Podcast Audit: Pure Cringe Podcast
Maria reached out to get a "true understanding" of how the Pure Cringe Podcast is doing and to guide you along your podcast journey (without being pure cringe - I hope).
Maria, co-host of the Pure Cringe Podcast, reached out for an honest answer in response to “how is my podcast doing?”
Family and friends say great things; however, Maria (and her podcast co-host Michelle) are asking for an unbiased opinion in hopes to get a true sense of their progress.
Unbiased, direct, and thoughtful is exactly how I aim to provide my feedback with clients.
I’ll start with the “so far, so good” section starting off the positive aspects before I rip off the theoretical bandaid into what I feel could change to improve the Pure Cringe Podcast.
Taking it In
The episode I chose to listen to is Pretty Messed Up.
My pop-culture knowledge is dismal so I had to do some internet searching. Yet, I was still able to follow along with the co-hosts fairly well. Hats off to Michelle and Maria for being great conversationalists and bringing in some antidotes, feelings, and juicy gossips related to the show and Erika’s book.
Many listeners dislike the intro being played before the podcast episode. Taking this out, and getting right to the important bits of the episode, definitely helps keep listeners engaged.
I like that the feelings and overview was out in the open first. At a few minutes in those who want a little snippet or “the goods” can peace out (stop listening) early. For those who want to hear the details unwind and expand throughout the episode it’s definitely worth it.
So Far, So Good
Audio is clear, at a good volume, and easy to listen to.
Conversation is interesting (even though I struggle to sit through a 60+ minutes podcast.
Website is a good idea (some broken links and security issues - more on that later)
Hosted via Podbean.
Book review and then a related show recap (good to break up content)
Socials have a loyal audience
Instagram shows 250 followers and 30+ likes and comments (combined) on recent posts (the small but mighty following is supporting! Great!)
Facebook is active; however, there is less of a following and engaged audience on this platform (Maybe it’s worth keeping the effort strong on Instagram)?
What Needs Work
The joy about creative content is that everyone gets to have an opinion. Including me! With that said, Marie and Michelle are always welcome to flip me off or nod in approval. Here’s what I recommend
Cover Art
I think the original cover art is fun and quirky. Yet, it doesn’t say anything about book reviews or TV show gossip.
Is this a dentist? Does someone love botox? Is this a comedy podcast? Is this a self-deprecating host that’s proactively telling new listeners that this podcast is “pure cringe?”
Official podcast description from the Pure Cringe website: “two old friends laugh & cringe while recapping classic Bravo TV shows & books penned by Bravo TV Stars! Together, they’ll dissect every romance, every jaw-dropping scandal, & every hilarious moment of your favorite Bravo shows at their peak--the early seasons!”
In other text / social media posts Michelle and Maria admit that they’re Gen X’ers. They chat they sound like they’re good friends who would give up a steady love life for a good book and reality TV. The glasses coming off of the nose, in the after podcast art, say quirky, sassy, and up to no good. Regarding the subtitle, you’ll ‘enjoy’ hearing the co-hosts vomit all over the author’s book - especially her audiobook. Bring out the spice! They don’t hold back!
I’m far from a graphic artist; however, I hope this demonstrates the contrast with first impressions.
I created the after graphic using Microsoft Designer (included in Office 365 subscription) and Canva (free tier). The colors are a bit off (compared to the original; however, this is only for education purposes only). Want to fix it further? Feel free to add your own twist by using the canva template I have created for you.
Podcast Category
This podcast is listed under the Culture and Society podcast category. How many podcasts are registered as “active” under this category? According to Rephonic, there are currently 383,072 (or 14% of all podcasts) assigned to this podcast category. Remember the TV Podcast I featured a few weeks ago about giving into podcast burnout or pushing on? That podcast is listed under TV & Film which represents only 3% of all podcasts.
In order to feel less crowded consider assigning your podcast with a different podcast category like Leisure (5% of all podcasts), TV & Film (3% of all podcasts), or Other (0.60% of all podcasts). Keep in mind that this offers a slight risk should a new listener be searching in one of these categories and not find you. Yet, in this case, I feel that it’s more important to move away from a crowded space as a newer podcast creator.
Increase Entertainment Value
An hour of talking about a very specific topic can be tough to sit through unless you’re looking to captivate a very specific audience. If you’re reviewing a book, talking about an author, and recapping a TV show at the end of the series there’s a very high chance these co-hosts won’t watch the clock and go on tangents about random / inside-feeling jokes related to a specific angle on a show that a surface viewer may not understand.
Splitting up your content into segments within the podcast episode will help your one hour long episode be even more enjoyable then it already is. Allow me to share some of my wild and wonderful ideas to add some additional zip to this conversational content:
Ten Things
In this particular episode a focus (early on in the episode) was about how heinous Erika’s audiobook was.
Consider playing “ten things I’d rather do than listen to Erika’s voice.”
There are no rules here - and allows the hosts to show off their personality. Add a clock ticking sound effect or an egg timer ding when time is up (if you have a time limit and make this more spontaneous). Michelle and Maria clearly have sarcastic and unhinged energy so lay in to it.
Montage Teaser
Consider a polished blooper reel or audio montage highlighting all of the captivating bits. You also may think of this as an extension to the highlights presented in this podcast episode show notes already.
Quick summary in audio clip form
Montage of audio clips that tease the episode (roll for 30 seconds) with some examples such as:
I also address my Mother by her first name
Who said Erika’s a well-trained dancer?
I hated General Hospital
Erika got fired for being a stripper
I really want to get a horse named Lobotomy John
Her Dad was a real “fucking twat.”
Dancing with the stars really “fucked with her head. “
If you dip into your inner childhood immaturity you too will find those examples make you want to continue listening for more.
Time Limit
Set a time limit to segments. Maybe you also have sub-segments.
Like popular talk shows you could have a monologue (or what the hosts are excited for on Bravo TV to suit the theme of the podcast).
Then you could try that top ten quick fire round with something fun and creative to tailor to a pain point.
Afterward, could signal the recap round.
Yes - it starts to feel a bit gimmicky and game-show like; however, when done tastefully and inline with your personality this can play off really well.
Don’t forget to add more of your call to action. Even if it’s to review. What is the benefit of the listener reviewing? Maybe you read the reviews on the episode and say something “kind” about them?
Audit Me Gently
Although I have a directness to my approach I mean well when giving advice. When removing the emotion the feedback presented can come with a slight sting; however, delivering feedback with emotion often negates the importance of feedback which is solicited toward the goal of improving in the future.
If you’d like honest feedback, I’ll complete a more detailed audit for your podcast with ideas, suggestions, and a detailed summary shared in a mix medium of video and written form for you to keep as long as you wish. Podcast Audits are usually priced at $100US and if this is something of interest please feel free to reach out directly:
Want to learn more about me and my skills? Head over to my about section to learn about me, see some testimonials, and listen to some of my creative handiwork.