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School of Podcasting: Expert Tips for Launching and Growing Your Podcast

School of Podcasting: Expert Tips for Launching and Growing Your Podcast

997 episodes — Page 11 of 20

Ep 543Creating and Growing Your Podcast Brand with Marketing Manager Lauren Nelson

Branding and Marketing Your Podcast: Lauren Nelson Interview Today on episode 543 we talk with fellow podcast Lauren Nelson who is the Marketing Manager for Crowdspring.com She produce the audio drama podcast "The Box" and share her insights on how podcasts ban boost their marketing efforts to stand out. Realize there are no rules to podcast. For Lauren she takes as much as she needs to tell her story, and that's it. Your iTunes artwork is your first impression, have someone who is a graphic person create yours. Consistency can boost your brand by never missing an episode, or by announcing (if you take a break) your planned absence. People may want t-shirts, mugs and other "Swag" items, so keep this in mind when making your artwork. The Apple company broke the rules in their advertisements (so have companies like All Spice) Don't be afraid to think outside the box. Thin about how "a show about nothing" is one of the top televisions shows of all time. Lauren's Favorite Marketing Podcasts Startup Smart Passive Income Marketing Over Coffee Duct Tape Marketing Special Podcast Marketing Guide Go to www.crowdspring.com/sop free guide promoting your show, and your design needs. Blue Yeti - A Hands On Review The Blue Yeti is quoted WAY TOO MUCH as a great podcast microphone. It is a condensor microphone, and if not used properly can make really bad sounding recordings. It can pick up what is right in front of it, what is behind it, or everything around it. You want to "Cardoid" setting for your best recording of a solo podcaster. To avoid sounding like you’re in a tunnel you need to turn the gain down, and get close the the microphone. When you do this, you will have what most people call “popping p’s” when you say worse that start with P’s, B’s, H’s, etc as the from your mouth goes into the microphone. The solution is to purchase a pop filter. Due to it’s unique size you need a specialized pop filter. You can purchase the Blue Pop Filter for $59, or you can grab a perfectly good one for $22 from Auphonix . The other thing you need is a shock mount. The reason for this is ANY touching of the desk that the Yeti is sitting on will pick up the vibrations. So you can purchase the shock mount from Blue for $56, or this one from for Auphonix for $30. So the price of a Yeti goes from $89 to somewhere between to $$141 to 204. The shock mount is going to need a stand so I recommend either the Rode PSA1 ($99) or the Heil PL-2T ($130) This is why the Audio Technica ATR2100 is the Best Podcasting Microphone NOT the Blue yeti. The Audio Technica us a dynamic microphone (which means it will pick up less noise than the yet) While the stand that comes with the ATR2100 is very simple, it will pick up less thumping (but I would still recommend a shock mount. This unit is a shock mount and pop filter in one for $9. Because its more of a “traditional” microphone you are a little more open to pop filters and shock mounts. The ATR2100 works via USB and XLR ( can work with a mixer) so if you’re flying solo, or need to plug into a mixer you’re good to go. So to get the same features you would need a Blue Yeti ($199), Pop Filter ($22), Shock Mount ($30), so would be out $251. Where is the ATR2100 is $77, the pop filter shock mount is $9, so you would be out around $86. Podcast Glossary "G" Garageband Grageband is a free software on the Macintosh platform that can be used to create a podcast. While great looking and equipped with some powerful tools, I feel its great for assembling podcasts, but not the best for editing out “Ums, and ya knows.” "Glenn the Geek'd it" Glenn "the Geek" Hebert runs horseradionetwork.com and is doing a great job getting advertisers on his show. He gets sponsors to help promote his show and other actions. An example Jim Collison got a sponsor to pay for a custom app and said, "I Glenn the Geek'd it." To hear Glenn talk about his techniques check out http://www.schoolofpodcasting.com/glenn1 Podcast Rewind Podcast Roundtable "Getting Your Show Out To Your Audience" The Pub "Investigative reporting costs thousands of dollars" Because of My Podcast - My Network Has Grown Nick Snapp of the The “Make it Snappy” Productivity Show has had his network of resources and friends grown since starting his podcast. He even got to Puerto Rico with a film documentary and film John Lee Dumas of eofire.com Check out Nick's Show at www.makeitsnappyshow.com Mentioned in This Show Alexacast - Get the most out of your Amazon Echo Best Podcasting Gear - Find out the best podcasting gear Start Podcasting Today Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/start

Dec 5, 201651 min

Ep 542Standing Out Leads To Better Opportunities and A Six Figure Podcast Income: Michael O’Neal Interview

Today we talk with Michael Oneal. Michael has over 500 episodes of his Solopreneur Hour, and also a co-host/producer of the Hines Ward show. Michael talks about how standing out leads to better relationships which lead to better opportunities. He also talks about his new "Art of the Interview" course. Sponsor: Emerald City Productions Your first four episodes edited for $15 each, and after that, it's only $40. Think of the time your will save, and think about how good you will sound. All the ums, and yaknows will be gone. All of your volumes will be even, and the equalization will be just right (not too much bass, not too thin) Check them out at www.emeraldcitypro.com/sop Because of my Podcast: Jim Collison Caught the Attention of the Department of Labor 3:06 Jim Collison does a podcast for his job. Also at his job he works with high school students in an intern program. The country needs more programmers. Gallup is making it happen. He got interviewed on the program (see the video at http://gallupgethip.com/info, but what caught the ears of the State of Nebraska Department of Labor? The Audio podcast. So because of Jim’s Podcast, he got a meeting with the Department of Labor for the State of Nebraska. See Jim’s podcast for Gallup at http://coaching.gallup.com Jim also does his podcast which you can find at www.theavaergeguy.tv Michael Oneal Stand Outs Above the Rest 9:51 Michael Oneal comes up with stuff that is awesome, and the beauty of his information is that it is stuff you can put into action immediately. Here is an example. If you are doing an interview with someone and you don't want them to use the "same old stories" in this interview. What do you do? Use those stories in your introduction, and they can't use them in their answers. They are forced to come up with NEW answers. BRILLIANT. He has a new course called the Art of the Interview which you can find at www.artoftheinterview.co Michael started out as a web designer who has lived all over the country and has had some great experiences. He is a professional drummer and has acquired skills in all sorts of areas. He filled in on the David Wood Show, started his own show and within a year was making a six figure income. Today we want to know how he did it. Michael stood out by giving Pat Flynn an iTunes gift card, and late taking him to lunch (after slowly building the relationship) then DIDN'T grill him about business (he zagged when everyone else zigged). This "non-grilling" talk then stood out from every conversation that Pat usually has at lunch. So Michael turned that into the Solopreneur Hour Show and how he has over 8 million downloads. Michael produces/hosts a show with Hines Ward Show from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Today you hear how relationships got Michael in the door that had been closed. Michael spent 90% of his bank account to buy flowers for John Lee Dumas, and it resulted in a great friendship that has lead to Michael partnering with John with different projects. Michael turned down coaching because he didn't feel he was a coach. His audience showed him he was missing an opportunity. He didn't launch with giant platforms. He got to know his audience by talking directly with his community and launched with a private Facebook group. This private Facebook Group has now evolved to Michael's Solo Lab. 28:02 Michael is launching a new show about Hi End Stereo Equipment because he likes talking about it. He's not thinking about sponsors. He's not thinking about downloads. He's thinking he enjoys super high-end audio equipment and wants to talk about it. Now think about that. THIS AUDIENCE (hi-end stereo equipment) HAS MONEY, AND they don't have a problem spending it. He didn't over think it. He didn't do months of research. He wants to talk about it, so he did. As he said on his Solorpreneur show, "I'll figure the rest out later." Most shows are awful because they are started not on passion, but on the idea of monetization and making big bucks. So when life happens, and you run out of steam, your episodes suffer. The Art of the Interview 30:00 Michael trains people that "Patterns Become Products" and that is what inspired the Art of the Interview Course that Michael recently launched. People kept asking him for it (a pattern) so he turned it into a product; Here again, Michael took steps to stand out. He made three separate courses in one. He recorded the course in a video format For the audio version, he didn't just strip the audio from the video. He recorded different audio to maximize the audio format. He had some take transcripts of the audio, and then tweak it into a Kindle book. He does a "directors cut" version of one of his toughest interviews. You get to hear Michael "Armchair Quarterback" the interview. More Ways To Stand Out 38:01 Michael shared the stories of gift cards and flowers, but Michael shares GREAT tips on making sure your guest will promote your show People don't take the word "host" serious enough. As many podcast l

Nov 28, 201657 min

Ep 541What Goes Into Making a Podcast Episode?

Today I want to share what I do to put together an episode. My example will be the the latest episode of the Logical Weight Loss Podcast. I also do a podcast microphone shootout with microphones in the $300 range (last week we did a shootout with microphones that are under $100) This Week's Sponsor: Emerald City Productions This week's show is sponsored by Emerald City Productions. Get your podcast edited and sounding great with this awesome special. Your first four episodes will be $15 each (after that they go to the regular price of $40). Check them out at www.emeraldcitypro.com/sop Because of My Podcast I Got A New Job: Super Joe Pardo Joe Pardo is the man behind the Dreamers Podcast, and also the organizer of Podcast MidAtlantic. Today Joe shares how his podcast got him invited to an event. At that event he got to meet some influencial people. Those people got to know Joe, and through his podcast they knew what his credentials were, and offered him a job. Find Joe at SuperJoePardo.com Being the Scenes Of Making a Podcast Episode So I had someone who was surprised at the amount of work that might go into a podcast. So this week as I prepared to publish an episode of the Logical Weight Loss Podcast, I took notes. There is one key point here. Length of time spent on and episode does NOT equal more downloads. You can spend all day working on content that doesn't connect with you audience. So here is what I did. First based on the ideas in the book [easyazon_link identifier="0849921902" locale="US" tag="sop2-20"]Secrets of Dynamic Communications: Prepare with Focus, Deliver with Clarity, Speak with Power[/easyazon_link] I came up with my main idea. Which is, "Based on mainstream media, it is easy to feel out of place if you are alone for the holidays. This along with the numerous activities of the holidays can lead to stress, and stress can lead to emotional eating." That is where I started. Here is a little confession. Last year I was "Alone" for the holidays. It turned out it wasn't that bad. Different? Sure. Bad? Nope. I wanted to help anyone who might be feeling down for the holidays. So I set out for strategies and insights for those who are alone on the holidays. I started with Google. I looked through about 10 articles, and ended up reading five. I pulled from my own experiences. I looked into resources for people who really were in a bad place and then made sure they were legit. I then went down a rabbit hole, when I found iPrevail. A pretty cool website that offers live chat for those who need to talk, and for those who want to go deeper, the offer some online courses. Intrigued, I signed up and took one. Note: This wasn't needed to complete the episode, but I always go with the thought "If it interests me, it probably interests my audience." I then looked at the holidays, and tried to find things that might be entertaining. I injected some humor to stop the episode from being so dark. I found examples I thought people could relate to (overly gushy Jewelry commercials), decorating a Christmas Tree, and weird family members. All of these to point out that the holidays are not a world of splendor filled with Rainbows and Lollipops. I took some time to figure out what topics I wanted to hit first. In other words, I tried to take the smattering of ideas and organize them into a stream of ideas that flowed nicely. I also through in a quick segment on an egg cooker I recently purchased. Finally I recorded it. My show notes were pretty done as I now make my show notes first to organize my thoughts. I recorded directly into my [easyazon_link identifier="B00KCXMBES" locale="US" tag="sop2-20"]Zoom H5 Four-Track Portable Recorder[/easyazon_link] , and then took that recording and put it into Hindenburg Journalist ,and added the intro and outro music along with some transition music. If you need music check out podcastingresources.com. I uploaded the file to Libsyn.com and copied and pasted the file into my Wordpress (as this is an old site, I'm still using the PowerPress plugin, if this was a new show I would use the Libsyn plugin). Use the coupon sopfree when signing up at Libsyn.com to get a free month (in addition to the current month) . Podcast Microphone Shootout $300 Range All prices are based on Amazon. Audio Techncia BP40 (Full Loaded $547) Microphone #1 Was [easyazon_link identifier="B00VXSVF6G" locale="US" tag="sop2-20"]Audio Technica BP40 Large-Diaphragm Dynamic Broadcast Microphone[/easyazon_link] is $349. The [easyazon_link identifier="B011VJOU8Q" locale="US" tag="sop2-20"]Audio-Technica AT8484 Shockmount for BP40[/easyazon_link] is an additional $99. I would recommend the Rode PSA1 Arm ($99) Heil PR40 ( Fully Loaded $495) Microphone #2 Was the [easyazon_link identifier="B000SOYOTQ" locale="US" tag="sop2-20"]Heil PR-40 Dynamic Studio Recording Microphone[/easyazon_link]. There is a nice bundle with a boom arm and shock mount [easyazon_link identifier="B00T6JBAUA" locale="US" tag="sop2-20"]Heil Sou

Nov 21, 201637 min

Ep 540Is The Audio Technica ATR2100 Still the Best Podcasting Microphone?

Today we are going to get our gear on. All you gear heads are going to love this. We are going to talk about some of the best places to purchase gear, we are going to talk about mixers, and we are going to compare three microphones that are under $100 Because of My Podcast - I Had to Quit My Podcast John Dennis is the co-organizer of the Thrive Make Money Matter conference, and the moderator of the Podcasters hangout Facebook group. He is also a podcaster with with smart time online, or he was until his podcast brought him so much business he had to stop podcasting to take care of his customers. AMAZING! Best Places To Shop For Podcast Gear Isn't the quick answer, "Amazon, DUH"? Not always. Here are some places to check out. Amazon When it comes to shopping for selection and price, it is hard to beat Amazon.com Now for the record, I am an affiliate for Amazon. However, you will hear where this may not always be the best place to purchase your gear. If you want to shop via Amazon, please use our affiliate shop at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/shop The other advantage Amazon has is if you are an Amazon Prime member, you can get free two day shipping Same Day Music If you were going to purchase an Electrovoice RE320 Microphone you might be tempted to go to Amazon where the price is $279. Did you know that Same Day Musichas the Electrovoice RE320 microphone for $299 and they have non-new versions for $269 AND you don’t have to pay tax on your purchased unless you live in New Jersey. BSW BSW (www.bswusa.com ) is all about audio and broadcasting so they have some niche items that you may not find in some places. They also run specials and have bundles that you won’t find at some places. For example if you wanted to go totally pro and buy an Elecrovoice RE20 Mic, 309A Shockmount, BSW Broadcast Microphone cable & REPop Filter Package it would be $479. If you bought the equivalent at Amazon. B & H Photo Their prices are typically about the same as others (occasionally more expensive), but if you can’t find it in another place, chances are you find it at BNH. For example they have a package for the RE2o that has a cloud lifter.. The other thing you will find at BNH (and you will have this at BSW) is a knowledgeable staff. For example one package with the RE20 comes with a cloud lifter which boosts your signal (which is a pretty good idea). They have another package that has the RE20 and the DBX 286 preamp (a totally pro setup) Podcast Stock Test If you were using a microphone like the Heil Pro40, or a Sure SM7B, these need a lot of gain to work properly. One Solution is a piece of equipment called a "Fethead" so I went to the above mentioned place. BNH – Yes $89 Same Day Music – No Amazon – No (suggested a cloud lifter) BSWUSA – No So like I said, it helps to know where to shop based on what you are looking for. Do I Need a Mixer What is an Audio Mixer? If you and your co-host are in the same room, and you are playing music in your podcast the purpose of the mixer is to allow you to adjust (mix) the audio levels of you, your guest(s), and the music so the listener does not have to ride the volume knob and make constant adjustments. Key Word Here is NEED When I say NEED here, I mean “Can’t do it without it.” You can always find a use for a mixer, but I’ll explain when you NEED one, and when you WANT one (there is a big difference). Keep in mind that the simpler you keep it, the less headaches. The more you add, the more things that can go wrong. When You Need a Mixer? If you have multiple people in the same room. Everyone should have their own microphone, and that should go into a mixer. If you are mixing in live music and sound effects. When You DON’T NEED an Audio Mixer If you are recording a solo podcast and you are going to add any music or sounds in later. When You DON’T NEED a Mixer, but Probably Could Use One If you are doing a show with a co-host or guests who are remote. You could record this with an ATr2100 microphone and a portable recorder (and use Skype as the mixer) Best Podcast Microphones For Less Than $100 Today I test the following microphones: Samson Q2U Audio Technica AT 2005 Audio Technica ATR2100 Overview: For the most part, if you look at the specs of these microphones they should sound very close. They all are dynamic (pick up less room noise), and you can plug them into a mixer, or directly into the computer using USB. Out of the three the AT2005 looks the best. In regards to which one sounds better I rank them in the following order ATR2100 - TOP Samson Q2u - a little warmer AT 2005 - Still sounded good Realize sound is subjective and some microphones sound good with one voice, and not so good with another. This is where a mixer can be handy (even if you're flying solo). BOTTOM LINE: These are all fine choices, and you won't regret purchasing any of them. The big take away, is you don't need to spend $1600 to start a podcast. Great content can save poor audio, but great gear will not save horrib

Nov 14, 201644 min

Ep 539Lee Silverstein is a Messenger, and Guardian of his Target Audience

Lee Silverstein got a call on New years Eve to let him know he had cancer and needed Chemotherapy. Lee is the man that gave "The Messengers: A Podcast Documentary" film it's name. He is a messenger for his audience. He delivers stories that provide hope, information, and inspiration. Check him at out www.thecolorcancerpoddcast.com Today's Show it brought to you buy Emerald City Productions SPECIAL DEAL: Four episodes edited for $15/each. Then after that, it's only $40. They will edit out ums, etc. remove noise, adjust volumes, and make you sound fantastic. For more information go to http://www.emeraldcitypro.com/sop Lee Silverstein Delivers Hope With His Podcast Lee Silverstein started a podcast that he wish he had when he was told he had stage four colon cancer. Lee has been battling cancer since he was five years old, and he considers himself more than "A podcaster," but a messenger. He delivers hope, information, and inspiration. Today we hear: Feedback from his audience that brought Lee to tears How Lee has secured three sponsors by finding products that fits his niche perfectly How Lee had strict criteria for his sponsors What pitch Lee uses to get sponsors. A "Because of my podcast" story that you HAVE to hear. Mentioned in this interview Lee's Colon Cancer Podcast Glenn the Geek from Horse Radio Network Hear Glenn be interviewed on the Sop Pofest in Orlando go to www.podfest.us Podcast Glossary "E" Episode zero Episode zero is a podcast episode that is often a simple introduction episode used as a placeholder as you need one live podcast in iTunes. In my opinion, I would do more than introduce yourself. We always want to deliver value in our podcast episodes, and right now your audience doesn't know you, and probably (to be honest) doesn't care who are what you are. They are asking, "What is in it for me?" Be sure to give them something that makes them wish there were more episodes. Why My Eleven Years of Podcasting Sets Me Apart I recently discovered another "Podcast About Podcasting," and was checking it out. I'm sure the host is a fine person that loves their family and wants to help their audience. Some people come into the space, and only repeat the favorite memes at the time and never go about checking if they are true. So I threw up in my mouth a bit when I heard them perpetuating the same old podcasting tips that are just wrong. This included The Blue Yetis is a great microphone (it is if you are in a very, very, very, quiet room - which 99.9% of podcasters are not - so it's NOT a great microphone) You only get 8 weeks to be in new and noteworthy (TV show podcasts go in and out of New and Noteworthy all the time) You should launch with at least three episodes so when people subscribe you get three downloads (this is false. It does not happen automatically. Your listen would have to choose to download the back catalog) My friend Ravi from Digital Access Pass as well as two podcasts (subscribeme.fm about membership websites, and Cut to the Chase )has a new book out called Confessions of a Wanna Be Podcast Star that goes over many of the myths that a puked out over and over. In the book he covers these myths and much more. Now for the record, Ravi uses a Blu Yeti, but thankfully in his book explains how you need a really quiet room (which he has). I was quoted quite a bit in the book, as well as other podcast consultants. In some cases, Ravi did his own investigation and provided screenshots to show the results of his research. I read it over two nights and found it an easy read, will be pointing people to it in the future when I see they have been sucked into the bad advice train that comes through the Internet on a regular basis. Take Aways From DC Podfest This was a great event for me. I met so many people who I had never met and were brand new to podcasting. The event was run very professional, and all the speakers were great in keeping to their time slots. One of the coolest phrases to describe what we do as podcasters. We are digital influencers. Put that on your business card. I heard about Amolto from Mathew Passy from podtopod.com which is a skype recording software for the PC (that I will need to check out). Keep your interactions from Social Media. So for me, I had some people say some very nice things about my presentation on twitter. Take a screen shot and put those on your website. http://www.gratisography.com/ a cool site for Royalty Free images which I have added to podcastingresources.com. This site has Free high-resolution pictures you can use on your personal and commercial projects. All pictures were photographed by Ryan McGuire and free of copyright restrictions. Need Podcast Coaching? Sign up for a session today. Sessions can be as short as 15 minutes. Schedule yours today at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/schedule Join the School of Podcasting today

