The Podcast Fast Track

I hope you're putting these steps into action...

I know you're busy. I know you have other commitments.

If that's the case, file this away and get back to it. But this stuff is important for the longevity and audience building of your podcast.

We've already covered the first two steps - (1) Notice / Awareness and (2) Quality / Helpfulness.

Now it's time for the 3rd phase - Originality / Appeal

In my view, we are right at the tail end of the "interview-someone-famous-in-your-industry-and-get-an-audience" phase of podcasting.

Because the podcast-o-sphere is SATURATED with those types of shows.

OK - probably not ENTIRELY saturated, but we're getting pretty close. And I'm not the only person who thinks so.

Here's this from... @Scott Galloway of NYU... about podcasting in the year 2020...

...the podcasts of the highest quality at the top of the charts will reap the lion’s share of the benefits. Niche podcasts that truly add value will also survive and do well, but reheated Joe Rogan imitators… that sh!# is going to fall off the face of a cliff.

If you already have one of "those kind of shows" running and it's doing well, you've got a leg up on the competition.

If you are struggling to get an audience with that format... maybe you know why, now.

If you are considering starting a show of that nature, I recommend you tweak that decision based on my recommendations below.

No matter where you are in your podcasting journey, you can make changes - large and small - that make your show more orginal and therefore, more appealing.

Consider these things...

+ Podcasts are as much entertainment as they are education

And entertainment has to be - well, entertaining.

Look at what you're doing with your show currently?

Can you add something to spice it up? (music, transition sounds, other voices, ambiance or sound effects)

You want to be careful here and not overdo it.

And you WILL likely get some negative feedback about such changes from existing listeners.

But give it time... keep changing things little by little, and overall your listeners will come to LOVE it.

One show that does this well...

Roger Whitney - The Retirement Answer Man (listen here)

Roger's show is broken into segments, he uses transition sounds and segments effectively, and his humor and laid back approach come out loud and clear.

What could you do along this line to not only make your show more entertaining, but to reap the rewards of the domino effect it sets in motion...

+ more entertainment = more fun = better listener experiences = happier audiences = long-term followers/subscribers

Do you get the picture?

Can you be more yourself?

It's amazing how much being yourself multiplies into audience attraction. When you are you, those who see the world the way you do tend to like the way you talk about things.

Not only that, they tend to trust your more quickly and buy your stuff (subscribe to your podcast) more rapidly.

A show that does this well...

Darla Powell - Wingnut Social (listen here)

Darla shared with me that a long time ago she learned that it was much better to simply be herself. In her words, "her wingnut self."

She attracts her ideal clients and lets them know what to expect from her before they actually meat.

Of course, there are boundaries of propriety here but you get the idea.

The more YOU, you can be, the more YOU will shine through. And guess what? Most podcast listeners actually LIKE the host of the shows that are their favorites. That's YOU!

+ Educational or "how to" podcasts MUST be relevant and actionable

One of the reasons I've personally tired of the tried and not-so-true interview format of podcasting is because they've become less and less applicable.

Guests seem to vomit up the same drivel as every other guest (or as they have on every other podcast interview they've ever done).

That's a BIG lesson to learn. If you're going to do a podcast that is helping people learn, do something, or change something - IT HAD BETTER BE SUPER PRACTICAL.

Look at what you're doing with your show currently...

Can you offer clear, step-by-step instructions in a better or more effective format than you are now? (perhaps a downloadable action sheet for each episode?)
Could you modify your audio format to include a summary that includes action points?
Can you integrate your podcast episodes into a community to encourage and support listeners more with the specifics you cover on your show?

+ Do you need to take things to an entirely new level?

If you aren't familiar with the term "brand podcast" - you will be soon.

It's a term that's coming to describe the highly produced, truly entertaining and amazing content many brands are using to elevate awareness of their industry and their brand.

Some examples...

IRL - Online Life Is Real Life (listen here)

Produced by Mozilla/Firefox

Life After / The Message (listen here)

Produced by GE

Choiceology (listen here)

Produced by Charles Schwab

There are a few things each of these examples have in common...

1. The are FUN and AMAZING to listen to

2. Therefore they are ENGAGING

3. They have TONS of time and effort behind them (and expense)

I often listen to these and other brand podcasts to learn better audio production and sound design techniques - and they are so engaging I often forget to pay attention to HOW they are doing the cool things they are doing.

That could be YOUR show. If you're willing to invest in it.

The moral of the story is...

The podcast-o-sphere is getting busier and busier, noisier and noisier.

To stand out you have to be unique, more valuable, adding something that people WANT to hear and consume.

You've got to begin thinking bigger.

145: Quality & Helpfulness: Phase 2 of the Podcast Niche Domination Formula

Wed, 30 Dec 2020 04:00:00 -0400

AFFILIATE offer for this episode: CAPTIVATE

OK, you're working that "awareness" piece from the last installment, right? Be sure you go back and start there if you're not.

It's time for STEP TWO of my Niche Domination Formula. Here it is:

Quality / Helpfulness

This one is best illustrated by talking about movies.

There are only two reasons I can think of that people talk about particular movies.

1. It was really good

2. It was really bad

And then in the middle are the MILLIONS of movies that nobody is talking about because they are just "so-so." Right?

The same is true of podcasts

You want people to be talking about your podcast - but for the RIGHT reason... because it's truly GREAT content!

That "greatness" exists in either quality or helpfulness - but preferably both.

QUALITY

Quality has to do with the experience your listeners have as your episode comes through their ear(buds).

There are a handful of words (and opposing words) that help us dial this one in. Your show may not be all of these, but it should be some...

Is your podcast...

Pleasant? (as opposed to painful to listen to)
Creative? (as opposed to more of the same)
Deep? (as opposed to skimming the surface of your topics)
Original? (as opposed to saying what everyone else says)
Moving? (as opposed to emotionally uninspiring)
Revealing? (as opposed to guarded or inhibited)
Engaging? (as opposed to boring, uninteresting)
Provocative? (as opposed to bland, unsurprising)
Helpful? (Oh, wait... that deserves its own section, later...)

All of these are possible for your show, but you've got to decide which ones you're going to make a hallmark of your show.

Will you focus on creativity through the sounds you use, the way you mix music, and the perspectives you bring to your topics?

Will you find guests that are not the run-of-the-mill talking heads, people who bring fresh perspectives that truly help your listeners?

There's no one-size-fits-all for this issue - and you've got to decide what you can manage, both in terms of your expertise and in terms of the time you have to devote to your podcast.

But know this: If your podcast is not high quality, NOBODY will be talking about it. That means your growth-curve will be slow, slow, slow... and you will NEVER dominate your niche.

HELPFULNESS

One of the most powerful ways your podcast can be a high-quality show in your niche is by being ultra helpful.

I think that's one of the reasons Pat Flynn's show "Smart Passive Income" appeals to so many people. He works hard to make it super helpful, super practical.

So you have to ask yourself, "What does MY particular audience need?"

Your answer could come in the form of the pains they experience, the struggles they have, or the desires they have that are not fulfilled.

Once you know that answer - you have the opportunity to fill the void - to be the one who provides the helpful content that perfectly fits what they are looking for.

Amazing things happen when you meet somebody's need. They become TREMENDOUSLY appreciative.

They sometimes reach out to tell you so.

They often tell others about what you did to help them.

Hey look, people are talking about your podcast in the RIGHT way - because it's so good.

This may sound overly-simplistic, but it really is that simple.

But simple doesn't mean easy.

You've got to do the work to figure out...

WHO your audience is.

WHAT kind of quality they are looking for.

HOW you can best help them.

Step number three coming next time...

144: Notice & Awareness - Phase 1 of The Podcast Niche Domination Formula

Wed, 16 Dec 2020 04:00:00 -0400

AFFILIATE OFFER MENTIONED: CAPTIVATE - get your free trial!

If your podcast is going to be top in its niche, people have to know about it. Obvious, but true. And you don’t accomplish it by posting 10 Facebook posts per day saying, “Listen to my podcast! Listen to my podcast! Listen to my podcast!” Even if you include an audiogram.

The awareness step requires what I’d refer to as “guerrilla promotion” techniques. Some involve social media, some don’t.

1 – Get biz cards printed up for your show. Seriously.

Sticking with our real estate example from the first article in this series, if you’re actively working in the real estate industry, you meet others who are actively working in the real estate industry all the time. Right?

Your podcast can help those people. But only if they know about it.

So along with trying to rustle up new clients/customers (and handing out your normal business cards), why not rustle up some new listeners to your show by handing out show-specific business cards?

And be sure to include a direct link for the easiest way they can subscribe to your show. You figure out what that is (and it may or may not include a QR code or two).

2 – Find the online and real-life communities that talk about what you talk about on your podcast

It only takes one search on Facebook to find groups that are interested in what you have to say. Do it and join the groups that appear to be active and have a decent number of members.

But again, don’t immediately start posting “Listen to my podcast! Listen to my podcast! Listen to my podcast!”

Follow these steps instead…

1. Watch and listen

2. Notice the common questions or needs that arise

3. Start answering questions with helpful answers (in other words, don’t just show off or promote yourself, truly help people)

4. Make friends

5. When you finally do share your podcast, do in a way that provides topic-specific episodes as a solution to someone’s need

Then do the same thing in real life.

It takes a bit more work to find these real-life groups, but they are out there. And they are extremely valuable! Google “my niche groups in my town” and see what turns up. Go to those groups. Then repeat steps 1-5 above in real life.

And don’t forget to take your podcast biz cards!

3 – Take note of where high-profile people in your niche are and copy what they are doing

Are there people in your industry who you look up to…

• Writing pieces for industry magazines? (online or offline)

• Placing ads in industry journals or publications? (online or offline)

• Presenting at industry events?

• Writing local newspaper columns or op-eds?

• Guesting on podcasts within your industry? (affiliate link)

Figure out how to do those things for yourself — and do them. Regularly. Giving away amazing insights and value. And keep at it.

4 – Develop friendships with others who podcast and blog about the things you do (and those influencers from the previous point)

There are so many ways to come at any topic. That’s why there are so many podcasts in every niche (OK, maybe not in the “underwater basket weaving” niche, but you get the point).

Those others who are podcasting or blogging in your niche are not your competition. In fact, they could become some of your greatest supporters. Pie will help me explain.

The “podcasting pie” may have a limited number of slices, but the pie itself is growing all the time. Edison Research tells us that as of 2019, 51% of people in the U.S. have now listened to a podcast.

But that also means 49% of the American public hasn’t listened to a podcast — yet. How many of those people are interested in your niche topics? Lots. I guarantee it.

You and those others who publish episodes about your area of interest and expertise have plenty of people to build an audience from. Heck, people who listen to podcasts about a certain topic often listen to multiple podcasts in the niche. In other words, there’s plenty of pie in your niche to go around.

Become intentional about building relationships with those in your niche. Not creepy ones where it’s obvious you only want something from them, but real ones where you’re giving real value to them.

Some ideas…

• Ask them to give you an audio spot that you can feature regularly on your podcast (to serve your listeners and to highlight them).

• Share blog posts on your website with backlinks to their site/episodes. (Backlinks are a huge value to them).

• Refer to their good resources/episodes often.

• Send people to their email lists and products.

• In time, create a joint-venture product, webinar, or service with them.

• Even propose an “episode swap” where you agree to put a full episode of their show in your podcast feed and they agree to do the same for you.

As you do these things, you’ll connect with someone who likes the topics you like and wants to help people with it just like you do. That’s a lot in common. It’s the beginnings of a beautiful friendship.

And friends help each other.

So read back through this post and decide what your first action step will be. Awareness and notice are where you have to start in order to dominate your niche.

COMING UP: Step two: Quality/Helpfulness

143: The Podcast Niche Domination Formula

Wed, 02 Dec 2020 04:00:00 -0400

There is a specific group of people you want to reach... people who are interested in the topics and themes you address.

And there are other podcasts out there that present materials on the same topics.

How can you ensure that your show is the TOPS in your niche?

By employing the Podcast Niche Domination Formula consistently.

142: Trust is the lock and value is the key

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 04:00:00 -0400

How are you going to build the kind of engagement with your podcasting audience that generates true success?

It's not through gimmicks or cutesy stuff.

It's not through Casper Mattress commercials.

There's only one way to do it. You have to build trust with them.

And how do you do that? This episode explains it.

141: Why you should NOT compare yourself or your podcast to Joe Rogan

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 04:00:00 -0400

Let's talk a bit about Joe Rogan...

Joe is an American comedian, podcaster, actor, television host, and mixed martial arts commentator
Joe is 53 years old (one month younger than yours truly)
The Joe Rogan Experience is a talk-show / interview format (like most of the podcastosphere it seems)
He's been publishing his podcast (and YouTube versions) for over 10.5 years
He typically publishes 3 or more episodes per week > average episode length is just over 2 hours 30 minutes
As of October 2020 his show "The Joe Rogan Experience" has published just over 1700 episodes
That's 4,360 hours of content > if you listened non-stop, 24/7 it would take you 182 days to listen to all of it (at normal speed)
As of April 2019 > 190 million downloads per month
He's increased his publications year over year, but 2020 it appears that he'll actually publish less than he has been in previous years

Not bad for a guy who started out entirely independent (like you and me)

The most recent hype - Spotify

The podcast-o-sphere is all abuzz with the news that Joe just signed a multi-year deal with Spotify estimated to be worth $100M. That's one of the largest licensing agreements in podcast history.

But there are some not-so-good things in the deal that many of us Indie podcasters wouldn't be too keen about...

His show can ONLY be found on Spotify
Paying members have no-ads
Non-paying members have ads (Spotify generated, presumably)

In sPITE of all that, it's Easy to say...

Wow, it must be nice to be Joe Rogan!

But think that through...

The dude has paid his dues
He has done the work required
He has earned every cent (though there is a way I think he could be making more AND keeping full control of where his show is distributed - watch for an upcoming episode about that)
Though we can argue about the lasting value he provides his audience, he's clearly hit on a format and personality mix that is entertaining to his demographic

Why you should NOT compare yourself to Joe

You haven't been at it as long
You haven't published as frequently
You haven't build the audience he has
You haven't had the same opportunities
You are likely podcasting for a different reason than Joe (serving an audience, providing help, building a clientele, selling books/courses, etc.)
You have differing gifts, personality, abilities, etc. that make your show and approach intrinsically different than his

There is a LOT more to successful podcasting than a big deal like Joe signed

People helped
Specific needs met
Pain relieved
World-view and mindsets challenged
Changed lives

What SHOULD you do?

Get clear on YOUR purpose (What are you podcasting FOR?)
Get clear on your audience (Who are you trying to serve)
Figure out where they are (online and in real life)
Figure out how to get your message to them (creative, diligent, tireless work)
Be willing to pay the price

Listen to this episode to get all the deets about these things and more!

140: How to gain huge compound interest-like benefits from your podcast

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 15:52:00 -0400

You’ll benefit from listening to this episode if you...

You want to know how to compound the impact of your podcast over time
Need help devising a strategy for your show that will work
Are looking for motivation and method to your madness

Albert Einstein reportedly said it.

"Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world."

What in the HECK is good old Al talking about — and what in the HECK does it have to do with podcasting? I'm gonna' splain it to you - on this episode of Podcastification!

CONTACT

139: Make Bank: Invite Your Ideal Customer To A Podcast Interview

Tue, 08 Sep 2020 09:00:00 -0400

One of the most common things you'll hear podcasters ask is "How can I get more people to download my show?" That's an O.K. question... if you're into that sort of thing.

OK, I'm being a bit snarky here... downloads ARE important for a number of reasons. But my guest on this episode is not so concerned about downloads because he's making bank in another way.

From selling stuff to his guests.

Casey Stubbs is a marketing guru (my words, he's to humble to admit it). He's figured out that what all marketers want is what podcasting has to offer.

You’ll benefit from listening to this episode if you...

You offer a product or service that requires relationship building and marketing
The power of relationships is not lost on you, and you know how to make the most of them
You don't like the obsession with download numbers and want to find another way
It's more important to you to build ongoing relationships than it is to draw a crowd
You want to short-cut the marketing process and get right into sales

REACH OUT TO CASEY

https://tradingstrategyguides.com/casey-stubbs/
On Twitter: @CaseyStubbs
On LinkedIn
Casey's podcast: How To Trade It

138: How To Record An Interview Podcast In High Quality Audio: Squadcast

Tue, 25 Aug 2020 08:50:00 -0400

Get your free 7 day trial of Squadcast at https://Squadcast.fm OR if you use my affiliate link here you can say “thanks” to me for making the introduction.

*****************

Way back when I started podcasting — it was 2013 or so — I recognized very quickly that whoever could solve the problem of recording conversations over a distance and do so with high quality audio, would have a leg up on everyone else.

I’m glad to know the two guys who did it. On this episode I walk through Squadcast (affiliate link) with co-founders Rock Felder and Zach Moreno. We dig into the tech they created that makes the app work so well, how they solved for quality and reliability, and even go step by step through the features and how the platform works.

You’ll also get to hear what’s coming down the pike that goes WAY beyond recording an interview podcast in audio - High Def Video recording through the same platform. It’s Squadcast, folks. Learn about it on this episode.

YOU'LL BENIFIT FROM LISTENING TO THIS PODCAST IF YOU...

[2:10] Experience on the Google Chrome team that translates DIRECTLY into this app
[8:55] Why Skype-type audio recordings are NOT the best quality
[11:45] How the Squadcast team addressed quality and reliability in distance recordings
[14:22] The tech details of what these guys did to address distance recording issues
[21:08] My Squadcast walk-through with Zach and Rock explaining it to me
[29:04] Lots of choices for the host to get better audio for them and guests
[41:18] Squadcast pricing: from a 7 day free trial to huge networks
[46:10] High quality VIDEO is on the way!

Resources mentioned during this conversation

Edison Research Infinite Dial Report 2020

Connect with the Squadcast team

On Twitter: @SquadCastFM
Follow on LinkedIn
Check out the Squadcast YouTube Channel

Audio drift on podcast interview recordings is a thing of the past

You know what I’m talking about, right? You get the audio from your online recording platform, toss it into your audio editing software (DAW) and discover that it isn’t synced. So you spend tons of time trying to connect the dots and make it sound normal.

That shouldn’t happen. It’s called “audio drift” and one of the most PAINFUL parts of using any distance recording solution (when it happens). The Squadcast guys (Zach and Rock) KNEW it was an issue and took the time to figure it out. Don’t you love people who just figure it out?

If you decide to try out Squadcast you’re doing to discover that audio drift is no more. Really, NO. MORE.

The best way to control the audio quality of interview guests

It’s pretty typical for a podcast host to have great audio. She’s the one who’s invested a bit of dough in the right equipment and who has learned how to record effectively. But the guest… now that’s a different story entirely.

It’s just as typical for the guest’s audio to atrocious. They don’t understand audio, don’t know what to do to get good recordings, and don’t always see why it’s important. So what can a host do?

Number one: Help them get good audio the moment they come onto the recording platform. Zach and Rock over at Squadcast.fm got a suggestion from podcast guru Harry Duran (Podcast Junkies) that they should built out a way for the host to see the status of the guest’s audio setup — What mic are they using? What bandwidth do they have on their internet connection? And that was a BRILLIANT idea, Harry. Why? Because the host — the one who knows about how to get good audio — can now peek through the keyhole at the guest’s setup to help them tweak it into a reasonably good-sounding audio track. Listen to this episode. Rock and Zach explain how it works.

What if I told you that high quality distance video recording is almost here?

It’s currently late August, 2020. The guys at Squadcast.fm are ALMOST done putting together one of the most in-demand apps I can think of. It’s the ability to not only record stellar audio for podcasts, but to also do it with stellar quality video footage at the same time.

Podcasters who have been limping along with Skype and Zoom call recording solutions are about to get a treat. When this thing comes put it’s going to have the same commitment to quality and reliability behind it that the audio app has had all along. And it’s going to be VIDEO.

Watch out YouTube. A whole lot of podcasters are about to be creating channels.

137: The World’s FIRST Growth Focused Podcast Hosting Company?

Thu, 20 Aug 2020 09:00:00 -0400

Reasons this episode is for you...

[2:40] How Mark Asquith’s blonde highlights led him into the entrepreneurial life
[6:36] The “figure it out” mindset Mark has adopted, and he didn’t even know it
[10:52] Why Mark came to believe that communication is a sellable skill
[19:30] Mark’s first venture into podcasting in 2013 - about DC Comics
[25:30] The many podcast related services Mark’s company provides
[29:15] What Mark and his team saw missing in the podcast hosting world
[34:01] Features found in the Captivate platform - in detail and with specific questions

Podcast hosting companies are multiplying more than rabbits these days. Each one believes that THEY have what podcasters really need — and have no problem telling you so.

I have no beef with that. If you believe in your service or product, you SHOULD be telling everyone it can help, that it can help them. But most of them don’t impress me very much.

One of the newcomers in the last few years that I AM impressed by is Captivate (affiliate link). I started one of my 5 podcasts on the Captivate service just to try it out and I have enjoyed the way they handle things so much, I plan on moving some of my other shows over to them.

Listen to his conversation with Captivate co-Founder Mark Asquith to hear about all the bells, whistles, and cool stuff the Captivate team has baked into their podcast hosting platform.

REACH OUT TO MARK

Mark Asquith
The MANY Podcasts Mark is involved in producing
On Twitter: @MrAsquith
On LinkedIn
www.PodcastWebsites.com

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Get a 7-day free trial by trying www.Captivate.fm (affiliate link) or a NON-affilaite link - www.Captivate.fm

136: Jessica Kupferman: Helping Women Podcasters Everywhere

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 09:00:00 -0400

You’ll benefit from listening to this episode if you...

>> Feel like you don't always fit in

>> Have something to say that is important, but you don't know exactly how to say it

>> Are looking for a way to use the gifts you've been given to help others

>> Aren't afraid of exploring your talents and how they might be used to add value to the lives of others

>> Are (finally) OK being the outsider and are willing to help other outsiders

>> Are a woman podcaster who is eager to find your "tribe"

"Do you think everyone SHOULD podcast?"

