowing what to do next and in what order helps immensely with that feeling of satisfaction to create the next one. 

And sometimes most podcasters don’t even realize that you’re doing this all on autopilot. You know, like, they know they have to record the show, they have to edit, then they have to publish. But before they publish, they need to write the show notes, they need to write a, you know, the description, the title, all of those things. Maybe create an episode graphic. Like, there’s so many little moving parts. But I want you to sit down actually and write down all the steps it takes for you to create a podcast episode. From the pre-planning to the post, which is the show notes and publishing and all that sort of stuff. 

Once you know exactly what you do and what your next steps are, you can create a system, meaning you can sort of chunk tasks together at certain points in time. So if you are a weekly show, then maybe you take an hour on a Monday, an hour on a Tuesday, an hour on a Wednesday and you have things complete, or maybe you’re like, you know what, I’m a whole day person. Like, I was talking about my other client who loves Fridays as her podcast day. Then, you know, every Friday I’m going to do all of the tasks, right? So how do you work? What is your capacity and schedule like so that you can put some of these systems into place and sort of have a good gauge about how long it takes you to do something and how it will fit into your calendar? 

Personally, for me, I don’t have a really rigid schedule, except for the fact that I know that my podcast gets produced every two weeks. I have times when I’m like, I have a bit more free time, so I try to schedule in some more interviews during that week. Or if I know that I’m really busy with personal appointments, there’s school things with my kiddo, then I’m going to make sure that I do other parts of my tasks around those events. So the way I work my calendar with my podcast is knowing what are the non negotiables? What do I not move on my calendar and then slot in where I can do things for my podcast, right? 

So on my calendar, the priorities are like, every day I have three tasks that I need to get done, whether they are personal or business, client related. I get those done and if I have time, then I start slotting other things in, right? So what is your system like? What is your calendar and how are you going to fit all of these tasks into your schedule? 

[ENERGETIC MUSIC WITH CLAPPING IN]

And you know what, this is going to be something that might be a little controversial, but you don’t have to do everything on the checklist. Yeah, I said it. What can you not do for your podcast so that you can streamline the work and trim the things that are not, not as important? I mean, I would like to think all the podcasting tasks are important, but we really only have so much time in our day, right? 

So it’s that idea of what is important and urgent, meaning recording your episode, publishing an episode versus what is important but not urgent, maybe scheduling guests for future episodes, and then also what is not important but urgent. So maybe that’s my episode is coming out Monday and it is Friday today, I need to get this done now. And what is not urgent and not important. 

And that controversial part comes into this quadrant. This fourth element of not important, not urgent. In a lot of podcasters mind, this is the promotion part. The idea of being a podcaster is you’re just producing episodes. There are episodes out there. But we never really have the time or make the time to do that promotion of each episode or talk about your show so that other people can find you. 

A lot of podcasters just put stuff out there and hope that people will find their show. Other podcasters are like, you know what? I’m gonna make sure I put in some good SEO keywords in my title so that if people are searching for a particular topic, they find me. Those are all well and good, and I totally get that if you are working by yourself on your show, there’s only limited time. And so this is where I’m like, okay, I get that your promotion is going to be not urgent, not that important. 

But I do have to say, though, it is important because part of podcasting is building that community, getting that feedback from your listeners and producing more episodes. Because honestly, when a lot of podcasters have been podcasting for a long time, but they don’t get that community feedback from their listeners, whether it is actually in their email. When they talk to people in real life, depending what their podcast is, it is hard to keep going. 

So one of the better habits to create that consistency is to promote your show. So changing your frame of mind, instead of having your marketing and promotion, which is talking about the episodes once they’re published in that not urgent, not important quadrant, I would love for you to try to move that into the important quadrant. For me, what that looks like is actually talking about the episodes much later. Like when I actually have time to sit down and just do some of these tasks. And you know what? The great thing about a podcast is that you have content that sits there and that people can find later on. Unless, of course, you do, like a daily news podcast, then the old episodes might not have some relevance. 

However, most podcasts, you can continue talking about old episodes all the time. Especially if there is something that happens in your industry or in your world that’s like, hey, this old episode of mine is related to what is going on right now. And so you could promote that old episode based on what is happening. It’s a great excuse to talk about an old episode so that people will want to listen to it because they’re like, oh, right, I see this relation, I see this connection. I’m gonna listen to that episode. So don’t think that you have to promote your episodes right when they publish. 

