50. The risk of swearing in your podcast

Should you swear on your podcast episode? It depends on your audience

Laura: Have you ever finished recording a podcast episode and thought, hmm, um, should I edit out that swear word? Or maybe you’ve held back mid sentence because you weren’t sure if swearing would land well with your audience. Today we’re talking about the colourful language question. Should you swear on your podcast? And as with most things in podcasting, it depends. Today we chat about this so you can make the right decision for your show, your audience and your goals.

Do swearing fit your podcast tone and the brand you’re trying to build

Laura: Welcome to Podcast Strategy that Brings in Clients. I’m Your host, Laura McCrae, podcast producer and content strategist. If you want your podcast to bring in leads, build trust and support your business, you’re in the right place. Because smart content starts with your podcast. But it doesn’t stop there. Let’s start with the most important question.

Laura: Does swearing fit your podcast tone and the brand you’re trying to build? If you ran a comedy show or a raw journal style podcast, swearing makes total sense. But if your podcast is about business, leadership or personal development, dropping the F bomb, uh, might clash with the feel you’re trying to create. So ask yourself, is swearing something my audience expects from me, or could it be something that bothers them? Whether you’re a sweary person or not, what matters most is that your listeners know what to expect. If your episodes have always been clean and you’re suddenly throwing an F bomb, it might surprise people, and not always in a good way. But if swearing is just how you talk and your audience is used to it, then that’s just part of your voice. Just make sure you’re consistent. Or give people a heads up if something’s different in an episode. This is easy to do and builds trust. Use your trailer, intro or even a quick line at the start of an episode to let people know what’s coming. You could say something like, hey, just a quick heads up. This episode has a bit of strong language that lets your listeners know in advance and it shows you care about their experience. If you swear, make sure to mark your podcast as explicit. You can either mark your whole show as explicit or each episode individually. Most platforms like Apple and Spotify, require you to mark episodes as explicit if they contain swearing. This helps avoid problems down the track and keeps you compliant with their guidelines. And, uh, yes, if you don’t do this, your show can be removed or restricted, so make sure to do it.

S swearing can affect how your podcast is discovered and shared

Now, let’s talk about impact. Because swearing can affect how your podcast is discovered and shared, some people filter out explicit content when they search for podcasts. So a friend of mine, I remember asking her to look up a podcast. I thought it was good, but she couldn’t even find it on her Spotify app because she filters out explicit content, so she couldn’t even find this podcast I was talking about. So if your podcast is marked as explicit, it might not even show up for them. Sponsors are another thing to consider. Many advertisers prefer to partner with family friendly content. So if you’re hoping to land a sponsor or a partnership, swearing M might limit those opportunities. And if you’re thinking globally, some countries have strict media laws and won’t distribute shows with strong language. So that’s another reason to weigh it up carefully. So if you do like to swear, think about whether it’s worth it or not. Sometimes a, uh, well placed swear word adds emotion to put your point across. But if it’s there just to fill a space where a better word could go, it’s probably not worth it. When editing, you can try and edit out the swear words and if it still flows, keep them out. But if it sounds weird, you might need to keep them in. Or you could always just bleep them out. That’s another option. I’ve had guests on my show before who I know like to swear, so when we had a chat, before the interview took place or before I pressed record, I said to him, would you mind keeping the language clean? Because I try and keep it a clean podcast. And they were fine with that. One person completely forgot and still kept swearing. But when I edited the podcast, I was able to edit those swear words out, so that was fine in the end too. Remember your podcast not live, so you can always edit later. If you’re from the UK in the 90s, there was this programme called TFI Friday and I always remember when Sean Ryder from the Happy Mondays was asked on Chris Evans, the host always used to get in a panic because he always used to swear and it was live. And in the uk it’s very different to Australia. You’re not supposed to swear before 8pm

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and so whenever Shaul Ryder come in, he was always swearing and it was always such a big deal. But you don’t need to worry about that with your podcast, you can edit it out.

Laura: Want your podcast to bring in new leads without doing all the work? Then you need a podcast producer who doesn’t just edit episodes, but make sure every one of them supports your business goals. That’s what I do, I manage the whole process. So your podcast does what it’s meant to build trust, grow your audience and bring in leads. I only work with 10 podcasters at a time. If you want one of those spots, book a call@, uh, podcastsupportservices.com au contact.

Laura: There’s a podcast called the Bugle and they recently ran a listener survey. They asked their listeners if they prefer the swear words to be beeped out or Left in. And 53% of their audience said they prefer swearing to be beeped out. The other 47% weren’t bothered. So while it’s not a huge deal breaker for everyone, more than half appreciated the bleeping out. So that tells you something really, doesn’t it? So if swearing is rare and accidental, like I say, you could just bleep it out. That way you don’t have to mark your episode as explicit. You keep your personality intact without closing the door on listeners or sponsors. And if you’re working with an editor, just give them a heads up. Just let them know if you want the swear words left in, bleeped out, or taken out completely. So have a think and ask yourself, who am I trying to attract with this episode? Could this affect sponsorships or future partnerships? Would I regret not editing it out later on? And does the language really serve the message? There’s no one size fits all rule here. Swearing isn’t necessarily bad. It just needs to make sense for your show, your goals and the people who are listening. So should you swear on your podcast? You can if it’s authentic, intentional and aligned with your brand. But if you don’t have to, clean doesn’t mean boring, and swearing doesn’t automatically make you more real. What matters most is that your podcast sounds like you and, uh, that your audience can trust. What to expect when they press play.

This episode is brought to you by Podcast Support Services

Laura: This episode is brought to you by Podcast Support Services. Podcast strategy that attracts leads, clients and credibility. Are you looking for a podcast producer? We may have availability. Head to podcastsupportservices.com au.

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