"No! Nooo!!"

That's not what you'd expect to be the very first thing you hear on a podcast episode that's trying to help you learn how to podcast (or do it better).

But it is... because that's just WHO my guest on this episode is - Jessica Kupferman.

Jess has an amazing story, one that inspires anyone who will take the time to listen with the belief that THEY can do it too. That's because Jessica is a real-world person who has taken on podcasting with both hands.

Click the play button now - and get to know Jessica and the work she's doing to help women podcasters around the world to stand up, speak up, and get their message out to change the world.

Connect with Jessica at: https://www.shepodcasts.com/

135: The Best Monetization Strategy: Niche Podcasting, with Ashley Hodge

Wed, 20 May 2020 13:45:00 -0400

Whole Life Stewardship Podcast

You’ll benefit from listening to this episode if you...

>> Wonder of podcasting is something you could do

>> Have been trying to figure out how to attract sponsors (Please, don't. Try Ashley's approach instead).

>> Are interested in serving others through a podcast and are more interested in relationships than revenue (at least at first).

>> Have an area of expertise that you are passionate about that you can't help but share with the world.

>> Are eager to find the people who resonate with the topics you are most passionate about

>> Would like to know how Ashley generates over $25K per year from 6 hours per month working on his podcast

>> Experienced advice about how to get started with your own podcast, including content ideas and creation

Sometimes I think of podcasting as “The Great Equalizer.” Why would I say that? Because no longer do giant media conglomerates have exclusive power to decide who gets to broadcast a message or not. We the people get to publish whatever we want to publish. That’s cool. That’s an overall WIN in my book.

Ashley Hodge is a perfect example of that reality in action. He’s a self-confessed “academic slacker” who slept through class during his High School years, only interested in playing basketball. Once he hit college, he chose the school he did only because there were cute girls there and a decent football program. Wow. Now THAT is some high ideals, huh?

But once he grew up a little bit Ashley realized that he’d been given a tremendous opportunity. He could choose what to do with his life and how to educate himself to accomplish it. So he got busy.

In this episode, Ashley shares how he got started as a financial planner, eventually hosted a call-in radio show, and one day made the pivot into podcasting – which has proven to be one of the BEST content marketing channels in his arsenal, consistently leading new listeners to become new clients, which means new (and more) revenue.

Reach out to Ashley

https://AshleyHodge.com

134: The Story Behind The Story Behind, with Emily Prokop

Wed, 29 Apr 2020 09:00:00 -0400

You’ll benefit from listening to this episode if you...

>> Are eager to know what podcasting is and how it can benefit you personally

>> Love hearing stories of everyday people who make a life for themselves they never dreamed possible

>> Might want to start a podcast of your own someday

>> Long to make genuine connections online

>> Are trying to find "your people"

>> Need a good podcast editor to take on your next podcast project

>> Wonder if you could make a living as a podcast editor

It's not every day that an Independent media producer in any genre or type of medium gets the opportunity to stand toe to toe with the big names in their space. But Emily Prokop did.

Emily's podcast, "The Story Behind" was nominated for a 2019 Webby Award and was up against shows like "Serial," "After Dark," and other big name shows produced by professional production houses. She doesn't like to position it as a "David and Goliath" type story but that's exactly how it seemed to those of us looking on from the outside.

Emily's journey into podcasting is pretty typical. But the results of her involvement in podcasting are extraordinary. She's not only been nominated for awards, she got a book deal, build a career for herself, and more. Listen to get the whole story.

133: How Scott Voelker Uses His Amazon FBA Podcast To Serve And Succeed

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 11:38:00 -0400

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Scott Voelker produces an Amazon FBA Podcast — and for many of you, that statement was total jibberish. That’s because Scott has discovered that driving deep into a niche topic enables him to attract a very niche and passionate audience. So, just so you have some context…

The FBA part of what I said stands for “Fulfilled by Amazon,” it’s a way of selling products you create or source and have Amazon ship them, handle customer service, handle the processing - everything. It’s an AMAZING possibility for those who want to build their own product-based business. But it’s NOT easy, as Scott explains. You’ll hear his story, learn about how he learned online marketing and creative digital product creation, retail arbitrage, Amazon FBA, and serving others to help them succeed.

You’ll benefit from listening to this episode if you...

Are willing to take action to move forward… no matter where you’re starting from [0:52]
Love stories of people who’ve paid their dues to reach success [4:36]
Wonder if you can succeed without a college degree [10:48]
Are in a situation that feels hopeless or “dead end” [15:35]
Have always wanted to start and run your own business [17:30]
Are curious about selling Private Label products [30:40]
Want to learn how to make your own luck and build an audience [37:10]
Would like to know the benefits of creating your own podcast [41:20]
Are interested in discovering what you have to offer an audience [43:20]

GET NOTIFICATIONS OF NEW EPISODES OF...

Podcastification (this show)
Scott’s podcast: The Amazing Seller
5 Minute Pitch (Scott’s podcast partnership project)

CONNECT WITH:

Carey and the Podcast Fast Track Team: https://PodcastFastTrack.com
Scott: https://TheAmazingSeller.com

Resources and People Scott mentioned:

Amazon FBA
Subscribe to our FREE weekly podcast coaching series: https://PodcastFastTrack.com
Retail Arbitrage

Music used in this episode:

"Shaving Mirror" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

"Rock Your World" from https://Audionautix.com (Jason Shaw)

128 : The Future of Podcasting - And What Indie Podcasters Should Do About It

Tue, 16 Jul 2019 09:00:00 -0400

I have no crystal ball - but I work with enough podcasters week in and week out to know something about the future of podcasting. I’m a smart enough guy to see the writing on the wall, so to speak - and I want you to be in the know about what I see coming.

This episode of Podcastification is a quick explanation of the near horizon of podcasting. I’m going to take back a bit to understand how podcasting has changed, then look at what’s happening around us right now (it has to do with big dollars entering the podcast-o-sphere) - and why that matters for us as Indie podcasters.

I wrap up giving you TWO big things to think about and take action around in order to ensure that the future of podcasting has a place for you.

FULL SHOW NOTES AT https://PodcastFastTrack.com/128

What you’ll hear on this episode

[1:20] Why I am qualified to talk about the future of podcasting
[2:04] A brief summary of the history of podcasting (and why it matters)
[4:26] Big dollar organizations make the competition we face much harder
[11:02] Why there will always be a market for niche podcasts
[12:30] Why fans matter more than subscribers and growth of downloads
[14:34] STEP ONE: What does your audience consider valuable?
[19:23] STEP TWO: Reconsider your METHOD of podcast production
[20:50] The practical ways you can find out what your audience thinks is valuable
[21:20] Practical ways you can amp up your podcast production and format

Resources I mentioned

2019 Infinite Dial
GE’s The Message Podcast
Stranger Things on Netflix
The Lord of The Rings Trilogy
Episode 123 with Nick Loper
Episode 127 with Darla Powell
The Turnaround Podcast
The Retirement Answer Man - at www.RogerWhitney.com

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

127: PS-Darla Powell - 1 Podcast, 2 Businesses, Endless Possibilities

Tue, 02 Jul 2019 09:00:00 -0400

WWW.PODCASTFASTTRACK.COM/127

Contact: www.PodcastFastTrack.com/contact

Every podcast success story is a bit different - because the person who has experienced it has walked a different path to get TO a place of success. It isn’t a bed of roses - or maybe it is - because that would be REALLY thorny - and it’s never simple or complicated. And for most, our journey toward becoming a podcaster begins WAY BACK in the early days of life.

That’s how it was for Darla Powell.

When she was young, she loved the creative things in life. By the time she graduated high school she had no clue what to do with her natural interests. So she dove into the first real opportunity to come along and stayed with it for 18 years.

EIGHTEEN YEARS of doing something she wasn’t in love with. Sometimes it’s necessary - and Darla is the first to acknowledge the benefits her career in law enforcement provided, but she’s still quick to say that she never was truly excited about it. So how did she make the transition into something she loved, something that harkened back to her early days as a kid? You’ll have to listen to find out.

But I’ll tell you this - it involves a growing sense of agitation toward law enforcement country-wide AND a mid-life crisis. Darla’s story is a GREAT story. You’re going to enjoy hearing how she made the transition from cop to interior designer and how her podcast played a major role in making it all happen.

SEE FULL SHOW NOTES HERE:

Here’s how this one shakes out...

PART ONE

[0:04] Do you remember the pivotal time we call “high school graduation?”
[5:38] Growing up in Florida and loving the creative side of life - YET she became a cop
[8:30] Darla was forced to rethink the path she was on after 18 years
[10:05] The first interior design gig - and a new path forward opened up
[13:06] Questions to ask to help you find a new business opportunity

MIDROLL FEATURE

[19:44] The story behind this narrative style of podcast production

PART TWO

[24:01] What makes Darla so good at social media (her tips for you)
[26:07] Podcasters - be yourself!
[29:58] How podcasting enables the incredible results it does
[36:28] Darla’s tips for podcasters and those considering becoming a podcaster

If you know someone whose story would make a great PODCASTER STORY episode, feel free to make that introduction.

Resources and links mentioned

Darla’s Wingnut Social Services and Podcast
Darla Powell Interiors - and my favorite “Miami Office With A Twist”
Darla/Wingnut on Instagram: @DarlaPowellInteriors
A Life Well Designed Podcast
Architectural Digest Feature: Designers Share 12 of Their Favorite Podcasts
Business of Home Magazine - featuring Darlas thoughts on social media outsourcing
Abbi McCullom episode on Wingnut Social
Nick Loper: Side Hustle Nation
Jonathan Messinger’s podcast: The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian
Audionautix.com
The songs “Fife and Drum” and “Shaving Mirror” Kevin MacLeod (www.incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

125: How to use Audio Equalization (EQ) to make your podcast sound better

Wed, 22 May 2019 11:49:00 -0400

So... I'm scrambling to get things done, produce this podcast, and continue to oversee a thriving business - so sometimes you just can't do it all.

I want to publish to this podcast feed more - and lo and behold, I notice I have this episode with the amazing Chris Curran already recorded but not published.

WHAT WAS I THINKING? (I wasn't).

So... here it is. You'll find Chris' tips helpful beyond measure. At least I did.

So Chris Curran has been on the show before - and when I received a question recently about why none of the podcasts about podcasting ever seem to deal with the issue of audio equalization, I thought immediately of Chris.

Chris is the Head Flunkie over at the Podcast Engineering School and knows this kind of stuff backward and forward, so I reached out and he decided to say "Yes." Thanks Chris!

Full show notes to come...

You can get the lowdown on Chris' Podcast Engineering School by using my affiliate code here.

124: PS: Side Hustling His Way To Podcasting Success: Nick Loper

Tue, 07 May 2019 10:00:00 -0400

WWW.PODCASTFASTTRACK.COM/124

Successful people never get there overnight. Nick's story is no different

Nick Loper is a regular guy, if you've ever met him, you know just how true that is. He's humble, unassuming, and doesn't immediately strike you as the Dynamo that he really is.

What's his secret? I'm not sure what he'd say, but I believe it's this: He's smart, ambitious, and he knows how to work hard. That's a

combination that makes for great potential.

This episode tells Nick's story - of side hustling his way through college, trying out things to see what worked, following some very good advice his college room mate gave him, and then pivoting to start this thing called a podcast.

For him, podcasting worked out - tremendously. In just 3 years he replaced the salary he was earning from his corporate job after graduating. And he's learned a LOT about creating a successful podcast along the way.

This episode is the first of many "storytelling" episodes to come - where I feature podcasters who have experienced tremendous success that is directly tied to their podcasting efforts. I couldn't think of anyone better to start with than Nick. I hope you enjoy hearing how hard work and persistence paid off for him.

FIND THE SHOW NOTES HERE:

get in touch with nick

founder of the Side Hustle Show

And download Nick's "BEAST" of a guide to side hustle income here.

Things Nick shared on this episode

What happens when you step through doorways of opportunity
Learning eCommerce stuff from a marketing internship
Pivoting into podcasting: learning stuff the hard way
How Nick build his initial audience, how he grows it now
Sponsorships: How they really work and how to structure the deal
How to know when you should quit podcasting and when to keep going
How to make the most of The Listener Pyramid

123: Podcast Social Media Best-Practices with Elsie Escobar

Tue, 30 Apr 2019 10:00:00 -0400

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

Podcast social media is NOT an easy thing to pull off. Why? Because you don’t want to be the guy or gal who’s always posting…

“Listen to my podcast!”

“Did you know I have a podcast?”

“Here’s an episode of my podcast!”

“I PODCAST!”

So how DO you do social media for podcasting in a way that is both effective and palatable for the people who are seeing it?

The amazing Elsie Escobar is my guest to talk about all things podcast social media!

WHAT WE TALK ABOUT

[1:20] The social media maven of podcasting: Elsie Escobar
[3:33] Elsie’s role as “Community Manager” at Libsyn
[6:14] Develop rapport on social media that makes people care about your posts
[10:19] What it means to be “honest with yourself” about your social media practices
[13:10] The general basics of promoting your podcast on social media
[19:58] Different social media platforms need different types of content
[28:01] My sci-fi fantasy role-play for Elsie to respond to
[35:27] How to handle social media platforms you don’t enjoy
[38:54] Disclaimers and corrections to Elsie’s podcast social media video
[46:42] How to resonate with your avatar with a consistent message

Connect with Elsie

The website of the great Elsie E.
Elsie on Twitter: @TheElsieEscobar
Elsie on Instagram: @TheElsieEscobar
Elsie on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elsieescobarofficial
FEATURED RESOURCE: Elsie’s amazing video on podcast social media best practices

Resources Mentioned

Rob Walch
Paul Colligan
Libsyn (use our affiliate code “PFT” to get up to 1 ½ months off)
The Feed Podcast (from Libsyn) - if you’re not listening, you should be
Pat Flynn
“Cory” - the mystery person Elsie kept referring to. I think she meant me. ;)

122: Podcast Directories 2018-2019 - Get Submitted

Tue, 27 Nov 2018 16:00:00 -0400

This episode has a TON of links and practical resources - too many to list here.

So take a short jaunt over to the show notes at https://PodcastFastTrack.com/122 and check them out.

121: iTunes Problems: The Ones You Know About And The Ones You Don’t

Tue, 06 Nov 2018 10:00:00 -0400

https://PodcastFastTrack.com/consulting

Have you noticed? iTunes has been having problems lately.

It’s not JUST that it’s now supposed to be called “Apple Podcasts” - and we’re all strongly encouraged to make that change yesterday - even though Apple’s own systems still say “iTunes” in multiple places (even in some URLs).

There’s are many more iTunes problems going on.

This episode isn’t meant to be snarky - just informative. You need to know about issues relating to the Big-A so you can do what’s needed for YOUR podcast.

This episode I dig into the facts about recent issues and the best-practices I’ve learned (so far) regarding iTunes / Apple Podcasts

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE

[1:21] The is a multi-part episode within an episode. Don’t give up too soon
[2:31] The switch from iTunes to Apple Podcasts: best-practices for podcasters
[5:03] Show and episode titles: The ban-hammer is coming DOWN!
[13:04] An example of the difficulty Apple’s naming policy causing
[16:59] The iTunes/Apple Podcasts directory is not updating properly
[21:50] Podcasts Connect exists and is very helpful to YOU
[26:59] The glitchy nature of the iTunes apps: desktop and iOS
[29:59] Why we indie podcasters owe a debt of gratitude to Apple

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Our Podcast Consulting Services:

Download a new “Listen on Apple Podcasts button here:

https://podcastfasttrack.com/Apple-Button

Libsyn’s podcast: The Feed

https://thefeed.libsyn.com/

My upcoming show: The Great American Roadshow

Watch for it! Or Listen for it! Or whatever!

Why iTunes is NOT a chart

https://PodcastFastTrack.com/98

The iTunes/Apple Podcast manipulation crisis (Article):

https://discoverpods.com/game-hack-manipulate-apple-podcast-charts-itunes/

The Feed episode about the Overcasts Ad (1:15:00 - ish):

https://thefeed.libsyn.com/130-podcast-marketing-and-podcast-communities

Check your iOS stats in depth on Podcasts Connect

https://PodcastsConnect.apple.com

Overview of how to use Podcasts Connect:

https://www.appcoda.com/itunesconnect-app-analytics/

Apple’s own video about how to use Podcasts Connect:

https://itunespartner.apple.com/en/podcasts/overview#podcast-analytics

Tunes partner resources

https://itunespartner.apple.com/en/podcasts/faq

iTunes podcast marketing best practices

https://podcaster.apple.com/

120: Sound Treatment Hacks For Any Room – A Step By Step Demonstration

Tue, 30 Oct 2018 10:00:00 -0400

Effective sound treatment doesn’t have to be pricey.

You can do it simply for almost nothing if you already have your basic podcasting equipment with you (software, microphone, etc.).

My family has started a new lifestyle - traveling full time - and until we get our RV I’ve had to make do with some pretty unusual and less-than-ideal recording conditions.

So I’ve had to get creative - because as they say, “Necessity is the mother of invention.”

For this episode I’m demonstrating my attempts to create my own sound treatment solutions out of nothing - or almost nothing. And I do it step by step so you can actually HEAR the difference in the audio as I go along.

It’s a short episode - but I think it will show you that your recording situation may not be as hopeless as you thought.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE

[1:18] My situation has changed - and my recording situation is a bit difficult as a result
[3:39] Pre-treated room sound - no windscreen - open windows - tile floor - hard surfaces
[4:41] Closed the windows/doors - much less ambient sound
[6:10] Adding the foam windscreen - often better than a pop screen
[7:11] Less hard surfaces by adding a blanket to the table my computer is on
[8:06] A tremendous difference from a DIY sound booth using couch cushions

RESOURCES

Connect to schedule a one-on-one or group training: carey (at) PodcastFastTrack.com
Audio Technica 2005 Microphone: http://a.co/d/inaZuSM

119: Tell Better Stories To Create A Better Podcast And Increase Engagement, with Jonathan Messinger

Tue, 23 Oct 2018 10:00:00 -0400

Tell Better Stories? Really?

But Carey - I publish a business oriented show. What’s that got to do with me?

Everything.

All of us tell stories, all day long. Just listen to the conversations going on around you during the course of any normal day. As human beings we LOVE stories. It’s why the movie industry and the publishing industry and the television industries are even in existence.

Those are STORY industries.

On this episode I want to open the door to an idea - one you likely haven’t thought of before.

YOUR podcast can be and should be full of stories too

But most of us don’t think of ourselves as storytellers. But we are. We are podcast storytellers.

For this episode I decided to chat with a friend of mine, Jonathan Messinger - a podcaster and storyteller for kids. His podcast, “The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian” is a great example of what can be done to leverage storytelling to its fullest… and not just for kids. Stick around and hear how integrating more story into your podcast could make a huge difference.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE

[1:26] Who is Jonathan and why did he start a kid’s storytelling podcast?
[4:90] Making his storytelling fit the podcasting format
[9:16] How music plays into the impact of a fiction podcast
[12:02] The original idea of Jonathan’s story idea and how it has morphed
[14:01] Jonathan’s son, Griffin serves as his content editor and kid’s voice for the show
[17:42] A taste of “The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian” (clip from the show)
[20:44] What goes into the production of a mult-sound clip like you just heard
[26:30] Podcast storytelling: What Jonathan has learned about the power of stories
[33:48] How Jonathan drives audience participation and WHY he does
[38:48] Sound effects and music: engagement tips to make your show more impacting
[40:45] Jonathan’s tips for getting better audience feedback and interaction
[44:05] Jonathan’s role as part of GenZ media

CONNECT WITH JONATHAN

Jonathan’s show: The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian: http://www.finncaspian.com/
Jonathan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JonnyMess

RESOURCES

BOOK: Out On A Wire: http://a.co/d/hRbk7KE
BOOK: Around The World In 80 Days: http://a.co/d/gZ3WduK
Sound Toys plugin: Little Alter Boy: https://www.soundtoys.com/product/little-alterboy/
https://PodcastFastTrack.com/HTP - How To Podcast Step By Step (the course)
BOOK SERIES: Septimus Heap: http://a.co/d/9mMEbOG
BOOK: Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus: http://a.co/d/4WbevrT
Google Forms: https://www.google.com/forms/about/
Google Voice: https://voice.google.com/
The Retirement Answer Man: https://RogerWhitney.com
Hearken: https://www.wearehearken.com/
GenZ Media and GenZKids: https://BestRobotEver.com
The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel: https://www.marspatel.com/
6 Questions: http://www.bestrobotever.com/six-minutes

118: Podcast SEO – How To Rank Your Show Notes Pages On Google

Tue, 16 Oct 2018 10:00:00 -0400

Too often we podcasters are guilty of shouting into the crowd that already knows about us, already listens to our show - and we forget all about Podcast SEO - to establish and grow a NEW audience.

This episode is about THAT.

It’s a long one - BUT FULL OF PRACTICAL GOODNESS!

strap on your seatbelt, grab your note-taking device, and get your show notes rocking for better organic SEO for your podcast.

EVERYTHING COVERED ON THIS EPISODE

What you’ll hear on this episode about Podcast SEO

[2:13] Why our podcasts NEED to be found on Google, etc. - and why what worked in the past doesn’t always work these days
[4:16] How show notes serve listeners as a resource and how they leverage SEO
[6:58] Ways that Google has changed in the last few years - and why it matters to podcasters
[9:26] Let me count the ways your show notes format needs to change - and tell you why
[12:33] View your approach like a domino effect - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 - BOOM!
[17:45] Keywords: They are still relevant but they work differently for SEO in 2018
[21:58] Keyword best-practices and tips learned the hard way
[25:48] Titles: Here’s how to make your titles the best they can be
[29:05] The text on the page: how to make yours helpful and SEO rich
[31:20] Image best practices - and how to pull it off
[34:00] You want to use LINKS the right way - Google cares about this stuff
[36:07] Rich media resources can make the page BOOM for readers/users
[37:30] Commenting and Calls To Action: How you can do it in a smart way!
[39:15] Why an embedded audio player makes a HUGE difference. It’s spelled “Dwell Time”
[41:14] A non-SEO value page hack: Subscription options!