Nov 7, 20161h 4m

Ep 538Grow Your Audience Using the KFC Approach

Hindenburg Journalist Noise Reduction The latest version of Hindenburg Journalist Software (slowly becoming one of my favorites for people who "Aren't too technical"). They have a new noise reduction feature that is super easy to use, and actually not bad. Here is a video of it in action Grow Your Audience Using the KFC Approach If you live in the US, and maybe outside you are familiar with a certain Colonel Sanders who started Kentucky Fried Chicken. You also notice that over the years they have introduced grilled chicken and changed their name to KFC. This name change provides less emphasis on the word FRIED which in the world that is becoming somewhat more educated on better food choices might serve their sales better. Today I'm going to share what KFC stands for based on a book I'm listening to How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less by Nicholas Boothman. You can get the audiobook for free by going to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/audibletrial (If you want to be an affiliate for audible, go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/audible ) The part is Know what you want out of podcasting. I've said before that you need to know WHY you're getting into podcasting. If you don't, you'll never make it through the how. Are you looking to be seen as an expert? Then maybe you should do some Q & A. Are you looking to get people to know and like you, then maybe it's time to ditch the interview format and talk directly to your audience. If you're trying to get a message out, then come up with a hashtag so you can track your progress. The other thing this does is it helps you know if you're being successful or not, or if you're even on track. The F in this instance stands for find what you are getting. When I get feedback from people, they seem to like my style. They say I seem laid back, and I break things down into easy bite size chunks. They appreciate the fact that I occasionally try to get your to laugh. In the past, I've told you about surveymonkey.com and polldaddy.com and how I've used those services for surveys. My favorite tool for this now is Google Sheets (sheets.google.com). You can easily take this spreadsheet tool, and with a few mouse clicks turn it into a survey for your audience. Unlike the previous tools I mentioned, it is free, and there are unlimited questions and unlimited responses. But what if the feedback you're getting isn't what you were expecting. What if things are going in the wrong direction. You've heard me quote Ryan K Parker of Foodcrafstmen.com for years. I quote it because it's true. No one will punch you in the face if you change your podcast. In fact, look at any long running series on TV, and you will see how things evolved. Many times that was because what they found out was that their ratings were going the wrong way. Not it takes courage to be able to have people leave your feedback. If you go back to the beginning, when you KNOW what you want out of podcasting, you will be willing to tweak it to get what you want, as you give your audience what they want. Many Streams Make Up A River Launching my New Godaddy Reseller Account Recently we've been talking a fair amount of about sponsorship, so I want to restate something. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO MAKE MONEY WITH YOUR PODCAST. If you are looking to have some income one of the things you might consider is instead of trying to get a big giant paycheck, get a lot of small checks. Earlier this year I added some features to the School of Podcasting and raised the prices quite a bit. It turned out those features weren't exactly what people were looking for. So, I tweaked some things, and adjusted the pricing. I also looked at the financials of the SOP. Part of the expenses for the School of Podcasting is my ongoing addiction to buying domain names. Yes they are only $9.99 a year at www.coolerwebsites.com (more on that in a second), but when you have over 100 domains, that adds up. My solution was to eliminate the middle man. I became a reseller for Godaddy. So if you need web hosting, domains, SSL certificates, or any other web related services, you can go to www.coolerwebsites.com and support me, and have the power of Godadddy. I Was Won Over With Support It wasn't just the domains that got me to put my eggs in the godaddy basket. I helped a friend setup a website using Bluehost. Now for the record I have a few websites on Bluehost. This is because I always try to use what I recommend. He hit a bit of a snag, so I told him how they had good service. He got on the phone, and I got on the live chat. As a person who works in support, I may be a bit more critical, but it was not fast at all. He finally got someone on the phone who was sticking with their script. We got our problem solved, but it took the better part of 90 minutes. I've been promoting Host Gator for years. I've used them for over 15 years. I've always thought their support was better than Bluehost, and still do. Over the last year, what use to take 3-5 minutes to get a live chat

Oct 31, 201643 min

Ep 537How I Got a Sponsor On My Podcast

Today I share my story on how I secured a sponsor for my show. I'm doing this as an experiment as I prepare to update my book More Podcast Money Next year. I also share the behind the scenes of what it was like to take on a sponsor. There are some things that I have to tackle mentally. Emerald City Productions - Our Sponsor 1:15 Emerald City is running a special go to www.emeraldcitypro.com/sop and tell them you are from the School of Podcasting and have your first four podcasts done for $15 an episode. My Favorite Podcast Is 2:50 I'm working on the last episode of the year where we all share what our favorite podcast is (you can only pick one, and no, it can't be yours). Then be sure to tells us a little about it, and WHY you like it. Also, be sure to tell us a little bit about your show and where we can find it. So its free promotion for your show, and later I get these transcribed and turn them into a book. The deadline is October 31. Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/favorite16 Getting A Sponsor For Your Show 4:30 Today I share my story on how I secured a sponsor for my show. I'm doing this as an experiment as I prepare to update my book More Podcast Money Next year. I also share the behind the scenes of what it was like to take on a sponsor. There are some things that I have to tackle mentally. Getting A Sponsor For Your Show Today I talk with Jessica Kupferman who has been selling advertising for a very long time (back in the day on banner advertising) and has been podcasting since 2013. I know her best for her Shepodcasts.com show which she does with Elsie Escobar (it's a fascinating take on podcasting from a Women's point of view). Jessica just launched jkmagency.com an add agency that helps sponsors find podcasters, and podcasters find sponsors. Here are some of the insights from today's discussion You need to know how many downloads you get per month If you don't have a ton of downloads, but you have an active community, that may enable you to secure a sponsor You don't need a media kit if you don't have one. Jessica can create one for you. If you're pricing per episode, you might as well flush your money down the toilet. The smallest contract/campaign she sells is three months. She will go two months if there are no other options. Podcasters should be open to having the sponsor on the show to help create content. In regards to platforms, sponsors are looking at Twitter and Instagram followers. You just need to create a report once a month Never lie about your stats. Not only does it make you look bad, but it also makes podcasting, in general, look bad. How do you figure out what to charge for your podcast? The current standards for CPM is $15-$100 which is why it doesn't work for most podcasters and is the worst way to sell your show Can unique genres get a sponsor? (i.e. Science Fiction movie reviews) To be considered for adds go to jkmagency.com/considerme She also is a co-host for She Podcasts The Mental Side of Podcast Advertising 34:00 When you take on an advertiser, you have a couple of things to consider. You need to make sure your sponsor fits your audience and is something you can talk about honestly. When you promote something that you don't believe in, that is (in my opinion) the definition of selling out. Make sure you are aware what you will be delivering, and then deliver it. Remember who your TRUE audience is. Having multiple audiences can be a struggle. My audience is you. You've been with me for almost 12 years. If I pay too much attention to promoting the sponsor, I lose the true audience (again, you). If I don't pay enough attention to the sponsor, I lose the sponsor. The problem is I'm being paid for a 15-second spot. I recorded the spot four times last night, and the first one went over two minutes long. I figured out what I needed to say, and figured out how to see it as quickly as possible. This first ad was a bit longer as I needed to introduce you to the sponsor. I've always liked he way Gimlet media does their advertisements, and I plan on borrowing as much as I can. If you are a regular listener, you know I like to think outside the box. Just know, this can mess with your brain. Remember you worked hard to get an audience, and advertisers will come and go. I have never heard one, but I've heard stories about Leo Laporte going on for what seems days when he does a spot for Audible. If you don't pay attention to your listeners, then there will be nobody to hear your advertisements. What if you have a Patreon account? Well if you are delivering extra value to your patrons, then this shouldn't be a problem. They are getting what they pay for. Also, Patrons are people who want to support you. When they hear, you are benefiting from an advertiser they may be all for it. Just don't be surprised if someone stops being a patron because "You don't need us." Speaking of that, realize that someone will not like the fact that you have advertisements. There is nothing you can do about

Oct 24, 201650 min

Ep 536Corey Fineran's Podcast Lead Him To Start His Own Business

Comments" Call 888-563-3228 I've spoken about Corey Fineran before and how his Chicago Cubs podcast Ivy Envy helped get a rule changed in Major League Baseball. Corey's boss saw the impact podcasting creates and talked Corey into starting a podcast for his job. Corey's podcast helps high school students with special needs transition into the workplace. It went over well. It lead to him starting Next Up (His own business) Here are some key points: They tried it to see if it would work. They got feedback from their audience, and listened to it, and acted on it. They updated their equipment after they proved the concept. Corey's goal is to help as many students as possible. His niche (students with special needs) is often overlooked, or has no budget. So he created the content that was needed. One night it was speaking with his brother in law (who is well versed in running a business) and they realized that he could reach more students and have a larger impact if he did this on his own, and start his own company. So Corey: Used his brother as a resource to launch the business Converted his current employer into his first customer Used his mother (an accountant) to help with taxes Growing His Business Corey found that educators are not used to being "pitched." The tried and true strategies of mass emails, cold calling, etc were not going to work. So he did what any good podcaster would do: He went to where his audience was. He started attending events where he could talk face to face about his products and services. Common Podcast Lessons and Truths Translate to Business Listen to your audience and be open to suggestions When you have a great podcast people will spread the word about your show When you can, the best way to get feedback from your audience is face to face. It is also the best way to start building those relationships. While your audience can become your brand advocates, so can your family (so make sure they know what you are up to). Save at Podfest Us the coupon code earlybird at www.podfest.us Mentioned In This Show www.dcpodfest.com Submit Your My Favorite Podcast Is Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/favorite16 MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Membership Guys Podcast Marketing School Podcast Audio Technica 2100 (Dave's Preferred Microphone) Launch Your Own Podcast 30 day Money Back Gaurentee go to http://www.theschoolofpodcasting.com

Oct 17, 201647 min

Ep 535Is It Time for You To Zag?

Today we have some lessons from fast food that apply to podcasting, and I talk about zagging when everyone is zigging, Bernie's Greatest Hits 1:58 My cat is pretty popular on this show as he chimes in all the time. When I went to Pittsburgh last week apparently he got a record deal. He's releasing "Bernie sings the hits" Someone Is Doing a Show Like Mine - So I Didn't Start my Show 3:07 One of the most frustrating parts of being a consultant is seeing someone who has the right stuff to create a podcast, but they are more skilled at finding reasons not to press record than actually pressing record. Today I have two points I want to make Someone will come to me and say, “I want to do a podcast about ______” but someone is already doing a show like that. The first thing I say is to go to iTunes and see when their last episode was published. Many times the person has already hung up their microphone. But what if they haven’t? Let’s look at McDonald’s. Here are some interesting facts (well facts according to Wikipedia). McDonald’s was not the first hamburger chain. A&W was first in 1919 followed by White Castle in 1921. McDonald’s didn’t come about until 1940. Fun facts: McDonald’s started as a barbecue joint. They found that hamburgers were more profitable. So they started in one direction, and then followed what their audience wanted. I always say your podcast is a recipe not a statue. You can change it any time you want. White Castle developed the supply chain and automation to have a nationwide food chain way before McDonald’s did. But when McDonald’s did, they didn’t recreate the wheel. They looked at what others were doing, and borrowed the best, and tweaked the rest. Now when burger king came along in 1953 did they say, “I would open a restaurant but someone else is doing “Assembly line” hamburgers? No. They didn’t recreate the wheel, and they tweaked it (adding flame broiling and “have it your way” at Burger King). What is the one thing that is common here? Well in the US apparently we can’t get enough of hamburgers. If you throw some meat on a bun and squirt some ketchup on it, we will eat it. In America I think if you put enough ketchup on anything we will eat it. They saw their competition and looked at ways to innovate. Breakfast was introduced. Bigger hamburgers like the Big Mac were introduced in 1967. Later the innovation of the drive through window. So if someone is doing a show like yours, WHO CARES! If you think it will be fun, if you think people will enjoy it, DO IT. The WORST thing you can do for yourself in podcasting is COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS. Podcasting is like golf, while there is competition, you are really only competing against yourself. Now to my second point, and this builds on innovation. Todd Cochrane recently launched a new Podcast Legends show and it is interviewing podcast pioneers (people from 2004 - sorry Chris Hardwick is not a Pioneer) and one of the things I forgot about (I started in 2005) was the WHACKY shows that just made you go WHOA!?! Yeast Radio was by Madge Weinstein and was one of the most subscribed to podcast in 2005. Madge would say outrageous things about the government, about her hygiene (she was often bloated), and in general said things often people only think. She was an angry, jewish, fat, Lesbian. There was one other small twist. Madge was a dude (Richard Bluestein ). One other thing, if you could handle the language, Madge was pretty darn funny. Madge was the queen of tuning in because you didn’t know what to expect. The really cool thing was there was NO WAY that this would EVER be on radio or TV. It’s kind of what made podcasting special, unique, and intimate. Madge is still going strong at yeastradio.com One person did a show called the daily download where he recorded his thoughts while using the bathroom... Dave Slusher from the Evil Genius Chronicles mentioned how one podcaster had a show called Podcat where he would play clips of other shows intermingled with clips of his cat. Why did people do this? Because THEY COULD. There was no radio, no FCC, no program directors, and it was YOURS. If people didn’t like it, WHO CARES. Podcasting was much more of an art form. People grabbed their stick microphone and press record, because they had something to say, and they could be creative. I think we’ve gone too far from those days. Now we over-think podcasting as if our lives depended on it. We are all preparing as if this is going to be a full time job some day because it might be. That is true. Maybe We Should Zag? I was listening to the Start Up Podcast where they have a team of 18 people per podcast (roughly), and when they launch a show it sounds painful. It sounds like there so up tight about it. I guess they should be as they are doing this as a business. But let's look at women singers. Back in the day Madonna stood out for singing in her underwear. No EVERYBODY sings in their underwear. So now there is someone sings with a bit more passion, k

Oct 10, 201642 min

Ep 534You Never Know Who Is Listening

Today we in this episode: We have a great because of my podcast story that has someone getting paid to do something they would do for free We tackle some of the podcast jargon starting with the A's We revisit the File For Download debate in a podcast smack down! A tale of sleazy guests And we remind you that you never know who is listening. Because of My Podcast Lucas Apps Podcast leads to relationships, and those relationships lead to opportunities. Those opportunities can lead to more relationships (you get the idea). Lucas ended up getting paid to do something that he loves - because of his podcast. Check out Lucas’s show at triangletactical.com Can I Podcast With a Built-in Microphone? 8: 53 If someone invites you to go golfing. The host shows up with their golf club, and another friend shows up with a pool stick, and you show up with a hockey stick. Sure you can attempt to golf with a hockey stick and a pool stick, but compared to the other people who are using the proper equipment it is going to be obvious that you are not using the right equipment. This doesn't mean you need to spend $1600 on equipment. You can start with an Audio Technica 2100 with a pop filter and mic stand for $93 (full disclosure bestpodcastinggear.com is my amazon affiliate site). The Wrong Podcast Gear Can Mess With Your Head I did an hour session for International Podcast Day and to make a long story short, I brought along a microphone (as I was on the road) and then locked it in an office. I HAD to use my built in microphone. I was embarrassed. While I think most of my presentation was OK, I would be the first to admit that this was not my best presentation. I had notes in front of my, but in my head, I just kept hearing a voice in my head shouting that I sounded like a hack using a built-in microphone. Had I had access to the Audio Technica 2100 with a pop filter, I would've been relaxed and more focused. I Can't Believe ____ Is Listening to my Podcast! 14:20 Try not to use the word "only" when talking about your audience. I "only have" 20 downloads. Check out Podcast Legends by Todd Cochrane Here is the Episode where he talks about his phone call with Steve Jobs. I share a story about talking with Michael Hyatt at the New Media Expo and finding out Michael Hyatt listens to my show. Check out Michael's Book Platform Sting explained on the Tonight Show how he had three people in the audience of a "the Police" show. He interacted with them and made it very intimate. It turns out two of them were DJs who started playing their music. Cal Nelson of Ham Radio 360 had Adam Curry (one of the people who helped invent podcasting) listens to his show. The Libsyn File For Download "Discussion" 24: 15 A few episodes ago Mike Dell (a friend of mine who I've known for years) stated my advice about when and when not to use "File for Download" on the Libysn platform was "bad advice." Mike is a great guy, and we are going to have to agree to disagree on this. The fact that I work for Libsyn as a support person and he works in support for blubrry.com is probably not a coincidence. Two years ago (roughly) I had severe problems with my Wordpress install. One of the things I did was move my RSS feed (which was getting pounded at the time). Luckily at the time I had been publishing my episodes on Libsyn (and copying and pasting the link) into Powepress. Now because I set these episodes up using the "Add New Episodes" in Libsyn, when I switched my feed from PowerPress to Libsyn, my Libsyn feed looked just like my PowerPress feed. Last week I talked about how using File For Download option in PowerPress is not a great idea. People Like Pat Flynn and Cliff Ravenscraft have recommended that strategy. That makes sense for them as they have multiple podcasts and they are using ONE libsyn account and using their Powerpress. But they are missing out on some automation that would not hurt their WordPress install. So here is my point, if you go to Libsyn and create an episode as an episode (not a file for download) you are not hurting your podcast at all. Some might argue that you are creating a second feed and that could be confusing. To this I say, for 11 years I've been having to hand hold people to subscribe to ONE feed, let alone two. Some might say that this might damage my SEO. To this I say, I've been using the Internet almost since it was invented, and I have NEVER pulled up an RSS feed in a search result. Google Chrome doesn't display RSS feeds in a way that makes then readable, so why would Google pull up something you can't read? A file for download is meant for people who want to restrict access to a file. A classic example is someone who has a podcast, and they also have a membership site. They only want members to have access to this file. In this case, they can upload the files as a "File for download only" and only the people who have the direct link can access that file. So when you upload a file in Libsyn, you CAN use the Add New Episode

Oct 3, 201654 min

Ep 533Are You Ready To Give Up on Podcasting? Why I Believe What I Believe

Becuase of My Podcast - Rick Seizemore of VRStudio Workforce Rick Seizemore from VRStudio Workforce shares how your podcast will help you land guests, and those guests can then point people to your website. Your site then becomes an audio business card that can capture people’s attention. This is what the VR Workforce Studio Podcast Does Is Podcasting A Ponzi Scheme? I got an email from a friend of mine who has kind of "had it" with podcasting. He said, " I have recently done some calculations and have come to the conclusion that the hours spent podcasting would be better spent doing other things, like narrating audio books and maybe even some work around the house. I am doing a weekly video show via Skype, being streamed live on YouTube. I use Wirecast to make it look professional, and I have been releasing the audio as a podcast. I stopped the podcast side this week. I said when I started podcasting a couple of years ago, I would do a serious review at the two-year mark, and have concluded that while I have learned much I will be using for audiobooks, and am glad I did it, to continue would be a waste of time. Here's the part you probably won't agree with: In the 80's Amway came through this area, and a lot of people joined and got hyped up (me included). After a while, it became clear that a lot of people at the top were making money, but it depended on a constant supply of fresh "believers" to fuel their incomes. People who started early were making money, but the thousands below were being Nickle and dimed and were doing nothing but financing those above. It worked as long as everyone believed they could make it. Podcasting today is a similar type of pyramid structure, where everyone who started before 2007 or 2008 are making an income off of the believers below. (I find your motives pure, and I appreciate that.) It is VERY important for those below the median numbers (Around 120 according to Rob), to believe there is no discovery problem. That way they keep paying their $20 a month to Libsyn, buying books, Wordpress plugins, and tools for podcasting and going to conferences. No matter how good your content is, the average basement independent has about 0% chance of ever being heard the first time by hardly anyone who doesn't know them already or is only 1 or 2 degrees separated. This is simply due to saturation. The main people who make it now either are famous already, are starting a full-time business that happens to involve podcasting and has 6 figures to invest, like JLD, or are part of the corporate invasion. There may be an isolated incident here and there where it happens, but it so rare it doesn't bear mentioning. It is simply too late for the average independent show by a person working a full-time job to make an impact beyond a few niche listeners. I was also dismayed to find the same "entrepreneurs," using many of the same books, and the same hype milking the same types of people. There is a sucker born every minute. They find them, use them, discard them, and move one since there are always more suckers on the internet. An example: a well-known personality in podcasting who was putting out yet another book solicited all of us to submit articles for it. We of course, had to buy the book to see if were in it. We weren't. Not one of us. The book had already been written and included older interviews that happened long before he solicited for articles. He simply lied to get us to buy the book. It worked, and we were the suckers. Well, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. I calculated how many listeners I would have if gained one new one each month, and how many hours I would spend editing and putting out the content I already have from the video show. My conclusion: I hope to retire in 3 years or so. 36 new listeners. Over 600 hours of podcast editing during that time. BTW, I am not getting 1 new listener a month. Contrast this with the one audio book I have narrated so far. It didn't sell. Only 11 copies so far. I have made $50 from that. What would happen if I spent those 600 hours over the next 3 years doing audio books that don't sell, and get royalties for the next 7 years on each? Allow me to soften this by saying I have always found you and your efforts on behalf of the little guy podcasters to be the most honest and trustworthy of all. Your human-ness and transparency is wonderful, and I would love to spend time with you in person but neither of us have that time to devote to it. Thank you for all you have done and you continue to do for us bottom feeders. POWER TO THE SHRIMP!! My Response In looking at your stuff here would be my comment. I'm not I would've put everything into one stream. I understand the extra cost, but I wouldn't have done it that way. I knew the name of your show and couldn't find it because all of your shows were under the name of the network in iTunes. That is a recipe for failure. It's hard enough to find a show when the name is correct. I'm s

Sep 26, 201653 min

Ep 532Awaken Your Confidence - Rachel Smets

Rachel Smets is the author of Awaken Your Confidence and stops by to share some insights into building your confidence. You can find her at Racehsmets.com as well as @rachelsmets and Facebook. and YouTube We talk about overcoming imposter syndrome, and how telling someone "just start" doesn't work. Here are three things you can do to help boost your confidence: Don't compare yourself to others. Start Small Failure is Feedback On this Week's taping of the Ask the Podcast Coach show Carlos asked, "how do i become a popular podcaster when i was the most unpopular kid in high school?" to this point to the following people who were not popular in school: Steven Spielberg says, " “I was a nerd in those days. Outsider, like the kid that played the clarinet in the band and in orchestra, which I did.”" Taylor Switft says, " I remember when I was in school, the whole reason I started writing songs was because I was alone a lot of the time. I’d sit there in school and I’d be hearing people like, ‘Oh my god, this party that we’re going to is gonna be so awesome on Friday. Everyone’s invited except for Taylor Charlize Theron - “I didn’t have any boyfriends in high school. I had a massive, massive crush on this one guy. He was a couple of years older than me and I did not exist in his world. Selena Gomez " “I was bullied every second of every day in elementary and middle school.” Lady Gaga " “Being teased for being ugly, having a big nose, being annoying. ‘Your laugh is funny, you’re weird, why do you always sing, why are you so into theater, why do you do your make-up like that?’" Jessica Alba " “I’d eat my lunch in the nurses’ office so I didn’t have to sit with the other girls. Apart from my being mixed race, my parents didn’t have money so I never had the cute clothes or the cool back pack.”" Cameron Diaz " “I’m a dork! When I was high school, I was a total goon! All the kids used to make fun of me. I was like all skinny and gangly and guys were like no thank you.” Jennifer Garner - I was a real nerd. I wasn’t the popular one, I was one of those girls on the edge of the group. I never wore the right clothes and I had a kind of natural geekiness. I was in the school band and I think that has a bit of a stigma at the age of 13. If you’d asked me what I wanted to be, I would have said something like a librarian. Kate Winslet - Winslet was bullied and teased for being chubby. Her nickname at school was Blubber, and she was once even locked in the art cupboard Miley Cyrus - At school, there was an “Anti-Miley Club” full of “big, tough girls” who were “fully capable of doing [her] bodily harm” and went above and beyond in their bullying pursuit. Cyrus was once locked in a bathroom during class: “They shoved me in. I was trapped. I banged on the door until my fists hurt. Nobody came.” Other incidents included challenging Cyrus to a fight, which only ended when the principal stepped in. And when Cyrus wasn’t being physically abused, she was being teased, with classmates telling her, “Your dad’s a one-hit wonder. You’ll never amount to anything — just like him President Bill Clinton - As a junior high schooler, he was picked on relentlessly for being a “fat band boy” with bad taste in clothes. He was also known as a band geek. Michael Phelps - He was taunted for his “sticky-out ears” and lisp, as well as his long arms, which ultimately took him to greatness. Tom Cruise - His Dad had the family moving a lot to find work. Tom says, " I was always the new kid with the wrong shoes, the wrong accent. I didn’t have the friend to share things with and confide in.” And at each school, he faced the fresh experience over and over again. He was small for his age and easily pushed around." Walt Disney He was fired by a newspaper editor because, "he lacked imagination and had no good ideas." After that, Disney started a number of businesses that didn't last too long and ended with bankruptcy and failure. He kept plugging along, however, and eventually found a recipe for success that worked. COMMENTS: 888-563-3228 A Podcast Can Be A New Start When you start a podcast all of the stupid people who didn't know the "true" you are gone, and you can start from scratch. Don't let your past dictate you future. Podcasting has boosted the confidence of many leaders in their field who say the practice of talking into a microphone. It has helped people be better speakers as they are familiar with coming up with presentations. So jump into the podcasting pool. The water is warm and friendly. File For Download Only and Other Mistakes Others are Making If you are using Libsyn.com (if you're not use the coupon code sopfree to get a free month) there is an optoin called "File For Download Only." This is useful for people who have membership sites, or VIP groups and they don't want the general public to have access to the file. The only want certain people to have access. The problem is two very popular consultants are telling their clients to use this all

