I listen to many podcasts. I have some I’ve followed for years. I have some I add to my favorite podcast app on my iPhone, hear a couple of episodes, and remove.
The number one reason I unsubscribe; the hosts are wasting my time. I don’t have much time each day for podcasts, and when I turn them on, I would like to get right to the details.
I don’t want to list those that I have problems with because I don’t want to call anyone out. Those that waste time know who they are.
Examples of wasting my time:
- Casual banter. Carrying on about the trip you took or the co-working space you visited adds no value. It’s not the reason I am listening to your podcast. Get to the point.
- Complaining – many do it, complaining about something unrelated to the topic isn’t adding value to the show.
- Personal discussions are unrelated to the topic I tuned into in the first place.
- Your world philosophy – podcasts tend to be a soapbox for some folks, it’s really not the place.
Examples of who does it right:
- Hanselminutes, Scott Hanselman adds no fluff to his 1/2 hr with listeners. He values their time, and it shows.
- Rails with Jason
- Ruby on Rails Podcast
I don’t know why so many podcasters do this. I can only imagine they think they need to fill more time in the show. I’d rather have a short show on-topic than a longer show with talk. I believe shows that run 60 minutes could easily shorten to 30-40 with being on topic
Maybe they think we are interested in their personal stories. Sorry, but I’m not.
Podcasters, value the time of the listener. Address the topic with spot-on discussions and remove the filler. No fluff, just stuff.