GENERAL RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

See the show notes page here for EVERY link and resource connected to this episode: https://podcastfasttrack.com/118

Podcast consulting that makes a difference. https://PodcastFastTrack.com/consulting
Yoast SEO Plugin: https://yoast.com/wordpress/plugins/seo/
Episode 20: Why You Need Great Show Notes: https://podcastfasttrack.com/20
Episode 21: 1st Step to Epic Show Notes: https://podcastfasttrack.com/21
Episode 22: Step 2 to Epic Show Notes: https://podcastfasttrack.com/22
Episode 23: Step 3 to Epic Show Notes: https://podcastfasttrack.com/23
Episode 47: Podcast Show Notes That Work: https://podcastfasttrack.com/47

117: Build Community Around Your Podcast, with Bella Vasta

Tue, 25 Sep 2018 16:49:00 -0400

It’s not just a good idea to build community around your podcast - it’s a GREAT idea.

It’s just about the only way to get to know your audience, understand their needs, and build trust on a personal level. So I wanted to bring someone to you who is a PRO at doing that through tools that any of us can use.

Meet Bella Vasta.

Bella is a pet groomer by trade, but she’s built some amazing community and interaction within her industry through Facebook Groups and I know that what she’s done will be of immense value to those of us who are willing to apply it to our own situation. Bella - thanks for sharing.

Let the value bombs DROP!

EVERYTHING COVERED ON THIS EPISODE

[1:21] I’ve TRIED to build community and failed. Can you relate?
[2:30] Bella’s experience of saying “yes” to everything led to creating her own FB groups
[5:10] What you name your Facebook Group is VITALLY important
[10:40] A podcast case study: how to build community around your topics
[16:05] Could you take your rabid fans into a private (paid) Facebook Group?
[22:27] How you can start a Facebook Group from scratch - Bella takes us step by step
[26:14] The ground rules / photos / and entry questions - follow Bella’s advice to do this right
[28:11] What NOT to do in your efforts to engage your community
[32:11] Facebook paid groups are coming… whoa! This could be big!
[33:58] Bella’s best pitch for why a podcaster should start a Facebook Group

FEATURED ON THIS EPISODE

Bella’s coaching page: http://BellaVasta.com
Bellla’s podcast: Bella In Your Business: https://jumpconsulting.net/

MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

The Podcastification Facebook Group: https://podcastfasttrack.com/facebookgroup
Facebook’s trials of membership groups: https://techcrunch.com/2018/06/20/facebook-subscription-groups/

116: How To Use Google Podcasts: A Step By Step Review

Tue, 18 Sep 2018 10:00:00 -0400

www.PodcastFastTrack.com/consulting

For a VERY long time Android users have not had a native podcasting app - and Google Podcasts is trying to make that problem a thing of the past.

I just hope these first steps that I’m going to tell you about in this episode/video are something they follow up on diligently.

My hopes for this episode and its accompanying video (find it here: https://youtu.be/Qt-kEOqp3sU) is that people who use Android devices and have never listened to podcasts before will begin to make use of Google Podcasts.

So stick around - I’m going to show you how to use Google Podcasts step by step - and give you my opinion of how it compares to the other podcast apps that have been around for a long time.

EVERYTHING COVERED ON THIS EPISODE

[1:56] Get started with Google Podcasts via a Google search - look for the play buttons
[2:53] What should you do if your show is not available in Google Podcasts?
[3:20] Checking out the app for the first time - download from Google Play Store
[6:41] Podcast recommendations in the app and how you can subscribe to them
[7:45] Keyword searching in the app - it works somewhat… maybe
[10:10] Subscribe to a podcast and tweak podcast settings using Google Podcasts
[14:00] Text links don’t appear in the app - you need the http:// or https://
[17:48] Is Google Podcasts an app worth trying?
[19:06] Why is the icon not native on the home screen? It’s about the Android ecosystem

FEATURED ON THIS EPISODE

You can have Carey bring his 5+ years of multi-client experience to bear on YOUR podcast, to help you make the tweaks that make a difference. Check out the options and make your appointment now!

MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

Search for your show in Google Podcasts - and find out how to get it included
The Audacity to Podcast
The Podcast Engineering School
Give a shout to Zack Reneau-Wedeen, one of the head folks at Google Podcasts

115: How to know your audience, find them, and speak to them effectively - Tommy Walker

Tue, 11 Sep 2018 11:00:00 -0400

Every podcaster on the planet wants a bigger audience. Unquestioned. But most of us start out with a great idea for a podcast (at least we think so), grab a mic, plug it in, hit the record button, and we start talking.

We don’t start where we SHOULD start - with knowledge of the audience we want to speak to.

Why is that so important? To answer the question I’ve asked Tommy Walker to be my guest on this episode. Tommy has vast experience in Content Marketing (which is what podasting is) and the principles he’s learned there apply directly - almost across the board - to podcasting.

Listen up. Take notes. Work hard to understand what Tommy’s sharing. It could grow your audience like nothing else.

EVERYTHING COVERED IN THIS EPISODE

[2:23] Tommy’s journey from acting to content marketing
[5:54] Just because you publish something doesn’t mean people are going to find it
[8:08] How to find the information and places where your audience hangs out
[13:23] Case study: Finding demographics for a D&D Podcast audience
[18:30] As long as you keep a spreadsheet, you can keep yourself focused
[23:51] Other ways to find your audience: guest posts, talking to people, etc.
[27:17] What is psychographics and why does it matter?
[31:28] Is community the missing element in your podcast growth and promotion?
[33:05] Why you need to analyze your audience like actors analyze scripts
[37:08] Tommy’s role as the Global Editor in Chief for Quicken

FEATURED ON THIS EPISODE

Connect with Tommy on LinkedIn
Tommy on Twitter: @TommyIsMyName
SPREADSHEET EXAMPLE Tommy mentioned (make a copy for yourself) as well as a detailed breakdown of how he uses it.
Podcast Assessment and Consulting

MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

BOOKS: Entrepreneur Mind Hacks 1 and Entrepreneur Mind Hacks 2
Tommy’s Crazy Egg article I referenced
Shopify
Google Trends
www.CityStateInfo.com
Google Maps
www.GeekAndSundry.com
www.SimilarWeb.com
SPREADSHEET EXAMPLE?????????
Critical Role Podcast
Marc Maron Podcast
Seinfeld TV show - No Double Dipping
Entrepreneur On Fire with John Lee Dumas
How To Analyze A Script For Actors

Who IS your audience, really?

Most of us podcasters don’t really know. We say general things about our audience that would be obvious to anyone - but what do those things tell us ABOUT them, about their habits, about their entertainment choices, about the things they might be interested in online?

When we know that kind of stuff we’re able to track them down, hang out with them, talk about the things they are already interested in, befriend them, and eventually, get them interested in our podcast (because they are the kind of people who will like it).

Tommy shares his approach to researching a target audience for content marketing - and it’s not so far off from what we need to be doing to find and befriend our listening audiences.

But that sounds like a lot of work, do I really have to do it?

Yep, it is a lot of work. And no, you don’t have to do it - not if you don’t care if your podcast audience grows. Not if you don’t want to find the people your podcast can truly help.

OK - I’m exaggerating a bit there. If you stay consistent with the production of great content, you MAY be able to attract a good following over time, through the slow trickle of word-of-mouth growth.

If that happens, it’s good. I’m happy for you - really. But if you want to get there faster… well, that’s why I asked Tommy to spill the beans for us.

On this episode he talks about things like demographics and psychographics - and unpacks them so we can understand what in the HECK he’s talking about.

SO THAT we can find, meet, befriend, and add value to the people who will benefit from our podcast. That’s something we all need, isn’t it?

To speak to your audience effectively you need to know how they think

You will speak differently to a 45 year old man than you will to a Jr. High girl - for a number of reasons. But one of the main reasons is because you know they like different things, relate to different things, have extremely different opinions, and behave very differently.

The fact that you know that kind of stuff is - wait for it - because you know some psychographics about them.

Simply put, psychographics has to do with studying the activity, interests, opinions, attitudes, values, and behaviors of a group of people.

In YOUR case: the type of people who listen to a show that is about what YOUR show is about.

Capiche?

You need to know everything about your audience you can possibly know. Of course, there will be individual differences, but generally speaking, people interested in Dungeons and Dragons are also interested in Game of Thrones. People who are interested in Justin Beiber are also likely interested in the Twilight movies and books.

How do I know that? Psychographics.

What that MEANS for your show is this: If you’re trying to reach the kind of people who are interested in Justin Bieber, you may want to hang out in Facebook groups and physical locations where Twilight is a topic. You’re hanging out with the crowd you’re trying to reach, based on what you know about their entertainment choices.

Tommy explains how to go in-depth with that kind of research, on this episode.

People who share your content aren’t jazzed about you. They share things as an extension of themselves.

It’s disappointing, I know - but the people who share your stuff do so because of how it makes them look - not because you are all that great. There’s nothing you can do about it - except capitalize on it (in a good way).

What is it that those “sharers” are trying to accomplish? How are they wanting to appear to their peers? You can help them achieve those goals by creating the kind of content they like to share.

And how do you know what kind of content that is? By doing your homework/research.

In this conversation Tommy Walker explains what you can do to create the kind of content your audience will be eager to share, so listen closely and take notes so you don’t miss it.

114: You Just May Go Viral By Repurposing Your Podcast

Tue, 04 Sep 2018 10:00:00 -0400

We’ve seen things go viral - a stupid ice cream pooping unicorn and such.

And while fad-ish attention would be a boost to your show, it’s longer-lasting and more powerful if you do something intentionally to make your show go viral. In my view, one of the best things you can do to point your podcast in that direction is to learn effective ways to repurpose the great content you’re already creating.

This episode is about that - repurposing your podcast - and covers ideas I’ve come up with or have come across in all my journeys around the internet.

EVERYTHING COVERED ON THIS EPISODE

[1:21] The ideas that have been percolating in my brain for a while now
[2:56] A 20-minute step for you to do NOW: syndication on multiple platforms
[5:45] Why you SHOULD be resharing evergreen content forever - social and episodes
[8:48] Can you bundle a series of topical episodes into a new episode - or a course?
[11:01] Why isn’t anyone doing “quick tip” episodes from old interview or episodes?
[15:21] A great idea one of my team members came up with for a client
[22:09] What do you think about adding your audio to YouTube with an original graphic?
[26:04] Here’s a creative idea from Dave Jackson about spreading the word at events
[28:37] No matter how you repurpose, you need to market effectively!

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

On Twitter

FEATURED ON THIS EPISODE

The Podcast Fast Track CUSTOM Audiogram Service using Adobe After Effects
JOIN my PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://podcastfasttrack.com/facebookGroup

RESOURCES

My previous episode (79) on getting your show into ALL the directories
Hootsuite
Buffer
Headliner
Wavve
Jeremy Weisz and Inspired Insider
Jonathan Messinger and his podcast, “The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian”
Tony Grebmeier
Episode 80 with Baird Hall
Vimeo
Daily Motion
Episode 95 with Jim Kukral
Book2Pod
The fiction books I’m writing: The Dragon Slayer Chronicles
The School of Podcasting with Dave Jackson
Daniel J. Lewis of The Audiacity to Podcast
Tommy Walker’s episode - www.PodcastFastTrack.com/115

113: Want A Podcast Sponsorship? Here’s How You Might Get One

Tue, 28 Aug 2018 15:00:00 -0400

You hear the term “monetization” all the time in reference to podcasting - and the translation is usually “get a podcast sponsorship.”

That’s a great option for shows that get thousands of downloads, right? But what about the little guys? What about those of us who have a very passionate but smaller audience? Is there a possibility that we could find an ideal sponsor for OUR show?

Trevr Smithlin from Advertisecast says “Yes, it’s possible” and on this episode of Podcastification he’s going to explain exactly how it’s possible.

EVERYTHING COVERED IN THIS EPISODE

[1:25] Podcast monetization doesn’t work like most people think
[2:33] How Trevr got the idea that he could create a company to help podcasters
[4:46] Why advertising fits for almost everyone who podcasts
[6:46] How can a niche based podcast even hope to get a podcast sponsorship?
[8:50] The honest truth about how many downloads you need to land a sponsor
[12:03] Super niche shows can demand higher sponsorship fees
[17:19] How advertisers can use the do-it-yourself marketplace
[19:34] Many sponsors provide samples or trials for podcasters before they endorse
[20:42] How to get your podcast listed for advertisers to consider sponsoring you
[23:10] Calculating possible revenue at a $25 CPM on the first 30 days
[29:06] If you are curious about Advertisecast, try it out - and you can be picky!

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

On Twitter

FEATURED ON THIS EPISODE

Advertisecast
Trevr (at) Advertisecast.com

RESOURCES MENTIONED

www.AudacityForPodcasting.com - get my Audacity course (36 videos) for $39
www.SavvyPainter.com - my client referred to who has a niche podcast

112: For Better Podcast Interviews Apply These Question-Asking Hacks

Tue, 21 Aug 2018 15:00:00 -0400

You know - it really seems that for the average podcaster, interviews are the format of choice.

It IS relatively simple to get somebody to agree to come on your show and just ask them questions. But that's not really how interviews work, is it? At least not the really GOOD ones.

They're actually very difficult to pull off, especially in a way that makes them engaging for your listeners. And that really is the goal that we're shooting for. So in this episode of Podcastificatsion, I want to tell you some of the things I’ve learned about doing great interviews, making your guest more comfortable, and I want to share some powerfully helpful resources I’ve found that are helping me get better with each interview I do. Stick around. This one is good.

EVERYTHING COVERED IN THIS EPISODE

[1:19] Why interviews are the mainstay of podcasting formats - and why they are hard to pull off well
[2:36] Be truly interested in your guest: Here are 2 things to help you pull it off
[4:40] Do whatever it takes to have fun with your guest
[6:45] Ask questions in a way that makes the answer actionable
[8:36] Let the silence do the work (from Cal Fussman)
[14:25] Walk your guest through your format so they know what to expect
[17:35] No “gotcha” positions
[19:14] Consider your guest’s time constraints so you can plan accordingly (and they will be more comfortable)
[20:10] Find out what your guest’s “win” for the interview is
[22:32] Ask your guest questions in ways that evoke emotion or stories

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

On Twitter

FEATURED ON THIS EPISODE

The Podcast Optimizer Email Series
The Podcast Fast Track Lead Magnets Service (get a free sample to see how it works

RESOURCES & PEOPLE MENTIONED

John Lee Dumas
Tim Ferriss
Netflix Series: My Next Guest Needs No Introduction
Cal Fussman’s podcast: Big Questions with Cal Fussman
LeadPages
ConvertKit
The Turnaround Podcast

111: How to Use Zoom For Podcasting – Audio Settings, Split Tracks, And More, with Derek Pando

Tue, 14 Aug 2018 15:00:00 -0400

Grab a pen and paper and take notes on this one.

If you use ZOOM or have considered it, you’re going to learn the BEST ways to optimize it for podcast use. And check below for the video of Derek and I poking around in my ZOOM settings. It should help you find the things we talk about on this episode.

WATCH DEREK AND I GO THROUGH THE SETTINGS ON VIDEO AT https://youtu.be/pF48bS2l1bU

[1:40] The popularity of Zoom has prompted this episode. Here’s why…
[3:00] Derek’s history with Zoom and why he enjoys being part of the Zoom team
[7:03] Ideas for using Zoom for podcasting - including video promos!
[11:10] Bitrates, Frequencies, and adjustments podcasters can make to improve things
[18:53] How you can set the platform to “preserve original sound” for better quality audio (see the video for details)
[25:24] Setting up split-tracks for conversations so you can do better quality audio edits
[28:11] How to set a co-host in Zoom who has direct access to the audio/video files
[29:43] A few video hacks for those of you interested in such visual things
[31:56] Pricing on Zoom.us - including a full-featured FREE plan!

Not only is ZOOM.us a cool platform to use - it’s apparently a great place to work. That matters to me

Anytime I consider working with a company, I really want to know what the values and culture of the company are like. I don’t want to be supporting someone (a company’s founder, let’s say) if they treat the people who work for them like garbage.

It was cool that as Derek Pando and I began talking about Zoom, he was instantly telling me how great of a place it is to work. In his words, “the culture at Zoom is great.” I wanted to know why, so I asked.

You’d think all companies would be team-friendly - but that’s hardly the case.

Derek says that Zoom’s culture, set by its founder and CEO, Eric Yuan is team-friendly and energizing. Describing Eric, Derek says, “He is just the nicest… he's a servant leader. He's got an open door policy. He’s just a great person to work for. His whole philosophy is, ‘Hey, if I make my employees happy, they're gonna make our customers happy.”

That makes ME happy. My company values mirror what Derek is describing. That feels good - like we are on the right track.

Distance recording for podcasting has come a long way - Zoom is helping us out

I’ve used a lot of video conferencing services in my day - and while Zoom.us is not flawless by any means and doesn’t attain the clear audio quality of Cleanfeed or Zencastr, it’s a VERY good video conferencing service when it comes to audio quality.

When I asked Derek why Zoom’s audio is so much better than other video services he said it’s because from the start, Zoom’s founder made a commitment to improving the VOIP experience on their platform so that Zoom could become a leader in video conferencing. Naturally, none of that diligence was done with podcasters in mind - but you and I both know that if podcasters find a solution for recording distance conversations that is fairly trouble free - and FREE to boot - they are going to use it.

When Derek noticed that podcasters were using the platform he reached out to some of them and chatted with podcasters he knew personally. He wanted to spearhead efforts inside the company to make Zoom’s interface and functionality even better for podcasters. I think they’ve done a lot in that direction.

Be sure you listen to hear the exact details of how podcasters can use the Zoom platform.

Zoom settings - inside the desktop application

As I mentioned before - I’ve heard a ton of misinformation out there about the quality (or lack of quality) Zoom.us offers. So I wanted to clarify things with Derek. He was so helpful - showing me the exact settings podcasters need to use in order to maximize the video quality.

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

On Twitter

DEREK'S INFO

Check out Derek’s personal website, “Tech Waffles”
Follow Derek on Twitter: @DJPando
Zoom.us - check out pricing OR set up your own free account
Zoom’s YouTube channel

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Get your own custom music: www.PodcastFastTrack.com/music
My head-to-head shootout between distance recording apps
Cleanfeed
Zencastr

110: Podcast Listeners Will Stop Listening To Your Show Unless You Fix This

Tue, 07 Aug 2018 15:00:00 -0400

Okay, so I recorded this episode driving in my pickup truck on the way to Denver.

And the issue I’m going to cover was so much on my mind, I decided it was worth recording with substandard audio… on the go… which is kind of ironic considering what I'm going to talk about.

GOOD QUALITY AUDIO!

In this episode I cover why audio levels are SO important, how you can fix them easily (or for free) and what's going to happen to your podcast if you don't.

Main Points : Turn Away Listeners

[1:18] The story behind this episode has to do with “Masters of Scale”

[3:22] NEVER miss leveling and compression. Here’s why

[5:29] A very simple way to deal with this issue

[9:00] The slow road to the bottom happens just like this

[9:55] People are starting to make choices based on audio quality levels

Featured On This Episode

www.AudacityForPodcasting.com

The story goes like this…

When I drive places, especially somewhere that's going to be just me in the vehicle driving alone for a number of hours, I binge listen to podcasts.

I download lots of stuff. And I listen one after another after another to both increase my learning also just to pass the time.

Well, in one of my recent trips to Denver, the very first podcast I listened to was one of my favorite shows. It's called Masters of Scale, hosted by the founder of LinkedIn, Reid Hoffman.

It’s a truly great show.

The production value on this show is what is amazing. They do all kinds of sound effects and different voices and interview clips mixed in with narration. It's just a really great show, you should listen to it.

But that day - the one where I was driving in my pickup - I was listening to episode number 10 of season number two. And something happened that brought this issue to my attention - again.

Because YOU are a person who's podcasting and a person who wants your podcast to serve your audience well - so you HAVE GOT to be aware of this issue.

Audio quality - in particular, audio levels.

The reason I became aware of the issue this time is because of the way that the people behind Masters of Scale do their podcast.

Narration - which is usually Reid Hoffman himself, trying to tell a particular story.
His narration is integrated with clips from interviews he’s done with the people involved.
The MOS team mixes that in with sound effects, music, and all kinds of really cool stuff.

Because all of that is done, it's absolutely vital that one step in the audio post production process is never, ever missed - leveling and compression.

And on this particular episode, apparently it was missed.

Your podcast listeners care about this stuff - for this reason

I can tell you why I was able to notice this so easily on this episode.

Remember WHERE I was when I was trying to listen? I was driving in my pickup truck.

I was driving along, I had in earbuds, and Reid’s voice sounds great. The level is pretty normal.

But the first time that an interview portion comes on, it's a much lower volume level. So much so, it was hard for me to even hear it - especially since there was a little bit of road noise.

Loudness levels are incredibly important because you never know where your listener is going to be when they are listening to your episode.

They could be just like me - driving.

They could be on the treadmill.

And if they can’t HEAR what is being said on your podcast - in ALL the segments and audio elements you include - you are doing your podcast listeners a disservice.

You’re wasting their time.

And they are only going to tolerate that for so long.

You can easily fix audio level problems for your podcast listeners

I’m going to take just a moment on this episode to highlight a very simple way you can deal with this issue.

On previous episodes you’ve heard me mention an online tool call Auphonic. It has a FREE version you can use - I believe it's free up to two hours worth of audio processing per month.

Using Auphonic, you can set things like leveling and loudness levels so that your final product is entirely balanced.

You will have NO problems like I ran into on Reid’s podcast.

It doesn't take a lot of expertise. It just takes an ability to how to tick a few boxes and hit “process.”

But you can also address leveling issues in your DAW (digital audio workstation) software.