Sep 19, 201655 min

Ep 531Podcast Mid-Atlantic Relfections

Today I'm fresh back from a trip to Podcast Midatlantic where I spoke on a panel about podcasting. On Sunday I had some time before I flew home so Rob Greenlee and I Went to see the Liberty Bell in Independence Hall in Philadelphia. There are some things that learned in this visit that I thought we could apply to podcast. - When there is no great entertainment, people will flock to ANYTHING. Case in point the Liberty Bell, an old large bell with a giant crack use to go on tour and people would FLOCK to see it. In today's society, the bar is set pretty low in regards to content so you can stand out pretty easy - The Liberty Bell was flawed. Yet, people came out in droves to see it Did it sound impressive? No, I watched a video, and no it didn't but what it did do was stand for something. People came to the event, but more importantly, wanted to pay tribute to it's ideals. The ideals of the liberty bell is what is strong and stirs emotions. It's not the technology. The creators of the Liberty Bell has never made a bell so large. It shows, x-rays show how there are cracks throughout the bell (and that's why you won't here it ring) when you ring the bell you only make it worse. The lack of knowledge didn't stop the creators from doing their best. In the end, I'm sure they felt they failed, but by creating something, they gave their audience a gift. - After a tour of independence hall (where a large amount of the early forming of America occurred), I learned how they all collaborated together to put together the declaration of independence. Article Five of the United States Constitution detailed the two-step process for amending the nation's frame of government. The constitution was put into place on March 4, 1789. If they had waited until it was perfect, the Constitution wouldn't have been adopted t until May 7 1992 (the date of the last amendments). As of 12/2014 approximately 11,539 proposals to amend the Constitution have been introduced in Congress since 1789. The point being you can "Amend" your podcastwhenever you want. - The bell first cracked when rung after its arrival in Philadelphia, and was twice recast by local workmen John Pass and John Stow, whose last names appear on the bell. When I was there on 9/11/16 reflecting on 9/11 there were people there all over the world. There are probably millions of bells across the world. Some of them are bigger, sound better, and yet here people flock to see an old broken bell because of what itstood for Liberty. More Great Take Aways From Podcast Mid Atlantic I was greeted by Heather from Craflit who presented me with a custom t-shirt that has *psbs and my logo. What does PSBS stand for? Podcasting since before serial. Heather was just as cool in person as she is online. The fact that someone would go out of their way to make me a custom t-shirt was amazing. It these tings that leave me speechless. Heather is a truly amazing person. A mind like hers you don't find often in this world. Mich O'Neil from the solopreneur hour had a great top for interviewing people. How do you avoid having a seasoned guest come on your show and NOT spew the same lame answers? You put their answers in your introduction. You disarm them. Now they can't reference those "traditional answers" and they have to dig deeper into their bag of answers for something new. Mark Asquith from podcastwebsites.com took what I've been saying, "Ask your audience what that want" and sharpened it. Ask them what they NEED. Awesome. Jessica Kupfeman of She Podcasts who help people get sponsors through her www.jkmagency.com showed that people love an underdog. Poor Jess had lost her voice, but we were all pulling for her as she tried to present with her lack of pipes. Her content made up for the lack of tone and quality of voice. This works in person, I'm not sure it would work as a podcast. Your might have a perspective that nobody else has. On Sunday 9/11/16 I had breakfast with Rob Greenlee from Spreaker, and Heather Ordover from Craftlit. We kind of shared some thoughts on 9/11 as it was the 15 year anniversary. Heather's perspective was like no other I had ever heard in 15 years. Why? Because she lived it. The plane engine from the second plane fell on the roof of her school. At one point, she turned to see the second dust cloud as it covered her. Her husband knew she was in the cloud. He was watching it on TV. You are a unique person. Only you have your history, perspective, and experiences. It gave me goosbumps. Christian Lee and CJ - What My Son is Learning From Podcasting Chrisian Lee does a podcast with his 10-year-old son. It's called What are we watching. Chrisitan (a standup comic) was very entertaining and dropped some great knowledge including: His son is learning how to push on when technology lets your down. He is getting to talk to celebrities. Their podcast has lead to some conversations that were needed. They opened the doors to some much-needed conversations. He is comfortable with tech

Sep 12, 201639 min

Ep 530Content You Can't Get Any Place Else with Jennifer Briney of The Congressional Dish Podcast

Today I am excited to have Jen Briney of the Congressional Dish podcast on my show. Jen reads legislation that is going through the house of representatives. She then reports back to you with no slant on democratic or republican slant but more of a intelligence vs moron slant. Her passion to help people understand what is happening right under our noses oozes out of her. Any conversation about politics will make it obvious. Congressional Dish is so good that at times I have to turn it off. It makes me upset and I need to punch something. Yes, it's that good. Jen also makes it entertaining. While she tries to restrain herself she does have any cursing replaced with the sound of a golf club. This stops her show from being explicit, and adds just a pinch of comedy to the show to keep it light. Her goal is to have the people use the control we have as American voters and vote these losers out of office. Here are some of the reasons why I wanted Jen on the show. Her success didn't happen over night. She's been doing this for four years. She hasn't been afraid to try new things and new formats She realized that she could do a great show, or go crazy. This meant no reading EVERYTHING. She realizes that if there is no Jen, there is no show. Consequently, the show is better, Jen is better, and we all win. She started with horrible equipment, and later upgraded. She didn't let equipment stop her from launching her podcast She is a great example of taking control of her show, and doing it the way she wants to do it. She shares today that dealing with haters takes long term vision. It's also easier said than done. She wants to have a paywall where she can do more experimental episodes for her die hard fans without potentially costing her new listeners. Her content has lead to getting almost 10,000 downloads per episode - and she's just now starting to promote the show. We talk a little politics and play a clip that Dave found very funny. As Jen explained it, we all have buttons that can be pushed. A listener wrote to the show and began telling Jen how she could grow the show to a much bigger audience if she would work on "her tone." Well this is something she heard growing up and set her off. She grabbed a microphone and off she went. She liked the raw emotion of the clip and got a lot of support from her audience (When Dave did this he almost got sued). Check out Congressional Dish at www.congressionaldish.com as we as in iTunes, or download the Congressional Dish iOs App as well as Android App Because of Her Podcast Jen has been on the Jessie Ventura show on TV, and she has been asked to speak at Podcast Movement. Mentioned In This Show Please support The Messengers Podcast Documentary. They are sooo close to reaching their crowdfunding goal. Goal chip in a few bucks, and then tell a friend to go to www.supportthemessengers.com Podcast Consulting Need some podcast consulting? Book a session at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/schedule sessions start at 15 minutes. This is show #530 of the School of Podcasting and originated at www.schoolofpodcasting.com

Sep 5, 201655 min

Ep 529Keep Your Audience By Losing the Jargon - Busting Podcast Myths

I can handle some people explaining their strategies of launching a podcast, but there are some things that are just blatantly WRONG. Here are a couple that get my goat. Episodes Get Downloaded When People Subscribe If you simply launch with only one episode on your first day, and someone subscribes to your podcast, then you only get one download. BUT, if you launch with five episodes and they subscribe, then you get five downloads, which will help to raise your rankings within iTunes. This is not true, and easy to test. Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/itunes and subscribe and see if my back catalog automatically downloads. You Only Get 8 Weeks to be in New and Noteworthy Podcasts based on TV shows go in and out of New and Noteworthy all the time 50+ Honest Reviews Will Get You Into New and Noteworthy Nope. It's subscribers that really count. Not that reviews don't mean anything, but subscribers appear to carry more weight. Also boosting people to the top of the charts before they have found their own voice doesn't work. Case in point Philip Phillips. Who? Exactly (season 11 winner of American Idol). They talk about generating buzz, and getting people to talk about your show. You want to do this every week you are podcasting. You want to bring value on a consistent basis. Here is a video that explains why I know these are not true https://youtu.be/gp1T4aj3ucw Rob Walch at Podcast Movement said the following things about New and Noteworthy His KC Startup podcast was featured (front page) of iTunes and saw a bump of about 300 His son's podcast Porter's podcast saw a bump of about 1000 He said a front page listing will get a bump of anywhere from 200-a couple thousand. Podcasters who game the system to be #2 in the Education category and rarely got over 200 downloads per episode (most were around 100ish). The sad thing is people are never launching because they can't get the recommended number of podcasts (3,5,8, 30) ready to launch. Just launch. Losing Your Audience in Jargon and Inside Jokes We are all too close to the trees to see the forest and depending on who you audience is, we need to remember that we get new listeners all the time. When we start using jargon (words that only people with experience in you field, or potentially an inside joke ) you can leave them confused. This makes them feel like an outsider, and potentially tune out. Recently on an episode of the Podcast Review show both myself and my co-host Erik K. Johnson were lost in the hosts use of big words and inside jargon. Now, maybe we aren't their target audience but it really took away from the experience. Being a person who grew up in the church Christian people who are trying to reach the world when they start spouting things like "Lion of Judah, Bathed in Blood, Alpha and Omega, evangelical, Holy Ghost, born again, unspoken prayer requests (which just means someone in my family messed up again). Be a "Proverbs 31 woman". The list goes on. I asked my buddy Cale Nelson from HamRadio360 to come in and share some jargon. Tascam US-32 Tascam MiNiSTUDIO Personal US-32 Audio Interface for Online Broadcasts is a brand new interface for podcasters who are looking to broadcast live and have the ability to mix in (up to) three sounds. There is also the ability to add effects. Most of the effects are pointless (make your voice deeper, higher, reverb, echo, distortion). This is kind of exciting as this particular https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1263856-REG/tascam_ministudio_personal_us_32.html/BI/5223/KBID/5977 Mentioned On This Episode Podcasters Roundtable Round 76 State of Live Streaming Hamradio360.com Black List Exposed Milaminthemiddle.com Book a Podcast Coaching Call With Dave Jackson Sessions start at 15 minutes and go up. See www.schoolofpodcasting.com/schedule for availability

Aug 29, 201639 min

Ep 528Podcast Q & A From Podcast Movement

How Do I Grow My Audience? Know Who Your Audience Is Know What They Want Go Where They Are Make Friends With Them and Bring Value to Your Conversations Tell them About Your Show Make it Is To Find, Share, and Remember How Long Should My Podcast Be? Don't do the "Dave Jackson Power Hour" if you only have 18 minutes of content. There is no such thing as too long , only too boring (Valeria Geller - Beyond Powerful Radio) How Do You Handle Headlines When You Have Multiple Topics in a Show? For me, I've just been taking the topic that I think reached my audience the best and use that as the "Main" Headline Do I Have Any Tips For Doing a Live Show? If you're worried about looking stupid don't go live I use firetalk.com to stream live. Realize you will have people who want to ruin you show. You MIGHT get 5% of your audience live. Live is addicting because it's instant feedback If you are looking for your audience to provide the content, remember when you start you don't have an audience. Should I put My Face Out There? If you are the brand it might be a good idea I might think twice if I was a woman as guys are creepy What Do You Think About Regional Podcast? I would love to start a local podcast I think getting local advertisers would be easy What is the Biggest Mistake When it Comes to Making Content? Guessing What Your Audience Wants Including personal family details You need to know WHY you are doing your podcast. You can talk about what your audience, but if that topic doesn't line up with your goal it could cause issues. What Are the Beginning Stages of Podcasting Like - What Can I expect? You can answer every email, every comment, every tweet You are "the host" and that carries weight when you reach out to your audience 50% of people get more than 150ish downloads and 50% get more. The average is around 2000. Mentioned The 27 Steps to start a Podcast What I Started a Podcast About Topic A, and Your Audience Wants to Hear About Topic B? If you want to talk about that subject, and that topic aligns with your goal then follow your audience If the topic is something you DON'T Want to talk about then don't. It will come through to your audience, and if you're not excited about the subject it will come through. When you try to do something that is not yourself it is hard, and you will start dreading creating your podcast. I'm an Accountant, and sometimes People Don't Want To Hear What They Need to Hear... Not everyone can handle the truth. Those people who like you will like you, and those that don't won't. When delivering not so great information back it up with your research, and facts that you are using to shape your opinion. How Do I Come Back After a Long Hiatus? The same way you started. Know what your audience wants, and press record. Don't start off your show with an apology. Troubleshooting Your Podcast Sound - Separate Your Gear Into Pieces I have not been happy with my sound for the last few months. I seemed to pick up some hiss along the way. I went direct into my Zoom H5 recorder and the his was reduced. I then knew it was something in the mixer. From there tried using a different channel (it didn't fix it). I then switched the cabled from going to the 1/4" out of my Behringer Xeynx 1832 mixer (into the line in of the recorder) to the XLR out of the mixer into the xlr in of m mixer. I'm going to be slimming down my mixer as I don't need anything that beefy anymore (I used a big chunk of it when I have the live phone call in show). What is it Like To Have a Film Crew Come to Your House The crew from the Messengers Documentary came to my apartment to interview me. It was pretty crazy. The crew is so professional. They hit a snag when their flight got delayed, but they came through running on fumes. These guys have full time jobs and are fitting this movie into their schedule by (more or less) not sleeping at all. They got done filming here and drove to Kansas City to do more filming before flying back home to Florida. Amazing group of guys. Support the documentary at www.supportthemessengers.com I also go to hang out with Angelo from blubrry.com and Daniel J Lewis from the Audacity to podcast. At the North East Ohio Podcasters Meetup the crew showed off some footage and I got to me Scott Sykora from the Beardcaster. Scott does a podcast about professional competitive "bearding". I have got to go checkout a competition they sound fascinating. Upcoming Speaking Gigs I will be speaking at Podcast Mid Atlantic (go to www.podcastmidatlantic.com/sop to save $10). DC Podfest in November 4-5 I will also be speaking at Podfest in Florida in February 2017. I will be having a meetup at Podfest. Need Podcast Consulting? Hire Dave for podcast consulting by going to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/schedule sessions lengths can be as short as 15 minutes (great if you have just a few questions). This episode 528 appeared first at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/528 Mentioned in This Show www.podcastgeargroup.org Beyond Powerful

Aug 22, 201643 min

Ep 527What Podcasters Can Learn From Geese, Ringo Star, and Michael Phelps

Today shares his thought on Podcamp Pittsburgh, the death of blab.im, and what geese, Ringo Star, and Michael Phelps can teach podcasters. Comments 888-563-3228 The Messengers Are Coming! If you live within driving distance of Akron, Ohio you might want to make a trip this Saturday the 20th of August as the Film Crew of The Messengers (a documentary about podcasting) will be joining our Northeast Ohio Podcasters Meetup group from 3-4:30. They are going to share their story, some cool footage, and film out meeting as well. For more information go to www.neohiopodcasters.com If you haven't heard the behind the scenes podcast about the making of the movie, check out www.themessengersdoc.com/podcast Here is a recent write up about the podcast and movie (and it's not done yet). Attention Podcasters' Hangout Family... I'd like to take a moment and recognize Dave Jackson from The School of Podcasting for spending what has to be an ENORMOUS amount of time editing and producing a podcast that highlights "behind the scenes" for an upcoming film called The Messengers: A Podcast Documentary. The film is the brainchild of Executive Producer Chris Krimitsos and I also serve as Executive Producer myself. This film has taken us and the crew - Director , D.P. Willie L. Harper, and Lead Film Editor Saulo Zayas - literally into other countries to highlight the stories of how podcasters have used this medium to make a MAJOR impact in their communities and/or through their audience. This episode chronicles the back-story of our experience flying down to Guatemala to support and film mobile podcaster Shawn Smith's Now Is The Time Mission, where the organization serves villages living in extreme poverty through building and installing high efficiency stoves, laying down concrete floors inside homes, donating *tremendous* amounts of clothing, school supplies and other goods as well as lead a daily VBS program for all the kids of the villages they serve in... Shawn has been doing this every single year for over TEN years. At the end of each day, Shawn sits down to interview the volunteers about their experience and as you can imagine, these conversations get raw and emotional. These podcast episodes are then uploaded and shared with loved ones back home. This episode of our podcast for The Messengers: A Podcast Documentary highlights this trip and some our own experiences -- and emotions. I hope you take the time to listen to it and enjoy it, and also enjoy the level of production podcasting PRO Dave Jackson has poured into this. Thanks Dave, you are freaking amazingly talented. Join the email list and get access to behind the scenes footage by going to www.themessengersdoc.com Podcamp Pittsburgh In a slide show of the previous 11 years of Podcamp Pittsburgh, you could see where this event was well attended in the past. This year they had approximately 50 people. NOW HOLD ON, before you judging things just by numbers. For me, my goal is to find individuals who want to launch a podcast. I started off my opening keynote speech asking the intimate crowd how many of them already had podcasts. Very few hands went up. When I asked how many people didn't have a podcast yet, TONS of hands went up. So while this was an intimate group, it was a perfect group for me. So judging things by numbers only goes back to people looking at producers who love to share their huge numbers. They might think, "I wish I had those numbers" but what you don't know is how engaged that audience is. While there is no spam in podcasting, some people may not be that engaged with the host. For example, I get very little interaction from my Weekly Web Tools podcast. I love the show, and I love my listeners, but it's a fact that my School of Podcasting Audience is more engaged than the Weekly Web Tools audience. As always I go to events to network with some folks, Saturday night I got to meet some very cool people. I also got to hang out with some of my awesome Libsyn people (Elsie Escobar from Shepodcasts.com and Krystal O'Connor the mind and voice behind all the libsyn tutorials. Sometimes Different is Better Than Better In talking with someone at Podcamp Pittsburgh, they asked how not to sound monotonous. The person explained how they did a show where they asked the same questions to each guest. Now I could be wrong, but my knee-jerk reaction was to think that this person might be trying to follow in the steps of John Lee Dumas (who wouldn't? He makes millions of dollars with his podcast), but (and I've said this before) you will never out "John Lee Dumas the actual John Lee Dumas." You see, it comes to him naturally. I live in an apartment complex with a few lakes. Because of the lakes and the lovely surroundings, we have hundreds of geese. I see them all the time as I walk around my neighborhood getting some exercise. Last week I saw a goose where it looked like they ran out of black paint when they were painting his head. Typically a goose's head is black, with

Aug 15, 201641 min

Ep 526The Three Things Your Podcast Needs That Have Nothing to Do With Microphones, Downloads, or Hosting

Today I'm going to share three things your podcast needs to be successful, I'm also going to share some podcasting news, and a product review on a blab.im replacement. Call the Show at 888-563-3228 Blubrry Launches Adverting Partner Plan If you are looking for an advertiser for your show, Blubrry was one of the first companies to try to pool a bunch of smaller shows together to attract sponsors. They recently launched a partner plan. Here are a couple of things about the plan It's for someone who is serious about getting a sponsor It's for someone who check's their email and values communication In the past Todd and crew would setup an advertising campaign only to have podcasters pull out at the last minute, or they forgot to let Todd known they had already sold their own spots. For more information go to https://create.blubrry.com/resources/blubrry-podcast-advertising/blubrry-advertising-priority-list/ Ask the Podcast Coach Moves to a New Platform After blab.im waved it's middle finger at podcasters, this week we waved back (after last week it just stopped working). The platform I am using is firetalk.com which has the same functionality (give or take) as blab, and its free. You don't get the audio file (just the video). You can always "rip" the audio out of the video file. So far I like it, and will continue to use it going forward. Because of His Podcast Michael O'Connell Got a Book Deal. I was interviewed for a future episode of It's All Journalism by Michael O'Connell and he shared that due to his podcast he now has a book deal about podcasting. The Messengers Documentary Team will be in Akron Ohio on August 2oth The Messengers Documentary team (doing a film on podcasting) will be in Akron Ohio (Cuyahoga Falls to be exact) on August 20th to film me, and to share some video and film the Northeast Ohio Podcasters Meetup (normally the third Monday of the month, but moved to Saturday this month). The exact location and time will be announced later (more than likely 2-5ish in Cuyahoga Falls - location to be determined very soon). For more information go to www.themessengersdoc.com to check out Dave's podcast about the project go to www.themessengerspodcast.com/podcast Podcast Rewind The Biz Chix Podcast episode 26 had a super frank talk about sex after children. Gentlemen if you want to know what women think and feel about sex, now is you chance it starts at the 27 minute mark. http://bizchix.com/226/ Another new show I've been listening to is the Rhoades to Success Podcast with Jessica Rhoades who has great tips on getting and being interviewed. The Three Things Your Podcast Needs That Have Nothing to Do With Microphones, Downloads, or Hosting Today I want to talk about podcast success and the things you need to achieve. Here is the fun part I’m not talking about microphones, downloads, or hosting. While those are ingredients that you need to podcast, without these you are doomed. They are attitude, health, and support. The first thing is your expectations and/or attitude. I have people contact me weekly with dreams of getting into Apple’s New and Noteworthy and “making it big” (whatever that means). Per Rob Walch of Libsyn, fifty percent of podcasters get less than 160 downloads, and fifty percent get above. I feel this is mainly due to the thousand plus podcasts launching every week. They are just starting to build their audience. I come from a training background where if I had twenty students in my class, my hands were going to be full. When you have 160 listeners, that would equal eight classrooms. In the last building I worked in, that would be an entire floor of classrooms filled with people who want to listen to you. People who could consume AM, FM, CD, Sirius, Local and Cable channels, HBO, Netflix, Hulu, Audible, etc. They choose to listen to you. So how do you get your attitude straight? You have to be able to answer the question, “Why are you starting a podcast?” For me, I love to help people. That’s what I worked in training departments for 20+ years. Now, let’s not fool ourselves. I like making money as well. However, when I have someone come to me too scared to launch a podcast, and I later I hear them cry over the phone as they see their podcast in iTunes, it is hard to put a price on that. The other reason you need to know you “Why” is so you can create content that fits in with your goal. If the purpose of your podcast is to position yourself as a leader in your field, then maybe you should use a Q&A format. What if you’re in just to make money. You’re in it to boost sales. Remember when you first start out you don’t have an audience, so if the goal is to convert your audience to sales, the first thing you need to do is focus on getting an audience, and second how to convert them. The length of time it takes to achieve this is why Podcasting is often said to have a slow burn. You have to have an audience before you can sell to your audience. Also, you better be willing to podcast for free

