The One About ✨Perfectionism✨

#onethingaboutme is that I’m really passionate about the small steps.

Don’t get me wrong, I love dreaming up “the big picture” stuff. The big plans and the wild dreams are fantastic motivators. But dreams can only get you so far. It’s those small steps that get us to the big-picture end goal.

The main problem I have with too much “big picture” focus is that we often don’t address what has to be done to get there.

We have those brainstorming sessions where it’s all excitement and hype.

► We plan A LOT.

► And we feel GREAT afterwards.

But if you don’t take that hype and use it to make things happen, it’s just hype!

I get that you want to have a plan in place before you launch that campaign, try that idea, promote your podcast, fill-in-your-blank.

I get it. I’m BIG on planning, too.

But too often, we can let coming up with the perfect plan stop us from doing anything. And that’s way worse than just doing something! I’m also starting to realize that I can’t always wait for all my ducks to be in a row. Because those suckers are always wandering off! 🦆🦆🦆

So now, I still strive to give whatever it is my best, I’m just not getting caught up in wanting everything to be perfect first. (Carli really gets into this in today’s Founder’s Corner! Lemme tell ya, it’s gold! ✨)

But how does ALL of this help you on your podcast journey? Well, this advice is particularly useful when you’re looking for ways to promote your show.

Yes, there are tons of posts out there that show you how you can promote your podcast. Heck, I’ve written a couple, too. (Don’t get me wrong, I stand by all those ideas.) But in all honesty, most of those methods require a fair amount of planning. They are super effective, but sometimes you just want there to be something you can do “right now” to take action and see some sort of result.

So, here are a couple of low-output, small steps you can take RIGHT NOW that will help get those podcast promotion gears turning:

1. Get on Social Media:

• Leverage the power of platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and X/Twitter/whatever. If you’re not posting podcast content on these platforms, start today!
• Make an audiogram, share some behind-the-scenes snippets, or just a carousel sharing the key takeaways from your last episode.
• Use Canva for easy designs and ChatGPT if you need some caption inspo, and share that post!

2. Leverage Digital Advertising:

• Invest in paid ads on platforms like Facebook Ads and Google Ads.
• Target specific demographics and interests relevant to your podcast. It's a simple way to get your podcast in front of your target audience.

3. Update Your SEO:

• Optimize all your podcast assets for SEO.
• Focus on SEO elements in your podcast description, your episode titles, and your podcast website.

4. Enter Podcast Awards:

• Submit your podcast to awards programs within the industry. (Fun fact, there’s actually a whole bunch!)
• It’s a simple way to gain recognition, grow your podcast's presence, and establish authority. Also, what do you have to lose?

Are these strategies going to gain you tons of recognition and heaps of new listeners? Maybe not. But they are effective small steps that you can try RIGHT NOW to get that podcast promotion ball rolling.

Want more on this topic? Then dive into this blog post for more details on these effective strategies: The Most Effective Ways to Promote a Podcast.

Final Take-Away

Yes, you should definitely take the time to develop an official marketing strategy for your podcast, just as you would a brand that you wanted to get out into the world. But don’t wait for it to be perfect. It’s the small steps that carry us to the big dreams.

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Links Worth A Look...

• ​iOS 17 has been released for iPhone and iPad.🍎Updates include some fun changes for Apple Podcasts, including episode art, a new Now Playing experience, and search filters. (While we're super excited about these updates, we're secretly just as excited to see what this awesome duo does with the new ringtones...IYKYK.)
• 🚨A Podcast Scandal! 🚨 Kast Media has been accused of not paying their creators. Comedian Theo Von covers the scandal here. Coffeezilla also does a deep dive here.
• ​Acast and Slip.Stream Strike a Chord with Podcasters in new Music Licensing Partnership.🎵 With this partnership, Acast podcasters gain access to more than 70,000 songs for use in content creation.

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Founder's Corner

So often we get held back by the limitations of perfectionism. Yet we are unwilling to compromise on the quality of our content.

How then do you find the balance? ⚖️⚖️⚖️

Valuing perfectionism is often viewed as having high standards. Yet, the pursuit of perfection can actually be a major limitation on your progress. This is where instead of asking yourself, "Did I get this absolutely right?", switch your focus towards, "Did I learn something? Did I make any progress?"

Progress > Perfection

The thing about perfection is that it is a moving target. And when you're constantly chasing that perfect moment to launch, or the perfect topic, or even the perfect interview, then you ultimately become stalled. That pursuit of "perfect" kills your forward momentum. In fact, it doesn't even allow you to gain momentum in the first place.

So what does this mean? Should you lower your standards and put out bad-quality content?

The short answer is: NO.🚫

Then what's the long answer? Ultimately, you need to shift your mindset towards realizing that something that is imperfectly done ALWAYS outperforms something that is perfectly planned, yet never executed.

Let that sink in...

Now keep in mind that "imperfect" does not translate directly to "low quality". It can still be something that is of incredible value to your audience even if everything doesn't go perfectly as planned. And guess what? That is literally the definition of life. Things don't always go as planned!

Another bonus: failure is also a part of life. If you fail to launch it creates a new opportunity. The opportunity to learn through trial and error, and oftentimes the opportunity to learn the biggest, most impactful lessons of your entire career.

Now that we understand the limitations of perfectionism, let's look at 3 key strategies you can use to continue to hold yourself to a high standard while also adopting a more balanced and realistic perspective.

1. Challenge your "all-or-nothing" thinking.

When you engage in all-or-nothing thinking, you view situations in binary terms.

► Either you succeed completely or fail utterly

► Something is perfect or completely flawed.

This type of thinking can be paralyzing and discouraging, as it sets an impossibly high standard and leaves little room for growth, learning, or acceptance of imperfections.

By challenging all-or-nothing thinking and adopting a more balanced perspective, you create room for growth, resilience, and a healthier mindset.

Progress is a journey, and each step you take is a valuable part of that journey, regardless of how small or imperfect it may seem.

• Embrace the process
• Learn from the experiences

Cultivate a mindset that values effort, progress, and resilience over unattainable ideals of perfection.

2. Celebrate progress, and the opportunities to learn.

When we make the mindset shift to celebrate progress over perfection, we can begin to encourage action, embrace feedback, and recognize the value of incremental improvements.

This mindset enables us to break free from the limitations of perfectionism and start to take significant steps toward reaching our goals. By embracing the idea of "create something, and then improve it," we allow ourselves to overcome the fear of failure, moving away from the extremes and towards action.

Celebrating your progress, however small, and appreciating the journey allows you to recognize that there is always room for improvement. Again, you are able to avoid the trap of complacency while still continuing to strive for a high standard of excellence.

The key is to embrace the idea that "imperfection" and failures are not roadblocks — they are stepping stones on the path to success.

3. Explore new ideas and alternative paths.

When we prioritize progress, we immediately create an environment that:

► Fosters innovation

► Encourages renewed thinking

► Opens up new paths of growth.

We become overall more adaptable to changes that might spring up, more resilient in the face of challenges, and more open to new possibilities. Rather than being fixated on a rigid ideal of perfection, we remain open to feedback and constantly find new ways to improve.

Stepping away from the limitations of perfectionism can be a transformative journey toward a more balanced and fulfilling life. However, breaking free from perfectionism takes time, patience, and a commitment to changing your mindset and behaviors.

So keep moving forward, allow yourself to explore new paths, and be open to finding new ways to put out valuable content that resonates with your audience.

Until next week...

Happy podcasting! 🎧

The Team at We Edit Podcasts

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