Audacity - Adobe Audition - Pro Tools - Hindenburg - all of them have a way to address audio level issues and compression issues.

All it would take for you to find out is a quick YouTube search for your particular software with the words “leveling” or “loudness level” or something like that. I guarantee that you will find a handful of helpful tutorials about how to do those things right there in your audio editing software.

Your podcast listeners will run away if you fail to get this right

I can't tell you ENOUGH how vital this issue is.

If you just slap together some audio and export it from your editing software and throw it onto your media host, you are going to experience a declining number of subscribers to your podcast over time, because the worse your audio is, the less professional and impressive your show is.

And no matter how great your content is, people are going to begin to unsubscribe from your show because the place where they listen most - perhaps it's in their car, perhaps it's on the treadmill - they can't even hear your content.

Do you get that?

Why would they stay subscribed to a show that they can't even HEAR?

Bad audio levels are something that's inexcusable in the day and age in which we live, where technology is so available and there are even free versions of the tools that we need to take care of these problems

It's becoming increasingly more important because as more and more podcast show up on the scenes, people are going to start making choices about what they have the time to listen to.

And if your audio levels are funky, you're making it very easy for them to say, “Nope, not this one. It's not worth my time because it's not done very professionally.”

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

On Twitter

Resources mentioned

Auphonic
My episode highlighting Auphonic (episode 93)

109: How To Get Noticed In The EVER NOISER World Of Podcasting

Wed, 18 Jul 2018 03:00:00 -0400

In case you haven't noticed - all of the directories, whether it be iTunes or Stitcher or the new Google podcasts app - all of them are getting inundated with podcasts.

You go in there trying to find something to listen to and it’s pretty crazy finding the good stuff. It’s kind of hard to know… Should I try this show? Or that show? Or what is it that I should be doing to find a good show to listen to?

What I'm going to do on this episode is this:

I've recently been looking for new shows to listen to myself, and I've tried to be observant as I've been doing that, asking myself,

“What are the things that exist in different podcasts listings and in different directories or apps that have actually been helpful to me?:

And on the flip side…

“What are the things that haven't been helpful, or that have been detrimental to me choosing a particular podcast to listen to?”

So this is my own personal case study of how to get noticed as a podcaster.

[1:36] The issue: podcasting is getting noisier. How do you get noticed?
[2:58] Why my opinion on what works and doesn’t work should matter… :)
[3:52] What are YOU (or your listeners) looking for when searching for a podcast?
[8:30] Have you thought about how people actually SEARCH for podcasts?
[11:11] Human nature makes visuals, like cover art, stand out to us first
[13:57] The power of a good description for your podcast
[18:12] Poor quality audio is a turn-off to me - and it will matter more as time goes on
[21:00] The terrible consequence of poor interviewing skills
[23:02] If you want to get noticed, be professional
[27:18] Gone are the days when you could record with little planning or expertise
[29:40] Take the time to be strategic: growing should not be limited to small children
[31:16] Optimizing your title and author field are imperative. That means important. :)
[34:13] Do you want your audience to engage with you or don’t you?
[36:49] There is an increasing need for audio editing as the directories get more crowded

FEATURED ON THIS EPISODE

Chris Curran’s Podcast Engineering School (This IS an affiliate link… that means Chris gives me a little monetary “thank you” for sending you his way)
www.PodcastFastTrack.com/101 - my conversation with Chris

OTHER GOODIES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

PocketCasts
Apple Podcasts
Stitcher
My episode case study about the importance of keywords in titles: Episode 90
Anchor podcasts
“Just In Time Learning”
Consulting from Podcast Fast Track
Episode 89 with Gordon Firemark (we talked about copyrights and music usage)
www.PodcastFastTrack.com/music - get your own custom music

What are YOU looking for when you look for a new podcast?

What I'm going to describe to you on this episode are things that might qualify as best practices.

Because as the Podcast, Fast Track Client Happiness Guy, I get to listen to a whole lot of podcasts. I get to hear some of the best work in the industry that my team is putting out for our clients.

And I also get to hear some of the “before” versions of client podcasts that really weren't so good and are the very reason they've hired us to come alongside and help them.

So I feel like I have a pretty good perspective on what works and what doesn't work.

So when I go looking for podcasts, I'm viewing it all through the particular lens of my experience, and I'm hopeful that what I’ve noticed about what I notice when I’m searching for podcasts to listen to - will be helpful to you. (If you can even understand that sentence).

So let's dive right in. First of all, when I begin looking for a podcast to listen to I'm at a place in my life that I'm looking for something that's relevant.

I believe that podcasters and podcasts that are more specifically focused - very niched-in on a particular topic, are going to have a better chance of not only winning an audience in the first place, but also maintaining that loyal audience following over the long haul.

Why? Because what you're speaking about is predictable.

I’m also looking for a show that has plenty of content. Plenty.

I mean, five, seven, ten episodes or more, because I tend to binge listen. I download a lot of episodes of a new podcast at one time because I listen mostly when I drive or when I'm out in the garage cleaning up or building something, or I'm on the treadmill.

And I listen to a lot of them.

So if I find a podcast in a directory that I'm considering, but it only has one or two episodes, I'm probably going to pass because I want to get a fair representation of what that podcast is all about. And if they don't have much content, I really just don't have much opportunity to do that.

Another thing that I'm looking for is I'm looking for a podcast that can demonstrate to me a pattern of consistency. And what I mean by that is that they're publishing regularly.

I’m not going to tell you exactly what “regularly” should mean for you and your audience that's going to be different for every niche and every subject matter that is spoken about. But consistency means consistent.

If you're doing every two weeks, do it every two weeks. If you're doing every four weeks, do it every four weeks.

Now, I'm a little more lenient on this than some people because I believe life is more important than your podcasting schedule.

So if something comes up where you just feel, “Man, I just need a break this particular week from publishing my podcast.”

Hey, I'm all for it, man. Go take your break. I'll still be around as part of your audience if you're delivering the goods. And I'll be glad that you're refreshed and ready to go with that podcast again.

What I consider NOT to be consistent is when a podcaster publishes once this month, and then once three months from now, and then once two weeks after that. That just tells me they're not really serious about their podcast. They're allowing too many things to come up and push it aside.

I'm also looking for a podcast that appears to be systematic.

I'm wanting to learn specific things, I'm wanting to grow as a person, perhaps. And so if the podcast seems kind of hit and miss - you know - they cover part A, and then part Q, and then Part B, and then part X, and then maybe L, and then back to C… I don't find myself attracted to shows like that because I like to think and learn sequentially.

So those are the things that I'm looking for when it comes to the actual podcasts.

Hang tight. I’m also going to tell you what I do PRACTICALLY when it comes to searching for a new podcast and how that relates to the content I find.

How I search for podcasts - and what makes one get noticed over another

What I'm going to do is explain to you is how my podcast search process goes - what I do as I search - and then what I'm considering as I'm listening.

I realize this is all very subjective, it's all based on my experience and my preferences, so keep that in mind. Yours may be entirely different.

My podcast app - PocketCasts - is what I use to search for new shows to listen to.

But this approach that I'm about to describe would apply to any app, or even any directory like iTunes or Google Play or Stitcher or something like that. So I'm either going to start with a topic or keyword or a category.

For example, if I'm wanting to learn about a business topic, I might go straight to the business category in the app and just scroll through the top podcasts that are there. And then I'm going to go to my topic or my keywords if I don’t find anything interesting.

I cannot stress enough here how important keywords are.

I did an entire episode on this using one of my podcasts as a case study to demonstrate how important using keywords in your titles are. www.PodcastFastTrack.com/90.

Gone are the days when two drunks recording in a basement can build a large audience

Gone are the days when you could hit record, say whatever you want to say, and just publish it with very little thought.

Those days are LONG gone. It's not that you can't do it. Of course you can do it - but they're gone in the sense that that is not considered listenable by most podcast consumers.

Most people don't want to spend their time listening to jibberish off the top of your head, they want to come and make the most of their time by getting value out of the things they're investing that time.

That means you’ve got to put some thought into what you’re broadcasting - strategy or a clear purpose behind your podcast really, really matters. When you seem disorganized or chaotic in the way that you publish, when you haven't really given it much thought you're just whatever comes to your mind is what you're talking about - even if you do know something about your subject matter - if it's not organized or structured in a way that makes sense to me, as a listener, I'm just not going to hang around very long.

People will not come just because you publish your podcast, people will come because you give them something of value - so much that those who find it are willing to tell others.

That's how you build an audience.

I'm going to find potential shows through keyword search in my app or a directory. Then within the results that are parsed out to me I'm going to look at the cover art.

It's a human nature thing. Your eye is going to be drawn to something appealing, attractive, shocking, that grabs your attention, visually speaking.

I know we're talking about podcasts, which is an audio medium but that visual component of the cover art is like the gateway drug INTO the audio.

I cannot emphasize enough - if your cover art is bland or doesn't have anything that jumps out and catches my attention, or if the text is way too small for me to read, I'm not going to be clicking on your show.

Next, the description really matters to me.

I want it to be clear. I wanted it to be a basic description of what's covered in that particular show. It doesn't necessarily need to be flashy or sales-y or use the most trendy words.

In fact, that kind of stuff is a put-off to me. I want it to be genuine and sound authentic.

If the description tells me who the host is - that matters - because I will often Google the host and find out who they are and what kind of experience they've had in the realm that they're speaking on. I don't want to waste my time, I want to listen to things that are actually valuable to me.

It also is very attractive to me if somewhere in that description it tells me approximately how long their episodes are so I don't have to scroll through all the episodes and figure it out myself.

The next thing I'm going to do is I'm going to look at the type of content that is being published.

Are they doing purely interviews? I mean is every episode an interview? If so, that's okay - even though I'm kind of tired of interviews - but I'm going to look to see who they're interviewing and what they're interviewing them about.

If it's the same old, same old people, and the same old, same old interviews about the same old, same old topics that I've heard time and time again - it doesn't matter how great the description was, it doesn't matter how flashy the cover art was, it doesn't matter how many episodes they have - I'm probably going to pass on that show.

Lessons learned from my podcast listening search about getting noticed

Take the time to think through your podcasting strategy
Let that strategy inform everything you do as a podcaster
That includes titles, descriptions, cover art, and audio quality
It includes how you market your show and present it
It should impact the professionalism of your show
You want your podcast to get noticed - to stand out among the thousands out there

Keep in mind - that last point is really the main thing. There is more and more competition for the ears (and minds) of those who are consuming podcasts.

You are competing with your niche (direct competition) and those not in your niche (indirect competition). That means you need as many things as possible to make your podcast stand apart from the crowd.

Do your homework. Figure it out. Make it happen.

And give your listeners a podcast they will never forget. Never.

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

On Twitter

108: The Android Podcast App We’ve All Been Waiting For. Sort of.

Tue, 10 Jul 2018 18:13:00 -0400

All right. Alright.

In the world of podcasting, as most of you know, Apple has been the big player for a long, long, long time.

One of the things that points that out to us is that worldwide, more people by a long shot own and use Android phones than Apple phones however, it's almost exactly opposite when it comes to podcast consumption through smartphones.

The vast majority of podcast listeners consume their podcasts on Apple devices.

Now, why is that?

I believe there's one simple reason: it's because Apple has long had a native way for you to listen to podcasts on their devices. And by native I mean, it's built into the device - the podcasting app comes preinstalled on every Apple device.

Google, the company really behind the Android operating system has never done that.

Until now. Maybe. Hopefully.

Find out how Google Podcasts App for Android is moving in the right direction at least, and how you can discover if your podcast is available in it already (it just might be).

HERE IS A SUMMARY OF EVERYTHING COVERED IN THIS EPISODE

[1:19] The Android iPhone divide - yet podcast listening is upside down by comparison
[3:58] How Google has decided to get into the podcasting game at a bigger level
[4:41] The best way for Google to impact the podcasting industry: a native app
[7:06] My prediction: A new explosion of podcasting is on the way

Featured On This Episode

Link to your podcast in Google Podcasts: www.PodcastFastTrack.com/GooglePodcasts

Resources

Google Podcasts (in the Google Play Store)
Google Play Music

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

On Twitter

Google always does thing in their Google kind of way

I’ve noticed over the years that Google is not very promotional in the way it rolls out new apps or services. They just kind of quietly do it behind the scenes, learn from those who find it and begin using it, and refine it as they go.

Over the last few months, we've been seeing this sort of thing happening again (this is June of 2018).

Google has been quietly taking steps in the direction of a podcast app for Android. First of all, we discovered that Google had kind of secretly been integrating a podcast app of sorts into Android devices, through Google search.

I don’t know enough about how the actual Chrome browser on Android integrates with other apps, but it appears that it’s an app-in-browser sort of thing. Here’s how it worked…

If you searched for the name of your podcast using the Google search app on your Android device, if your podcast webpage was set up appropriately (and any Libsyn user was already there with no effort at all - BTW), once the search results came up, you could scroll down and see some of your episodes there with a little play button next to each one.

Just below that would be a “more episodes” link that could be used to pull up a little window where you could subscribe to that show. Now, where are you subscribing to it? Well, it's right there in your phone/browser, so to speak.

And there would be a little icon at the top that looks like a little skinny stick person with radiating ears out the side of it - no, it's really the RSS feed icon that's been changed into a logo. You click on that and see your subscriptions all in one place.

That was all already baked into the search functions of Android devices behind the scenes. And we didn't even know it.

I predict Google Podcasts for Android will explode podcasting

Now Google has officially announced (kind of a rare thing for them) that all of what I just described has been transitioned into what they are calling Google Podcasts.

It's an actual app that can be downloaded onto the phone from the Google Play Store. Notice - it’s a download right now, not a native app that comes on Android devices.

BUt it’s a step in the right direction. It's Google getting into the podcasting game in a bigger way.

Right now, as I'm looking at the app in the Google Play Store, there are 4887 reviews of the app so far - and it's only got three and a half stars out of five possible as an overall rating. As I read through the reviews, there are some glitches and less-than-optimal missing features currently, which is always the case with the new app.

So there are things that Google obviously needs to keep working on. But this is a huge step in the right direction.

What I would like to see happen next - and what I predict would explode the podcasting industry (in a good way) is that this podcasting app, first of all, is refined and enhanced and made better.

But then, I want to see it is rolled out as a native app - something that comes on every Android device out of the box, just like Apple does with their Apple Podcasts app.

When that happens, when people who know nothing about podcasting see that they can begin to explore podcasts without having to download anything or find an app on their own?

That is going to be a gain for every single one of us who work in the podcasting space or produce a podcast.

Imagine, people interested in underwater basket weaving (the topic of your imaginary show) can then search, easily, on their device, for podcasts that cover the topic.

Can you say, “New listeners?” Can you say, “New tribe members?” Can you say, “Hallelujah, praise the LORD, it’s ABOUT TIME, GOOGLE!?”

How you can make use of this new Android app for your podcast, right now (July 2018)

If you’d like to begin playing around with the options related to the Google Podcasts app, you can. In fact, you can create a link to your podcast IN the Google Podcasts app, so people who want to subscribe using that app can do so easily.

Here’s how you do it.

It's very easy. Google has provided a tool to do it - at a very long and convoluted URL - so I'm just creating a short link for you so you can easily get there - www.PodcastFastTrack.com/GooglePodcasts..

Here’s what you can expect to happen if you go there.

First, you’ll be taken to a page of Google podcast publisher tools where you can drop in your Feed URL, hit the Generate button, and it's going to create a link for you that you can then put in your description, your show notes, wherever you want to put it to link to your podcast in the Google podcasts app.

What if the person who clicks on the link doesn’t have the Google Podcasts app?

It's going to take them to the download page, and they can install the app on their Android device. If they do have the podcast app, it should open up IN the app on their device.

On that same page of Google Podcast tools, you can drop your feed URL into a second field and preview your podcasts in the Google search results/ Google Podcasts app.

I think it’s worth a try. In fact, you should be able to see that option in the subscribe buttons on this very page. :)

An Android app for podcasts that just might turn the corner

So - Google Podcasts.

What do you think about that? I think this is obviously a great step in the right direction. Mainly because it’s Google doing it.

The company has the influence, the tech, the power, and most of all - the control over the Android ecosystem - that enables them to make this a really big thing for podcasting. In fact, on a recent interview, the guy in charge of their entire podcasting program (Zack Reneau-Weden) has said that they are aiming to increase podcasting significantly through this move.

I would love to receive your feedback about what you think about the Google Podcasts app and what it means for podcasting.

Have you used it? What do you think of it? What features does the Google team need to include that aren’t there yet?

I also encourage you to share about this on social media, even share directly with the Google team to encourage this to make the app native on all Android devices.

If we can give Google the help they need to understand the user experience and make changes, they’ll do a better job of getting things tweaked and ready for the explosion that they could initiate in the podcasting world.

107: Podcast Success Formula: Find A Need And Fill It, with Danny Sunshine Bauer

Thu, 05 Jul 2018 17:06:00 -0400

Podcast Success is not accidental.

It happens through deliberate strategy and dedicated hard work.

Danny “Sunshine” Bauer is a former educator and administrator turned life and leadership coach. His podcast is downloaded more than 95% of all podcasts and he enjoys helping individuals launch and grow podcasts in a “sweat” environment.

He is the founder of Better Leaders Better Schools and facilitates weekly Masterminds with school leaders from around the globe. A teacher at heart, he also coaches small business owners in running profitable ventures clearly aligned to vision, mission, and values.

On this episode of Podcastification, Danny and I chat about the success he’s experienced with his podcast and how YOU can work toward the same kind of results he has experienced.

[1:12] Amazing success for Danny’s education focused podcast

[5:45] The tactics Danny followed to launch his podcast effectively

[8:05] Relational skills aid in the promotion of any podcast, no matter the niche

[10:00] How a mastermind played a part in Danny’s podcast success

[20:23] What is the best way to find your specific audience?

[23:36] The power of providing free stuff that adds tremendous value to users

[26:42] Getting past the “hard work” hurdle (none of this is easy)

[30:11] How to decide what to work on that will provide tremendous value

[34:06] How Danny delivers his free resources (the tech behind it)

Featured On This Episode

www.BetterLeadersBetterSchools.com - Danny’s site and podcast
Danny Sunshine Bauer’s Business Coaching: 4 Steps to Business Freedom

RESOURCES

BOOK: The Miracle Morning
BOOK: Option B
Switchfoot song: The Shadow Proves the Sunshine
Podcaster’s Paradise
Brene Brown
Gary Vaynerchuk
BOOK: Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook
Aaron Walker
BOOK: The Enemies of Excellence
BOOK: The Power of Moments
BOOK: Profit First
Jim Rohn
Ramit Sethi
Seth Godin
Quora
Pat Flynn - Smart Passive Income
Leadpages and LeadDigits
ConvertKIt

106: Does GDPR Apply To Your Podcast? Maybe

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 18:22:00 -0400

GDPR (the global data protection regulation) is now in effect. What does it mean for your podcast?

That’s a very interesting question - and as with many things in podcasting, the answer is going to be “it depends.”

On this episode I break down the GDPR as it relates to podcasting from MY perspective - and keep in mind, I’m not an attorney, European Union official, or compliance officer of any kind. I just read the thing and listened to a lot of people who sounded like they understood it better than me. GDPR could be a big deal for some podcasters - so get the scoop on this episode.

Main Points : GDPR as it relates to podcasting

[1:19] What the HECK is GDPR?

[2:17] At what point does an audience member become covered by the GDPR?

[3:10] Most media hosts are on the ball with this thing

[4:44] Your listeners can request to be forgotten by you. Really? Yep, really.

[5:32] Do you gather data of any kind from your listeners? Then GDPR applies.

[9:25] Making sure you cover yourself regarding GDPR (you need a privacy policy)

Featured on This Episode

The Podcast Optimizer Email Series

Resources Mentioned On This Episode

Spreaker GDPR stuff
Libsyn GDPR stuff
Blubrry GDPR stuff
Podbean GDPR stuff
Iubenda
Terms Feed
My privacy policy
GDPR checklist
The GDPR Guy Podcast - Carl Gottlieb’s show (check out his cool accent)

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

On Twitter

Why Should Podcasters Care About GDPR?

The Global Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) went into effect in late May of 2018.

What the heck is GDPR?

It's a law that is from our good friends at the European Union and it has to do with how personal data of citizens of the EU or those living, working, or traveling through the EU is collected and used.

You may be wondering, “I'm United States-based podcaster or a Canada-based podcaster or or a South America-based podcaster, what does an EU regulation have to do with me?

Here's the answer to the question.

It applies to all companies or organizations that market to, sell to, collect data from, or do business with citizens of the European Union or those who live, work, or travel there. Podcasting is global thing. I'm telling you, if you have been podcasting for any amount of time, there is no doubt someone from the EU has listened to your show.

Now the question for podcasters is really is this:

At what point does someone in your audience become a person to which the EU applies?

GDPR is pretty convoluted and it's huge - there's lots to read. So it's hard to really narrow down the restrictions and requirements as to how it applies to podcasting. But nevertheless, we as podcasters need to take this seriously.

The GDPR gives consumers/listeners certain rights when it comes to their personal data and if you do not adhere to what the GDPR says you should do in order to protect rights of those on the other end of your communications, you could be fined up to 20 million euros, or 4% of your organization’s annual revenue.

So like it or not, GDPR impacts all of us if we're collecting data of any kind. Even us podcasters.

How Does Your Media Host Help You Adhere to GDPR?

If you host your media in a place, like Libsyn or Blubrry or Speaker or Podbean, all of those places have their own GDPR team who has made sure they are adhering to all the requirements of GDPR. So in the case of your actual media distribution, you have nothing to worry about.

But if you have your own website or use some kind of email capture form that enables you to get information from your listeners - say it's an opt in form, say it's products you're selling, say it's any kind of thing where people give you things like name, email address, mailing address, phone number, anything like that - you should take a look at the things within GDPR that apply to your collection of that data, because the GDPR impacts how you gather your data, what notifications you need to give to your users about how their data is going to be used, and how you're going to both collect it and store it.