Aug 8, 201644 min

Ep 525Great Content: Reverse Engineering a Driveway Moment

Driveway moments are podcasts that have you so captivated that when you get to home instead of going in to be with your family, you sit in the driveway to finish the episode. This week I had such a moment with episode 206 of the RED podcast hosted by David Hooper. I wanted to get Dave on the line to see what went on behind the scenes of this episode. Follow Upon on Troy Heinritz - The Story Isn't Over Troy called me this week (you'll hear the call) to let me know that he has been asked to fly to LA to host a show where he gets to interview the two creators of the television show The Blacklist (Troy does the blacklist exposed). They wanted a "super fan" to interview "the Two Johns" (the creators) about season four. So Troy gets to fly to LA, stay in a hotel, and feel the promotion power Sony Pictures as they promote him on a global level. If you missed Troy's story, you could click here to listen (or subscribe and never miss another show). Great Content Has These Ingredients I tell people that you want your podcast to make people laugh, cry, think, or groan. You want it to educate or entertain (or both). Today we are looking at some of the ingredients that you can use to inspire those results in your audience. Great content: Is content you can't get in other places Is unpredictable - not sure what you’re going to get (as long as its relevant). Is a dialogue, an open discussion. Is educational Is entertaining It’s often well thought out Has relevant personal stories Has a tease to get you engaged to stay or come back. Always Brings Value Beware of Inside Jokes The hurdle I have to get over with this episode is Dave has heard this episode (obviously) and I have heard it, but you haven't (maybe). So I need to give you enough information, so you don't feel left out, but not too much information to be a spoiler. Dave had an automated phone call that pretends to be from the IRS and threatens to throw him in jail. Dave knew this was a scam and turned on his skype recorder and called them back to investigate the situation (you can hear this at www.redpodcast.com/scam) his first attempt kept the person on the line for more than an hour (and he was not happy when he figured out that Dave was playing with him). Eventually, Dave was able to get someone to "put their guard down" and explain their operation (at the risk of getting in trouble). This intimacy was fascinating. Dave wasn't yelling at the worker but just wanted information. It made for a very intriguing episode. Then in true David Hooper fashion, he used the experience as a lesson to learn about growing your business. Episode 206 of the RED Podcast David Hooper has a very wide skill set. He spent many years doing marketing for musicians (at one point managed his own event for musicians). Dave is the author of NUMEROUS books on Amazon. He has been doing his Music Business Radio program on Lightning 100 WRLT in Nashville (and subsequent podcast) where he has interviewed some pretty big names. He recently started shifting his focus to include other types of marketing outside of music. His RED Podcast is NOT another podcast that interviews entrepreneurs about escaping their dreadful lives into the world of six-figure incomes etc., etc. It's not named RED Podcast On Fire. Instead, Dave has a solo show where he uses his life's travels and ties them to lessons you can use to grow your business. Just to make it easy, here is the link to Episode 206 to hear the whole "Scam" call go to www.redpodcast.com/scam In this interview you will hear: How it took multiple calls to get this hard to believe interview. Dave ended up with lots of content, but it would need editing before putting it before his audience. By not judging his guest, the person felt safe to open up and reveal inside information. Dave stuck to his guns and didn't take advertisers that didn't fit his show, or advertisers that wanted to pay him peanuts to get in front of his audience. Dave puts thought into his episode, so there is a theme that lends itself to transitioning from one part of his show to the other. Dave realizes there is a skip button and starts of his show with a tease to keep people tuned in, and includes one at the end to make them come back. The Power of Editing I've been called to produce The Messengers Podcast. The Messengers is a documentary about podcasting. I'm making a podcast about the movie about podcasting (yeah, I know). The difference is it's up to me to stitch together the story of what has been going on (with help from executive producer Chris Krimitsos). When I'm done, I submit the rough draft to Chris. At this point, I've put in lots of hours, and I want it to be done. Chris has always come back with ideas. You know what? They are always good insights. I'm too close to the trees to see the forest. Editing can make a good thing great if you're open to feedback. Some people do the, "I just hit record and post it. I'm keeping it real." It's podcasting, and you can do what you wa

Aug 1, 20161h 1m

Ep 524It Started With a Tweet - The Amazing Troy Heinritz Story

Comments about the show? Call 888-563-3228 At Podcast Movement Kevin Smith said to forget hanging around people who would answer, "Why?" when you said you wanted to try something, and instead hang around people who said, "Why not!" Troy Heinritz is a why not kind of guy. He had spent some time in radio, and start a podcast. In today's episode you will hear how his story has grown and grown, but it started with a single tweet. It started by reaching out to someone on twitter because the guy had a bible verse That lead to ABC PR calling to see how they could help the new podcast Get an IMDB pro account and get all the contact info for people you want to talk down. Through building a relationship with his audience. someone in his audience knew one of the writers. Relationships with PR people lead to interviews with more writers Troy is now seen as the "voice of the audience" He has received free "Shwag" from companies to promote He is having a blast. How he balances Marriage, Children, Work, and Podcasting He co-hosts the Packer's Fan Podcast and just got a sponsor for the show. Check out Troy's Podcasts at: www.theblacklistexposed.com www.packersfanpodcast.com 112263 Golden Spiral Media Mentioned in this Episode www.clammr.com The Blacklist, Season 1 - The Blacklist Wordswag App Spreaker.com (use the coupon sopfree) Noodle.mx Network Podcast Player Survey (two questions - take the survey) Ready to Start a Podcast? Check out www.theschoolofpodcasting.com

Jul 25, 20161h 8m

Ep 523Lessons From My First Crack at a Narrative Podcast Episode

What I've Learned From One Episode of a Storytelling NPR styled Podcast I recently started a podcast in a narrative fashion about a documentary called the Messengers, as I've never done this style of podcasting before. Here is what I've learned. You have to know what story you are going to tell so you can add some intrigue, inspiration, comedy, etc. You need to catalog everything. The Sooner the better. So if I make a phone call, get audio from a video, I catalog everything. Identify your plot. For my first episode I wanted to tell the story of how and why everyone got involved, with a subplot of some behind the scenes. Then I wanted to build interest in future episodes. Looking back, it might've been better to keep it short and precise. It takes A LOT of time. This is why shows like Reply All have a team of 15 working on their show. Right now, I'm a team of one. The first 20 minute episode took around 4 hours. That is roughly a 12:1 ratio. My tool of choice here is the software Hindenburg Journalist. It's $99, and works on both Mac or PC, and you can drag in a bunch of files, cut them into pieces and then drag and drop them into the order you want them. It also auto levels the audio, and in this case I have all sorts of audio. Get the best audio you can. This is true for every podcast. In my case I had some phone conversations that sounded horrendous next to a skype call. I always judge if a clip is helping the story. Beware of the creep. What I mean by this is as I'm creating an episode about things that have already happened, there are things happening NOW. You have to think through the ears of your audience. They only know what you have given them. I'm reading Out on the Wire: The Storytelling Secrets of the New masters of Radio which I realize is a bit backwards. I should've read it before I started, but sometimes you just got to jump into the pool. When is a Remake Better Than the Original 15:15 I saw Ghostbuster this week, and found it very "Meh." It didn't scare me, or make me laugh. It was a shame as there are some really talented people in it. When we try to recreate someone else's magic, it typically doesn't work. I'm sure if we said some old show from the 1920's compared to a show in 1983, I'm not sure of movies that were better than the original. Typically a copy/remake of something isn't as good. With this in mind, don't try to copy someone else's show. Be yourself. Your audience will thank you for it The Only Thing Stopping You - is You 18:03 Is this you? You know you're a nice person. You're a good person. You're not perfect, but you always do your best. You have things you are proud of, and things you might wish to forget. Does this sound familiar? I'm going to share something I did this week. I talked at the beginning of the year how 2016 was going to be me getting out of my comfort zone. So I'm going to share a bit about my life, what goes in my head, and how I pushed through, and how you can too. In the end I'm glad I did, and you will be too. Here is some back story. I was in training to be a Pastor of a small church. I was brought in to bring in a younger crowd. The church was about 15 years old and over the last 10 years had completely lost touch with their youth at the church. After filling in for the Pastor I was approached to be an assistant pastor with the end goal of becoming the pastor when he retired. I thought about it. Prayed about it, and came on board. To keep this brief, they wanted me to attract younger people doing the exact same thing they had been doing that drove them away. Every idea I had was shot down. They were stuck in the "that's not how we do it" mode, and eventually I got frustrated and I could see how this wasn't going to work. I love those people and rather than lose those relationships, I stepped down. The bottom line was my ego took a hit. My self esteem got a quick uppercut to the jaw. When my first wife and I had accepted the fact that we would never have children, she became an alcoholic. Have you ever tried to reason with an alcoholic? It's not fun. Bottom line, I couldn't get her to listen to me. I'm glad to hear that years later after almost driving into someone's home, she is now sober. But here again, I was in a situation where I couldn't get someone's attention, and my words seemed worthless. I'm not looking for a pity party. Hang with me. My second wife was a smart, intelligent, funny person, who I later found out, disagreed with about 90% of everything I said. I could see where she wanted out marriage to go. I could see the path on how to get there, but I couldn't get her to follow me. When I tried to follow her, well, it just didn't work. Here again, I just couldn't get her attention. As this was marriage number two, and I was right back where I started, this really did a number on me. After all the only constant in my marriages is me. We all have these. We all have something to say. But it is the past that often steps in to stop us from doing

Jul 18, 201646 min

Ep 522Podcasting Lessons From the Pizza Parlor

Podcast Movement was a great success as all of the previous events. WOW. The one thing different this year was I was working for Libsyn. I spent pretty much three days talking from about 7 in the morning to somewhere between midnight and 2 AM talking loudly. Consequently, my voice is still kind of raspy today. I had originally planned on playing the talk I did, but to be honest the audio has so much room noise it's unusable. Instead I want to share some quick insights from Podcast Movement. Bring a back pack. - I was using a laptop case and my shoulders still hurting. If you want to meet someone, you need to set this up in advance. Don't be afraid to try things. I did a Q&A. This was new at PM16, and it was in response to customer feedback. I thought my session went well, and I enjoyed not having to working on a bunch of slides. Be Careful Extending Your Launch I love Giordono's Pizza. Every time I go to Chicago I have to get some. It's super-duper thick, and it's quite yummy. They look small, but one piece will fill you up. We went one night, as did apparently the entire event. There was a 90 minute wait. We found out that we could order out pizza and they could start making it, and then (hopefully) by the time we got to our table, the pizza could be ready. That sounded like a great plan. The problem is what we were told and what was reality were very different. We got to our table and instead of having the pizza soon, we waited another 90 minutes. So all in all we waited three hours for food. Was the pizza good? Absolutely, but did it make me roll my eyes back into my head and make me go "oooooh this is soooooo good..." like the other times I've enjoy ed their pizza? No. Why? I had been telling people how good it was. That is half the fun of going there is to take someone who has never had their pizza, and watch their face. But after three hours of waiting, unless they threw in a Heil PR40, I don't think the pizza would've lived up to the hype. So if you are a person who is getting ready and setting up your auto responder, your squeeze page, your sales funnel, etc. meanwhile you had already told your audience that you would be launching a podcast "soon," by the time it arrives the wait may take away from the over-all experience. With this in mind, be careful when you announce your podcast is coming. You might want to wait until you have a finished episode ready to go. You might want to wait until your show is approved in iTunes, Google Play Music, Stitcher, etc. New and Noteworthy Update I ran into Nicole of the BBRshow.com (Business Building Rock Stars). If you count from the top she is currently #81 in "New and Noteworthy" and said she doesn't seem to be getting any major push from this position. She said she is seeing slow steady growth. This segment was recorded using nothing but my phone. What it Would've Sounded Like if I had Won an Award I was honored to be nominated in the Technology category and then the PEOPLE'S CHOICE! (but didn't win either). I had a speech in case I won. It went a little something like this: Look, I don’t win very often, so I’m going all out on this. OK? I would like to thank: GOD My listeners. Without you I am nothing. To the members of the School of Podcasting. Thanks for picking me as your coach. It has been a pleasure serving you. A special shout out to the Ask the Podcast Coach chat room. You folks truly are neat. Thanks to the academy, and to my fellow nominees. It was great to be nominated with you (I’ve been nominated for 8 different awards, and I gotta say it is nice to win). To my co-hosts I’ve have over the years. Rob Walch, Paul Colligan, Gary Lealand, Erik K Johnson, Jim Collison, and of course my tripod brothers Daniel J Lewis and Ray Ortega. Gentlemen thanks for being great co-host and in some cases competition, but thanks for being even better friends. To libsyn for hosting all of my files without a glitch, and thanks for the job while I’m at it. Use the coupon code sopfree to get a free month. Cmon, you know I had to go there. This is really overwhelming. Ask my ex-wife and she will tell you I don’t handle compliments well. I do want to thank some people, Daniel J Lewis, Marcus Couch, Erik K Johnson, and Steve Stewart who called me during my divorce just to make sure I was OK. As I got divorced 10 days before Christmas, Steve took time out his family time, and called me on Christmas day. I know we like to talk CPM advertising, and income reports, but when you’re spending Christmas with your cat that phone call was worth a million dollars. Two more quick points. If you’re almost ready to launch your podcast, but you’re waiting on that one thing LAUNCH. An almost perfect podcast will impact 100% more people than the one that never makes off your hard drive. Lastly, people ask me why I have Jeremiah 29:11 on my website. Well in 2015 I got divorced. Shortly thereafter I was laid off. I was estranged from my family due to some things my ex-wife had said. It was a

Jul 11, 201644 min

Ep 521How Glenn Hebert Does Morning Radio From His House - Couch Cushions Test

Comments? Call 888-563-3228 Join the School of Podcasting today Podcast Movement is Next Week I will be working Libsyn booth all week except for my Q & A Season on Friday at 10:15-11:00 on the Solutions Stage. Please find me and say hello. I would love to meet you. Have fresh batteries in your portable recorder Have your business cards Clean of the SD card Comfy shoes and breathe mints are a must. If you have a conflict between a session and a discussion, stay in the hallway and continue the discussion and listen to the recording. Glenn Hebert likes to Hang Out With Journalists 8:13 Today is this third appearance of "Glenn the Geek" from the horse radio network. Glenn is making a living through his podcast, and a lot of hard work. Today we find out. What mistake Glenn feels he has done, and wishes he could go back and change it What equipment he is using the create his live show including callers. He gives some insights into selling ads on your show. His insights from Magazines, and how Glenn is now helping magazines in his niche get into podcasting. Not only does the magazine bring over their audience, but they also bring over their sponsors. His biggest hurdle is booking guests Why you should look at every problem as an opportunity. Glenn is using Mixlr, Call in Studio, Google Sites, Audio Hijack Pro, Auphonic, and he uses three separate computers. You can see when you add "live" to your podcast, your technical skills need to go up. Glenn embraces the pressure that live brings, and he likes the feel. Check out Glenn's Network at www.horseradionetwork.com Couch Cushion Experiment 43:50 An easy way to cut down on "room noise" grab the cushion from your couch. You could purchase Milk Crate, Egg Carton Foam or you can just order one already built and save the time and effort. New and Noteworthy Experiment 51:42 If you go to www.becauseofmypodcast.com/itunes Please rate, review, and most improbably subscribe to the Because of my podcast show. I now have 65 ratings. I have a total of 559 downloads over six episodes with the highest episode being 171 and the lowest being 58 I'm on row 91 of the Technology > Podcasting category. I am still not listed in the "main" new and noteworthy. But I'm noticing a trend on who is. Jim Norton - comedian Kathy Smith - "famous" health expert Chris Hardwick The Dallas Morning News Gimlet Media - Ebay podcast that's not about eBay Michael Kosta- Comedian E! Network. Mentioned in this Episode The Messengers Documentary

Jul 4, 20161h 0m

Ep 520The Podcast Mindset - Favorite Social Network - New and Noteworthy Part 1

I was born in Akron, Ohio. I lived in Cleveland, Ohio for 8 years and now moved back to Akron. So when LeBron James join the Cleveland Cavaliers we were all excited. Last year we came close, but we lost (there is a long history of Cleveland Sports teams coming "this close" to winning only to lose). This year our team was down three games to one. No team had ever come back from that deficit. We were up against the team that had the most winningest season. Again, we all started think about coming "this close," and we started thinking about what we could improve and try again next year. There was one person who didn't that way. His name is LeBron James and that's what I want to talk about today. Because there is a part of podcasting that is mental. When asked what he did when he was down 3-1 and how he maintained, LeBron couldn't answer specifically, but he talked about previous championship he had been in as a High School Player, and it all came back to preparation, and looking for ways to improve. So he watch film from the gems where his team lost. He looked for things he could do better. One of my montra's is "Constant Improvement." Maybe it is the teacher in me, but I always feel there is room for improvement. He listened to the right people. While his Instagram would show he didn't 100% tune out social media, during the playoffs he turned off sports radio, TV, newspapers, and anyone else that had an opinion. The opinion he was interested in was his coaches. So if you get a negative comment, or someone shoots you a negative email, put it aside. Get a group of people to be your focus group. Ask them how you're doing. Get a Facebook group going. He gets his team involved, in some cases telling them what to do. So if you want people to contact you, give them options (email, voicemail, speakpipe) and then tell them. In some cases, show them. He didn't quit. There was a time in the game when it was tied. The other team got the ball and was running down the court. It was two player against one, this was going to be some easy points. Except for one thing. LeBron James didn't quit. He had been running down the court with one of the players as hard he he could. He had one goal, and that was to block the shot. If you see the replay you will see where the other player started to take it easy as he went to lay the ball into the hoop. This again, was going to be two easy points. Instead as one player left off the gas Lebron leaped into the air and blocked it. Many feel this was a turning point. He didn't quit. Have you ever had something you thought was hard, but you pushed through? If you want to watch your audience get smaller, quit. That is guaranteed. My favorite quote of Lebron's from his press conference was "The games always gives back to those who are true to the game." To me, I'd like to tweak that to say, "You audience always gives back to those who are giving value to the audience." Notice I got specific. It's not just giving; it is giving value. What Happens When You Don't Know Your Audience Sometimes we think we are giving value but we are missing the mark. When I was married I used to do things for my wife. I thought these were wonderful, romantic, and would be sure to score me points. I found out later in therapy, that they accomplished none of my goal. Instead I found a other items that WOULD. How? By talking with my wife. You need to find out what your audience needs (Facebook groups, email lists, surveys) and give them what they want. What would you do if your boss said you had to do a presentation in 14 different countries? If you didn't learn the language, it wouldn't make sense If you didn't' learn about their culture you could offend someone without even knowing it. What if instead of rushing in you took the time to know the language and customs? In this instance your podcast is your boss, and the 14 countries are different social media outlets. Pick a platform, learn it. Learn the type of information that works on that platform. Check out Brandi at Big Active Audience for more great information Survey of the Week What is your favorite Social Media Platform. I would love to hear about it in this week's survey. Take this one question Poll Because of My Podcast: I'm Helping Myself and Others Deal With Grief Darwyn Dave shares the story about how his father was murdered when he was a young boy. After listening to this show, Darwyn has started working through his own grief via a podcast. His goal, not to make money, not to get 10,000 downloads, but to help himself and others work through grief. Now, barbecue of his podcast he's been asked to create some videos and share his experience. Check out his show at www.dealingwithmygrief.com New and Noteworthy Investigation People are obsessed with iTunes New and Noteworthy. What is the effect? Well I wanted to find out. I don't think it's much, but I wanted to KNOW. So I started a podcast called "Because of my Podcast." I started tracking items. It seemed so

Jun 27, 201653 min

Ep 519Podcasting With Your Kids - Promoting Outside of iTunes

Answering Audience Questions Is a podcast a good way to promote a multi-level marketing (MLM) business? If your sole goal of a podcast is to generate income, you need to realize a few things: Nobody tunes into an infomercial on purpose (usually it's that there is nothing else on) You make money from your podcast by delivering value. This helps people like you because you're helpful. When people trust you, they may purchase something you recommend or provide. It takes time to develop the relationship between you and your audience. So whatever your product is, your industry, if you have tips on running that business, using that product, news about that industry, then it might be helpful. Figure out who your target audience is and make the information that they want to consume. Starting a Podcast With My Child Dave, On the second leg of a trip home from VT to TN, I spent 8 hours in the car listening to your voice yesterday. And enjoyed it thoroughly. Thanks for the great content! I've been listening to podcasts for years and am thinking of starting one with my 11 year old son. We have a concept and I'm going to put him through the paces of evaluating and starting a business (I've had an online business for 20 years) with the intention that he'd be doing this for the next 8 years at least until he leaves home. So, it's a long term strategy for us (we're doing the project whether we broadcast it or not, so we may as well). And I'm sort of tagging on the biz training for him and see if we can develop it into a part time job for him (I'm launching on another biz that this coincides with as well). My question for you is this...there's plenty of info out there on the tech side of the equation and plenty of courses like SOP on getting started (which we may do in a few months) and marketing info, etc., but either I'm not seeing or just not looking in the right places for resources on the broadcasting skills side. Obviously, just doing it is a huge bit of it. But, I'd like to be able to talk him through the skills needed and how to get them in a general way. We're interviewing a radio friend about interviewing next week, but I thought I would ask you...Do you have any resources that you could point us to on developing the broadcast skills needed to make a great show (assuming the content is great and the tech is listenable)? Thanks for any direction you could give, I appreciate your time! Michelle - cornerstonepromos.com Marketing Minutes - Brandi Young Brandi Young is a software developer who has been working with podcasters on some software. Though interviews she has found that many podcasters are relying too much on iTunes when there is a whole other world of tools to Market your Podcast. Check out her website at www.bigactiveaudience.com slideshare.net meetup.com Pinterest.com New Features Coming to Podcasting Blubrry will be launching Podcast Sites. This is a free website based on Wordpress. Libsyn has destination stats, audio files to YouTube, Episode Defaults, Entranced ID3 tags Spreaker is coming out with a new CMS Use the coupon sopfree at any of these companies to get a free month (full discloser I work for Libsyn). Podcast Rewind I appeared on round 73 of the Podcasters Rountable talking about branding your podcast I appeared on Episode two of the Membership Coach show with Marcus Couch talking about the Burden and the Benefit of Membership sites. Check out Paul Colligan's Look back at 10 years of Video with Lauria Petrucci (Cali Lewis) Last 5 in 5 Cale Nelson Cale Neslon from the Ham Radio 360 Show shares the last 5 podcasts he listened to. Everything Ham Radio Linux in the Ham Shack School of Podcasting (this show) Black Man with a Gun Kenn Blanchard Show Wealth Steading (howto invest) Mentioned in this Episode Feeding My Faith - Does God Have Brain Damage? Podcast Movement Almost Sold Out. Use the coupon code sop40 Join the School of Podcasting Step by Step tutorials Priority Email Support Live Podcast Consulting Private Facebook Group for Networking Join the School of Podcasting Today

