How to avoid fake podcast 'experts'
In a world where anyone with a microphone can claim to be a podcast expert, it’s crucial to arm yourself with the knowledge on how to differentiate the true pros from the shady fakers.
We’re putting our detective hats on and analysing the tell-tale signs of those who are merely cashing in on your naivete.
From the overly polished personal branding clips that scream desperation to the suspiciously high follower counts that suggest a bot brigade, we dissect the modern-day snake oil salesman lurking in the podcasting community.
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Podder - https://www.podderapp.com/privacy-policy
Transcript
Here's how you can spot a fake podcast expert in the wild.
Speaker A:The Snake Oil Podcast expert.
Speaker A:And in this episode, I'm gonna teach you how to spot them like your Richard Attenborough, studying them as they circle the social media drain.
Speaker A:You're looking out for constant personal branding clips of them pretending to be interviewed on podcasts.
Speaker A:This is something that they're all doing now.
Speaker A:You look on TikTok, you look at Instagram reels, and all you're seeing now is influencers looking away from the camera like they're being interviewed.
Speaker A:We're not falling for it, bros.
Speaker A:You're also looking out for accounts with lots of followers clearly bought.
Speaker A:The topic simply is not that interesting, and there are not that many people looking for insight into podcasting in the world, as well as a ridiculously inflated follower count.
Speaker A:You also want to look at the engagement going on their posts.
Speaker A:If they're posting a picture of some artwork of a podcast they've just launched and there are something like 150 likes and comments on that post, chances are it's an engagement pod they're in.
Speaker A:Steer clear of these people like it's the Middle Ages and they've got herpes.
Speaker A:Also, look at their own portfolio.
Speaker A:Most podcast gurus, the fake ones, haven't even got an actual show of their own.
Speaker A:And and if they have got one, it's probably not gone past 20 episodes.
Speaker A:And they've certainly never grown an audience on any of those podcasts either.
Speaker A:Here are some red flags to look their own show's been silent for months.
Speaker A:Their advice sounds like it came from a YouTube video, and it probably did.
Speaker A:They obsess over hacky launch tactics and ignore week three advice.
Speaker A:Also, they think downloads mean listeners mean trust, and we both know that's simply not the case.
Speaker A:So here are some questions that you'll want to be asking any podcast expert that you decide to work with in terms of getting their advice.
Speaker A:Ask them, can you show me how to connect with my ideal listeners?
Speaker A:They should have answers for you.
Speaker A:Ask them, will you help with retention or just pop me off with a chart ranking?
Speaker A:Can you warn me about the messy bits of podcasting like burnout?
Speaker A:And what will you do to help ensure I don't quit after just a few months?
Speaker A:Podcasting deserves better than that repackaged fluff that some opportunist once saw on YouTube and decided to monetize that and so do you, and stick with me and I'll show you the way.
Speaker A:Podcasting Inside Podcasting Insights.