There’s a lot of stuff to be aware of. Keep listening - I give you some best practices that I’m following and suggest you consider as well.

How GDPR Impacts Listeners, Opt-Ins, and Guests

There's also this thing in the GDPR where a consumer can request to be forgotten or erased from your database completely. And this is not just an unsubscribe button, this is the equivalent of a “Delete me from your system entirely” button.

Okay, if someone’s personal data is sitting on some server somewhere that you have access to through an account, you have to erase it completely when requested. The MailChimp and AWebber and ConvertKits of the world already have their side of this nailed down - but you need to do your part too.

Listeners to your podcast who opt-in for your resources also have the right to know how their info is used and stored. And if there are brother or sister organizations that you deal with that are maybe under the same corporate umbrella, but are not the same company, you can't just pass data from one to the other anymore.

So does this apply to podcasters? Well, it depends.

Do you gather data from people?

My guess is if you have a website of your own, not the one your media host provides, but a website of your own that has some kind of a contact form or some kind of an opt in form to an email newsletter or some kind of a lead magnet, you probably need to pay attention to GDPR.

But you should also consider this - Does GDPR apply to anything regarding the guests you have on your podcast?

If you're like me, you collect data from your guests in order to have them on your show, whether that's just an email address, or a headshot or those kinds of things. You need to be able to clearly tell your guests what data you're collecting, how you're going to use that data and how you're going to store that data. It’s all a part of GDPR.

A Quick Disclaimer

Before we get into the weeds of how GDPR compliance steps can be taken, now this: I'm not an attorney, I am not a GDPR expert. I have done a little bit of research and have applied what I think are best practices for my podcast and my business. But you need to do the same thing.

Don't apply the advice that I'm giving here wholesale, because it's not really advice. It's just me sharing with you some of the knowledge that I've obtained through research.

I’m about to describe what I'm doing and why I think you need to take steps to protect yourself.

Best-Practices For Podcasters Relating to GDPR

If you have your media on your website, meaning through displaying a player or anything like that - which you should have, by the way - OR if you have any kind of opt-in forms, then you're likely going to have to put together your own privacy policy to govern your website.

The GDPR requires that you provide terms to your audience that is (and here are the terms that the GDPR uses) concise, transparent, intelligible, and easily accessible.

Your website/podcast’s terms of service are supposed to tell your users, in plain language, what it is that you collect, who is really collecting it (so the name of your company), how it's being collected, why it's being collected, how you're going to use it, who it's going to be shared with (if anybody), and/or what effect that collection is going to have on the individual.

The typical way you should go about doing that is to set up a privacy policy for your website.

If you are a newbie to understanding GDPR, like me, I think the best place to start is to use some kind of privacy policy template that is already compliant with GDP.

I’ve included some privacy policy generators and resources in this set of show notes so you can check out some of the options.

These are places that you can go to get a privacy policy customized to you, your podcast, your business, whatever it is.

I’ve also included a link to the privacy policy I've put together.

But please - DO NOT simply take my privacy policy, and just put your name on it and use it, because I did this on my own accord, based on my own research.

YOU need to do YOUR very best to inform your users that you're collecting data from, of these things that GDP are requires.

And I recommend you make it obvious. For example…

If you look at any of the opt in forms on my website, you'll notice that just underneath the form I state very clearly what it is the person is going to receive and I provide a link to our privacy policy.

That’s on every page of my website because I want it to be clear from the outset, I want you to know what I am going to do with your data.

I HATE This Kind of Stuff - But It’s Necessary

Oh, man, I hate these kinds of things. Legaleze - more acronyms - more laws we have to abide by.

But you know, that's the world we live in - and it's to protect our listeners.

So I think it's worth the effort to put together some kind of privacy policy to do that.

It may be very simple depending on what you're doing, but just put it together and make it accessible, obviously accessible to those who may be opting in to the things that we're offering as our marketing tools as our opt in offers.

We want people to know that we care about their personal data and that we're going to take care of it once we have it.

105: One Podcast Conference To Rule Them All

Tue, 19 Jun 2018 15:00:00 -0400

I’ve been to a handful of podcast conferences in my day - but there’s nothing quite like Podcast Movement. As my guest, Dan Franks says, “It’s the single largest gathering of podcasters in the world,” and that makes it pretty special in its own right.

But there’s so much more than just that it’s big. PM is filled with great content, attended by tons of great people, and offers an education and enthusiasm about podcasting you won’t find anywhere else. No offense, but not even at those other podcasting conferences I’ve been to.

In this conversation Dan and I talked all things Podcast Movement - from what different level podcasters might experience to the exhibit hall, to they types of sessions offered, and more.

An incredible value at any conference (even a podcasting conference) is in the hallways, not the presentations

My first experience at podcast movement was in Chicago back in 2015. It was one of those environments that was truly electric, you can feel the excitement in the air. Everyone who comes is an enthused podcaster, or is interested in becoming one. It's great just to meet people, even if you don't attend all the sessions you are interested in.

That first year, I think I only went to two or three sessions because I was so busy talking with people in the hallways. Everyone was so generous, sharing their best practices, explaining how they accomplish some amazing thing on there podcast audio, or walking you down the hall to a vendor that they personally vouch for. It really is a unique atmosphere that I recommend to every podcaster experience at least once.

I was curious how Dan and the Podcast Movement team originally came up with the idea to create such a conference so I asked him. And this conversation he shares how he and some of his buddies were very frustrated with another conference - New Media Expo. They attended 2 years straight and both times there were more podcast of New Media publisher, but there were very few sessions about podcasting.

In a typical “can do” approach that many podcasters have, Dan and his friends decided to create the conference they wanted to attend. Podcast movement was born.

Are you a newbie podcaster? Your mind will be blown (and empowered) at PM18

Both years that I've attended podcast movement I met a number of individuals who hadn't started their podcast yet. But it was clear they were very serious about doing so. You don't spend money to go to a mega podcast conference without being serious.

New podcasters who want to attend podcast movement are going to have their minds blown. There's so much content, it is like drinking from the proverbial fire hose. But if you go about it in a smart way, you can really get a fast-track education about what it takes to create and publish a stellar podcast.

When I say you need to go about it in a smart way, what I mean is that you should do a little bit of self education first before you land at the largest podcast conference in the world. Become familiar with podcasting terms, watch some YouTube videos, you might even consider taking our starter course to prepare yourself for what you're going to learn at Podcast Movement. It only cost $99 and we'll have you speaking the language in no time so that your experience at podcast movement is all it can be and more.

But even if you decide not to purchase our course, please do something to learn what you can about podcasting. But be careful out there, there's a lot of dated information and advice that isn't based on best practices or what we come to know about podcast search, statistics, downloads, and but I would call Smart podcasting.

Advice for seasoned podcasters attending Podcast Movement: Make a plan and execute

Podcast movement is not only a podcasting conference for newbies. Even seasoned podcasters can learn a lot by being strategic.

When I asked Dan about the kinds of things experience podcasters might learn to podcast movement he said the best approach for podcasters who are looking for something specific, is to look through the sessions and be strategic about what sessions you attend and why.

Set goals for yourself. Tell yourself, “y the time I leave I'm going to know how to X, Y, Z.” Then, put your plan in place and make it happen.

The way I figure it, you're spending the money to get to Philadelphia, get into the conference, stay in a hotel room and feed yourself, you should make the most of it. But keep in mind, that doesn't only happen in the panel sessions and keynotes. You will meet people in every hallway who have more experience than you do and perhaps have learned how to accomplish exactly what you want to learn.

Don't be shy. Introduce yourself to people. Ask them what their podcast is about (That's one of the easiest ways to start a conversation at a podcast conference, you know). The more you isolate yourself and act like a junior high boy at the first school dance, the less you were going to benefit from. Guess movement.

Be bold my podcasting brothers and sisters! Get out there and meet your fellow podcast siblings and build the community you long to be a part of.

You may think that's a bit dramatic, but it's not. You really do need to take initiative.

No irrelevant non-podcast conference exhibits allowed

We probably all been at conferences where the exhibit hall is crammed full of any company or service that would pay money to be there. I was once at a Christian booksellers conference where one of the main aisles in the exhibit hall had not only one, but two massage chairs.

Yes, it might be nice to get a massage in the middle of a conference, but what does it have to do with selling Christian books? You kind of get the feeling that the organizers were willing to sell boots to anybody who had a bank account.

Dan Franks promises that podcast movement will never go in that direction. Every exhibitor is vetted before they are allowed to write the check to be in the exhibit hall. The podcast movement team wants to ensure that everything it's attendees are supposed to is relevant to some aspect of podcasting.

That's a breath of fresh air.

And one of the things I noticed when I attended podcast movement is that the exhibitors are usually there because they want to help. Yes, they believe their products or services are a valuable way to help you, but if they don't offer what you need, they are quick to point you in the right direction. That's exactly what happened to me one year as I was searching for a particular technology to solve a problem I had with my podcast. The person I spoke to going to me to another company entirely, simply because he wanted to be helpful.

That's a winning combination. But I'm going to miss my massage.

You have a responsibility to make podcasting better for all of us

Imagine that you are telling a co-worker about your favorite series on Netflix. How effective is your enthusiasm about the show going to be on that co-worker if they don't even know what Netflix is?

The same thing is true about podcasting.

All of us want to gain more listeners to are podcasts, but there are still hundreds of thousands of people in the United States alone who don't even know what a podcast is. It's going to take all of us, promoting our podcasts, explaining what podcasting is, in even borrowing our friends smartphone to pull up there podcasting app and show them how to subscribe, before podcasting will become as prevalent as well known as Netflix.

Being on par with Netflix isn't the goal, but that kind of notoriety in familiarity definitely needs to happen in the industry.

Everyone of us who podcasts is responsible to make sure that happens. It's actually pretty simple. Don't forget to talk about your podcast to people who you think might be interested in it. Mention other great podcasts that you have listened to recently, show your friends how to find it for themselves.

The more enthused we are about the podcast Kool-Aid we've been drinking, the more convincing we are going to be and getting others to drink it.

If you haven't thought about attending podcast movement, I highly recommend it. You'll come away from the largest podcasting conference in the world with a renewed enthusiasm not only for your podcast, but for podcasting in general. You will also Come Away with more than one great idea for improving your podcast, adjusting your process to make the consistent publication of your podcast possible, and maybe even a new podcasting best friend.

Main Points : The PM18 Podcast Conference

[1:16] Here’s what you need to know about Podcast Movement: The World’s Largest Gathering of Podcasters

[2:22] PM came out of frustrations with New Media Expo: What about podcasters?

[7:29] The first ever podcast conferences at sea. Really. It happened in 2015 and 2016

[10:22] Dan’s experience at Midroll Media (a major podcast sponsor company)

[13:22] What can you expect at PM18 if you are a brand new or aspiring podcaster?

[16:50] Seasoned podcaster with specific questions? Set your goals and learn it at PM18

[24:20] How can business professionals interested in podcasting think about Podcast Movement?

[27:30] How to make the most of the exhibit hall

[33:10] The things Dan sees in the podcast industry that excite him

[36:19] What you can do to raise awareness of podcasting

[40:10] If you can’t attend PM18, check out the virtual pass

Featured On This Episode

Dan Franks - www.TheDanFranks.com
On LinkedIn
On Twitter: @DMFranks
On Facebook
On Instagram: @TheDanFranks
www.PodcastMovement.com (updated annually, so check it out)
How To Podcast Step By Step - it’s a podcast as well (here on Apple Podcasts)

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

104: Podcast Production Workflow: How To Make It Happen Every Episode

Tue, 12 Jun 2018 15:00:00 -0400

Welcome back to Podcastification - on this episode I’m walking you through the step by step details of what I do to carry out MY successful podcast production workflow every single week. It doesn’t matter if you publish episodes every week, every other week, or once a month - organizationally you’ve GOT to have an effective podcast workflow to ensure two things:

Quality AND Consistency

What I demonstrate and describe on this episode is not the ONLY way to do this - but it’s the best way I’ve found after 5 years of podcasting. And if you scroll down, you’ll also notice that I ALSO recorded this one as a video - with the workflow mapped out on my whiteboard. The visuals help on this one - honest.

If there’s one thing you get out of this episode, this is what I hope it is: Process leads to Success!

[1:18] The vital importance of having a well-considered podcast workflow: consistency & quality

[3:12] Write down every step of your process - one per sticky note: here’s why

[4:01] Beginning the process, one step at a time

Choose your topic
Research and preparation
GUEST EPISODES: Choosing and preparing for your guest
GUEST EPISODES: Reaching out to your guest
GUEST EPISODES: Your guest schedules a time
GUEST EPISODES: Asking the guest to provide you some vital info
GUEST EPISODES: Confirm the recording (the day of the recording)

[17:41] Do you see how the workflow enables you to be professional and consistent?

[21:45] Resuming the steps to your podcast workflow

Create a test recording/sound check
Record the main audio/conversation
Record the intro and outro immediately following the recording: Here’s why
Add the audio files to my Dropbox system (I describe it here)
Notify the editor (or set a time to edit on your own calendar if you do your own editing)
Create an optimized title and send to my VA (because the artwork step is coming)
Add to Auphonic (if you don’t use Auphonic, do it now!)
Writing the show notes and notify the VA
Artwork/graphics are created
Post the show notes and artwork to Libsyn and the website
Set up social sharing
GUEST EPISODES: Send promo info to guest

[44:15] Why process equals success

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

YouCanBook.me
Calendly
Schedule Once
The list I send to guests about how to best prepare for the recording
The form I use to ask my guests to confirm their participation here
Google Forms
Hello Sign
Hubspot
Ringr
Zencastr
Cleanfeed
Skype
Zapier
Keyword Finder (affiliate link)
Auphonic
My previous episode about using Auphonic
Episode: The Triple Power of Killer Show Notes
Canva
Libsyn - use the code “PFT” to get up to 1 ½ months off
Episode: Using virtual services/assistants
Procrastinate on Purpose by Rory Vaden
Recur Post
eClincher
Meet Edgar

Featured On This Episode

Custom Audiograms from Podcast Fast Track
Wavve - check it out!

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

On Twitter

Here’s why you need a well-considered podcast workflow

Nothing successful happens by accident. Here are a couple of real-life examples…

Your wrist watch or smartphone didn’t just “happen.” Somebody thought it up, designed it, and made it to do exactly what it does. And you get to enjoy the benefits of their detailed, systematic approach to creating a solution you need.

Your podcast is the same type of thing.

You’re trying to reach a particular audience to teach them particular things or focus on particular topics. And it’s not just going to happen…

You need to learn how to be systematic about it so you can be effective at it.

Process = Success: and in Podcasting the process that makes it happen is a powerful podcast production workflow.

When you have a podcast workflow that is well-considered and smart, you’ll avoid two fo the biggest problems that plague any content creator: inconsistency and lack of quality.

Said another way - getting down a great podcast workflow is likely the ONE THING that will enable you to stand apart from all your competitors. The very people you want to attract and benefit will be drawn to you because something about you is very obvious: YOU CARE about the content you’re producing and the people you’re producing it for.

This audio/video episode is aimed at showing you, step by step, how to create a podcast production workflow that is unique to you and your show - and how to keep it running episode after episode to ensure you provide the value to your listeners that you really want to provide.

OK - it’s time to create your unique podcast workflow. Are you ready?

What I’m about to describe to you is MY WAY of going about this process. You may have a different way that works for you - mindmaps, pencil and paper, computer software - whatever.

I don’t care HOW you do it, I just care THAT you do it. Process equals success: remember that!

My system involves the use of my whiteboard and a handful of sticky notes. I use this system because it’s easy to see in one glance and it’s easy to modify as I go by moving the sticky notes around on the board.

And to clarify, understand this: I don’t LEAVE it in this format. I’m going to transfer what I create onto a checklist that I use for every episode, but for now - as I’m creating it, I’ll ues this systems.

So, it’s time to get into the steps.

OVERARCHING METHOD: Write down every step of your production process: one step per sticky note

It may be helpful to do this the next time you work on your podcast episodes. It will require some additional time so make sure you set aside a chunk so you can do it. And let me warn you, you’ll want to shortcut this step because of impatience or eagerness. But don’t.

This is an example of doing something laborious now that will save you laborious steps later - and in an exponentially multiplying way - so stick with it and get it done.

Be as detailed about these steps as you need to be to ensure that you don’t forget anything about what goes into it. If you’ve never detailed the exact steps that you do by rote memory that go into each of these sticky note steps, I’d suggest you bullet-point those steps on the sticky note so you can actually see them and understand them visually.

Who knows, you may be handing a lot of this work to a VA or assistant in the future, so the more you have written down ahead of time, the more easily you’ll be able to do that.

Don’t worry about getting the steps in order at this point - just get them out of your head and onto the sticky notes. You’ll have time in the next step to arrange them in sequence. You’ll also find that you likely forgot some - that’s OK too. You’ll just record them on your own sticky note as they come to mind.

STEP #1: Chose the topic for the podcast episode you’ll be working on

When I first started podcasting I shot from the hip WAY too much. That means…

I didn’t plan my episode topics until the week of publication
I didn’t think them through in a logical sequence
I didn’t strategize for how I was going to BEST help my audience

Do you see where I’m going with this? How can you create amazing value to stand out in the crowd if you don’t plan to do so?

I had to learn that lesson the hard way and hope you don’t have to. That’s why I’m focusing on this right at this point.

Your audience deserves the very best from you - so give it to them through planning out your episodes.

Once you choose the topic for an episode, you’ve only done the FIRST thing. The next step is even more important.

STEP #2: Research your topic and/or prepare for the episode

Very few of us are accomplished enough or talented enough at public speaking to think of a topic and then effectively ad-lib as we record an episode. So don’t try it - not for a very long time.

You need to develop the discipline of researching, learning, growing, knowing your topics backwards and forwards - THAT is what will get you to the point that ad-libs are acceptable and possible.

People like John Maxwell do it all the time - but hey, he’s John - which only means he’s paid his dues over the years THROUGH the kind of diligent work I’m talking about.

So… what goes into good research? For me, it’s a combination of things, depending on whether I’ll have a guest on the episode or not...

Read up on the topic

It’s not enough to know what I think about something. I need to know what’s being said by others who are knowledgeable on the topic. If I don’t take the time to do this I can come across as a naive know-it-all. I don’t want that.

So I typically collect links to articles, etc. in my Pocket account and then link them to the card in my Trello board where that idea is recorded (I created a video about how I do that once upon a time). That way I can easily go to the topic > click on each link > read articles without having to search for them > and begin my own bullet point outline for the episode, all in the same spot on my Trello board.

Create a bullet-point outline of my thoughts

As I just mentioned, the next thing I do is begin my own outline of the topic. I want to include things I’ve discovered/ learned, things I believe from my experience, and what others who are experts on the subject have to say.

I want to leave no stone unturned - because it’s that kind of comprehensive quality that will get the attention of my listeners/readers AND get the attention of Google. Honestly, it does work that way.

Once I’ve created my bullet-point outline, I’ll go through it slowly to ensure it makes sense from a sequential standpoint. If I need to reorder or reorganize it, I will.

It’s got to make sense the moment a reader/listeners glances over it. If it doesn’t they’ll probably click off to something else.

Journal/write about the topic

I don’t always do this, but if I’m dealing with a complicated subject, or one that is easily confused (in my own mind, especially), I’ll add this step - I journal my thoughts and understanding about the topic.

Why do I do this? Because as Dawson Trotman once said, “Thoughts disentangle themselves when they flow from lips or fingertips.”

Typing/writing things out helps ME understand it. When I finally record the episode I want to be speaking about the subject matter naturally, as one who has studied and understood the topic for myself (because I have).

If I shortcut this step, it will show up in the quality of my episode content - and I believe that costs listeners/fans/followers in the long run. I can’t have that.

I won’t have that. :)

Brainstorm/decide on guests for the episode

If the topic I’m interested in would benefit from a conversation with an expert guest, I start thinking through who that guest should be. Nobody is out of the realm of possibility. My philosophy is to ask because the worst they could do is ignore my outreach or say “No.”

That’s not so bad, is it?

In a future point I’ll tell you how I go about reaching out to these experts.

Brainstorm resources I may need for the episode

Are there any special graphics, audio clips, sound effects, or other resources that would make this episode ultra special?

If I can come up with good ideas, I jot them down. I’m going to do everything I can to up the value of the audio and the show notes to make them stand out - to my listeners and to Google. My philosophy on that is that if it pleases my listeners, it will likely please Google too.

But be careful here - don’t overdo it. I went through a season on my podcast where I did lots of cutesy sound effects just for the sake of doing them. I thought they were fun and gave the show a unique sound.

My audience told me they were annoying. (Listen to your listeners when they give you feedback).

STEP #3: Give my topic, potential guest, and resource needs to my VA/Assistant

If you don’t have a VA or assistant who helps you with this kind of thing, you’re making a list for yourself - and you have another set of things to do in order to publish the show as you have planned.

It’s a lot of stuff, but it’s worth it to do things right. I’d rather have an episode publish late and be phenomenal than to publish on time and be so-so. I believe my audience knows the difference - and is glad when I don’t shortcut the process.

So… passing these things to my VA puts a new task on her plate, which is the next step in this process - reaching out to the guest I have in mind.

If I’ve decided to approach the guest through a contact or friend, I do that legwork before I pass this info to my VA. I want her to have as easy a time as possible connecting with the person I have in mind.

She’ll also start collecting the resources I need, whatever they are, and place them in a predetermined Dropbox or Google Drive location. That way when I or my editor are ready to produce the episode or show notes, the resources are available.

STEP #4: Reach out to the potential guest

Once I’m ready for my VA to reach out - I have her do so using a template I’ve written and provided to her that she customizes to the person I have in mind, the topic I want to chat with them about, and the timeframe in which I’d like to record the episode.

I thought about providing a copy of my template here but decided against it, simply because any template you create needs to be in your voice and reflect the unique characteristics of your podcast and brand. I can’t write that for you.