Jun 20, 201645 min

Ep 518The Power of Meeting Your Podcast Audience Face to Face

Because of My Podcast - I Got to Go To The Largest Event in My Niche 2:05 Cale Nelson from hamradio360.com wanted to go to world's largest Ham Radio event. He wanted to go, but had these pesky things called kids that need silly things like food, clothes, and shelter. So this didn't leave Cale with money to spend on his hobby of podcasting. Well a few listeners said he should try putting together a funding campaign, and so he did. Did he get the money he needed? Well he didn't get the 100% needed. He got 220% he needed! He did this providing VALUE for shirts, hats, shipping, etc. The cool thing is Cale had the courage to try a crowd funding. It could've blown up in his face. Instead his audience came through and he got to attend with all of his expenses paid. Why You Should Attend Events I went to Podcast Movement last year. I went to a session to support my friend Steve Stewart. After his session some guy named Glenn Hebert got up to speak. You may heave heard me mention Glenn the Geek from the Horse Radio Network (Glenn has 20+ advertisers on his network). I saw Glenn do an impromptu speach. That lead to me asking him to come on the show. That lead to a relationship where Glenn asked me to speak at Podfest last year. That lead to me being interviewed for a documentary about podcasting. Which has now lead me to being asked to help with the film. The film is going to be AWESOME. I will be setting creating relationships with people who you will hear on this show. I have found co-hosts. Here are come cool places to go Podcast Movement - July 5-6 Chicago, (use the coupon sop40) Podcast MidAtlantic September 9-10 NJ New Media Europe - June 18, 19 Podcast Success Summit - Online 89 Speakers Podfest February 23-25 Orlando Podcast Bingeing 22:54 The Moose Falulence Podcast (joke) I found a new podcast that I'm really loving. It does the two things that I really like. As a teacher, I love to learn. As a human, I love to laugh. When you can have me doing both, I'm a fan for life. I discovered a show called the Pub from "the Current" (itunes). The host is Adam Ragusea and he takes current news, and dissects it uses it as a learning tool. The latest episode had him picking apart an interview of Donald Trump. This wasn't for the content, but to look at the strategy of how the interviewer approached the subject. He is not afraid to bite the hands that feed him (the media) and backs up his opinion with great insights. He's a Journalist in Residence and Visiting Assistant Professor of Journalism at the Center for Collaborative Journalism at Mercer University in Macon, Ga. He’s also reported for public radio shows including Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Here & Now, Marketplace and The Takeaway. Before becoming a journalist, Adam studied music composition, and he creates all the music for The Pub. If you want to keep up with the media, or if you're tired of all the "Podcasts about podcasting" (but still want to improve your show), you might give this a listen. Finding Your Audience - Tools 27:10 Don't just Google, go and advanced Google search where you can exclude things you don't want at https://www.google.com/advanced_search Check out barndi Youn'gs article on advanced Google Searches Find People on twitter, but use the advanced twitter. https://twitter.com/search-advanced?lang=en You can use a tool like http://buzzsumo.com/ You type in keywords and it'll show you what's being read in your space in the last year, two years, etc. 30Cast.com Helps Podcasters 30Cast is a new service launching next month to help podcasters find music to use in your podcast. :30cast offers fully produced tracks that fit any theme, topic, vibe, or feel.Each piece of music is 30 seconds long (not my favorite part of this idea). This is not for a person who wants to be a DJ and play the entire song. Pricing will be 9.99 for a one time use 24.99 for a month 49.99 for three months 89.99 for six months $129 for a full year. During the time your license is active, you can use that piece of music in as many podcasts as you want. This is not for major label music. This is indie musicians that make professional sounding music. From the Audience As if 35 podcasts weren't enough to keep up with, you gave me a 36th to listen to. Now I'm binge-listening to The Podcast Engineering Show. As a compulsive gear-head and self-confessed audio snob, it's the kind of show I've been hoping for. Having been podcasting myself since 2008, I'm well beyond "how do you set up a mix-minus?" and "what is gain-staging?" And because the tea leaves were pretty clear to me 3-4 years ago, I knew that serious podcasters were going to have to step up their audio engineering game. Plus, I love this kind of crap. So Dave, thanks for adding yet another podcast to my life. I'll have to look through the list of shows and unsubscribe from one of them to restore balance to my life. But don't worry, it won't be yours! Best, Max www.airplanegeeks.com Muhhamad Ali Follow Up 44:07 L

Jun 13, 201658 min

Ep 517The Ultimate New and Noteworthy - Muhammad Ali - Podcastguests.com Reviewed

This week I am saddened by the lost of my champ Muhammad Ali. When I was growing up there were two things that were constant in my life. Richard Nixon was President Muhammad Ali was the Greatest Boxer of All Time Today there are lesson I feel we can learn from Muhmmad Ali as podcasters. When I hear name Muhammad Ali there is so much more to a guy that was good in the ring. He Know Both Sides of Boxing There are two ways to win in boxing Don't get hit. He ounce dodged 21 punches in 10 seconds. Hit the other guy. As a child Muhammad would have his brother throw rocks at his head. As I was watching old clips of his fights today, one of his strengths was the ability to not get hit. He also had incredibly fast hands. He punched before you even saw it coming. The Two Ways to Win in Podcasting Create content that positively impacts your audience Intelligently promote it to that audience My equation for downloads is: Value in the episode multiplied by the amount of effort put into promotion = Total Downloads. He Never Stopped Moving As I mentioned her was very hard to hit. Especially early in his career he never stopped dancing around the ring. If he did, it meant you were about to get hit with a ton of punches. Podcasters Need to Keep Moving If we are to keep up with all the other forms of entertainment that are fighting for the attention of our audience, we need to keep moving, and always looking to be better. He Was New Muhammad Ali won the gold medal in the 1964 Olympics (known then as Cassius Clay). He then did something most boxers didn't do. He spoke. He not only spoke, he made poems and boasted about how he was going to to beat his opponent. When most boxers didn't have the intelligent to put together a full sentence, here was one that was fighting to get a microphone in his fave. He Was Noteworthy He won his fist championship fighting Sunny Liston. Sunny Liston was a huge favorite with of 8 to 1. Nobody thought Ali had a chance. When he beat the champ, that was truly noteworthy, and people did indeed take note. By the way, Ali later admitted that he feared Liston, but acted so crazy to intimidate him (and he did). Podcasters: If you truly want to be New and Noteworthy, you need to come up with something new (it's not easy) and create content that is noteworthy. Something that will get your audience. If you want to be New and Noteworthy, be, um, New and Truly Noteworthy. He Was A Man of Integrity When he was drafted he refused. It went against his religious beliefs. The consequences, they stripped him of his title, banned him from boxing for three years (during the prime of his career). Later it was overturned by a unanimous decision by the Supreme Court. Integrity as a podcaster: We need to stand up for what we believe in. Can you imagine if someone said "Do this, or we are removing you from iTunes, and every other directory, we are disabling your RSS feed, and we're taking your microphone? We can't sell out to bad sponsors that don't fit our show, and to strategies that are less than transparent. You have integrity when you start podcasting, once you lose it, it is very hard, if not impossible, to get back. He Used His Authority For Good He could've taken his money, and retired. Instead he had one of his biggest fights in Africa? Why because he wanted to boost the economy. When he was banned from boxing her was a speaker at colleges. He embraced diversity. Giving Back as a Podcaster We can give back by supporting causes like the Podcast Awards, New Media Europe (which are currently struggling). We can use our microphone to help people, and to spotlight those things that need to be in the spotlight. He Apologized For Crossing the Line Ali was famous for calling his opponents names. Leading up to one fight he called Joe Frazier a Gorilla. While Ali did this to rile up his appointment and increase ticket sales (and it worked in both cases) he later would apologize to Joe's son, and eventually to Joe and the two became friends before Joe passed away. Podcasters can take back words. I know I've said things about Audello, and I once made some remarks about an article online that crossed the line of fact related, and got personal. I have since apologized for my words, removed the comments from their blog, and we have patched things up. Help These Podcast Resources New Media Europe Podcastawards.com (and while you're there, vote for the school of podcasting in the education category :) Podcast Rewind: Podcasters Roundtable Discuss the Importance of New and Noteworthy with Ray Ortega, +Daniel J. Lewis +Dave Jackson, +George Whittam and +Ian Robinson I appeared on the Super Joe Pardo Dreamer's Podcast PodcastGuests.com Review I recently heard and used PodcastsGuests.com and wasn't sure what to expect. Within a week I had over 15 people who had replied. What was I looking for? I wanted people who could answer the question, "Because of my podcast _____." I've definitely got some people who I will be contacting in the

Jun 6, 201636 min

Ep 516Yes, You Can Change Your Podcast

Podcast Rewind: Podcasts on Jeopardy This week PODCASTS was a category on Jeopardy. This again shows how podcasting is growing and becoming more and more main stream.Awareness over the last year has gone from 48% to 49 % now it jumped to 55%. The percentage of people who have listened to a podcast is up to 36% (90 million people in the US) up from 33% the previous year and 30% the previous year. It's OK, You'll Be Fine So I've been holding these "Podcasting Puzzle" webinars that feature podcasting 101 information. I love talking to people about why they haven't started. You know all the reason why you should start, all the ways you can benefit from a podcast, and yet here you are... no podcast. Well I know how you feel. Now you might be thinking, "Dave you have been podcasting for 11 years, no you don't." Well, I'm here to tell you I do. Here is why. I've been planning on using Facebook Ads to promote the School of Podcasting. I watched countless videos. I know all the pros. I know not to promote a post and to use the Power Editor. I have videos that pretty much walk me through the process and yet here I am ... no Ads. Why? It's new, and I don't want to waste my money. I don't want to waste my time. I don't know what I'm doing. There have been things I've waste money on (exercise equipment over the years, guitars, etc), there have been things that I've wasted my time on (marriage, diet), but when I look back on those items they aren't really a waste. Here is why: I came out a better person with a better understanding of my strengths and weaknesses. I learned that some things that work for others won't work for me. It got my toe in the water of a new thing, that allowed me to carry on. It was the price of a launch Rebranding Your Podcast Today we talk with Kathy Kelly of the Special Mouse Podcast. She's been doing it for years, and feels she has said all there is to say on the subject, and is having a hard time recommending Disney due to the rising cost of just attending the park, and they seem to care less and less about people with special needs (way to have integrity!), but she didn't want to quit podcasting. She enjoys her Facebook group, and the relationships she has built with her audience. So what is she going to do? She is going to create a show for mothers of autistic children. She will keep enjoying the relationships she has built, and quick talking about things she doesn't want to talk about (Disney). Because her new podcast is very similar to her old podcast she can rebrand (change the name and artwork) and keep her old audience, reviews, and subscribers. She will make a new feed for her old show (Special mouse) and keep her audience with the new show. Where I Will Be Speaking Podcast Movement July 6-8 in Chicago (use the coupon code sop40 to save) Podcast Mid Atlantic Septemeber 9-10 in New Jersey use http://podcastmidatlantic.com/sop to save 10% Because of His Podcast: Michael Butler Gets a New Computer! When Michael Butler found out his old computer needed $600 worth of parts, he turned to his audience who had someone who was able to get him a computer for free. Michael was down to recording his show on his Phone using the Bossjock app.

May 30, 201649 min

Ep 515Compressor, Noise Gates, De Essers in Plain English

Because of his Podcast: He Discovered a Niche Who Needed A Product Got a note from Corey Fineran I just handed my boss my resignation letter! This podcasting journey started 7 1/2 years ago and it's now allowed me to leave my job and start my own business! You've probably heard me talk about Ivy Envy (my podcast on the Chicago Cubs) more than the one I did for my employer. Since 2012, I've been able to call myself a "professional podcast producer" as my employer created a new position for me to do video podcasts for teachers to play in their classrooms to help high school students with disabilities in their transition from high school to life after high school (primarily through work/employment). Well, there is a huge need for this type of curriculum and schools all over the state of Illinois have started using that podcast. I saw a need and last summer, I started working on starting my own business, creating innovative and interactive online transition curriculum and marketing it to schools all over the country. After receiving contracts from school districts and cooperatives, I'm able to leave my job at the end of this school year. Many of the people in this group have influenced me (whether they know it or not) to take this scary jump. +Bob Zerull +Ray Ortega +Daniel Hayes +Nick Seuberling +David Jackson and of course, +Tawny Fineran who has been insanely supportive over the last year as I've worked on building this. If you're curious to check out what I've been working on, you can find it here: http://transitioncurriculum.com Another Problem with Your Show's Title Headline As I now work for Libsyn (where you can get a free month using the coupon code sopfree), and I get to see some mistakes that people are making. Now I'm doing a bit of a repeat, and that is people make horrible headlines. In the past I've talked about starting off a headline with the date. What I am seeing now is people putting the name of their show at the beginning of the headline. Why this makes no sens, is any place you can see the headline (your website, a listing in iTunes) you already see the name of the show. Also here is another thing to keep in mind, on the podcasts app from Apple, you can only see 45 characters of the headline if you're not subscribed to it. Once you subscribe you see the entire headline. However, would you subscribe if every headline was: School of Podcasting - How to Podcast Today w School of Podcasting - How to Podcast Today w School of Podcasting - How to Podcast Today w You're wasting really, really valuable space. Why do we care? I had a client who had a respected media outlet that wanted to put their RSS feed on their site. They tested it and the headlines were horrible, and they wanted the producer to change all of their headlines. Want to make great Headlines, check out my Free Headlines Resources Multiple Websites Question Revisited Paul said, " Heard your comments about updating multiple websites. I have 7 x WordPress sites, have used ManageWP for a couple of years now, love it! VERY easy to update all sites at once, gives you immediate admin access to all sites without login and very simple to add and take new WP installations, with dynamic pricing. Daniel said, " I use iThemes Sync. ]But you should also check out JetPack’s built-in module for plugin updates. Then, you can login to wordpress.com/plugins (I think) and update all your plugins from there. It’s not as thorough as Sync or others. But it’s free with no limit on sites. Is Blab.Im Going Away? The quick answer is no. However, the CEO stated this week "Blab is not doubling down on broadcaster tools.” They want to focus more on equipping people to hang out. We talked about this on the Ask the Podcast Coach show that I do every Saturday at 10:30 AM EST and here are some theories of what this might really mean. They can't make it reliable Podcasters are perfectionists They are working on other projects (an app for teens) This is as good as it gets. For me it means, I'm not leaving the platform until it doesn't work for me. I will be scouting other options. Thanks For the Review "What a fantastic resource this show has been for me. As a 51 year old professional in the entertainment industry, I knew nothing about podcasting when I decided to have my own show. The School of Podcasting has and will continue to be my GPS (great podcasting source). Thanks Dave for doing your homework! Alan Bruess, Tailgate Entertainer" from AlanB-Tractor Guy. This review was sent to me automatically from My Podcast Reviews (have all reviews from all countries, as well as sticher be sent to your email ) Advanced Podcasting Recording Tools in Plain English Today I'm joined by Chris Curran of the podcastengineeringschool.com and http://fractalrecording.com/ who has spent years as an audio engineer in the music business, and is now turning his skills on podcasting. Now keep in mind, you do NOT need these items to get started. Next week I'm doing a podcast with just a m

May 23, 201658 min

Ep 514Podcasting Brings More Customers, Better Students, and More Traffic

Today on the School of Podcasting we talk content marketing, why podcasting is a perfect tool for this strategy, and how to overcome one of the biggest hurdles for those needing interaction on their website. Podcast Rewind 2:15 I appeared on the Maximize Excellence show with Joe Hicks. Joe walks you through an Ideology of the four pillars of excellence. I really liked the show, and Joe (a graduate of the School of Podcasting) is doing a great job. Check it out at www.maximizeexcellence.com or subscribe in iTunes. Because of Podcasting 5:20 I have read the book, Epic Content Marketing: How to Tell a Different Story, Break through the Clutter, and Win More Customers by Marketing Less: How to Tell a Different Story, ... and Win More Customers by Marketing Less and it had some great stories of content marketing. There was a blacksmith that worked with farmers. He would listen to them complain about how mud would get stuck on their plow. He later invented a plow made of steel that the mud didn't stick to. He listened to his audience and gave them what they needed. In 1885, he started a magazine called The Furrow. The purpose of the magazine was to educate farmers on new technology and how they could be more successful business owners and farmers (thus, content marketing). The Furrow was not filled with promotional messages and self-serving content. It was developed by thoughtful journalists, storytellers, and designers, and covered topics that farmers cared about deeply. The goal of the content was to help farmers become more prosperous and, of course, profitable. Now, 120 years later, The Furrow is still going strong. It is the largest circulated farming magazine in the world, delivered monthly to over 1.5 million farmers, in 12 languages to 40 different countries. Who was this blacksmith? John Deere, he was quite an inventor. You may have heard of his tractors. 1900: Michelin develops The Michelin Guide. This 400-page guide, now with its iconic red cover, helps drivers maintain their cars and find decent lodging. In its first edition, 35,000 copies were distributed for free. 1904: Jell-O recipe book pays off. Jell-O distributes free copies of a recipe book that contributes to sales of over $ 1 million by 1906. 1913: Burns & McDonnell Engineering launch BenchMark. This Kansas City engineering and consulting firm still produces its award-winning BenchMark magazine to this day. 1930's Proctor and Gamble started making radio dramas. This was an extremely successful strategy. It often would feature ads for Duz and Oxydol detergents. Later these would move to Television. Many people refer to them as Soap Operas. Your podcast could be the next Furrow. You use your podcast to build your brand. You use it to gain the trust of your audience. You build a relationship with your audience. Then later you can capitalize on that relationship. So content marketing is not new, but it can be tricky Podcasting Boosts Grades 12: 52 Craig from Ingleaspodcast.com shared a story on the Ask the Podcast Coach on how he had students do extra homework by listening to podcasts. The other in the class did not. Those who reinforced their learning with podcasting had better grades. He did have one student who originally did not listen to the podcasts (but his grades had improved). Later, he confessed he had been listening to the podcasts. Using Content Upgrades In Your Podcast 19:08 A content upgrade offers extra value on the initial article or content. It typically is a downloadable, email-gated piece that strikes while the proverbial iron is hot. For podcasters maybe the price of admission is not an email address, but simply a click to get back to your site, where you can then get them to subscribe, click, etc. Great Example Scott Johnson does the Computer Tutor Podcast. It is one of my favorites. It's around 5 minutes, and Scott brings cool tips that even as someone who was teaching software for a living for 20+ years, I learned things. Well in his last episode he did something that appears similar to a content upgrade. He explained that if you type in http://netflix.com/browse/genre/xxxxx that XXX can be a category number that can range from Action & Adventure: 1365 to Zombie Horror Movies: 75405 while this is helpful, if you don't have the category numbers you're stuck. So where do you go to get those category numbers? You guessed it Scott's Computer Florida Website So what does this do. You only get people on your website who really want this information. Casual Netflix users may not care. Me? I do a lot of Netflix, so I was all over it. So I went over, and I checked out some music-related categories, and then I went to documentaries. There it was. The documentary Alive Inside. Have you seen it? IT'S AMAZING. Check this out. So I find this MIND BLOWING MOVIE, and who gets credit? Scott Johnson from the Computer Tutor Podcast. I challenge you. Yes, you. I challenge you Netflix users to watch the movie Alive Inside and NOT tell someone a

May 16, 201641 min

Ep 513Keeping Your Podcast Legal - Gordon Firemark

In this episode we are joined by Lawyer Gordon Firemark who produces multiple podcasts that include, Entertainment Industry Insights, Entertainment Law Update, and The Law Podcasting as well as his own course that teachers lawyers how to podcast at Lawpodcasting.com. He is the author of the book The Podcast, Blog & New Media Producer's Legal Survival Guide: An essential resource for content creators (amazon) or if you want the pdf of the book go to http://www.podcastlawbook.com/ Today we talk about: How Gordon got into entertainment law How to register a trademark. How a trademark is your brand. Here is the US Patent and Trademark Office Website www.uspto.gov Understanding Copyright When is it OK to play music in your podcast? How do you avoid being sued for slander? Fair Use (Gordan has a great video about this on YouTube) Tips on Negotiating contacts Dave explains how he got fined for using an image from images.google.com (so yes, you can get busted) How to avoid "Defaming" someone. Release forms. podcastrelease.com is a free example (email address required). How he found his co-host. How lawyers are using podcasting to get more clients. Affiliate links. copyright.gov dmca agent Gordon (like Dave) recommends the Audio Technica 2100 microphone Because of My Podcast Dave Hooper of Red Podcast- I am Much Smoother on the Microphone when I'm doing promos for my radio show Ryan K park of Foodcraftsmen.com was much more confident when he appeared on the local news Question For the Audience I've heard about Manage WP and CMS Commander, InfiniteWP, WPRemote, iContrlWP, iThemes Sync, but I've never used any. If you have any insights I would love to hear them. If you have any insights that would allow you to update multiple sites from one location (and I'm not looking to get into WordPress Multi-site ). Free Podcasting Puzzle Webinars The Ultimate Podcasting 101 Live Webinar I will be holding three webinars as we prepare for registration to open at the School of Podcasting June 1. It's call "Understanding the Podcasting Puzzle" and you can sign up to get the links to the LIVE not pre-recorded) webinars. Here are the dates to attend: Saturday May 21 1 - 2 PM EST Wednesday May 25th 8-9 PM EST Saturday May 28th 1 -2 PM EST Go to podcastingpuzzle.com for more information on attending.

May 9, 201657 min

Ep 512What If Podcasting Was A Sport? Have You Been To Training Camp?