Another thing I love about promoting an old episode is actually seeing the download numbers go up. There’s a little bit of a spike because you promoted it. So you can actually see that your promotional efforts are working because an old episode, oh, people are listening to that. You see a little spike in your analytics and you’re like, why is that? Think back. Oh, right, I talked about this episode on a LinkedIn post or what have you, right? So keep in mind that it’s not always about promoting when it releases. There’s actually many advantages to promoting after it’s been published, even long after, years after. 

[MUSIC ENDS]

The best podcast habits really are a balance of consistency with quality. You know, people are going to forgive you for these minor imperfections, such as the last episode with Paul Rosenblum that I published. I didn’t publish that until later in the day on Monday. And I bet nobody really noticed because that Monday I didn’t have that many downloads. But the next day there was a big spike because those listeners who normally listen on the Monday when it releases just listened on the Tuesday. 

So creating these habits are really more for you to keep that flow going, for you to keep the creativity going. Minor imperfections really don’t have that much of a negative effect on listeners. So when you’re struggling in life and you’re like, I can’t produce an episode this week. There’s no way I can do it. There’s so much going on. I thought I was gonna pre-plan, I didn’t have time to pre-plan. Anyway, life got ahead of me, and I can’t believe it’s already publishing date soon. That happens. And it’s okay, skip a week. But make sure whatever happens, you come back, you come back strong, right? You just come back with, this is the episode. We’re moving on with the podcast more for you so that you’re not ghosting your listeners, which I have talked about in the past. 

However, if you notice, this is happening more often than not. And it’s become the new consistency of only publishing episodes whenever you can on a very random schedule when you feel like it. Well, that just means you might have some episodes in the backlog that will never, ever get published. And then eventually you pod fade and the podcast doesn’t exist. I’ve seen it before. It’s happened. So if that feels kind of like, sad, you don’t want that to happen to you. You like your show, you want to keep going. The biggest consistency killer is just being unrealistic about the publishing schedule because it doesn’t match the systems that you might have in place or lack of systems, right? 

So let’s take a look at what you can do again to remove some of that pressure on yourself. Because honestly, you can have a podcast schedule of whatever works for you. That is the pressure you’re putting on yourself. Nowhere does it say you have have to create an episode every single week. 

There was a time, and probably still is, with other pieces of social media saying, oh, yeah, you gotta create. That’s the consistency. You gotta create all the time so that the algorithm, algorithm catches you and da da, da, da da with the algorithm. And I’m like, no, uh, that’s not why most people podcast. So whatever schedule you are creating, maybe you cut that frequency. 

I was working on a show where she was podcasting every single week and then she had a second kid. And then she also got a full time job on the side, [LAUGH] on the side, a full time job on the side. That meant her priorities have shifted. It didn’t mean that she didn’t want to do the podcast anymore. She did. And then the type A personality was like, oh, man, I feel so bad I didn’t produce that episode. Or oh, I promised the guest that I would get this out by a certain date. And we’ve missed the date. And there’s all these feelings that come up. 

How about if we sit down and we’re like, okay, what if we only went every other week? How does that feel to you? Does it clear out some of that mental worry that’s in your brain? Or what if you’re like, you know what, it’s actually getting the interviews, finding the people, making sure they’re a good fit. I don’t have time for that. Or maybe it’s the other way around. You know what, I don’t want to do solo episodes. There’s so much to put together and get my thoughts together before I ever hit record. Interviewing is so much easier because I can just sit with a guest and chat. 

There’s many different personalities, so you work better one way or another. And again, that’s not a good or bad thing. What works for you so that you can keep up with the frequency of that you’ve established for yourself. 

[THOUGHTFUL MUSIC IN]

Another thing for you to do if you’re like struggling with a bit of that overwhelm is just lowering your quality. Not the quality of your work, but that idea of done is better than perfect. You know, don’t practice your episode before you record it. Just record it. The best episodes sometimes are the ones that are just in the moment. I mean, yes, you have editing powers. You can cut out some of the mistakes or pause for thinking and regather your thoughts. But again, done is better than perfect. 

[MUSIC ENDS]

As I said earlier, I’m an outer accountability type of person. So if you are as well, find an accountability partner, another podcaster is great. If you’re doing this for your business, maybe you already have someone on your team that they can check in on your progress. Hey, little nudge, are you working on this episode? I’m looking forward to hearing it this Wednesday. Or maybe they’re the ones to source out the guests for you and schedule them for you. 

