Hello again!
Last month, I sent out my first newsletter in ages with a typo RIGHT SMACK DAB in the subject line!
I used the wrong who’s/whose.
I had read and re-read my newsletter about 5 times before sending it. I had revamped it for weeks actually. I originally wanted to start sending a newsletter back in January, but between all the sickness in our house over the holidays and then my Dad going into hospice and passing away in January, I put it on the back burner.
When I finally went back to it, I thought I had checked everything and updated it all. I even sent myself a test email to be extra, super-sure I was good with it before it went out to my list. And somehow I still missed it.
It was only as soon as I got the notification that it had been sent that I saw the glaring mistake.
I had written “Who’s Voice …” instead of “Whose Voice …” and I was mortified. How could I have missed that?
What did my newsletter readers think? How many of them unsubscribed or sent it to spam because they immediately saw my mistake?
I quickly went to Instagram and posted about my mistake in my Stories and added a poll to ask if anyone noticed. Thanks to the 75% of you who said you hadn’t noticed, and the 25% of you who said you’ve been in the same boat!
That brings me to this month’s tip …
Please enjoy the read and reply back if you have any questions, comments or suggestions for upcoming newsletter topics!
Quick Podcasting Tip
Made a mistake in your podcast and need to fix it? Maybe an editing flub went through, or someone said something that in retrospect was better said off the mic. Here are some options to help you recover from a mistake.
If possible, edit the episode/have your editor fix the mistake and re-upload a new version. This may mean re-recording a segment and plugging it in (be aware of the difference in sound when recording on two separate occasions) or simply editing out the mistake.
If editing the mistake isn’t possible, you can also record a sentence or two to add to the beginning of the episode letting future listeners know about the mistake. You can also add a note about the mistake to the show notes of the episode.
Let your social media and newsletter subscribers know about the mistake. You may want to suggest to Followers/Subscribers who already downloaded the episode with the error to delete it and download the updated version in their podcast app.
Pay attention to feedback but don’t let the criticism get into your head too much. Mistakes happen to everyone. Pobody’s nerfect. You may hear from listeners and their reactions may not always be the most constructive. Take a breath, take a break if you need to, and delay your response if you need some time to process the situation.
Find the lesson. It took a long time for me to learn to reframe losses as lessons to learn from instead of beating myself up. This goes for more than just podcasting mistakes. Pretty much any setback is an opportunity for learning and growing from that knowledge.
Pro Tip: Change your file name when uploading. If your original file was Episode1.mp3, make sure the updated file doesn’t have the same name. If you upload a new file but with the same file name, some podcast players (like Spotify) may not recognize a new file has been added to the code of your RSS feed and won’t know to update your podcast feed. You may want to check with your podcast hosting provider on what they recommend for file naming when changing out a file.
For creative independent podcasters, mistakes are all a part of the process. For recovering perfectionists, like myself, they can still be hard to accept and deal with.
But this is your reminder to continue to show up and keep going.
Keep going as you learn from mistakes, just like I recently learned about through a Zentagle workshop I attended recently — check out these Instagram Posts (1) (2) to see what I mean.
Marketing Toolbox from Apple Podcasts
I recently went to a couple of free webinars put on by Apple Podcasts for podcast creators and they were fantastic! I mentioned them in my Instagram Stories and I even made a Reel walking you through using Apple Podcasts’ marketing toolbox to create eye-catching social media graphics quickly.
A few other highlights from the webinars were:
Check out the promotional tools available for your podcast from Apple Podcasts at podcasters.apple.com/market.
Apple Podcasts has also made it possible to download badges podcast players, and a QR code for your podcast. Click here, search for your show title, then scroll down to the Podcasts section and click on your show to get downloadable assets.
Learn how to submit your show to be featured by Apple and some best practices for doing so. Here’s the link to the promotional request form.
If you’re a podcast interested in Apple’s upcoming Subscription option, you may want to look into the affiliate program, the Performance Partner Program. This makes it possible for you to earn a commission when you refer someone to paid content on Apple, such as movies, music paid subscription-based podcasts, and more.
More podcast branding and marketing information and suggestions can be found here.
Want to learn more directly from Apple and have a chance to ask them your creator questions? Sign up for upcoming Apple Podcasts webinars HERE. These are fantastic for new and veteran podcasters alike and it’s been encouraging to see Apple providing tools and resources to independent podcasters.
Check Out the Latest Blog Posts
E Podcast Productions — Podcasting Blog
Emily: Out Loud — ADHD/Creative Lifestyle Blog
Dealing With My Dad’s Death: A Thank You Letter to My ADHD (audio version coming soon!)
Trying Out a TENS Machine to Relieve Pain and Menstrual Cramps: First Impressions (audio version soon!)
Until next time, Happy Podcasting!
Like What I Do?
Enjoying this newsletter and my content? If you’ve found my tips and information helpful, you can support me and my work by buying me a cup of coffee over at BuyMeACoffee.com/emilyprokop 🙂 And look for a shout-out over on my Instagram Stories!
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