So, spend quality time on this. It’s important. The first impression you give to potential guests is powerful for them and could make or break their willingness to be a guest on your...

103: Virtual Services Make Perfect Sense For Podcasting - Take The Plunge, with Nathan Hirsch

Tue, 05 Jun 2018 15:00:00 -0400

For as long as I’ve been playing around and working on the internet, I’ve heard people touting the benefits of paying for virtual services - you know, VAs and that kind of stuff.

From the first time I heard it said, I got the logic of it. Sure, it makes sense to hire someone to do the things I either don’t want to do, am not good at doing, or shouldn’t be doing from a time VS value perspective.

But until this conversation, I’ve never been able to bring myself to take the leap and actually hire out some of the stuff that makes my podcast and business run.

I’ve invited Nathan Hirsch, co-founder of FreeeUp.com to be my guest on this episode of Podcastification to help convince me - and convince me he did.

BTW: The audio quality on MY SIDE of this recording is terrible. Awful. And in all other ways stinky. It’s because I got lazy and didn’t use my podcast production checklist to ensure that everything was set correctly. As a result, my voice was recorded through the built-in mic on my laptop.

BAD form. BAD form. My apologies. I guess it goes to show that even those of us who do something on a professional basis make mistakes from time to time. I’m just sorry you have to listen to it.

Main Points : Virtual Services For Podcasting

[2:06] How Nathan became desperate and turned to virtual services for a solution

[4:14] The first things podcasters might consider outsourcing to virtual assistants

[5:40] So you see the need, but don’t know if you can afford it. Listen up!

[7:35] What should you do if it’s going to take as much time to train someone as it will for you to do it?

[13:02] Making it easy: What you’ll experience when you go to the Freeeup website

[15:42] Pre-vetted candidates for your job - as many as you want - and keeping up quality

[18:14] You could even “steal” a worker from FreeeUp permanently through a buy-out

[20:13] Hiring is one thing: managing someone providing virtual services is another

Featured On This Episode

Nathan Hirsch and www.FreeeUp.com
Pricing: www.FreeeUp.com/Pricing

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

On Twitter

What ARE virtual services anyway?

I don’t want to begin with the assumption that everybody listening knows what I mean when I say “virtual services,” so for those of you who do know - hang on for just a second while I catch everybody up.

When I say “virtual services” - I mean tasks you pay to have done FOR You by someone who is not in your physical location. So this isn’t paying a neighbor kid to come to your house and mow your lawn - this is paying someone across the world or across town to do something for you - and it’s usually a task that can be done digitally.

Examples?

Audio editing
Artwork/graphics creation
Transcript creation
Accounting/bookkeeping
Email list management
Social media posting

You get the idea? Many of those things are the stuff that goes on behind the scenes of your podcast production. And if you’re like me, it’s likely that ALL of them are things you’re doing.

Here’s the problem - BECAUSE you’re the one doing them, they don’t always get done.

Am I right or am I right?

That’s the sad but very true, truth of the matter.

So it’s smart to at least THINK ABOUT how you can solve that problem in a way that is effective, economical, and a relief to you as a podcaster.

Virtual services may be your answer.

Naturally, Nathan is passionate about this subject because it’s what his business does. But don’t let the fact that he has a vested interest in getting you to use his company water down the fact - VIRTUAL SERVICES LIKE HE OFFERS ARE EXTREMELY VALUABLE… and you probably need them.

I encourage you to listen to this conversation with an open mind - pushing away your doubts, skepticism, and limiting beliefs (like, “I can’t afford that.”). You need to give yourself permission to think outside your current reality toward what might be possible.

Can we agree that you’ll do that as you listen? That’s all I’m asking - so please friend, forge ahead!

Yes, money is an issue. I get it. Really, I do.

Let me tell you a bit of my back story.

I started out this whole online business thing - including podcasting - without a dime to my name.

Truly, that’s how it began for me.

I was between careers, trying to figure out a way - ANY WAY - to put food on the table. I couldn’t afford most of the things I was already doing, like paying for website hosting and media hosting.

But I had to do those things anyway if I was going to build something online. There was no other choice.

And I thought exactly the same as you may be thinking right now, “I can’t afford to hire a virtual assistant,” even though I knew how valuable it would be.

That was 5 years ago. And until a week ago, I STILL had not hired a VA or contracted any other kind of virtual services for myself.

So I know where you’re coming from.

But I have to say this as well - it’s a decision I wish I’d not waited so long to make. The benefits are already apparent after just 5 days of hiring a VA. Not only is it already generating leads that will eventually produce revenue for my company, it’s given me back huge chunks of my time that I can invest in other, more important things (like these show notes and producing my podcast with quality).

So… before you get all caught up on the money-side of this topic, you’ll do well to simply admit to yourself that you only have so much…

Time
Energy
Expertise/skill

And if your podcast is going to be all it CAN be, the day is going to come sooner or later when you have to get some help to make it happen.

You may wind up being like me and postponing the expense of virtual assistance until the very last minute. That’s fine. Really, it is. You have to make the decisions that best fit you and where you are in your journey.

But when the time comes, you’ll know it. You’ll feel it. And you’ll have to choose to take a step forward for your sake and the sake of your podcast, or you’ll shrink back in fear.

My encouragement is to be bigger than your fear when that moment comes. I hope my conversation with Nathan on this episode gives you a bit of courage that you can and should find the virtual services you need when the time is right.

There is another alternative to a permanent virtual assistant…

Every time I heard people talk about this issue I thought, “I can’t afford to pay someone week after week after week.” At the time, it was true.

But I never heard anyone mention the kinds of things Nathan did on this episode - that you can hire out one-time projects too, especially the things that you’re not best at doing.

Now that is a brainstorm!

Let’s get the creative juices flowing a bit here… what are one-time projects you could outsource?

A one-time edit of a particularly complex episode of your podcast
A special download you want to provide to your audience
A landing page on your website
Setting up a shopping cart or plugin on your website
Creating new podcast cover art
And other stuff…

Nathan’s got a point. A great way to dip your toe in the outsourcing waters is to give it a try through a one-time project.

You’ll get to see how the process works. You’ll learn a few lessons about how to communicate your expectations well and hold others accountable for the work they provide.

And you’ll probably be bitten by the virtual services bug. I know I have been.

Nathan has a lot of ideas along this line that every podcaster I know could benefit from, so be sure you take the time to listen - even if you’re not fully ready to take the plunge.

He’ll help you get your mind in the right place to take the needed steps when the time comes.

How does Nathan’s virtual services company work?

Most companies that provide virtual services work in a kind of wonky way.

Those who want to provide services submit their info and are placed into a directory - then those like you and me who need work done have to scour the directory hunting for the person we want.

FreeeUp does NOT work that way - thank God!

When you look for someone to help you virtually through the FreeeUp system, you submit the basics of what you need done - indicate how much you’re willing to pay per hour - and indicate if you want someone in your country, elsewhere, or if it doesn’t matter.

Then the FreeeUp team will send you pre-vetted, qualified people to consider for the role, usually within 24 hours.

Did you get that the candidates are pre-vetted?

Nathan says it’s actually quite difficult to become a contractor for FreeeUp because they are very picky about the quality and skill of those they employ. So there’s a peace of mind there that I’ve not seen in other online platforms like this.

Once you find the person you want - you can chat with them via video or email to see how it would feel to work with and interact with them - then you can either hire them, pass, or ask for more recommendations. It’s a pretty streamlined system that works well in most cases.

As I mentioned, I’ve hired my first virtual assistant who is helping me with some marketing tasks and it’s been a wonderful experience so far. Her name is Kris and she was the very first person the FreeeUp system recommended to me. So far, I couldn’t be happier.

Nathan goes into a good deal more detail than this in the conversation I recorded for this episode, so you’ll be able to have all your questions answered by listening.

And if you want to find out more about FreeeUp - Nathan’s contact info is in this show notes page - so reach out to him. He’s very active on social media and responds to email, etc. very quickly in my experience.

Thanks again Nathan Hirsch for reaching out to me - and for being on Podcastification. I’m glad we met and wish you all the best!

102: Which Podcast Structure Works Best? Here’s the answer!

Tue, 29 May 2018 15:53:00 -0400

“What’s the BEST structure for a podcast? I mean… one that really engages listeners and keeps their attention throughout the episode?”

I am asked that question - and questions like it - all - the - TIME. And while there are no dumb questions, there are questions that haven’t been thought through very well, and that’s ONE of them.

Why? Well, it has to do with the fact that you and I and Mary down the street are all podcasting about different topics and trying to reach different audiences.

I walk you through the logic and practical steps of discovering YOUR best podcast structure, on this episode of Podcastification.

Main Points : Is there a “best” podcast structure?

[1:25] The questions I receive all time and why my answer is often “it depends.”

[2:01] My walk down main street and how it can help you answer the question yourself

[3:10] Who are your ideal listeners? You need to answer that question first

[8:09] Look at the top downloaded podcasts in Apple Podcasts - they have differing structures

[8:59] How do you discover the structure that will fit your audience?

[10:37] The best-practices don’t always translate from one niche to another - so you’ll have to put in some work to figure it out for your niche

[13:02] Get out there and talk with your target audience

Featured On This Episode

Are you listening to this podcast trying to “figure it out” yourself?

You don’t have to make the same mistakes others have made over and over.

You can learn best-practices that I’ve learned from working with 100s of clients over the lifetime of my podcast production company - through The FREE Podcast Optimizer Series.

Is there a “best” podcast structure? Well, it depends…

I’m sure there are certain ways of organizing and presenting content within your podcast episodes that are more “effective” (whatever that means to you) than other ways of organizing it.

But what I’ve discovered in working with over 100 clients so far is this:

THERE IS NO ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL podcast structure you can use as a template.

That’s because there is no one-size-fits-all approach to reaching niche audiences.

Did you get that?

The operative word is “niche” - which by definition means a very specific subset of people who are interest in a very specific topic.

THOSE particular people are going to respond very differently to one episode framework than they do another.

For example: Would people interested in comic books appreciate a radio-announcer-guy type intro, or would they rather have something fun, creative, and hip? You be the judge.

But if you make the wrong decision, you could be turning OFF the exact people you want to listen to your podcast.

So what do you do? That’s the next point I cover… so stick around (or listen).

Let’s take a walk down main street to learn about podcast structure…

In this episode I decided to do something a bit different. I got out my portable recording setup (which you can hear me describe in detail on episode 86) and took a walk down main street in my little town.

My goal: Consider how each different type of business would go about appealing to its ideal customer.

The first storefront I came upon was for a lawyer’s office.

The important questions to ask when it comes to how a lawyer would go about attracting their clients are things like this...

Who do lawyers work with?
What sort of feeling to people want to have when working with a lawyer?
How can a lawyer communicate trust and confident to prospective clients?
Would a lawyer’s messaging be slap-stick or serious, or something else?

Do you see what I’m doing? Before I make a conclusion about what makes up a good “advertisement” for a lawyer, I need to first think through what would make a lawyer’s CUSTOMERS feel good about the lawyer.

That might also be done through the way the attorney sets up his/her office:

Should they work from a card table on a laptop - OR - should there be a large wooden desk and bookshelves?
Should there be piles of paper everywhere - OR - should the office be clean, neat, and organized in appearance?

Next, I came upon a hair and nail salon.

That’s a personal care service, right? So people coming into this place would most likely be women, they care about their appearance, and they might even enjoy feeling “pampered” to some degree.

So what kind of vibe does the salon need to give off in order to attract those kinds of people?

Casual
Friendly
Attentive
Trendy/stylish
And the shop itself should be attractive

Why those things? Because those are the things the salon owner’s CUSTOMERS care about.

Are you getting the point here? You can’t apply any old podcast structure to your episodes because YOUR episodes are going to be aimed at a specific type of person who is very different from the target listener of the person who created the structure you’re considering.

Take a walk down the “main street” of your ideal listeners. Consider carefully what THEY are most interested in and find most helpful.

That’s how you’ll discover the right podcast structure for YOUR particular show.

TO DO: Get to know your listeners

If you want to know what the people you’re trying to serve want your show to be like, you have to ask them.

And you can’t ask them if you don’t know them.

And you can’t get to know them if you don’t hang out where they are.

So get out there and find them!

In person - if your show is centered around a niche where that is possible - or online. Either way, you need to strike up conversations and engage in building relationships with those who are keenly interested in the topics you cover on your podcast.

No podcast structure in the world, no matter how entertaining, can make up for that.

When you start talking with people who naturally talk about what you talk about on your show, you’re going to hear what they really want to know about your topic.

You’ll get ideas for future episodes.

You’ll get a feel for the things they find entertaining and fun and the structural things that might stand in the way to them really benefiting from and enjoying your podcast.

So get out there and do it!

It takes time. It’s hard work. It requires discernment and self-restraint. But it’s worth it.

Yeah - I just said self-restraint.

Why?

That’s coming up in the next section… as are my tips for finding the best places to build those relationships.

Discover your best podcast structure from those who care the most - listeners

If you podcast about topics that lend themselves toward regular in-person meet-ups, take advantage of those.

Find out where they are in your neck of the woods and go. Don’t be shy.

Introduce yourself. Ask lots of questions about the people you meet. Find out how you can add value to them.

That’s a great place to find the very people who can help you figure out this podcast episode structure thing - AND you’ll probably make some good friends in the process too.

But you can do the same thing online too…

The best place I’ve found to connect with people who are interested in the things you are interested in is to search the groups on Facebook.

Type your main topic into the search bar at the top of Facebook
Hit “enter”
Once the search results populate the next page, click on the “groups” heading at the top
You’ll get more groups than you can shake a stick at that you can ask to join.

ONE TIP to speed up the process:

Join groups that have BOTH a lot of members AND appear to have a good number of posts being made per day. You can see those stats just under the group name.

One more thing…

In that last main section I said that once you find these groups, you’ll need to exercise self-restraint.

Why?

Because your impulse is going to be to do this…

Find your niche communities
Join them
Immediately start saying, “Here’s my podcast! Listen to my podcast! I have a podcast!”

Don’t. Just don’t.

Even online, people won’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

It’s a tired saying that is nevertheless true.

So get into those communities with a desire to serve, to learn, and to grow - and you’ll discover some of your biggest supporters - and when they discover you have a podcast, you won’t even have to ask them to listen, subscribe, or share.

Once you know your audience, structure issues become way easier to figure out

It really is that simple.

The people you’re speaking to can help you know how to best speak to them - but it takes time and a lot of hard work on your part before they will trust you.

My advice: Put in the time. Expend the effort. CARE for your audience in that way.

You’ll be able to fashion a podcast they hate to miss by doing so.

And you’ll have an asset you didn’t even think about - a listener base who is FOR you and eager to share what you’re doing.

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

On Twitter

101: Audio Engineering Programs Have NOTHING On This Guy - Chris Curran

Tue, 22 May 2018 14:17:00 -0400

Contact Carey

There are lots of high-dollar audio engineering programs out there these days. Lots more than when I was starting college, that’s for sure. I wanted to go into audio engineering but “back in the day” the only way it seemed possible was to learn on the road, touring with some drug-saturated band.

No thanks. But I digress.

Chris Curran is a guy who’s been there, done that, and has actually printed the T-shirt himself. He’s a self-professed “sound geek.” He loves the audio stuff, the engineering, things like compressors and noise gates and mixers - and their digital counterparts.

In this conversation you’ll get to meet Chris, find out why podcasting is such a HUGE thing to him, and what he’s doing to help those audio geeks like himself who want to learn a valuable, lasting skill that will help move the podcasting industry forward.

Main Points :

[1:35] An online friend I met in real-life: Chris Curran
[5:17] How being a drummer in a band led to working in NYC as a sound engineer
[9:00] The ultimate podcast hand-holding experience: Chris does it for his clients
[11:30] Are you sound-checking your podcast record sessions? Here’s why you should
[14:33] What does your listener’s situation have to do with your audio quality?
[20:33] Finding clients who are looking for THE professional to produce their podcast
[23:56] The only reason audio engineering exists is for the sake of the listener

You won’t find many people as passionate about audio engineering as this guy

Chris is one-of-a-kind, in a number of ways.

When speaking about audio production he says, “I’m nutty that way.” He loves to get his audio (for himself and his clients) exactly right, every time. He’s the kind of guy you want to be teaching you about audio, because you know he won’t miss anything vital and will probably throw in some things you might not know that you need to know, but will be glad you do.

That makes sense, right?

This was a fun conversation because Chris and I got to dive into his incredible story of how playing drums in a rock band eventually led him to doing sound engineering for major artists in New York City (how many podcasters can say that?) - and how he’s created a boutique kind of podcast service for large brands and high level entrepreneurs who want the best of the best of the best.

Chris is that guy, for many clients. You can hear about some of them on this episode.

Podcasting is easy, which turns out to be a bad thing from an audio engineering perspective

As many people these days are discovering, podcasting is not all that hard. It’s a beautiful thing to be able to spend a relatively short amount of time to equip yourself to know what you’re doing - then get a podcast into the world.

But then again, it’s not always a beautiful thing.

In Chris’ words, “Most podcasts out there sound horrible.” That’s why one of the most important things you can do to make your podcast stand out is to ensure that it does NOT sound horrible. An audio engineering program of some kind is a MUST for those who take their podcast seriously and want to make a difference in the lives of listeners.

Chris’ Podcast Engineering School is one of the ways you can equip yourself to stand out when it comes to the sound of your podcast. If you decide to take the leap, you’ll graduate with a skill set that (I’m guessing here) - not even 5% of the podcasters out there have.

But it might not be that you want your OWN podcast to sound great, it might be that you love the audio engineering side of things and want to set yourself up to serve clients who want THEIR podcast to sound great.

Keep listening. You’re going to hear some of the amazing things that are possible when you educate yourself to be an audio engineer for podcasts.

How Chris created a business of his own serving elite clients through audio engineering

Consider this: there are people out there who run high-profile, big name companies. Right?

What I’m about to describe may be an entirely different mindset than you have, but you have to understand that it’s REAL in the case of high-level CEOs and managers.

People in those positions OFTEN use price as a barometer of quality. In other words: they are actually LOOKING for the most expensive solutions to their problems because to them, it indicates that they’ve found the people who are the best at what they do.

Enter Chris Curran. Chris IS the best at what he does - not only teaching audio engineering but producing high-quality podcasts for big name brands and individuals. And his price tag reflects that reality.

In our conversation Chris explains why he’s able to charge higher fees for what he does, explains exactly what it is that he does for his clients, and tells why it’s a lucrative and important service that he provides.

And guess what? If you were to graduate from Chris’ Podcast Engineering School, you’d be equipped to do the same thing he’s doing.

A $2K course that’s a bargain because of what it sets you up to do

Most of us who are just getting into podcasting hear a $2000 price tag on a course like the one Chris offers and instantly disregard it.

Can I encourage you NOT to do that for one simple reason?

By comparison to traditional forms of education and the timeframe required to actually complete that course of study, what Chris is offering is an amazing bargain. For a typical college degree, you’d spend upwards of $30K. And it would take you at least 4 years to complete it.

Compare that to what Chris is offering - his lifetime of audio engineering experience, compressed into a focused, hands-on course, complete with personal Q&A and mentoring, for just $2000-ish. And you can complete the course in a matter of weeks, not years.

Then - here’s the great part - you’re skilled in a way that few others are. You have the ability and wherewithal to serve high-level clients just like Chris does - which can provide you an incredible living and the ability to work remotely, from anywhere.

If you don’t learn anything from listening to this episode (you ARE going to listen, right?), learn this: Allowing yourself to be dissuaded from an incredible opportunity because of the pricetag is a foolish choice. It’s the cost of education and it yields incredible dividends in the future.

Audio engineering exists for the sake of the listener

Think about that guy or gal, making the long journey on a commuter train or subway every morning. You’ll often see them with headphones or earbuds on, listening to… something.

What if it was a podcast? What if they were maximizing that time by taking the opportunity to change their life through what you (or your clients) are publishing?

You want that opportunity to be the BEST opportunity they could have, because you care about that listener. But it’s not as easy as hitting “record” and publishing content.

A commuter train or subway is a noisy environment. If the audio you produce is not optimized properly (the role of audio engineering), they’re not going to be able to benefit from your content, no matter how good it is.

THAT is why audio engineering - and programs like the one Chris offers - is so vital. Your listener’s education and opportunity to change their own lives for the better may depend on the quality of your audio. Have you ever thought of it that way?

You should.

Listen to hear Chris explain how he views his role as an audio engineer and why he’s such a passionate guy about what he does.

I like Chris. A lot. You will too. :)

Connect with Today’s guest, Chris Curran

Get in on Chris’ next Podcast Engineering School
Fractal Recording - Chris’ mothership business
Chris’ podcast: The Podcast Engineering Show

Resources and Other Goodies Mentioned On This Episode

Podcast Movement
Podcast Colorado Meetup - if you live in CO, ask to join (but be sure to answer the Qs)
Cliff Ravenscraft (AKA: the Podcast Answer Man)
Zencastr - online recording
Cleanfeed - online recording
Ringr - online and smartphone recording app
Squadcaster
Zoom - video conferencing service
Skype
Piezo - simple audio recording app for IOS
Unchained Podcast - one of Chris’ clients
The Mystic Show - one of Chris’ older podcasts
Pat Flynn
Stephen Hart’s at PM2018 (one of my amazing clients)

Leave your question for me to answer!

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

100: Podcast Sponsorships: What Nobody Is Telling You

Tue, 01 May 2018 15:00:00 -0400

Contact Carey

Podcast sponsorships are a hot topic - because almost everyone and their dog wants to make money from their podcast. It makes sense, if you’re going to invest so much time in something it would be great if there was some kind of financial reward, right?

But sponsorships are not all they are cracked up to be - especially if you don’t know what you’re getting into.

ON THIS EPISODE I explain some of the things that nobody seems to be talking about when it comes to working with sponsorships - and of course I'm not going to give you an exhaustive list. There are all kinds of things you might run into when working with sponsors or in attempting to secure podcast sponsorships, but the things that I'm going to point out are things I have noticed in working alongside the many clients that we do here at Podcast Fast Track.