Or maybe they are just the ones to organize all your work so you can just hit record, right? There’s many ways to find a great accountability partner, especially a podcaster who is in the thick of it like you. You can just have some chats about your struggles and wins, and it will make podcasting so much more fun when you have a partner. Because podcasting can feel very lonely, especially if you do solo episodes all by yourself, recording with a microphone in an empty room. 

[ENERGETIC MUSIC WITH SNAPPING]

So how does this episode feel to you so far? I’m going to be honest, I had this one laid out, but I did not fully organize it. So these are one of those episodes that is done is better than perfect, right? The ideas are all there, and yet I did not have time to fully maybe what I think of polishing up the structure. But again, nothing is a failure. You use these episodes as a learning opportunity. Like, okay, I know in my brain I can actually organize the next thought and get those going. I pause when I need to, I pick it up where I need to, and then I just edit. Because that’s my bread and butter from working in radio. I know how to make an edit. 

So in my brain, I’m giving myself that leeway. You don’t hear all the mistakes. And that’s just the job that I’m doing so that it’s not something you as a listener will notice. So you don’t have to treat every episode as a piece of perfection. 

[MUSIC ENDS]

So, yeah, what are some of your podcasting, traps, let’s call them. Is it that perfectionism in recording or editing? You know, to start that perfectly imperfect podcast, I have an episode on that you can also touch base on, which is similar to this one. Or are you one of those people that just collect ideas but never record? I mean, I’m that as well, but again, it’s just an idea collection. It doesn’t mean those are all episodes that you have to record. Some other traps might be waiting to have enough before you start. I’ve got another client right now who’s like, I just need to keep practicing. I want to try this out. I’m going to lay this out first. I’m going to write this all down. I’m going to and has not fully recorded yet. 

So it happens to a lot of podcasters and you’re not isolated. We all have these habits. Which one is like you? I’d love to hear it. Send me a voicemail, VisibleVoicePodcast.com, there is that purple “send voicemail” button and we can commiserate together because yeah, I’ve been podcasting for a long time, but. But some of these traps and habits still sit with me. So I think we just need to talk more about this openly and be like, you know what? Yep, that’s me. Raise my hand. I don’t promote my own podcast a lot, but I just want to make sure that you are aware that these things happen. Because sometimes, if these traps or patterns are consistent, burnout happens, especially in like a hobby podcast, one that’s just a passion project for yourself because it becomes unpaid labour, right? Then what’s your motivation to create your show? Because you’re going to be neglecting your life and your work to make this podcast. 

So I just want to make sure that you’re aware of what could potentially lead to podcast burnout or podcast fading. So I want to make sure you keep podcasting. I would love to hear what your show is. Let me know. And let me know what are some of the challenges that you are working on. Because also if you have a challenge, another podcaster does too. So if you let me know what it is, we can talk about it and help other podcasters along the way while giving you some advice. Email is always great for that too, visiblevoicepodcast@gmail.com, let me know what your podcast challenge is and it could be on a future episode. 

[UKELELE AND CHIMES MUSIC IN]

On the next episode, we’re gonna talk to another podcaster who might have a boring quote unquote subject to talk about. The last episode was bookkeeping with bookkeeper Paul Rosenblum. This is stereotypical, you know, who wants to talk about taxes and money and stuff like who wants to talk about taxes, right? And bookkeeping. It’s typically not a fun subject. 

But the next episode we’re going to talk to a lawyer. I promise. Don’t worry, I won’t make a habit of bringing in boring, stereotyped subjects. However, Mike Anderson is a lawyer for creatives, innovators, and do-gooders. We are going to make law more accessible to you. Understandable. And yes, even fun. We can make it happen. So we are going to talk about his own podcasting journey with his award winning show Lawyer Life Podcast, but also laws around creating a podcast. 

If you have questions before that episode, definitely let me know around podcast law. What are you hoping to know as a podcast creator VisibleVoicePodcast@gmail.com again is the place to drop me an email. Otherwise, we’ll talk to you on the next episode with Mike Anderson.

[MUSIC ENDS // ENERGETIC RHYTHMIC MUSIC WITH CLAPPING ENDS // OUTRO MUSIC IN – SHOW CLOSE]

<< GHOSTHOOD FEATURING SARA AZRIEL “LET’S GO” BEGINS >>

MARY: Thank you so much for listening to the Podcaster’s Guide to a Visible Voice. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d love it if you shared it with a podcasting friend. And to reveal more voicing and podcasting tips, click on over to visiblevoicepodcast.com.

<< WOMAN SINGS: Let’s go >>

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