Because of My Podcast: A Veteran Got a Home Robert Kerns produces the Living the Vet life. He had a mortgage specialist on his show. He was contacted by someone in another state (again, podcasting is global) and the mortgage specialist was able to get the listener in contact with another specialist and the veteran was able to get his loan with a special VA Home Loan rate. None of this would have happened, but it did because of hist podcast. Check out Rob at livingthevetlife.com If Podcasting Was A Sport. I live in Cleveland. A fairly famous sports town. Famous, for not quite being good enough. We were 1 pitch away from winning the world series. Two yards away from going to the Super Bowl. Over the years the Cleveland Browns Football team has taken over leading the pack of bad sports teams in Cleveland. Every few years we fire our coaches and their staffs. Our players get suspended. Our coaches stink when they are here, we fire them, and they win mutliple super bowls. What does this have to do with podcasting? Stick with me. In 2014 after having a miserable year the owners of the Cleveland Browns decided to work on the stadium. They installed: Massive, uniquely shaped video boards, Escalators that helped eliminate congestion and a cranked-up audio system The quote was they hoped these items "Improved the fan experience." The next year they added more concessions and better lighting. The cost over two years? $125 million Again they stated they wanted an "improved fan experience." The best way to improve the fan experience is to put a WINNING FOOTBALL TEAM TOGETHER. The last two years our combined record is 11-21. HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO PODCASTING? At the core of the stadium is the team. A team we come to root for, and a team we expect to win. When they win, the fans brave insane temperatures to pack the stadium in the winter. Everyone is talking about the game on Monday morning. When the team stinks, they don't. I don't care if I can take an escalator to my seat. If the team has no shot at winning, I'm not going. I'm not watching from home, and nobody is talking about it at work, because it is horrible. Well, we see people investing in a better microphone (when their original microphone was fine). They invest in a new theme for their website (that most of their audience never visits). They switch email list providers. They switch media hosting companies. They get a new player for their website. In a sense they are sprucing up the stadium of a losing team. They need to put a winning team on the field. They need to create content that will impact their audience. We need to focus on our audience, that leads to great content, and the finally we need to promote that content (and hopefully get our audience to promote it as well). How Do Sports Teams Get Better? They prepare. They watch film of both their opponent as well as watch tapes of their own games and look for mistakes they made to help avoid them. They Listen Good players are open to feedback. They listen to their coaches. They listen to their fellow players. They have a mindset of constant improvement. They might take a week off when the season is over, but then it is back to the gym to prepare for next season They Trade Players That Didn't Work When a player doesn't meet expectations (Johnny Manzel in my case) and you gave him a chance, you cut your losses. They Bring in A New Set of Eyes Tiger Woods has had numerous coaches over the years. The Browns hired a guy from BASEBALL who has a completely new perspective and strategy on choosing players. How Do Podcasters Get Better? They Prepare They Prepare. They think about what they want to say before they hit record. I am writing these notes way before I press record (it's the way I do it, and I find I get better content). They listen to other podcasts. Not to rip off the content, examine why a show works (and what they can learn from it) and what doesn't work (and how they can avoid it). Realize this is all subjective, but if you don't improve, and your show's content does not inspire people to come back and listen again, your show will die. They Listen They form a "Focus group" of listeners who are not afraid to give constructive feedback, or they take the time to think through a negative comment to see if there is any Merritt to it. They Lose Segments That Don't Resonate. I once had a segment where I would ask the audience to listen to three episodes before unsubscribing. Not a bad idea (I borrowed it from radio talk show host Jim Rome). I made a jingle for it, and it really annoyed a listener. I also started branding myself as an "Acquired taste." In the end, I didn't want to be someone you had to force down to consume. I dropped the segment. I also at one point started spotlighting my back catalog with a "This day in School of Podcasting History." There was only one problem. It bored me. You Bring in a New Set of Ears I get hired by people to consult on their show. Why? Because I have a fresh set of ear

May 2, 201646 min

Ep 511You Can't Change - What You Won't Start

Because of My Podcast: I'm Getting Married Today Matthew Cox from Brunch with the Brits explains how he went to a podcast event who eventually became his wife. Why I Turned Down My First Podcast Sponsor I had been contacted by a sponsor at advertisecast.com. I decided to low ball my pricing ($10 an episode) just to see if anyone would jump. An advertiser did. They wanted 10 episodes of my Weekly Web Tools podcast. That would be almost three months and the advertising would pay for my hosting (minus the 20% that advertisecast take). I would take home $96. My hosting will cost me $45 for three months. I might have some gas money. Here are some of the bullet points: To get started and receive a $50 signup bonus You’ll earn $1 for every new email lead and up to $200 for every new member you refer from your computer Has already generated millions of dollars for over 200,000 happy entrepreneurs My audience is predominant male, and I know I have some entrepreneurs in my audience. So far this sounds like a great fit. Then I went to see what I was promoting. It turns out the product was a video chat and dating service. Hmmm, that doesn't really fit, but maybe I would do this as an experiment. Then I dug a little deeper. You see this wasn't some ordinary video chat/dating service. It was porn, oh I wait I mean adult chat. Can we just call it what it is? Porn. Beside my religious beliefs there are lots of non-religious reasons that porn is a cancer that most people feel is "not a problem." Well I disagree. It's an opinion, and we're not here to talk about that. Let's get back to podcasting. I will not have a sponsor on my show that I can't go to bed at night feeling I served my audience by sending them toward a product I fully endorse. So I turned them down. I also contacted advertisecasts.com and suggested they put in a way for podcasters to save people time so I can say, "No porn, cigarette, alcohol, etc) Every podcasters starts with two things in common. Zero listeners, and they have integrity. When you lose your integrity, you may not ever get it back. Don't Be Afraid To Start Your Podcast and Find Your Voice When I started college I thought I wanted to "Fix stuff" so I went to an electronics school and got a degree in electronic engineering. The other thing I got was a clear understanding that I wasn't very good at fixing stuff. I fixed copiers, but luckily got an opportunity (based on relationships I had formed in the company) to go out and set up the equipment and train the users. I was a customer service rep. Had I not gone to college to be a technician, I never would've ended up in training. I later would go back to School to get a Bachelor's Degree in Education. My dream job was to get back to training people on Microsoft Products. I had the most fun doing that in the past, and I was good at it. I could be funny and educational. Because of my knowledge of computers I start to dabble in building websites, and the Internet. That lead to me a guy who had come back from a conference who told me about podcasting. I started podcasting, and got to know people in the industry. Using my strongest skills of serving and teaching, I created value. I developed relationships with all of the podcasting companies. I remember one day about a year and a half ago when a student asked me a question about combining two features in Microsoft Excel. I explained I had never tried those two features together, to which he pulled out his iPhone and asked Siri. Right in front of my eyes, the phone solved my customers problem. I thought, I'm going to be replaced by a phone. A year and a half later what was once a staff of five trainers, what cut down to one (and it wasn't me). However, because I had been playing with computers, and playing with the Internet, that lead me to podcasting. Those relationships I built over ten years lead me to being employed by Libsyn.com (A podcast media company). Now I would never have though my life would turn out the way it has. Anything that put me into position to help me later began by starting something. Knowledge is only power when you act on it. Richard Prior is considered by some to the THE best comedian ever. Richard launched his career being very safe, and incorporating a lot of physical comedy in his routines. He was basically trying to be Bill Cosby. There was only one problem. He was Richard Prior and being Bill Cosby-ish was not easy, and eventually Richard walked off the stage mid-performance cause he couldn't do it anymore. But he wouldn't have known that if he hadn't started stand up. You can manage, pivot, adjust, something that you never start. I Want My Podcast to Be Original It's hard to really come up with something completely original. Why? Because talking and entertainment and education have been around for a long time. In the movies most plots can be summarized by one of seven plot lines. Overcoming Monsters - Dracula Rags to Riches - Cinderella The Quest - Lord of the Rings Voyag

Apr 25, 201647 min

Ep 510The Two Most Important Parts Of Your Podcast

The Podcast Award Are Open If you've ever benefitted from this podcast, do please take the time and nominate the show (school of podcasting) in the EDUCATION category. The Two Most Important Parts of Your Podcast I was watching an episode of Live From Daryl's House (Daryl Hall of Hall and Oats Fame). He has all sorts of musicians of different styles and genres. There is always a small segment where you hear them getting ready. They have had time to prepare. They know the music, but there are two things you always need to figure out and this is no different in podcasting. How to start a segment. How to end a segment. Why because the first part is your first impression. A bad first impression can really lose your audience for the rest of the song (podcast in our case). A bad last impression and we've just blown all the positive mojo we just created. We talked a couple of weeks ago about the Podcast Interview Wizard software and how it helps you get to the point quicker. It gets you focused on the meat of the interview. One strategy is to pick your main point, the one that really inspires people to laugh, cry, think, or groan and come back to that with a tone that signals to the audience that we're moving on, we are done, this is the final thought. Unless you're Jerry Springer, you don't need to announce "here are my final thoughts," you can just say them. Likewise if you are transitioning to another segment, just transition. Get yourself some royalty free music, fade it, etc, (or just leave a pause of silence). There was only one person who could get away with announcing a transition and his name was James Brown. Why did he do this? Because his band would launch into a groove, and just repeat it over James's singing. So James would be in the middle of the song and ask "Can we take it to the bridge?" and eventually they would take it to the bridge. In other cases James would "hit it and quit it." Announcing a transition is about as stupid as someone asking, "Can I ask you a question?" (cause they just did). At least that is my opinion. Because of My Podcast Troy Henritz & Nick Seuberling Troy does the blacklist exposed (theblacklistexposed.com), and recently he's been getting flooded with swag. He got an album (as in an LP) and a Blacklist encyclopedia. Go to schoolofpodcasting.com/510 to see swag Nick Seuberling - First Advertiser Check for Minor League Soccer Podcast I was able to seal my first podcast/website sponsor. I've been podcasting for 11 years now and this is my very first sponsor. On a podcast that only has 8 episodes produced. I recently launched a new podcast that covers FC Cincinnati (http://cincinnatisoccertalk.com ), the newest soccer team in Cincy and I approached them about marketing their team store and ticket sales on my podcast. They immediately jumped at it. Today I received my first check in the mail, and I don't even have a signed agreement yet with the team. I'd say they're eager. Just goes to show, if you're in the right niche, you can sell it to anyone no matter how many episodes you've produced - Nick Seuberling New and Noteworthy Update - Corey Finneran Corey did a push for iTunes reviews for Ivy Envy. He gained 56 reviews this week. He now has 226 ratings and 191 reviews. He did not budge from #3 when you search "Chicago Cubs" in iTunes. The two that rank ahead of us?#1 - 150 ratings, 128 reviews and the last published episode was 11/11/2010.#2 - 7 ratings, 4 reviews. Promote your show like iTunes doesn't exist. Use it. It's a tool. But I wouldn't put all my eggs in that basket. Podcast Rewind I appeared on Creative Studio podcast on narrative podcasting Glenn the Geek and Jared Easley on Starve the Doubts check out Jared Easley Books on Amazon Wordpress as a Free Website Option John Wilkerson comments on last week's show and wondered why I didn't mention Wordpress. BTW, I have a new favorite podcast because of your "favorite podcast" episode at year end. Never heard of No Agenda until I heard someone mention it on your end year end show, actually it was last years show i listened to after downloading the transcript. I know shame on me for being a podcaster and not knowing of Adam Curry's show until recently, but I have not missed an episode since hearing about it earlier this year and have also sent a few dollars their way. :) it's exceptionally good given the upcoming presidential election.Hope all is well and I'm sending money your way too via Amazon shopping. 😎Thanks, Richard Warfield, Jr. RDubStudios.com LoudPipes.net My Podcast Episode is Not Appearing in iTunes!?!? Here are some things to keep in mind. It takes up to 24 hours for your show to show up in iTunes Your subscribers get it instantly If you have the file on your website, your visitors have instant access Is your feed valid? Check it at feedvalidator.org Is your artwork in spec? 1400x1400px (minimum)3000x3000px (maximum, anything in between as long as it’s square)Under 500kbUse sRGB color spaceBe a JPG, JPEG, or

Apr 18, 201631 min

Ep 509Create a Podcast Website For Free - Are You Making a $200 WordPess Mistake

Feedback from Last Week's Show About Video Podcasting Hey there! I checked out your podcast today where you spoke about video podcasting. I think the way you explained it makes perfect sense. I was actually looking for a way to upload videos faster to YouTube and found a specific way to do it where you compress the file. There is free software called Handbrake that people suggest. (I think it has been used in the past to rip DVDs illegally, but that is not what I am using it for.) Basically, once you create the HD file (which is usually about 1GB for videos I have made that are about 5-7 minutes at 1080p) and then use Handbrake to compress the file. I can usually get it down to around around 100-150mb (yes...MB) and less if the file is smaller. I was wondering if you thought this was a good option so you can have HD on all platforms. It doesn't seem to lose in quality especially with simple "blog" type videos. Anyway, just thought I would check in on that. Thanks for all the hard work! -Derek Daniel Free Websites For Those Podcasting on a Budget I had someone contact me this week. They were on SoundCloud, they didn't have a website, and yet, they wanted to end up making a living from their podcast. Their topic was "talking about movies and video games with my friends." Not to say that you it is impossible to do this, but without hearing your show it I would say it is highly unlikely. Why do you need a website to do a podcast? 1. Easy Clicks If you are going to force people to search for the item that will bring your revenue, you're making it too hard. It has to be easy - peasy. 2. Email List Growth IF you want to build an email list (and as they say the money is in the list, why? Easy Clicks) you have to have a sign up form. No website- no form. 3. Reputation It's $10 a month if you go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/hosting and go with the cheapest plans it's around $9. If you drink 5 20 oz bottle of Mountain Dew a month, you have spend close to $10 on soda. Switch to water, and you have the money. Would you buy a car from someone selling it out of a tent (and it looked like they were going to bolt the minute they got your money). You don't date someone who is going to leave it two weeks. You get the point. In a nutshell If you don't have $10 a month (.03 a day) then don't start a podcast expecting it to pay your mortgage. Seriously. In the immortal words of Mick Jagger, "You can't always get what you want." 4. Ease of Listener Subscriptions When you have a website, you can put a link to your iTunes listing, and make it easier for people to subscribe in iTunes, Stitcher, etc. Without a website, you're saying things like "Find my show in iTunes." Have you tried the iTunes search? I've typed in the exact name of someone's show and still had zero results. 5. Easy Contact The one page you need on a website is a contact page and and about page. We all want interaction with our audience. While you can say your phone number and email address in your podcast, when it is a clickable link on your websites, it's super easy and requires no memorization. I Am Always Open To Other Points of View So when a client told me they were using Tumblr as their website I thought, "Really?" Then I looked at the website notold-better.com and yeah, that's a free tumblr website. Now to be honest, he had his graphics made by a graphic designer, and that graphic matches the artwork of his podcast. So if you have 2-3 hours to learn how to adjust a tumblr site, check out their themes, and go from there. Keep in mind, you won't have all the flexibility of a Wordpress site, but you will be saving $9 a month. You can even put Google Analytics code into a tumblr site for stats. So if someone is really pushed for a budget, or they just wanted to test the waters, I would Tumblr is a platform I would recommend. Time Saving Tip Using Libsyn If you decide that you are going to use Tumblr as your website, you could use Libsyn as your media host (use the coupon code sopfree to get a free month at Libsyn.com) and Libsyn will automatically publish your content to Tumblr. One More Thing about $9 a Month Just so I know we're on the same page, you say you don't have 30 cents a day to spend on your podcast. Thirteen dollars a year on a domain (another .03 a day), and you'll use Canva to make your artwork for free, and you want the product and art you provide enough income to generate enough money to live on. Can you please enlighten me of anyone who has put out no money, and generate a business that provided enough income to live on? Even a lottery player has to buy a ticket, and the chances of you spending no money and generating a podcast that will generate enough income to live on is about the same odds as winning the lottery. Not Updating My WordPress Cost Me $200 I've always said to keep things simple. Remove any plugins or themes you are not using on a WordPress website. I thought I had done that, but I forgot to do it on one website. I do a show abo

Apr 10, 201640 min

Ep 508DBS 286 Vs Aphex Channel Master - Video Podcast Settings - Advertising Platforms

Because of My Podcast: My Audience Fixed My Website Cale from Fotimepodcast.com was having a problem with his website (using Wordpress) when an audience member offered to help out. It turns out the audience member works for the creators of Wordpress. The DBS 286X vs Aphex 230 Master Channel Before I even start, you do NOT need either one of these to start podcast. It's a nice piece of icing on the cake. It makes you sound better, but you will not gain a single subscriber by using these. If you have poor content, great sounding garbage is still garbage. I've got the older version of the DBX 286 (I have a 286A which has now been replaced by the 286S). Likewise I recently picked up a used Aphex 230 Master Voice Channel (which is now replaced by the Aphex Channel Master What's the difference? Cost: The Aphex is 999, the DBX is 199. So you are looking at $800 in difference. The Aphex's gives you more options in regards to inverting polarity, changing the phase polarity. It also offers a low cut filter. The Aphex noise gate is super easy to set and sounds great. You simply talk and turn the dial until a red light illuminates, and then turn the other knob to scale back any background noise. I love the sound of the gate more than the DBX. Anytime I set the DBX to be aggressive, the cutting in and out was a bit more noticeable. Yes you can hear the Aphex's gate, but to me it's less noticeable. With the DBX you have low and high enhancers. You have the same thing on the Aphex, but you can choose what frequency to boost. You also have a parametrix equalizer so you can find a frequency that you either want to boost or cut from your voice and the determine how much you want to cut/boost. This is the same for the Aural Exciter on the Aphex. It does what the DBX does with more control. You can "tune" what frequencies you want to boost on the high end. I never will get de-essers. I know what they are supposed to do, I don't hear any difference on either unit. I swear this is a feature that manufacturers build into units so they can charge more. While appreciate what the unit does, for the money, I would recommend the 286 for most people unless you really, really want total control. Video Podcasting? How Would I Go About Doing This? I currently don't do any video podcasts, but that doesn't mean I don't think they are worth doing. I just know they take more time. So how would I do it if I did? Video Podcasting Software If you're on a mac, try Screenflow or even iMovie. If you're on a PC check out Sony Vegas or Camtasia. What Format? I would create my video for my podcast (downloads) you are exporting a "LD" version for phones, so you could go 640X480. You can do this in QuickTime if you want to as there are tons of presets. I would try to stick with mp4 if possible as it seems to have less conflicts. You take this format and put it in your RSS feed, so it goes to subscribers. You might put at the begining of the video that to see ah HD version go to your website (and provide a pretty link so they don't have to search for it) The Format For Your Website Now you create an HD version (1280X720) that you can upload it to YouTube (it's free, let them eat the bandwidth) and put that video on your website. Now your subscribers don't hate you for sending a 5 gig file to their phone, and your visitors get an HD version that also happens to be on the #4 search engine. Podcasting Lessons I've Learned From My Cat I'm a dog person. Always have been. I inherited a cat in my recent divorce, and I love Bernie, but I do hate cleaning the litter box. I actually hurt my back cause I was leaning over so much, and for an extended period of time. I just hate, hate, hate, cleaning the litter box. I did it about once every 5-7 days. I thought to myself, "Dogs are so much easier as I don't have to deal with this." Then it came to me. What a pain it would be if my dog only got to "do his business" once every 5-7 days. In thinking about it, I would take my dog out three to 4 times a day. So I started treating my cat like a dog, and checking his litter box in the morning, when I got home, after dinner, and once before bed. Now it takes me seconds to clean his cat box and it's not a big deal. So what does this have to do with Podcasting? If you wait until the last second to record your show, you're going to have to do all the prep, recording, editing, promotion, at the same time. It's a lot of work, and it can be overwhelming. So instead, start planning it earlier in the week. Start writing show notes during the week and flushing out the best parts of your topic. Then later record it, and edit it. Then publish on another day. By doing a little every day, it's not that big a deal, and it's not so cumbersome of a job. It will avoid burning out and quitting your podcast. Advertising Platforms Advertisecast.com is rolling out this week. Cast.market has been our for a bit. Blubrry.com has been around since 2006. Libsyn.com has been around since 2004 (you nee

Apr 4, 201649 min

Ep 507Podcast Interview Wizard: Brainstorm With Yourself and Create Better Interviews, and Get More Exposure in Half the Time

Today I look at tools available for podcasters to help them produce a better show. Podcast Interview Wizard and Who is Jim Edwards Jim Edwards is a guy I've known online for years. I loved his "I Gotta Tell you" email list. We are talking back in the day when I was teaching people how to make websites with Microsoft Front page, and making videos with camcorder. I bought one of Jim's products he made with Mike Stewart and I thought they delivered value. I had bought some stuff from other "Internet Marketers" at the time, and thought this was better than some. I've always liked Jim's style as he takes his topic seriously, but always dishes it with a good helping of sarcasm. In a nutshell, Jim has been writing ebooks and making products for over 20+ years. According to his bio: Jim Edwards, founder of Guaranteed Response Marketing, LLC, is an Internet expert, marketing entrepreneur, newspaper columnist, author, motivational speaker and elite mentor and coach.Having gained personal and financial freedom, he shares his proven strategies with self-motivated, hard-working people to help them attain personal and financial independence. He has written and published dozens of ebooks, several print books and hundreds of articles. Through his company, Jim has produced some 40 informational products on DVD and many more available in the latest electronic formats downloadable from the Internet. Jim produces and hosts webinars on a weekly basis and has been a frequent guest speaker at numerous international Internet marketing seminars. What is the podcast interview wizard? It's a software that works on mac or PC that walks you through planning your interview. It does this by having you figure out what you want to talk about before the interview. It walks you through 16 questions .These questions are then used in a series of tools used by the software. These include: Email templates to help get the interview Email messages to setup and remind the guest for the interview. Later you can use it to create an email that you can send to the guest post interview as well. Email templates for Referrals Email Templates to say Thank You Quick or Full Show Templates (complete with intro / outro ext and questions) Audience Handouts - A worksheet for people to fill out as they listen to your episode. Show Bullets - Custom Sales Copy for Each Interview There are 12 different types of interview types It will generate show notes for your episode It will generate multiple Titles for your show and let you pick the best one. Build Ads to help promote the show on Facebook, Twitter, etc. Putting it Through It's Paces So I took the interview from last week and added the information about my guest Danny Peña to see if I had used the software last week would the interview had been different. The closest interview style would be the "How the Expert Got Started" style. Now last week's show was different. I already knew the answers to the questions. I knew Danny's story and I wanted to walk him through the parts that focused on building his audience. Using the PIW I did some interesting questions that I could've asked but didn't: What roadblocks did you face early on and how did you overcome them? Did you have any early mentors or did you have to figure it all out on your own? If you had to start all over again with audience growth in today's world, with today's tools, time constraints and other factors, what would you do:a. Differently?b. More of?c. Less of?d. Faster?e. Not at all? Under the "Myths and Misconceptions" style of interview I saw "Where are the big opportunities in audience growth that many podcasters might be missing?" or "What are the best audience growth tools every podcaster needs to use and know about?" Brainstorming By Yourself Now I realize that the software is meant for you to use ONE style of interview, but if you're looking to come up with good questions, I can see where spitting out multiple versions of the interview might help you spotlight questions that really spur other questions that aren't in the software. Now I realize the "Show notes" and other templates are meant to come from one template not multiple ones. So if you mix and match questions, you are somewhat shooting yourself in the foot, and will have to mix and match to make the additional messages. On the other hand if one style of questions gives you everything you need, you are golden. In watching a webinar for the software they made a great point. In some cases (for the person who hates to write) it's easier to edit than create. Going Down the List Of Tools Podcast show notes - Yes I could see using this in many places (G+, Facebook) Email announce - Yes, this could be cool and it even says to copy and paste your bullet points iTunes Episode Descriptions - YES this gave me 7 different descriptions and slew of titles Show Title Templates - Yes. Again, a great way to brainstorm with yourself. Ads - Very Similar to Titles and Descriptions - Useful again. Email tem

Mar 28, 201651 min

Ep 506Commitment to Community: How Danny Peña Grew His Podcast Audience

Danny Peña got his first video game console from his Grandmother and his life was forever changed. Little did Danny know (who goes by the name of Godfree on his show) that he would someday be getting paid to fly around the world and play video games on his podcast Gamertag Radio. Did he think he would end up working for CBS and be featured next to podcasts like 60 minutes on play.it? Probably not. Today you will learn how Danny started building his audience before there was podcasting. Danny continued building his audience before there was iTunes. Through everything he does, Danny cares about one thing: the audience. There are sooooooo many lessons to be learned today. Interview starts at 3:38 Free Doesn't Last: Danny got his first check from mp3.com a site that was "Too big to fail" just like MySpace (and who knows some day Facebook?). The party of the year took a year of planning: You don't get these kind of results by "winging it." Check out this video of the party and you can read how the Miami New Times called it the Best Super Bowl party in South FL. Know more about your audience than their age and sex: Danny brought in musicians who his audience liked. The musicians brought in their audience who probably liked to play games. Be straight with your audience: Any perks Danny and his crew have received has always been communicated to their audience. TRUST is everything: It takes a long time to earn it. It's very powerful, and can be lost with one bad decision. Let your audience be part of your journey: Anywhere Danny goes he invites his audience to come along. Ten years to get on CBS Radio: Patience ins a virtue, and it took Danny 10 years to get to where he is. He took advantage of every opportunity he saw. Time Management Tips: Set a schedule and stick to it. Danny has a full time job, a girlfriend, and his podcast. Having the right people on your team is essential and keep everything transparent so you are all on the same page. Danny is real. When Danny says, that's a good question, that's because its a good question. Some people on my show do it just to stroke my ego. Danny's Community Created Events That Drew the Attention of Main Stream Media Check out Danny's Commercial on the Discovery Channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5oKqp-sZA0 Watch his acceptance speech as he is inducted into the Podcaster's Hall of Fame ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K64TXMuYNlY Here, Danny made the news by accidentally spilling the beans on the Microsoft release. In this article, Gamertag radio is mentioned in Forbes magazine. Save $40 Off Podcast Movement If you plan on attending Podcast Movement, you can save $40 off your ticket when you use the coupon code sop40. This is THE podcast event. I will be holding a Q& A session and I am really looking forward to it. Coming Next Week I have a on of people ask me about Podcast Interview Wizard from Jim Edwards. Well I'm going to buy it and play with and let you know what I think. If you want to check it out, go to schoolofpodcasting.com/piw (affiliate link) I will also be talking about the Cool Cast Player which makes really pretty players for your website Ready To Start Your Podcast? The School of Podcasting is OPEN NOW. Get in before 4/1 (doors close ). Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/start Step by Step tutorials (that are not outdated like the one on the Internet) BONUSES Private Facebook group for Networking Email support for all your podcast questions. Live Q & A Webinars - ask whatever you want. Sign up before we close the doors 4/1 www.schoolofpodcasting.com/start

Mar 21, 20161h 0m

Ep 505Are Review Swaps Hurting Podcasting?