These are things you should keep in mind when you consider doing podcasts sponsorships. Ready to find out what nobody’s telling you? Be sure to listen.

Main Points : Podcast Sponsorships

[1:10] Why you need to know the things nobody is talking about regarding sponsors
[2:20] Dealing with sponsorships is a lot of work relationally. Yep, really.
[5:30] Essential feedback you need to provide to sponsors - and how to encourage them
[8:29] Are you ready for the administrative burden of a podcast sponsorship?
[12:31] Podcast sponsorships pull out. It happens. What are you going to do then?
[15:49] What might cause a sponsor to drop your show?
[17:04] Sponsor ignorance when it comes to podcasting and how it impacts you

Podcast sponsorships are relationships, not business transactions.

If you want any sponsorship to be successful you're going to have to engage in your relationship with that sponsor on a fairly deep level.

Work hard to keep up that relationship with your sponsor just like you would work to keep up a relationship with a person in your life who you really, really care about - maybe your spouse or significant other. You need to understand that the person or people on the other end of the sponsor relationship need to feel that they are more than just a paycheck to you, that they are more than just a number or source of revenue.

The more you can make them feel that you really care about making them successful, the more they are going to be enthused and excited about the relationship with you and be willing to spend not only their initial amount of money for sponsorship of your podcast but also continue doing so on an ongoing basis and maybe even growing that in some way that the two of you come up with in the future.

It’s a relationship that will require ongoing maintenance - and not the kind of maintenance that is just communicating facts, you need to get to the heart of that person.

You need to find out exactly what they are shooting for in the sponsorship relationship. That way, you can do your utmost to provide what they’re hoping for. Of course, they are looking for a certain rate of return on their financial investment but I believe most sponsors are looking for more than that.

If they are smart, if they're understanding the way that content marketing works in this day and age, they are looking to establish themselves as a household name to the very people that your podcast is broadcasting to.

You see, good sponsors are going to be choosing shows that are targeting the market they want to reach. It’s not just gonna be a generic thing where they throw their sponsorship money at any old show. They're going to be looking for specific shows in the niche that they serve so that they can establish a name for themselves in those particular circles.

YOU want to help them become that household name. YOU want to help them become a respected partner, in the podcast-o-sphere of your niche.

In order to do that, you have to do the hard work of keeping up the relationship with them. They are going to appreciate you working at the relationship because the relationship really matters.

Practical ways you can be a partner with your podcast sponsors

As you learn to approach your podcast sponsorships with a relational frame of reference, you’re going to realize that when it comes to them continuing to experience success as a sponsor of your particular podcast - YOU are their best partner in making that success possible.

YOU have the opportunity to give them tons of resources that will help them not only feel good about your role as a partner, but also enable them to see that YOU are doing the work to make THEM successful.

What’s in it for THEM (your podcast sponsor)?

Never stop asking that question. And never stop answering it and providing those answers to them without being asked.

A practical way to do that is through providing them data.

You want to let them know how many downloads or listens their sponsored episodes are getting. I suggest you do this weekly after every episode AND maybe two weeks later, then 4 weeks later. Then 6 weeks later.

You want them to see the potential audience their cash is reaching so they can be encouraged that they’ve made a wise choice in sponsoring your podcast.

You can also provide your sponsors data that comes to you in the form of listener comments. Tell them what listeners you connect with are saying about their advertisements and messaging. ASK your listeners what they think via your email list or community pages. They’ll tell you.

Provide the positive feedback to your sponsor. Provide the constructive criticism. In doing so you’re giving them the data they need to improve their sponsorship campaign on your podcast and therefore make tweaks to increase its effectiveness.

You should also be educating your sponsors about marketing and podcasting

As things progress, remind your sponsor that this kind of marketing takes time. In fact, it’s taking more and more time to reach effectiveness as the technology consumers are using improves.

For example - this article over at the Online Marketing Institute outlines why it takes 7 to 13 touches or more to generate a qualified sales lead these days. That’s just the way marketing, advertising, and things like sponsorships work practically.

What could happen if your sponsor doesn’t know that? They may have wrong expectations about the time frames surrounding response to their sponsorship on your show and become discontent too early in the process.

It’s your job to educate them. You want to set their expectations as best you can by providing resources like that study. By encouraging them to be optimistic, but also to be improving their messaging and marketing through your show all along the way.

Give them information they may not know…

For example, you may want to ask how they are tracking their ROI. Are they using links of any kind for their advertisements on your show? If so, are they using trackable links? You could educate them about trackable links if they don’t know what they are.

Or better yet, you could offer to setup a Pretty Link on your site and provide the data to them regularly. That way you’re not only proving how helpful you want to be, but that you really ARE a partner to them in this sponsorship venture.

The more you can make them see that you’re committed to their success, the more likely they are to be committed to you and your podcast. Can you think of anything better than an ongoing sponsor who sticks with your show for years?

Podcast sponsors sometimes choose to quit as a sponsor of your show. What then?

This particular point is fresh off my front burner, it’s something I've been dealing with alongside a client. Here’s the scenario…

My client pays for our audio editing and production AND our show notes and some additional artwork out of the funds the client was receiving from their sponsor okay. So for him to be able to afford that much outsourcing, you can see that it was a pretty generous sponsorship and his show is pretty successful.

But here's the deal.

Not just one sponsor but two sponsors pulled their sponsorship just about at the same time. So everything this podcaster was spending to produce his show was suddenly a no-go for him because the revenue that was sourcing the outsourcing was suddenly dried up.

It’s kinda like when you get a raise at work, your home budget tends to grow to fit that new level of income rather than using that money for savings, using that money for investments, or whatever to make it work for you. We tend to start using it for things that we think we absolutely need but we may not - and I'll be the first to tell you that not every podcaster needs to be investing in the services that my company provides. Not every podcaster can afford to.

Why do I say that?

Because they need to have a track record of success first, or else they need to have an established business first that can actually fuel the content marketing portion of what they're doing (which podcasting is.) Then the podcast becomes a tool they use to establish authority and generate revenue in other ways.

Sure, sponsorships are great when you have them. But once they vanish... man that can be so painful! So, this client I just told you about is trying to figure out exactly what he's going to do. For now he's going ahead and paying for our services out of his own pocket, which I hope is able to continue doing. But it’s highly likely that he may not be able to.

So you need to be careful when you get into a sponsorship relationship primarily in terms of what you decide to do with that income.

My suggestions about how to use sponsorship money…

My suggestion is you invest that money in things that you're not going to be in danger of losing should that sponsor pull out.

So, maybe upgrading equipment is a great thing to do with money from a podcast sponsorship.

Maybe paying for minor expenses like your monthly hosting… I mean pay it all off for a year or something like that. Use your sponsorship money for things that really are going to move your podcast forward in the long term.

Now, as a podcast grows and as it becomes very, very popular, getting tens of thousands of downloads per episode, this issue is really not as big a deal because you could have sponsors all the time coming wanting to sponsor your show. It will be a different scenario then.

But if you're a small time podcaster and you get that first sponsor, be very careful. Don't become dependent on that sponsor in order for your podcast to continue. Because the minute a sponsor drops. You are going to be in a heap of trouble.

THUMBS UP PICTURE

Podcast sponsorships are a great thing - when they are a great thing

Now let me explain to you a little bit of why a sponsor might withdraw from sponsoring your podcast all the sudden.

One thing is that they may not feel like they have a very good relationship with you. It's the outcome of that previous point I was talking about… you see you may not have done the work needed to foster a good relationship with your sponsor.

Most sponsors who quit sponsoring your show will never say, “We don't feel like we have a good relationship with you.”

What they will say is things like, “We have found a better use for our marketing dollars.” OR “Podcasting simply hasn’t been able to give us the ROI we thought it would.“

What they're really saying is, “We don't feel like there's anything special enough about what we have with you to keep us from easily jumping to another option simply because it seems more financially feasible.”

I’m beating that same drum again about relationships. They are HUGE. Sponsors will pull out if they feel like there's not a connection, that there's not a partnership. So be aware of that.

But you also need to be aware of this: Many sponsors, especially when it comes to podcasting, don't know enough about the podcasting space. Many of them don’t know what it looks like to track podcast statistics. Many of them haven't set up systems to help them track the stats, they don’t know to ask you for the stats, they don’t know how to track whether people coming to them as new clients or customers are actually coming as a result of their sponsorship of your show or not.

Now, good marketers should be tracking everything - but because podcasting is so new, it doesn't always happen.

So YOU need to help them know those things, to help them be successful. Again, I’ve already said this but it’s worth repeating.

And then there ARE the legitimate cases where it was a mismatch from the start. They may determine that it's simply not what they were hoping for from a podcast sponsorship, especially in smaller niches. It’s still a pretty unknown thing - it's a unicorn that nobody really knows how it’s going to work or whether or not it will be profitable for such a niche audience, so they're trying it out.

It’s YOUR job - going back to a previous point - to establish a relationship with them that is cooperative, were you are helping them determined the ROI of their investment in your podcast. You are actually helping them see that this is a long term game.

So you see, podcast sponsorships are a great thing.

When they're a great thing.

When they're not a great thing.

Not so much.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Send somebody the “How To Podcast Step By Step” Course

Leave your question for me to answer!

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

99: Put Your Audience First For Greater Podcast Success

Tue, 17 Apr 2018 15:00:00 -0400

Contact Carey

I’ve learned the hard way that the typical gimme, gimme, gimme approach to promotion never works - you’ve got to learn how to put your audience first.

It’s not an easy concept to grasp even though it DOES sound fairly simple. So in this episode I’m walking through a handful of ways I think every podcaster needs to evaluate their podcasting efforts for the sake of putting their audience first.

Main Points : Put Your Audience First

[1:26] What makes a podcast really, really successful? Keep in mind who you serve
[2:30] Podcasters need to know their USP (Unique Selling Proposition)
[9:57] In order to put your audience first, your show needs to be relevant and practical
[13:50] Why I encourage you to reconsider the helpfulness of interviews
[18:24] Is your podcast and are your individual episodes easy to use?
[25:24] Ways to monetize your podcast by putting your audience first

You can put your audience first by firmly

establishing your USP (Unique Selling Proposition)

It is very likely that you have heard the talk and internet marketing in entrepreneurial circles about having a clear USP. The acronym stands for Unique selling proposition and it simply refers to the unique things you offer to your audience that your competition doesn't.

When it comes to your podcast, you can determine your USP fairly easily by asking yourself this question: “Why would a listener choose MY podcast over others in my niche?” if you can answer that question in a compelling way, you probably have a pretty good you USP.

Some of the reasons it is vital for podcasters especially to do the hard work of clarifying their unique selling proposition is because even though they don't think they are selling anything, they really are.

They're selling themselves and the value of the content they produce. No audience will simply flock to a show because it looks cool or sounds cool or has a cool piece of cover art. They may listen initially but they will only keep listening if what is being offered to them through the audio is of value to them.

When you take the time, and it does take a lot of time, to establish your own USP with Clarity and specificity, you will discover a handful of great benefits that will serve you for a very long time.

You’ll be able to craft content that amplifies your USP
Makes a promise to your audience that you can then deliver on
Will help you clarify if opportunities and products are a good fit
Prevents you from becoming a people pleaser with your content

On this episode of the podcast I cover all four of these, explaining why they are important and how they will benefit you in the long run.

Don't waste your efforts and time by continuing to podcast without a clear idea of what you are offering your listeners that other podcasters in your niche or not. Listen to the episode to find out how truly beneficial this exercise can be.

You put your audience first when your content is relevant and practical

How many times have you listened to a podcast and come away with absolutely no idea what to do with the information you heard?

If I had a nickel for every time…

I tried to encourage my clients to make sure they are providing clear, application-based content that can truly help their listeners take action for themselves. I have seen it proven true time and time again that the more your podcast is oriented around application, the more you’re going to stand out to the exact audience you want to listen to your show.

Providing relevant and practical content is also going to enable you to build a loyal following - that's because you are putting your audience first by doing so.

Focus on being helpful.

Find out how to be the asset they are looking for.

And don’t forget to include a call to action in every episode. What is a call to action?

It’s an opportunity you have to serve your audience like a coach - to give them a well-aimed and loving kick in the butt - to challenge your listeners to take the next step relating to your topic for that episode.

It might be helpful to think of a call to action as tough love.

You care enough to hold them accountable, to push them forward, to help them get past the obstacles that are holding them back from the success they come to your podcast to discover.

Be that help to them. Don't shy away from asking, no, insisting that your audience DO something with the content you’ve covered.

Have you noticed that interview-based shows are becoming the same old same old?

One of the things I mentioned on this episode that has become kind of a hobby horse for me has to do with the number of interview-based podcasts that are in existence.

For many people, starting a podcast with interviews is an easy way to get started. I get that, you don't have to come up with original content, you just have to be able to ask the same questions.

But think about this: how many interview-based podcasts is enough? I'm personally kind of tired of interview based podcasts and the only reason I will listen to one anymore is if it was with a person I particularly love to learn from, or if the content being covered as a topic and currently trying to learn.

Otherwise, I just skip the interviews altogether.

But, there are some interview base podcast that I listen to every single time. Why? Because of the way that the interviewer formats the show. It's not the same old same old set of questions that everybody asks. The interviewer has taken the time to become skilled at asking engaging questions and they follow up on answers with additional questions to dig deeper.

At the very least, rethink your approach to interviews. You can put your audience first by giving them more than the same old same old that everyone else is giving them.

To put your audience first, think in terms of ease of use for them

There is another aspect of putting your audience first that has to do with how easy it is for them to consume your content and access your resources. This is less about the actual Act of podcasting and more about the delivery and additional things of value that you offer.

In this episode I cover a couple of examples just to get your gears going, I want you to think through your approach to delivering your content to discover areas where you can make it easier for your listeners to do whatever it is you want them to do.

Some of the specific areas where I make suggestions are...

Mono VS stereo
Shortlink usage
Notes in the podcast players
Contact info near the top
Website contact info that connects me to you quickly and easily

Monetization is not the end goal: Happy listeners are (remember, audience first)

When it comes to monetizing a podcast I believe that there are many people who have sold their soul to the devil.

Yes, that is a little extreme, but at the very least I would say they have betrayed Their audience.

Here's what I mean: you are audience expects you to talk about certain topics and cover things relevant to those topics. Of what benefit is it to them if you enter into a sponsorship agreement that pushes a product on them that has nothing to do with your topics?

You’ve broken trust with your audience. You’ve become just another money maker and not a trusted ally in their quest to build a better life.

Why would you do that? You want to cultivate trust, not break it.

Doing monetization the wrong way, especially when it include sponsor messages, is one of the fastest ways to destroy your credibility with your audience.

Podcast monetization should ESPECIALLY be approached from an audience first perspective.

You serve as a shield between your audience and all of those money-grubbing sponsors who try to compel them to buy something they don't really need.

In fact, you can effectively use your role as a shield to your advantage, causing your audience to trust you even more. On this episode, I cover the approach I would take to that kind of sponsorship perspective and provide some suggestions for how you can do it too.

Finally, I think the best way to monetize your podcast, listen to ask more questions, then create what it is they are asking for.

You will have a captive audience who is dying to buy what you created. And you will continue to offer it to every new listener who comes to know about your podcast for years and years to come.

And think about the advantages: you don't need to depend on someone else to create a product that you feel good about, you've already done it. You don't need to get into confusing legal agreements with anybody outside your own podcastosphere, you set the terms for yourself.

There's so much benefit to this kind of monetization that I can't even begin to explain it all, but I do a fairly good job on this episode, so I hope you take the time to listen.

rESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Scott Voelker - my client who says “take action” all the time
ClickFunnels
LeadPages
ConvertKit
PrettyLinks
Blubrry

Leave your question for me to answer!

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

98: iTunes Podcast Rankings: The Metric That Says Next to Nothing

Tue, 10 Apr 2018 15:00:00 -0400

There’s a lot of hoopla about iTunes podcast rankings: “We are the number 10 business podcast in iTunes!” It sounds impressive.

And for those of us who have never shown up on the iTunes “Top 10” chart in our category (me included), it can make us feel a bit insecure. Are we really accomplishing much with our podcast after all?

This episode is an expose of what I’ve discovered about the iTunes podcast rankings: They say NEXT TO NOTHING about the impact your show is having, the number of true listeners you have, OR about what you should be focusing on as a podcaster.

In fact, I think the iTunes podcast rankings everyone points to as a measure of success is the WRONG thing to be focused on entirely. It’s a ladder leaning against the wrong wall. Listen to find out why I believe that.

Main Points : Why iTunes Podcast Rankings are NOT All That

[1:17] The iTunes/Apple Podcasts confusion and what it has to do with rankings
[3:02] What IS the metric the iTunes rankings for podcasts are tracking?
[4:42] Does the ranking say anything about the popularity or benefit of the podcast?
[6:49] The only benefit of the iTunes podcast rankings is discovery - and not much of that
[8:27] A better use of our time and energy: make your podcast exactly what your listeners need and want
[11:08] We podcasters have to learn where our target market is. It’s called market research & content marketing
[12:24] The 1000 true fans theory and why it’s pertinent to this issue

iTunes Podcast Rankings: A rolling average of subscriptions over the past 24 to 48 hours

When somebody claims that their podcast is the top podcast in their category they are likely omitting a very pertinent fact out of ignorance. What is that? They are not telling you exactly what they're podcast is top at doing?

Is it the most listened to? Is it the most popular? Is it the most hated? You don't really know, do you?

The claim itself is ambiguous and if we are going to make the most of the metrics that iTunes provides to us we need to know exactly what does metrics mean.

When you go into the iTunes app on your desktop and navigate to the category that your podcast is in, you will see a list of podcast in the right-hand column that are known as the top podcasts in that category.

Here is the truth: those podcasts are not the most downloaded. They are not the most popular, necessarily. They are the podcast with the most subscriptions within the past 24 to 48 hours.

Now that sounds pretty significant, after all we want subscriptions, don't we?

Yes, we do, but subscriptions alone don't tell us much because anyone can subscribe to a podcast and never even listen to it. That means the podcaster Is having no influence on the person who subscribed other than getting on their radar.

The only benefit I see two shooting for one of those top category lists is the value of exposure. When people searching the category notice the list and see your great podcast in the list, they may, they might, it's possible they will check out your podcast. But I don't think it's likely.

From what I have experienced most people do not use the iTunes application that way. The faster and easier method of finding a podcast is to insert keywords into the search field and hit the search button. The podcast that are listed in the top 10 list in that right hand column may or may not show up in the search results.

Do you see that being in those lists isn't as advantageous as people assume?

So what should we be doing? I'm glad you asked.

Vanity metrics are only to prop up a podcasters ego, not to help his/her fans

I think more important than trying to get into the top 10 lists in any category within the iTunes rankings is to stop thinking about us and the success of our podcast.

I mean, give it some thought. Being in that top 10 list makes you feel good, but it doesn't really benefit anyone else, does it?

You can legitimately say that your podcast is in the top 10 within your category as shown within the iTunes app, but you'd be misleading your listeners into thinking that means something that it doesn't.

Don't you think your listeners deserve something more than that? I do, so let me tell you exactly what I think is a better strategy.

A better focus than the iTunes podcast rankings: Your ideal listeners

I believe that every podcast in existence should have the goal of benefiting its listeners. That could be through instruction or it could be through entertainment. But whatever means is used, the listeners have to be the final consideration in everything that we publish.

Not iTunes podcast rankings.

Not exposure and expert status in our niche.

Our listeners. Our listeners are what matter most.

Every podcaster needs to figure out why his or her listeners could potentially be considering their podcast.

What are they looking for? What help do they need? Is there a pain or fear that they are trying to address for seeking out the topics you speak about?

When you know the answers to questions like those you will be able to craft your content to specifically answer those questions, and sometimes it will be very financially profitable to do so. As Zig Ziglar once said, “The way to get what you want is to help enough people get what they want.”

That statement has been misconstrued quite a lot over the years but what good old Zig was trying to say is that the only legitimate to make money is to serve the needs of other people. That is how you produce something of value that others are willing to part with their hard-earned cash in order to receive.

So if you have dreams of monetizing your podcast, I would encourage you to stop thinking about iTunes podcast rankings, and to stop thinking about podcast sponsors altogether for that matter.

You need to be thinking about providing maximum to the people who listen to your podcast. That is how you become a vital resource to them that they view as a high-value exchange for their time.

Once you're able to do that, all kinds of financial opportunities will open up to you.

3 steps to engaging with your ideal podcast listeners

Once you get your focus off of the iTunes podcast rankings in on to the needs of your listeners, you will need to do some very hard work. It's work that every business owner, every marketer, every sales person in the history of the world has had to do in order to be successful.

We podcasters need to take a page from their book. Here are three steps to engaging with your ideal podcast listeners in an effective and lucrative way.

#1 - Learn to do market research

Market research is a fancy term for learning about the things your target audience is really looking for. It really is that simple.

For example, as I've been running a podcast production and show notes creation service I have had to figure out exactly what podcasters are looking for in a service like that. Do they want quality audio production? Undoubtedly. Do they want SEO Rich Show notes? Absolutely.

But those are not the most important things they want. It took me awhile to discover this but the thing most podcasters want from a service like ours is Time Savings. They are tired of spending so much time doing the production on their podcast. When the pain gets to be great enough, they're willing to part with some of their cash for the value of having their time back.

That's an example of discovering the real things that your target market desires from you.

What is it for your podcast listeners? What are the most painful issues they're dealing with and how can you best meet them?

You need to do the listening, the question asking, and the observing that answers those questions for you. Then you will be equipped to move on to the next step.

#2 - Learn how to get involved in your market

Very few new businesses these days are able to purchase advertising or simply make their product available and have masses of people come to purchase it. The same is going to be true with a new podcast.

People won't listen or take your advice about the things you share until they build up some level of trust for you. That trust is gained as you get involved with your target listeners.

That means you have to find out where they hang out and go there. It could be online groups, it could be old-fashioned bulletin boards. It can also be in physical locations in your city or town. And don't forget about conferences that have to do with the topics You cover.

