Hey savvies! Welcome back to another episode of the podcast. I’m so excited that you’re here.
In today’s episode, we’re diving into how to self audit your show. I know that not everyone has the budget to pay someone to conduct an audit on their podcast so I wanted to share some ways that you can audit your own podcast and make improvements to your show.
Actually listen to your episodes from start to finish
Set aside dedicated time to listen to your podcast episodes from start to finish. Listen as if you were a first-time listener, paying attention to the flow, pacing, audio quality, and overall content.
Check audio quality
Ensure that the audio quality of your podcast is clear and consistent throughout the episode. Pay attention to background noise, distortion, volume levels, and any other audio issues that might affect the listening experience. This is super important because with a podcast having high quality audio is crucial. People can forgive slip ups here and there but if they’re constantly having to turn up and down the value between you and your guest, then they likely won’t stick around for long.
Evaluate content structure and organization
Consider the structure and organization of your podcast episodes. Assess if the content is well-segmented, flows smoothly, and stays focused on the main topic or theme. Look for any tangents or rambling that could be edited or trimmed. I think it is good to let your listeners get to know you a little better but if most of your episode consists of fluff then you’re going to experience some dropoff in listenership.
Assess your delivery and speaking style
Evaluate your own performance as a host or speaker. Listen for clarity, articulation, pacing, and energy. Take note of any verbal tics, repetitive phrases, or other speech patterns that you may want to improve upon. It’s a lot easier in post-production if you can catch these while recording, but if not then some if not all of this can be edited out in the post-production process so don’t stress yourself out too much about this step.
Review episode descriptions and titles
Examine the episode titles and descriptions. Ensure they accurately represent the content and effectively grab the attention of potential listeners. Make any necessary adjustments to optimize their appeal and searchability. I would recommend going through at least your last 10-15 episodes for this and then slowly working your way through your backlog of episodes because I know that some of us have an extensive backlog that you won’t be able to get through in just a few hours.
Analyze audience engagement
Pay attention to the parts of your podcast where engagement might drop or listener interest might wane. Identify areas where you could improve engagement, such as adding more storytelling elements, incorporating listener questions, or bringing in guest experts for specific topics. I also recommend making sure that you have a CTA (call to action) in every episode. It doesn’t need to be a hard sell each time, but it is important to tell your listeners what actions you want them to take.
Seek feedback from trusted listeners
Share your episodes with a few trusted friends or colleagues who can provide honest feedback. Ask for their opinions on content, audio quality, and overall listening experience. Take their suggestions into account for future improvements. Sometimes we can be our own worst critic but sometimes we also get used to a certain way of doing things and don’t always notice any gaps that might be there.
Take notes and make a plan
As you conduct your self-audit, jot down notes about the areas that need improvement. Create an actionable plan to address these points, whether it’s editing techniques, equipment upgrades, or refining your hosting skills. You don’t need to start implementing all of these things immediately, but focus on the most important ones first and then work on the others.
Implement improvements
Act on the feedback and insights you gathered during your self-audit. Make the necessary changes to your podcast episodes, audio quality, delivery, or any other aspect that requires improvement.
Repeat the process regularly
Self-auditing your podcast should be an ongoing process. Regularly assess your episodes, implement improvements, and seek feedback to continuously enhance the quality of your content. I would say that this process should happen at least once a year if not once every 6 months.
Reminder: Don’t be too hard on yourself. Whether you’re only a few months in or you’ve been podcasting for years, we all have improvements that can be made so don’t beat yourself up if you feel like there’s a mountain of improvements to be made.
We all start somewhere and I’m extremely proud of you for putting yourself out there in the first place so keep on putting out new episodes and improving over time. I will be over here cheering you on every step of the way.
Now I would love to know, have you ever done a self audit of your show before? Let me know over on Instagram – @podcastingforentrepreneurs.
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