I went to Podfest.us a couple of weeks ago and I saw a person do a presentation that offered to help people launch their podcast for $8999. Just for that weekend there was a sale and they would only charge you $3990. This is America and if you can get people to pay for $4,000 for your advice, then GO CAPITALISM. I feel bad for your customers, because without an intimate knowledge of your product, my gut instinct says they over-paid. A couple of episode ago I said the snake-oil sales people are coming, and now I'm here to tell you they are here. So get your boots on cause the poop is getting deep. Podcast Review Swap - Trying to Cut in Line in the Apple Charts is Bad For Podcasting I was in a private Facebook group when the owner of the group (the same guy selling a $9,000 podcast course) places this post: RATE AND REVIEW SWAP - POST YOUR SHOW BELOW (LET'S GET A LONG THREAD GOING)Is it ok to post your show via iTunes link? and ask for rate and review swaps?I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE TO DO THISsomething like hey everyone, wanna do rate and review swap? Here's my show --show link removed by Dave--Let me know when you've done it and I'll go do the same. Extra points for screenshots or copy paste of review smile emoticonWHAT I DON'T ENCOURAGE'Hey guys check out the most bomb, amazing spectacular show on the planet - insert link. and subscribe please...NOPE!example #2Hey guys this week we talk about how we are the real deal, and we discuss it in such an amazing way. ARen't we awesome! - link to youtube. **Please don't F'ing do this! I am considering kicking you out if you do this more than 1x. and I won't tell you, so don't do it at all.BEST PRACTICE FOR ASKING FOR RATE AND REVIEWS"Anyone opne for rate and review swap: here's my show""Just left review for TAG PERSON - great show, here's what I wrote - insert message - THEN say - here's my show can you hit me back too" The people lined up DROVES. The post was growing like a weed. This was like a unicorn. I had heard of them, but had never seen one, and it was depressing. After no less than 20 people I had put in their link I chimed in as asked why we were asking people who had never heard your show to give us a give star review. As always, I'm open to other sides of the story so I asked, "Why are you doing this? If you can't get your audience (who has heard your show) to review it, that is a red flag that your content is not resonating with your audience. Please shed some light on this. He repled: The idea here is that people can listen, rate, and review and not be stranger. As artists we need a place to be ale to get feedback to share on our show, and this is a thread for people to be able to do that. We are not encouraging people to be strangers here and in a podcasting group it only makes sense to have a place where people can openly asks for reviews and feedback. There is a place for podcasters to get feedback and share it on your show. It's called your audience. It's called comments on your website, facebook, email, voicemail from people who can help shape your content for the better. They are called YOUR AUDIENCE. The answer is a lie. They are trying to game the system, jump up the charts, and boost their downloads. I get that. Who doesn't want a bigger audience? Do you remember William Hung from American Idol. This poor kid couldn't sing or dance, but he was so bad we shot him on the charts. William produced an album, and that's the last I heard of him. He doesn't have the talent to remain on that stage. More and more professional content creators are getting into podcasting (radio people). They have paid their dues, and they have had lots of practice. They have found their voice, and they know what their audience wants. So now when we shoot your inexperienced probably not great podcast to the top of the charts, you look like William Hung. Your audience doesn't stay, and your career is over. Don't be a Flash in the Pan Never week Danny Peña will be on the show. He is a hall of fame podcaster who started out on caseete tapes. His main focus is on his audience, and he now works for CBS. He gets paid to play video games because he did the work, listened to his audience, and promoted his show endlessly. He didn't cheat, he didn't cut in line, he didn't spam anyone, and the guy is a rock star in the gaming world. Back in 2005ish Dr. Joe Vitale start podcasting. His first episode was all about him, and how great he was and why you should listen. It did nothing for the listener. he had a huge email list, and he must've sent out an email for people to vote for him on Podcast Alley (this was pre iTunes). They did. Joe went from 0 to the top of the charts. His episode was awful, and the next week he was completely off the charts. Apple is Not Going to be Happy That Your are Negative Effecting Their Product By "gaming" the iTunes charts the results are not entirely accurate. Apple went to a lot of work to build the system, and I'm pretty sure they are not going to be happy th

Mar 14, 201647 min

Ep 504Jim Harold Makes A Living Talking about Ghosts

You will notice that I am in pursuit of people who have been able to make a living with their podcast. Today we interview Jim Harold who does the Paranormal Podcastt and the Campfire Podcast. Podcasting News In a nutshell, use podcastsconnect.apple.com to submit your podcast to iTunes, but don't mess with anything else in that platform for now (you can really shoot yourself in the foot). Understanding iTunes and Podcasting iTunes is somewhat confusing. You submit an iTunes RSS feed to iTunes and in return, they give you a link to your listing in iTunes. iTunes is like a giant phone book of podcasts. The interesting thing is when someone goes to iTunes and subscribes to your show, iTunes sets the original feed you submitted in their software. This can create confusing. When you publish a new show it will not show up in the iTunes Store immediately because they have to refreshed your listing. However, anyone who is subscribed to your show gets that show because they are looking at your original feed. My advice here is to subscribe to your own show. This way when you think there is a problem because your show is not "showing up" in iTunes, check your show using whatever app you use. If the show appears, then it just means the iTunes store has not refreshed your listing yet. Wait at least 24 hours. Jim Harold's Paranormal Podcast is Paying the Bills (interview starts at 9:51 - recorded with a Zoom H5 recorder and two Audio Technica ATR2005usb microphones ) Here are some bullet points from our conversation with Jim Harold from the Paranormal Podcast Jim wanted to be on the radio, but ended up in radio sales. Jim loved reading about the Paranormal growing up. He sputtered at the beginning of his show, but his fans wanted more. Why? Because nobody was talking about this like Jim was, and he delivered value. After 6 months , Jim was offered a sponsorship from Audible, and that helped him get more serious about his show. Jim has multiple streams of income. He has a plus club (membership site), he has multiple books, and he has advertisers. Jim uses Wishlist member to manage his membership site Jim's first book was "traditionally" published. It was cool to see it in Barns and Noble, but Jim later purchased the rights to that book and sold it on his own. Check out Jim's books at Amazon.com Podcasting has opened door for Jim His podcast grows about 10% every year. His podcast is named well. It's called the "paranormal podcast." He went with the obvious name for his show. When people Google "Paranormal Podcast' his show comes up. There is a difference between radio ads and podcast ads. Jim explains how he feels like he knows me because he listens to my show. Podcasting advertising has great impact because we care about your audience. Jim has rejected ads that didn't fit his audience, or that he couldn't endorse. Jim is currently using a Heil Pr40, a Mackie Mixer, and a Behringer Processor. Check out Jim's shows at Jimharold.com as well as his TV You Grew Up With podcast. Mentioned in this Show Daniel J Lewis from the Audacity to Podcast Steve Stewart from SteveStewart.me Stargate Pioneer from the Gonna Geek Network Danny Pena from Gamer Tag Radio Auphonic Audio Tool Show 503 on Compelling Podcasts School of Podcasting Newsletter

Mar 7, 20161h 2m

Ep 503Creating Compelling Podcasts - Podfest 2016 Reflections

Podfest hapned this weekend in tamp Florida. Wow was it fun. I got to hang out with Hall of Fame podcasters like Danny Pena, and meet some people who are trying to get their podcast off the ground. I love, love, love, the podcast community. It's filled with helpful, loving ,caring people. I got to catch up with Dan and Jared from Podcast Movement, Glenn the Geek, some members of the School of Podcasting. I'd write more names, but I'm still in a coma from the Dramamine. Cool Things About Podfest Being a new event (this was year two) they had one track. This meant that all the attendees sat in the same room and the speakers would rotate in and out. We were strongly encouraged to network on breaks and sit in new locations. It was cool. I ran out of business cards, an luckily had a box of "stand by" business cards. One of the coolest things were did was like Speed Networking. You had a time keeper at the table, and each person had 90 seconds to share their name, their podcast, and their target audience. Then each round you would go to a new table and meet more people. By the end of the session, you had pretty much met everyone in the room. This was one of the coolest things I've ever seen. They had a schedule flowed nicely together. This lead to speakers often referring to something mentioned previously in the conference. Great speakers. Simple. All brought value. Relative sponsors: Audio editing services, marketing, interviewing, trademark, conferences, hosting, all were relevant to the audience. I saw, felt, and participated in Content Marketing. I met Katie Krimitsos the night before. I saw her presentation on Facebook Goups, and she showed me how much more I could be doing. I will be a customer. When Will The School of Podcasting Open? As God as my witness, ready or not, it will open next weekend 3/5 What am I doing? I'm reshot many of the videos. I've added quite a few videos, and I'm restructuring how I will do business. At this point (subject to change) I want to let a certain amount of people in at one point, and the close the doors so we can all kind of be "on the same page." Then I can help, encourage, and guide you through your process, while still providing value to current members through additional videos and live office hour webinars. Creating Compelling Podcasts Adjective: having a powerful and irresistible effect; requiring acute admiration, attention, or respect How Podcasts are like Potatoes You have instant potatoes out of a box. These are quick, easy, and cheap. The end result? Bland. You can make mashed potatoes from scratch. They take longer, it takes more effort, and they are more expensive to create. The result? They are delicious and your recipients want more. It's Not About the Audio Quality If you record with your laptop microphone, that's bad. I think we all can recognize audio that is distracting (if you make me adjust the volume during your podcast, we have a problem). You can purchase an Audio Technica 2100 for around $60 and have great audio. Be sure to get a pop filter (check out this package with a swing arm). Once you have that, MOVE ON. I would listen to an 8-track tape of the Beatles because the content is good. My friend Paul Colligan from the Podcast Report records in all sorts of fun locations. Some are better than others. One time it sounded like Paul was recording fro ma submarine. I listened to every minute. Why? Because Paul makes me think. On the other hand, Metallica put out and album with Lou Reed. Van Halen Put out an album with Gary Cherone. One of more of the following need to happen: Laugh Cry Think Grown Entertain Educate If none of the above is happening then don't press record. Identify Your Audience If you have a "Secret Santa" at your job and you get someone's name that you don't know you have two choices: Gift Card (quick, easy, fast - bland) Go ask someone who knows the person and get them a gift they want Which one gets the best response? This is why you have to know who your audience is, so you can go to where they are and listen to what they are talking about. Start of listening when you find your audience. Ask them what they might want to hear. Be sure to take notes using tools like Evernote or OneNote The ADDIE Approach Anaylize - Go research your audienceDesign - Decide how you'r going to cover your topicDevelop - Buy the podcasting equipment, figure out what segments you will use.Implement - Let a member of your target audience listen to the show.Evaluate - Did they like it? Get feedback Feedback is just that - feedback. It leads to failure if the feedback causes you to quit. Don't quit. Instead Analyze the feedback, design a new approach, develop a new version of your podcast, and have a target listener evaluate it. This goes on and on, forever. How Many Downloads Should My Podcast Get? Here is the equation: Total Number of Downloads X Effective Production = Total Number of Downloads If you have no value (bit focused, horrendous audio quality) t

Feb 29, 201651 min

Ep 5025 Voice Related Tools for Engagement and Podcast Promotion

Because of my Podcast: I'm Working For Libsyn - Dave Jackson A couple of weeks ago I let you know that my "Day job" had gone away. A little update on the story, I reached out to the head of HR only to find she no longer works there, and I got an email stating that payroll would be postponed two days. So there I was, thinking about getting into training and support. So I asked myself. What do I want to do for a living? I love podcasting. So in a nutshell. I want to help people in the podcasting space. Who is the biggest player in the podcast space? Libsyn.com I reached out to a person I knew (remember how it's all about relationships) and just let them know I was available if they needed someone. A little over two weeks later I was given a proposal to join their team. I gladly accepted. I can still do consulting, but you will now hear me give out a disclaimer that I am an employee of Libsyn. You will hear me give out my promo code of sopfree for Libsyn on this show, but not at a trade show where I'm acting as a Libsyn employee. For those who are new to my show, I've been a big fan of Libsyn as well as Blubrry, and Spreaker for years. I think the insights I get from working in support will help me created better content for you on this show, as well as additional documentation for Libsyn. I've always wanted to make a living around podcasting, and now I can. I can do podcasting as my full-time gig, and my night time hobby. Wait, that's Ray's line. Because of My Podcast I Quit My Day Job - Jim Harold Every Saturday at 10:30 AM I do a live call-in show called "Ask the Podcast Coach" at www.askthepdocastcoach.com/live and this week Jim asked a question about the controversy over measuring podcasts (see this episode of the Podcasters Roundtable ) and once he came on I got to talk to him and found out. Jim previously a sales guy for radio Jim now does a podcasting full time at jimharold.com I've already reached out to Jim and we will be doing a deep dive on next week's show. Anchor.fm Vs Voxer Vs Clammr Vs Speakpipe Vs Voicemail Today we are joined by Chris Nesi (www.chrisnesi.com) from the House of Ed Tech podcast. Chris is well versed in Voxer. As a member of the School of Podcasting Chris has shown me he really enjoys voxer. So when this new tool (Anchor) came on the scene and everyone was going nuts over it, I wanted to get Chris's opinion. In the end, they are different tools for different audiences who are looking for different results. The world is all a flutter over the Anchor app for iOs. This is an app that allows you to sign in via your twitter account and create audio. People can follow you, and you can follow them. You can record a "wave" and people can reply. This is all public. You can them embed your wav on your website, like this. See www.schoolofpodcasting.com/502 Speakpipe.com Originally I wasn't going to include Speakpipe in this discussion, but if we are talking about getting feedback from your audience, I would look like a fool not to include it. Speakpipe is a way for you to put a button on your website for people to click on it, and using their microphone leave a message. When you get the message you can listen to it, download it, or click reply and send a message back to the audience member. It's free, with a premium version for more storage. Check out speakpipe.com Anchor.fm I can see this being used to get feedback from your audience. While this is already easy with tools like speakpipe, when someone leaves a message with speakpipe, you can reply to them as well. This is all public. With Anchor, the conversation is public so everyone can hear the conversation and bring their point of view. The bad news for podcasters is once you get the audio, there is no download option. Now you are stuck with hitting play on your phone and recording it with another device. For me, I shared a link to myself, played the wave on the web, and recorded it using Hindenburg journalist (you can go into settings and tell it to record "other applications." Anchor - True public radio - Anchor FM Inc. Voxer.com Voxer is also a free app (with a paid pro version with additional perks) that turns your phone into a walkie talkie. It is cool, and you can invite people into groups. This again creates a community feeling. You can share audio, video, text, and images. With a group it is only public to the group. You can private message each individual if you'd like. The nice thing about voxer is it works on all platforms. You can even just use their website. I do love the fact that you can listen to messages at up 3X speed. With Voxer, you have a public forum if you want it (with only invited guests) or private message that are easy to listen to and easy to download. Every time I play with Voxer I feel I should create a group for the School of Podcasting. Check out the app at Voxer Walkie Talkie Messenger - Voxer LLC Clammr.com Clammr is a fun tool to help spread the word about your show. You can use the free app (or their

Feb 22, 20161h 5m

Ep 501Book Guest Spots On Other Podcasts: Are You Making These Mistakes?

With so many people focusing on New and Noteworthy, I wanted to see how many people use New and Noteworthy. So I asked people how they found new podcasts and here is what they said. The number one way was hearing the podcaster being interviewed on another podcast. This data is from 100 respondents from my email list, and from social media. So it order with the number one answer first it was I heard them interviewed on another podcast I searched the app for my topic I heard about it from a friend (word of mouth) Other The Internet (Google, Bing) Search The "other" responses were (and I'm summarizing) more or less "Word of mouth." Meaning the podcast host they were listening to mentioned them, or they heard about it on Twitter, Pinterest, etc. So if one of the top ways to grow your audience is to appear on other podcasts, how do you get booked on other shows? Well, we are going to dig into a smart way of setting yourself up to be booked on other podcasts. How To Get Booked as A Guest On a Podcast? OK, there must be some new course, or guru telling people how to contact people to be potential guests. Here is the format Tell people how much you love the show Tell them your story Tell them what topic you can talk about and how much my audience is going to benefit. Kiss the butt of the host and tell them what an honor it would be on the show. Drop a hint about the book or course you have, and how my audience would benefit. Promise to promote. They are missing one key ingredient GO AND LISTEN TO THE SHOW When you start off the email with “I have heard some fantastic things about your radio show, congratulations on your success!” Again, do some homework, or better yet, go by the book Stop Chasing Influencers: The True Path To Building Your Business and Living Your Dream Strategies For Securing a Guest Spot on Other Podcasts Search for your topic in iTunes, Google, etc. the idea is to see who is in the space. Who is the leader in your space? Search for their name in iTunes and see what podcasts they have appeared. You could search for New and Noteworthy as these people are probably more New than Noteworthy (and hungry for guests) Realize your interview will be evergreen. So if someone goes back to get the back catalog, you will be included. Find influencers in your niche: Look for books on your topic in Amazon, and in Amazon there is a "Customers also bought these items" area. You should probably see other authors names who are also involved with your topic. Make a list and check it twice When you find a podcast, look and see the date of their last episode. If they have podfaded, you might consider contacting them to see if you could take over the show. In general, people who haven't put out a show in months, are more than likely not coming back. Start a spreadsheet with the following information Website Address Twitter Handle e-mail address The average Twitter followers per user is 208. According to an article on Sumome you can look at Twitter followers using the following scale: H = Huge = 100k+ Followers L = Large = 10K+ Followers M = Medium = 1k+ Followers S = Getting Started = less than 1k followers Add these people to your list and make how you found them (they will want to know). Obviously, put if they have a podcast or not. If they don't, you may still want to develop a relationship with them so they can appear on YOUR podcast. Getting Ready For the Initial Contact So to determine if you are a good fit for their show, you need to listen to it. There is no way around this if you want to do it right. Does this podcast focus on people who would enjoy your topic? If yes, then we need to get ready to contact them. If not, then we won't focus on them now. Don't Try to Close the Deal Instead of sending an email, and asking to come on the show. Why not follow them on Twitter and retweet one of their tweets? Why not leave a comment on the blog. The beginning of every relationship begins with a conversation. This way when you do contact them, you won't be quite the stranger. Honesty is Refreshing See if you can get an introduction. See who is following this person on twitter or LinkedIn and see if you can get an introduction. Instead of telling me great my show is, why not be honest? Tell me you just discovered the show, and tell me why - specifically - in a way that proves you listened - you would be a good fit for my show. Realize the podcaster is going to have to figure out if you're going to bring value, and if you're a good fit. If you've done your homework, you can answer that question for them (and save them time). You could send an email with something along the lines of "Hey (name), I just got done listening to (episode name) and I have to tell you (specific item that proves you listened) I wanted to let you know as someone who has been involved with (the topic of the podcast) I'm really enjoying the show. " If you want them to take a look at you, write about their episode on your blog and link to it. Then se

