When a listener tunes into a podcast about a sensitive or difficult subject, she probably isn’t looking for a barrage of listed facts that she could have read on a website.

She’s listening to your voice in her headphones because she wants something she can’t get from Google. She wants a human experience, a human connection.

Expressing vulnerability in your podcast can help listeners to relate to you, to believe you really do understand, and to trust the words you speak. But there are ways to be vulnerable when podcasting, and ways not to be.

My experiences of podcasting with vulnerability
I know a bit about this. Three and a half years ago I started talking into my phone about something I couldn’t talk to anybody about. I was ashamed and convinced that nobody would ever understand – indeed, that people would hate me if they knew.

I felt completely alone, so I verbalized my fears and my worries and published them as a podcast. I assumed nobody would listen, but wanted the catharsis and accountability.

The fear of speaking as a podcaster, often referred to as mic fright or podcasting anxiety, is a unique manifestation of glossophobia tailored to the realm of audio content creation. While podcasting offers the freedom of expression without the immediate pressure of a live audience, the thought of recording one’s voice and sharing it with potentially thousands or even millions of listeners can still be daunting for many.

One significant aspect of this fear is perceived perfectionism. Podcasters may worry that their content isn’t good enough or that they’ll stumble over their words. Unlike live speaking engagements, where mistakes are fleeting, every imperfection in a recorded podcast feels permanent. However, understanding that perfection is unattainable and that imperfections can even add authenticity to your podcast can help alleviate this fear.