Feb 15, 201654 min

Ep 500Episode 500: Groundhog Birthday - A Podcast Launch Story

If you're new to the School of Podcasting, when Dave hits a milestone like 100, 200, 300, 400, he breaks format and tries to do something that is educational, entertaining, and slightly weird. Today being that it is both my 500th episode of the School of Podcasting, and my 51st birthday, (and the fact that last week was Groundhog's Day), I am taking my creativity and love of the movie Groundhog's Day (the story is a guy has to relive the same day over and over, rent it here) and joining it with the story of Jack Davidson and his friend Scooter as they try to launch a podcast. We also here snippets of past shows at the start of the show. Special thanks to Adam Curry of the No Agenda Show for loaning me their birthday jingle. Check out their awesome podcast at www.noagendashow.com Also thanks to Steve Stewart of the No Debt, No Credit, No Problems podcast for kicking off the show, and to Kim Kracji of the onthetablepodcasts.com for being my female voice in the "podcasting commercial". I knew I could count on you both. Look Back Memory Lane 00:38 Episode 500 Begins 2:00 We cover a story about a man named Jack Davidson. It’s his birthday, he’s gone through some life changes, and he’s thinking of starting a business. He is realizing that you only have so much time on the planet, and he wants to make a difference. His biggest fear in life is being insignificant, or leaving no legacy behind. His mind is whirling today about his future. This has been spurred on by the fact that he is turning 51 today Morning Burger hit :4:00 Hey It's Your Birthday Version 1 5:01 Podcasting Commercial 5:34 First Jack tries using a free media host that limits your bandwidth - Bad idea Binky and the Whiz take over the No Agenda Show 8:44 Jack purchases blue snowball microphones only to find out these don't work good in a non-silent environment and its hard to have two usb microphone plugged into one computer. Whet Bread the Big Lie 11:55 Hey It's Your Birthday Version 2 15:15 Jack and Scooter learn that you should setup an agreement to identify who does what, and if there is any money who gets paid, etc Hey It's Your Birthday Version 3 18:50 Jack and Scooter lose their friendship after arguing over the money with their podcast. Jack goes solo, and tries multiple hosts, platforms, and equipment. Jack and Scooter come to an agreement Final Thoughts on Episode 500 23:20 What did we learn today? Blue snowball microphones are not a great choice even though 1000 websites say so. They are not a great fit for podcasters. There are better options Copying a company that you may be talking about on twitter is a strategy you might want to try Be sure to have expectation regarding money and responsibilities in place if you have a co-host. We learned that the only thing more annoying than Binky and the Whiz is hearing the same clip of Binky and the Whiz over and over is quite annoying. We learned that the more tied Dave gets, the less he stays in character And lastly if your your episode last longer than four hours, you should always call your doctor. The Not Ready For FM Players Podcast Sally 34:10 Mentioned in this Episode Sign up for the newsletter Steve Stewart On the Table Podcast (for toastmasters) No Agenda Show More Podcast Money Book Support This Show

Feb 8, 201638 min

Ep 499Monetizing with Membership Sites: Ravi Jayagopal of Digital Access Pass

Last week we talk about being a "hobby podcast" and that you can be a hero to someone. We mentioned that you do NOT have to make money with your podcast. Today we are going the other way and looking at making money with your podcast. So let's start right there. YOU DON'T MAKE MONEY WITH YOUR PODCAST. YOU MAKE MONEY WITH THE RELATIONSHIP YOU BUILD WITH YOUR PODCAST This is why it takes time. In the same way that it takes time to develop a relationship, it takes time to build an audience that will like and trust you. Things that can speed up this process: Create content that is valuable. Come across in a way that build confidence. Deliver it on a regular basis (so people depend on you). Let them know you. Strategies for Making Money with Your Podcast 1. Sell your own product This is by far the most lucrative because people know, like and trust you. This can be a book, a course, consulting, etc. 2. Refer to other products through affiliate links Pick a product that matches the audience. Preferably one that you actually like so you can talk open and honestly about the product. Many people use Amazon. or Audible as well. 3. Donations You can put a paypal button on your site, or websites like Patreon make it easy to build a community by rewarding them for different levels of support. Be careful with the reward and make sure you don't spread yourself too thin. 4. Sponsorship When you get over 5,000 download per episode, you can start thinking about getting a "big" sponsor (squarespace). As 92% of podcasters are nowhere near that number you are not out of luck. You can find smaller businesses that may be looking for more of a branding play. Check out my interview with Glenn The Geek who is making a living with sponsors by making sure his sponsors fit his audience and he gets them involved. Selling Digital Downloads Check out this super powerful shopping cart plugin that allows you to safely sell digital downloads Gumroad is a handy website that make's it easy to sell digital downloads if you're not using Wordpress. Selz.com is another great looking shopping cart. Monetizing With Membership Sites The School of Podcasting was founded in 2005 and I used Digital Access Pass to to make sure the general public could not access my material. I also used it to manage my affiliate program, and e-mail m members. It created coupons for discounts, and generated reports. Is is the cheapest platform? No. But the money you save using different plugins is wasted in the time you spend trying to get them all to work together. Today I interview Ravi Jayagopal from Digital Access Pass and the author of the book Subscribe Me: Making, Marketing & Monetizing Online Digital Content with Membership Sites, Online Courses and Recurring Subscriptions The biggest advantage of a membership site is you can build it once, and then sell it many times. Digital Access Pass even has a "drip" feature (now copied by many, but Ravi was the inventor) that allows you to provide your members content over a period of time (instead of giving it to them all at once ). Today we learn this about membership sites: 1. There is more than just putting up content and protecting it.2. You still have to bring value to your audience.3. You still need to promote it. It's not a "build it and they will come" world.4. You still need to provide new content to get them to stick around. Check out Ravi's podcast at www.subscribeme.fm Where Monetization Stumbles You start out not caring about money, and you turn on the microphone and just wing it. Then later you want to make money with your podcast. You topic doesn't lend itself to sponsors (too hot of a topic). This doesn't mean you can't get a sponsor, it means it may be tougher. A podcaster wants to start monetizing after 4 weeks and they haven't developed that know like and trust, or an audience. Mentioned in this Podcast Shepodcasts.com Podcaster's Studio Snider Comments

Feb 1, 201658 min

Ep 498Unleash the Hero in You and Positively Impact Your Audience

Because of my Podcast Darren Dake Darren Dake from the Coroner talk podcast has told us (about a year ago) where he was asked to do some state wide training in Missouri). Well Darren is back because now - because of his podcast - which is now over 100,000 downloads (think about how niche his topic is). Darren is using his podcast as a calling card, and now Darren has been asked to do some teaching on a NATIONAL level as the LEAD INSTRUCTOR for a course. He has made great contacts all over the world and has been asked to speak at numerous conventions. His next goal is to be asked to speak outside of the US. Check out his show at www.coronertalk.com One more point: Coroner talk was Darren's second podcast. So you don't always hit it out of the park the first time. Darren started, tweaked, learned along the way and now is seeing success. Podcast Rewind: Podcaster's Roundtable In the recent episode of the Podcaster's Roundtbale we ask, "Is your podcast paying for itself?" Check it out at podcastersroundtable.com/64 We talk about networks, patreon, and wondering if people making money with their podcast is ruining podcasting for the hobby podcast. Unleash Your Inner Hero: Defining Podcast Success A post in a Facebook Group Asked: "What is your idea or definition of a successful podcast, the one that has specific number of downloads, or subscriptions or sponsorship or something else that I might not know??" Does it make you happy? Do you love doing it every day/week? Do you have a positive impact on the lives of others? is it something you'd love to do every day as your career? You're successful. It's not about dollars and cents or downloads - it's about levels of happiness - Lou Mongello wdwradio.com All I can say is Amen. Look, I love what money can do for me. I'm up to my eyeballs in student loans, but if you OBSESS over downloads numbers, and OBSESS over New and Noteworthy you are focusing on the wrong thing. You need to focus on your audience and impacting them in a positive fashion. Example of Podcast Success 12:59 Mark Dowding from the Oh Beep Geocaching Show Not writing this to boast, or brag, just as a heads up to anyone who is getting a little jaded with their podcast. We've struggled the last few shows and have only recorded one episode in January. We've been questioning our value in our niche and what we bring to the table. Then a listener sent this e mail, which told us we've been achieving what we set out to do every episode.: "I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy the show. I listen on my way to work and on my way home from work. My drive is around 1 1/2 hours. I have never laughed so much listening to a podcast. I sometimes have tears in my eyes from laughing so hard. An awesome father and son podcast. So thank you" Thats all we want to do, entertain people. There are plenty of deep dive podcasts in our niche and plenty of interview podcasts. We wanted to do something different and it seems we hit the spot - no one before that listener has told us we've done that. Its worth keeping in mind that someone listening is getting value from your show, so don't give up. People Are Listening Glenn The Geek of Horse Radio Network has appeared twice on this show (cause he's that good) and check this out. He posted something in the School of Podcasting's Private Facebook Club. "I need to brag a bit, with the help of Dave Jackson getting the word out I have had four podcasters contact me this week who heard me speak on sponsorship and they all got their first sponsors this week! Rates ranged from $50 to $1500 an episode, congrats everyone. Learn more about this model in my Keynote at Podfest.us Silencing the Imposter It is amazing how if we are asked for our favorite childhood memory we may have to think about it. If someone asks for our worst memory, it comes to us without hesitation. These are the thoughts that stop us from reaching out to the world. These are the thoughts that whisper in our head that nobody would listen to a podcast from you. We today we provided three examples of people who are being heard, and who are making a difference. Learning From My Mistakes 29:25 I left Jeff Hollbrook from wvpodcast.com out of the My Favorite Podcast Is project - for the second year in a row. I've learned to make a more streamlined submission process. I forgot to press record on a recording - I notice this happens more when the person I'm interviewing is a friend and I'm feeling more comfortable, and more likely to "jump into the conversation." I blew off the setting for my backup recording. You need to treat this as the file you will be using- because that may be the case. I forgot to mention that I also sent the Ask the Podcast Coach show down the feed for the School of Podcasting. Lesson? Slow down when publishing. Ready To Start Your Podcast? Step by step tutorials Private facebook group Personalized e-mail support "Office hours" live webinars 30 day money back guarentee Mentioned in this Show Ryan K Park

Jan 25, 201647 min

Ep 497Avoiding Burnout on the Road to Being an InFluencer with Tarun Stevenson

There are a number of things you need to be successful in podcasting. Great Content Great Sound Great Promotion Great Attitude No matter how great your show sound, and how much you promote it, without great content, it won't succeed. No matter how great your content is, if it is painful to listen to, or you have to constantly adjust the volume, nobody is going to listen. No matter how great you sound, and how great your content is, if you don't promote it, your growth will be slow. Without a great attitude, you won't be able to handle it when things don't go according to plan. You have to be able to roll with the punches, dodge the trolls, embrace constructive feedback, celebrate other's success, and remember to always serve your audience. It is easier said than done. Jump Starting Your Year There are a number of people who can help you launch a great year. Michael Hyatt has your best year ever. John Lee Dumas can get you where you want to go in 100 days with his Freedom Journal (and yet I bought a copy). Today we have Tarun Stevenson of leadcommunicategrow.com is hear to help us keep our attitude in check, and to make sure we set realistic goals. Avoiding Burnout When you lose hope its a very dark place to be and want to quit. Business without purpose can lead to you throwing in the towel. We look at where we want to be, and then look at where we are, and instead of feeling gratitude for what you have, you get discouraged. You have to value your current situation so your attitude can stay positive and allow you to make it to the next step. An App that Dave has been using is Gratitude Journal . Take A Look At Yourself Look at last year and figure out what worked, and what could be done better. What experiences help you grow more? When we develop small habits they can lead to giant success. Goals Be sure to have specific goals, and make sure the goals push you out of your comfort zone. Make sure they are realistic. Instead of focusing on the goal, focus on the actions that will lead to achieving the successful goal. Instead of focusing on our stats, focus on the actions that will lead to more downloads. Anything of value takes time and effort. A garden of weeds takes no time or effort. Your successful podcast will require time and effort, but it will be worth it. Becoming a Person of Influence Operate with integrity Help other people, and deliver value. Listen to people, and be interested in other people. Follow Tarun on twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn Details Goal Setting & Free Audio Teaching on the 15 Laws of Growth www.leadcommunicategrow.com/growme Mentioned in this Episode How to Influence People: Make a Difference in Your World (John Maxwell) John Maxwell Books at Amazon You can also get a free John Maxwell Audio Book when you sign up at Audible. Alternatives to Recording Skype On the Ask the Podcast Coach show this week we were joined by Josh of Zencastr.com and this is a great tool that allows you to record NUMEROUS guests and all your guest has to do is click a link to join. When the call is done, their file is uploaded to Zencastr. You get a copy of each person's file, and a combined version. There are popping out of the woodwork. I also just heard about www.epishow.com/ which is basically the same thing. Both are free, with Zencastr almost ready to come out of beta and start charging. Omny Studio Media Hosting I want to upload a file and have it come down the way I uploaded it. I want a media host to support me, and provide stats. Omny studio is different as they have some of the features are radio specific. They do have some unique features as you can edit in the cloud. You can upload your intro and outro and record your podcast with your phone and it will splice the intro, your content, and your outro together. The bad news is there are no ID3 tags. While 70% of podcast listeners may not notice they are missing, anyone listening to your podcast in iTunes on the desktop will notice the lack of information (and you look like a hack). If you care, they also rename your file. They charge $9 a month for unlimited uploads and downloads (which is a disastrous business plan), and provide basic stats. There is a free plan if you want to kick the tires. I did an in depth review on my blog with a video. Ready to Launch Your Podcast and Get into iTunes?

Jan 18, 201641 min

Ep 4963 Things You Need To Make Money With Your Podcast

Today's episode is a special "Dual Episode" as Dave and "The Real Brian" from Profitcast take on the subject of what is needed to make money with your podcast. We got together to talk about three bullet points: Abundant vs Poverty Mindset 8:10 Identifying the type of client or listener you want 23:50 Invest in yourself and value yourself. 29:31 In the process of going into these bullet points, I expanded the talk to include a discussion of looking at our podcast. There are two sides of podcasting Podcast is the wild, wild West - and you can do WHATEVER you want. You need to focus on delivering value to your audience. So this leads us into uncomfortable places as we love to be encouraging, but we need to be honest and let people know that podcasting does require work (especially if you're trying to deliver value for your audience). If your show fails to deliver value, then nobody will buy your service either. How to Overcome Negative Podcast Mindsets If you take the time so that you KNOW you are delivering value, then you are confident in your content. If you are "guessing" that your audience will enjoy/grow your content, then your confidence is not as solid. How to Identify Your Listener There is no easy way around this, and it will probably get tweaked over time. You need to go out and meet your audience. This can be online, or in person, but you need to go meet your audience and make sure they exist. When you talk to people and you hear what they need, then you can deliver the best content. How To Invest in Yourself My first piece of advice would be to turn off the television. Television delivers very little value when it comes to helping your podcast earn money (unless you're watching Shark Tank, or The Profit). There are many ways to do this that require no money: Taking time to read blogs Going to Meetup Getting books from the library Watching relevant video on YouTube All those things can benefit you in your understanding of your content, your market, and help keep you focused. There are tons of different courses. If you find one that you feel fits your needs, then take the course, and throw yourself 100% into it. Don't purchase another course, book, CDs, DVDs, until you finish that course and put those strategies into action. Ready to Start a Podcast? Check out www.theschoolofpodcasting.com

Jan 11, 20161h 3m

Ep 495Getting the Other Side of the Story: $57 Dollar Guy & Glycast.com

I recently was very concerned when I saw a video from a company call Glycast.com It stated, "“It’s a new approach to podcast advertising. This is how it works. You give us your podcast feed, and we give you a new one to distribute to your audience. ”" I could tell by the video that the person was more of a podcast listener and not an actual podcaster. I didn't think he was out to hurt podcasters. But I could see where there was a chance for people to get their RSS feed hijacked with now way to get it back if Glycast went out of business. This video explains it all. So my first reaction was to tell everyone the house was on fire, and to be careful. My second reaction was to contact the company and get their side of the story. I was BLOWN AWAY when I got this response. My name is José Pablo Fernández, I live in London, I started coding when I was 7 years old, I also started my first business around that time. I worked for Google some years ago. For the past 4 years I been running a startup I co-founded, first as CTO and then as CEO: Carousel Apps. This company is launching Glycast. I co-founded Hear a Blog, a podcasting-related product, some years ago, and we got selected and Seedcamp Paris finalists. In my video for investors I talk more about my background: https://carouselapps.wistia.com/medias/pv06qw6ap5 We have the core tech for Glycast but not everything, so, we'll build whatever is required for both parties to be happy. We want both parties to be happy, so, if you are not and you want to leave us, we won't stop you. If you require us setting up a redirect of your feed to another system, we'll implement that feature and everybody will have it. I'm thinking of actually recommending people of using Feedburner, so as to have a setup such as this: main rss -> glycast -> feedburner -> audience You give the feedburner RSS to your audience and while Glycast is there, then you have ads, if one day you want to move away, then you just switch your Feedburner account to read directly from your main rss like this: main rss -> feedburner -> audience and voila. You don't even need the redirect. Nobody will notice any difference at all. Depending on what systems people are using we may also develop plug ins. For example, we can have a WordPress plug in that makes your feed look like if it was serve from Glycast, with the ads, but on your feed on your own server. That shouldn't be that hard to implement. About who is on your show? Do you mean about which ads are played and which ones aren't? I'd love to implement something like that. It'll probably be something like this: if you don't approve any ads, then all ads are approved, if you approve enough ads to take care of your inventory, then only those ads will appear. If there are not enough ads, we'll send an email with an alert. Those ads pay for our hosting and bandwidth so we can't run without ads for long periods of time, but I don't want any podcaster ever to be unhappy about the ads they are getting. About how much money, I don't know yet. The market will define this over time. I could look at the current expenditure in podcasts but since our model is quite different, it doesn't really apply. When you buy ads in a podcast today you are most likely buying that spot forever, while with Glycast, the spot keeps passing around from advertiser to advertiser over time. Eventually, I think we'll have a bidding system, similar to Google's Adsense, so that the pricing adjusts over time automatically. About the video. I'm not here to harm anyone. I'm here to make a product to help podcasters and advertisers connect, be more efficient. I'm building whatever podcasters will need to be happy. I understand your worry and your desire to warn your audience that might not understand RSS distribution and make a bad decision now that will cost them a chunk of their audience later on. That's not something I want to do and I wouldn't be happy with any company holding an audience hostage like that. I do want to work with you, and other podcasters, to make sure I meet your needs of an excellent platform that will help monetize your podcast, whatever your size is, whatever your topic is, and focus on your craft, on what you love, on podcasting. I'm an avid podcast listener, consuming more than 20hs per week of podcasts and every time someone announces they are going off the air because they need to focus on other things to pay the bills it makes me sad... and whenever I look at my feed and I see all the podcasts that silently stopped putting out updates it makes me even sadder. If the problem is funding, I want to help. What amazed me was why this information was not on their website. José has a great resume, and with some insights into who and what I'm looking at, my fears are much less. Future Podcast Related Companies: Listen Up We've all worked hard to build our audience, and the last thing we want to do is create something that will make them jump through hoops, or da

Jan 4, 201648 min

Ep 494My Favorite Podcast 2015: A Listener Loyalty Study

in no particular order) 01:25 Exponent - the nuances of tech strategy - Submitted by Max Flight of AirplaneGeeks.com, TheUAVDigest.com, and PaxExPodcast.com 2:48 Up In Your Business - brings in inspiration to help you to create a business - Submitted by Chris Lewis of www.dadspotlight.com 4:33 School of Podcasting - All Things Podcasting - Submitted by Craig from inglespodcast.com and 08:06 Kenn from blackmanwithagun.com 09:53 Ask the Podcast Coach - Your Podcast Questions Answered - Submitted by Dan Lovallo from http://headlinehistory.libsyn.com/podcast 11:18 We Choose Respect - Teaches kids to be respectful - Submitted by Erik K Johnson from www.podcasttalencoach.com 13:35 You Must Remember This - Golden Age of Hollywood - Submitted by Emily and James of www.classylittlepodcast.com 16:40 Canada Land - A deep dive into the media world in Canada - Submitted by Francis McGrogan from www.standcurious.com 19:10 The Mentee - surround yourself with heavy hitting mentors - Submitted by Gretchen from www.alwaysalesson.com 20:10 Learning Leader - focuses on leadership in every field - Submitted by Gretchen (Schultek) Bridgers from www.alwaysalesson.com 20:40 Duncan Trussell Family Hour - have a good laugh every once in a while - Submitted by Harry Duran of www.podcastjunkies.com 21:56 Mat Men - I love wrestling and this network - Jeff Bradburry from www.teachercast.net 22:30 The Morning Stream - a great mix of humor, news, music, pop culture - Submitted by Jeremy Denise of transmissionspodcast.com 23:33 Bowery Boys - New York City history - Submitted by Jessica Bailey of www.funkyfitnessnow.com 24:34 Art of Manliness - Great advice for Men - Submitted by John Overall of Wordpress Plugins A to Z 26:18 Finding Christ in Cinema - tease out the bits of movies that relate to Christ - John Wilkerson of www.thewiredhomeschool.com 28:10 Grit and Hustle - full of interviews with startups who've had overcome all kinds of obstacles - Submitted by John Livesay of www.sellingsecretsforfunding.com 28:47 The Ferderalist Radio Hour - They talk politics. They talk policy. The host is is absolutely brilliant - Submitted by John Tsarpalas of www.commonwealthy.com 30:38 48 Days to the Work You Love - shows tough love to his listeners and doesn't sugar coat things for them - Submitted by Judy Graph of www.farmandranchcountry.com 32:04 Snap Judgement - great stories, music behind it, the history, and other off the wall stuff - Submitted by Ken Kastler -of www.bountifulproductions.com 32:55 Steal the Show - the most unorthodox marketing program - Submitted by Kim Kracji of www.onthetablepodcasts.com 33:53 Mac Power Users - their recommendations have never steered me wrong - Laura McClellan of www.theproductivewoman.com 36:30 Mad at Dad - If you're married and if you have kids, you probably go through the same thing - Chiaki Hinohara of www.metalmoment.com 40:19 $100 MBA - - the perfect combination of book smarts and street smarts - Submitted by Michel Nelson 0f www.byhyu.com 41:35 Art of Likability - educational podcasts that are also entertaining - Submitted by Michel Nelson 0f www.byhyu.com 42:45 Stacking Benjamins - interesting stories around the finances - Submited by Steve Stewart of No Debt, No Credit, No Problems 44:44 Writing Excuses - really gets deep into the craft - Submitted by Maya Good of www.literaryroadhouse.com 45:50 Podcast Talent Coach - amazing information that has really helped me improve my show - Submitted by Steave Stearns of www.outsidehealthandfitness.com 47:43 Security Now! - information that comes out is very timely and relevant to my day job - Submitted by Rich Warfield of www.loudpipes.net 50:05 Tim Ferris Show - He interviews top performing people from all different categories - Submitted by Scott Johnson -of Computer Tutor and Ultrafinishers 52:03 99% Invisible - Talks about all the obscure, unique things - Submitted by Sharon Marrel of www.uuperspective.com 53:25 Daily Tech News - excellent technology information that I find extremely interesting - Submitted by Al Holtz of thelastshippodcast.com & learntoselfpub.com 55:01 Thomas Jefferson Hour - life through the eyes of Thomas Jefferson - Submitted by Terry Noorda of discoveringamerica-history.com 56:05 New Media Show - Great Content You Can't Get Anywhere Else - Submitted by Dave Jackson (me) Have a Great 2016 Thanks to everyone for a great 2015. I look forward to watching the growth of podcasting in the future. If you'd like to have episodes of the School of Podcasting show up on your iPhone go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/itunes and subscribe today. If you're on an Android you can Subscribe on Android. If you'd like to get the show notes delivered to you for free, sign up for our newsletter. Check out Dave's Books More Podcast Money My Favorite Podcast 2014...

Dec 28, 20151h 2m