All of those are great places to meet the actual people who would be interested in your podcast. As you get to know them, as you become their friend, as they learn to know, like, and trust you, you will get your foot into the door of opportunity that comes from being a resource to them.

That kind of involvement with your Niche audience is required in order to expect any kind of trust-based relationship with them that leads to success for your podcast.

#3 - Learn how to do good content marketing

It is entirely possible that you have never thought of your podcast as a Content marketing tool, but it is. You are publishing content for the people you are trying to help.

That in itself is a form of marketing. It is demonstrating to your listeners what you are capable of providing them in terms of help, resources, insights, experiences, and all the other things they may or may not have in dealing with the problems you address.

You probably do that very well for your podcast. But you need to expand a little bit further than just hitting publish on your regular episodes.

You got to take the great content you're creating and make it available widely, everywhere that your particular audience hangs out. Remember the previous step? Those are the places.

But don't go into those communities or locations with a megaphone blab blab blabbing about your podcast. Be a little more strategic than that. Compile a mental list of the topics your podcast episodes cover and be ready to offer those as a resource as people bring up those conversations. And make it easy for them to find those resources. Create short links to them, memorize those links so you can spell them off immediately as needed. Don't let yourself be the barrier to providing resources to the people you were trying to help.

You can also do fairly effect of content marketing by enlisting Advocates. These could be people have already listened to your show, or people you know who are interested in the same topics.

Ask those people who are already interested in what you were doing to help you spread the word anytime they come across the topics you cover in natural conversations. if you are providing the kind of value you should be, they will be eager to pass along your resources chances are, they simply haven't thought to do so.

Over to you!

What changes will you make sure your podcasting strategy now that you understand that the iTunes podcast rankings really aren't all they appear to be at first glance?

I would love to hear. Contact me and let me know.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Get your titles optimized by learning from this case study: episode 90
Kevin Kelley’s post on 1000 true fans (worth the read)

Leave your question for me to answer!

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

97: Will Cyborgs Listen To Podcasts? : My Podcasting Predictions - 2018

Tue, 03 Apr 2018 15:00:00 -0400

Wanna hear my predictions about where the podcasting industry is headed? You can - on this episode of Podcastification.

You know every year Edison Research comes out with what's called The Infinite Dial - isn't that a cool name? The infinite dial looks at survey data that they have gathered from thousands of people. The good folks at Edison are trying to gauge how people are using online media - social media, online radio stations, and podcasting is included.

They are trying to understand people's usage habits, interests, adoption of technology and so on. You can also see from the Edison results how various aspects of the media industry are growing.

As I read these stats from year to year I see some trends that some people notice and some people don't. I feel like I have some thoughts about this I'd like to share with you because I can see happening in the podcasting industry in particular that I think are action points for podcasters like you and me. They're things that show us a little peek through the keyhole of what's coming - so that we can prepare ourselves in get our podcasts positioned in a way that we will be better off in the future.

So let's dig in!

Main Points : Be Your Own PR Manager

[1:12] How the Edison Research Infinite Dial Report spawned this episode
[3:20] Why I believe more and more people will begin listening to podcasts
[6:40] Pandora’s “Podcast Genome Project”
[8:10] Getting into the smart speaker ecosystem is going to be huge
[9:10] Share of ear is going to become more and more competitive
[11:00] Why businesses are going to find exposure more and more difficult
[11:52] The silver lining for niche and hobby podcasters
[14:10] Technological changes and improvements that will happen in podcasting tech
[17:01] Why more and more advertisers are going to get on the podcasting train
[20:24] Will governments ever step in to regulate podcasting (or try)?
[23:31] Why every one of us needs to increase our production values
[25:58] Make improvements in the areas you can already - don’t wait for the future
[27:21] You need to be leveraging your audience to help you reach others
[28:32] Do the hard work of refining your USP (Unique Selling Proposition)
[30:37] Learn how to niche-down - the more specific the better
[31:56] A quick caveat about download numbers and what really matters
[34:05] Keep abreast of the changes and the opportunities as the clock ticks on

You’ve got to know ABOUT something before you can know it’s helpful

The 2018 Infinite Dial survey shows that sixty four percent of people who were surveyed are now familiar with the idea or the term of podcasting. That's up from previous years - and it’s good news for us podcasters. Right? We can all see that you can't really participate in something if you don't know that it exists. So sixty four percent means a majority of the American public now knows what a podcast is.

So the more familiar with podcasting the public becomes, the more listeners will be available in the long run.

My prediction is that those numbers are going to continue to grow. I would not at all be surprised if the day comes maybe five years from now ten years from now when ninety to ninety five percent of the population are not only aware of what podcasting is but who actively listen to podcasts on a regular basis.

Think about it - more and more exposure is happening around the idea and practice of podcasting. There are movies now that are mentioning podcasting. Their TV shows that characters who are podcasters There are advertisements on TV for certain podcasts.

The more that kind of stuff happens, the better it is for all of us because people will become more and more aware of the fact that this thing called a podcast exists, so they might slip into Apple Podcasts or some other podcast directory and do some searching for topics that they’re interested in... and lo and behold they may find YOUR podcast if you've got optimized well.

It is only a good thing for us. It's a good thing all the way around.

Is becoming a cyborg part of your podcasting future?

The Infinite Dial stats indicate that smart phone usage and usage of similar portable devices are going up. That makes sense. I’m convinced that whatever technology may arise in the future - whether it's integrated technology in a cyborg kind of way, way you know where it's integrated into your body - it’s going to make it easier and easier for people to consume content. We podcasters have to be thinking ahead to those possibilities and do what we can to prepare.

Right now eighty three percent of people use a smartphone on a regular basis and sixty nine percent of people who listen to podcasts do so on a mobile device primarily, so that's huge.

None of that mentions the growing use of platforms like Pandora, Spotify, and others that stream content to any mobile, connected device. Let’s take Pandora for example: It has an algorithm that compiles playlists based on the type of song and artist that you enter. You don’t get to control it, the app does it for you. Imagine if that were applied to podcasts - which Pandora’s founder says is on the horizon. There is an INCREDIBLE opportunity for discover there… so we’ve got to be watching for the opportunity to get our our podcasts listed in those newer approaches and platforms.

Podcasters are smart to get their podcast into smart speakers

I believe that as smart speakers continue to grow in popularity - you know what I'm talking about, Amazon Alexa and Google Home, those are just some examples of the smart speakers - podcasting is going to be even more easily consumable. Smart speaker ownership has gone up to eighteen percent, and here's an interesting piece of data, that growth is happening at a faster rate than smartphones growth did.

So think that through. It won’t be long before smart speakers are just as common as Android or iPhones.

That means the smart speaker ecosystem is a very logical target for us podcasters to be aiming for. I know Libsyn (my podcast media host) is working on a way that their customers can get what's called an “Alexa Skill” created for them. It means if you are a Libsyn customer you can apply to get certain keywords affiliated with your podcast so people can, for example, say, “Alexa play ‘whatever your keyword is’ and it would begin playing your podcast.

So keep your ears and your eyes open for those opportunities.

And to be clear, there are ways you can go into the Amazon ecosystem right now and create your own Alexis Skill. I know people are doing it and other podcasters have done it, but I think services like Libsyn are trying to come up with easier ways to make that happen - because if you have a coating background or some kind of coding skill that whole Amazon thing is going to be much easier for you if you're trying to take it on your own - but services like Libsyn or Blubrry make that easier for all of us.

So, check with your media host to see if there are ways that you can get into that smart speaker ecosystem because it's only going to make it easier for your listeners to listen to your podcast.

Will you be able to keep your podcast visible to people looking for your topics?

Edison’s research indicates what it refers to as “the share of ear.”. It has to do with what people are listening to in the limited amount of time they have TO listen. The stats make it clear, as more and more devices, platforms, podcasts, videos, social media publication tools, etc. become available, it's going to become more competitive for everyone.

To get the attention of the people who are out there listening is tough - just think about something like Netflix as an example of what’s happening right now in the podcasting space. You can scroll through the directory of movies that are available and sure, your new “movie” might be in the list, but there are so many to choose from! Even movies you can’t see on the initial pages of the app.

What’s going to keep your podcast from being one of those “not seen” entries in the podcast directories and platforms that are available? What can you do to position your podcast in more visible ways as we look to the future and the possible future tech that will come into the podcasting industry?

MY PREDICTION: It’s going to be especially hard for businesses and business related podcasts to stay competitive. Businesses are trying to make money off this thing called podcasting. They're trying to create revenue and because of that, are going to find it more and more difficult.

Why? Because the businesses that do make money are going to invest that money back into the things that are making that money - possibly their podcast. That’s going to make their podcast rise to the top simply because they have more resources to throw at the “discovery problem” and they’ll become more easily found by people who are looking for a podcast to listen to.

So just like in the commercial space, just like in TV, just like a radio, the people with the money are the ones who are going to be able to invest in the things it takes to make a podcast stand out. It's gonna become more and more competitive as the space becomes more and more crowded.

However, I do believe there is a silver lining behind this gloomy cloud.

MY PREDICTION: I've not heard many people say this but I think that niche and hobby podcasters are NOT actually going to experience the same degree of competitiveness, because a niche or hobby focus is still going to have the advantage of appealing to a very specific set of listeners.

Think it through - people who are looking for the exact topics that you are podcasting about are not typically interested in the broader range topics that the majority of culture is. They have a passion, they have this deep seeded interest in what you have to speak about.

So if you're doing a good job with your show and they enjoy the way that you present the material, you can count on your niche podcast continuing to build an audience - and I believe at a much easier and better rate than those who are podcasting about broader business type topics.

If you’re an advertiser and are not utilizing podcasts, you’re about as smart as a poached egg

There are so many advantages to advertising on podcasts that it's hard to know where to begin in explaining all of them.

Let's start with the niche audiences that listen to podcasts. Those are very specific, self defined users of very specific products and services. They have unique interests and they have clearly identified themselves as a very niche target market.

Marketers spend a ton of time trying to narrow down a field of prospects in that way. Podcasting does it almost automatically. Why would any advertiser in their right mind not advertised on podcasts that have to do with their industry?

Let's look at another issue: compared to the cost of advertising on television or radio, podcasting is a bargain all day long. You won't find opportunities in any other form of media, not even the newspaper, that is as affordable as advertising on a podcast.

Granted, you may need to take some time to find the right podcast with the Right audience, and you may need to spend a little more effort building a relationship with podcaster who's stats you trust and whose approach to your industry is one you want to be affiliated with, but those are small things compared to the advantages.

I believe that in the future, more and more podcasters are going to be approached by advertisers who see that putting their products and services in front of the public through podcast is a Savvy business strategy. That is good news for advertisers and it is good news for podcasters.

Mark my words, you will see it happening more and more as time rolls on and is podcasting thing becomes more mainstream.

I wish I could have a nickel for everytime it happens in the future as a reward for my prediction. Oh well, at least businesses and podcasters are going to thrive as a result. They can keep their nickels.

Actionable advice you can take based on my look into the future of podcasting

There’s just too much information in this episode for me to cover everything in this blog post.

So I suggest you put this episode in your playlist so you can listen on your next commute or during your next workout.

This episode is filled with sound advice for anyone who wants to think ahead about the growth of their podcast and establish patterns, routines, and systems that will help them be ready for what’s coming in the future.

Edison Media’s Infinite Dial Survey Results for 2018

See the Infinite Dial Presentation Here

The Serial Podcast
Amazon Alexa & Echo
Google Home
Libsyn Media Hosting - get up to 1 ½ months free by using the code PFT (affiliate)
Create your own Alexa Skills
Pandora’s Podcast Genome Project
Facebook Ads
The Federal Communications Commission
Net Neutrality
Gimlet media
Episode 90 about show names and episode titles
Libsyn’s podcast: The Feed

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Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

96: 10 Benefits of Podcasts (Reasons People Listen)

Tue, 27 Mar 2018 15:00:00 -0400

As a podcaster, you no doubt have thought about the benefits of podcasts. You wouldn’t be podcasting if you didn’t know at least SOME of them.

This episode I’m highlighting 10 of the benefits I see in podcasting and the reasons people these days are listening and learning from podcasts so much.

To be really, really, REALLY honest with you here - I have a busy life just like anyone else. And during the pre-publication phase of this episode, I’m on a trip to celebrate my mother’s 90th birthday.

I can’t even imagine 90 years of life on this planet, but there she is, plain as day and healthy as can be (thank God!).

All that to say, I’m making a decision on this episode. I’m not going to do my standard, more comprehensive set of show notes for this episode.

I’m just not - because I think there are more important things going on in my life right now.

So, please listen. Please learn. And enjoy your life! That’s what I’m going to do right now!

Main Points : Be Your Own PR Manager

[1:16] How I got the idea for this episode of the podcast
[3:35] #1: Podcast listeners are growing - there are more than ever
[5:17] #2: There are more podcasts than ever and more opportunities
[6:41] #3: A greater variety of podcasts exist than ever
[7:35] #4: The free nature of podcasts increases listenership easily
[9:37] #5: You can find up to date information through podcasting
[11:30] #6: The mobile nature of podcast listening opportunities is a great benefit
[13:15] #7: How does the issue of privacy figure into the benefits of podcast listening?
[13:58] #8: Speed listening. Is it beneficial?
[15:29] #9: Advertising is a benefit in podcasting… or can be
[18:20] #10: Podcasting as a great method for teaching

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

www.NoHatDigital.com - Chris’ site
Get your podcast onto Spotify independently
Scott Voelker: The Amazing Seller
The Tim Ferriss podcast

This infographic proudly brought to you by NoHatDigital.com

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Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

95: Robots. Reading Audio Books. On Podcasts. Really. With Jim Kukral

Tue, 20 Mar 2018 15:00:00 -0400

Jim Kukral is quick to say that his new service, Book2Pod is not a service that creates audio books.

So I’ll say it for him. ;) Because that’s EXACTLY what it is… except for a few differences…

It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of traditional audio books
It’s distributed via an automatic feed - RSS - like a…. PODCAST!

Jim and his behind-the-scenes business partner have a pretty cool system in place that anyone who has a book, whitepaper, story, series of blog posts, etc. - can make it into a podcast.

It’s really interesting - and the possibilities are very intriguing. Take some time to hear what Jim has to say. You can even hear the robots doing their thing!

Main Points : Done For You Audio Books To Podcast

[1:16] Why you need to know who Jim Kukral
[3:10] Jim’s new endeavor: Book2Pod
[4:04] The future possibilities with computer generated voices and podcasts
[7:25] How are robots being used for reading books?
[10:51] What’s the benefit of putting your book out chapter by chapter as a podcast?
[17:05] Are there other options you can do besides books?
[21:06] Ways to tweak the robot voices to make your audio books better
[23:16] Actual examples of Book2Pod books - fiction and non-fiction
[27:19] Pricing for the Book2Pod service: two packages

Why would you want to turn your book into a podcast?

This was one of the very first questions I had for Jim because books are typically made into books in order to sell them as books. Putting them into podcast form and broadcasting them freely via an RSS feed doesn’t seem like a good way to promote book sales.

But it’s actually the exact opposite that happens.

One of the reasons I believe podcasts are so popular is because they are a low-friction introduction to a topic, resource, or expert. A person can listen and learn and get to know you without ever having to let you know they are interested.

No risk of being “sold to.” No email opt-in required. In other words, it’s entirely safe for you, the listener, to check out a content provider by listening to the content they provide (a podcast, in this case).

Authors haven’t made good use of this aspect of podcasting… at least most haven’t. That’s because they are focused on selling books - and podcasts OF their books seem a bit non-intuitive at first.

But there are ways to make the entire text of your book(s) - fiction or non-fiction - available as a audio book(s) and use them as a lead-in to your sales process.

And according to what Jim shares on this episode, it’s working for many authors already. Listen to learn more.

I’ve got a handful of books I’ve considered making into audio books

The problem thus far has been the cost of making it happen. If you check out the plans ACX has for putting any book in to audio book format, it’s pricey… no matter which way you slice and dice it.

But what Jim Kukral has going on here makes the process of putting a book into audio format a whole new ballgame. If I’m satisfied with a robot voice reading the text of my book (a very GOOD robot voice… listen to this episode to hear an example) then there could be a much more affordable option available, now..

And it’s got at least one added perk: the ability to set it up as a podcast

64% of people are now familiar with podcasts, a stat that continues to climb each year. Combine that with the fact that 44% of people are listening to audiobooks and the idea the Book2Pod folks have come up with promises to be an excellent merger of two growing technologies. (stats from Infinite Dial 2018).

So… do you have a book you’d like to get into audio book format? This may be the way you can finally do it..

Here’s how I think I can use an audio book podcast to sell more books

Here’s my brainstorm/theory/thing… I’ll use my 3 book Dragonslayer series as an example.

Book one is complete. Book two is complete. Book three will hopefully be finished by the beginning of May 2018.

As part of the launch strategy for book 3, I could put together book one (at least) in an audio book podcast format using Book2Pod or by doing it myself using the same Amazon Polly technology (lots of work, but possible).

As the call to action in the audio episodes of that podcast I could encourage listeners to get the print copies of book 2 and 3 from Amazon. It really feels to me like people who like the audio would be interested in knowing what happens in the other two installments.

Am I crazy, or could it work?

Naturally, I’d have to follow best-practices for launching a new podcast - including great looking cover art, optimizing the name and author fields of the podcast and its episodes, etc. in order to get organic exposure through Apple Podcasts and other directories. But I think it would work.

And who knows… I may even find it profitable to put all 3 of the books into audio book / podcast format because many people who buy audio books also buy the print copy.

I’ll likely get to this in the next 6 months. I’ll let you know how it goes.

So you don’t have books to make into podcast audio books? There are other opportunities here.

Not every podcaster has a book to turn into a Book2Pod project. That’s OK, Jim and I took a bit of time on this episode to brainstorm other options. Here are a few we came up with…

Whitepapers
Blog posts
“How to” manuals or opt-in resources

And likely others we weren’t able to come up with. And the same principles I’ve already mentioned apply. You are giving your potential clients/customers/fans a low-risk opportunity to get to know you, to hear your expertise through what you’ve created.

And in time, as they become convinced that you know what you’re talking about - they may step through the door even more - by joining your email list - or buying a product - or hiring you to do whatever it is you do.

I think Jim has an amazing idea and I’m eager to hear the kind of success that comes from it. Join Jim and I for this interesting conversation - and shoot me a message to let me know what other possibilities you see for this kind of technology.

Connect with Today’s guest: Jim Kukral of Book2Pod

www.Book2Pod.com - try it out for free! It’s pretty fun.
Jim Kukral on Twitter: @JimKukral

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

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Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

94: Alexa Podcasts Are A Thing. Here’s Why You Should Care

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 15:00:00 -0400

Alexa podcast is a thing. Really, it is. We podcasters need to start thinking about where the industry is headed.

Now that podcasts can be listened to on Smart speakers like Alexa, there are a handful of things that I can think of that we need to consider in order to make our efforts more widely usable, which will include those kinds of devices.

On this episode of Podcastification I have a few things for you to think about when it comes to Alexa podcasts and the distribution of your show through those platforms.

Okay so we're talking about smart speakers on this episode. Do you even know what I mean when I talk about smart speakers?

Smart speakers are like Alexa or the Amazon Tap is like a mini version of the Alexa. The Tap is really just a fancy bluetooth speaker. We happen to have one of those that we were actually given through a drawing at a podcasting event that I was at a little while back.

But that's all beside the point. We're talking about Amazon Alexa and Google Home and all of the smart speakers they're starting to come out with. They are all connected to the internet and they are able to play audio for you through voice commands.

My wife uses our Amazon Tap quite often to play Spotify - the speaker has really good sound so it's a great little application of a smart speaker. But you can also speak to it because the Tap functions in many ways like an Alexa because you can connect through an Alexa app, which then connects to the internet, which you are able then to ask questions just like you would Alexa herself. So, we say things like “Alexa, tell me a story,” and it starts telling us a story.

How is this is relevant for us is podcasters?

It’s very relevant. We are on the cutting edge of a digital change of behavior for most people in the Western world and we don’t even realize it. The voice command features of these devices are going to make it easier and more common for people to listen to podcasts. So as the title of the episode says, Alexa podcasting is a thing.

Will Alexa podcasts work for your particular podcast name? Maybe not.

I did some experimentation with my little smart speaker - the Amazon Tap. I tried to get it to play a my particular podcasts - I have quite a few of them. I would say something like this…

“Alexa, play Podcastification.”

And it actually started playing a podcast but it wasn't a my podcast, it was something else.

What I think happens is that because the name of my show is not very clear and distinct and easy to pronounce and understand even for humans, the little smart speaker ain’t so smart.

It can't quite find my podcast because the name is not easy to decipher.

Could the technology improve in the future to the point that saying it by that name it might actually find and play my podcast?

Yeah, maybe. But at this point it's not able to.

So what's the principle we can draw from this?

It may be better to keep this identification issue in mind when it comes to naming our podcasts. It should be something very distinct, very clear, very easy to pronounce, very easily understood so that people using smart speakers can easily say the name of your podcast to their smart speaker and have it understand what they're saying.

Now you can always go back and rename your podcast if you're up for that. Or maybe not.

There's one other thing I think we should think about when it comes to podcasting and Alexa...

When we’re thinking about these smart speakers and listening to our podcasts on them, there is an important issue to consider: loudness levels.

I was noticing the other day when I was working inside Auphonic that podcast levels are recommended to be at what's called negative sixteen LUFS - L. U. F. S. That's nothing more than the measurement used for loudness of a digital audio file.

Podcasts are recommended to be at -16 LUFS. But there’s a different recommendation for Alexa and other smart speakers. The loudness level for them is -14 LUFS. It's two points difference and that's actually in the louder direction.

So these smart devices - or their developers - are wanting us to submit audio for them to use that is louder.

Now why might that be?

Well, given the context these smart speakers like Alexa are in, you may have background noise going on in the room. You may also have the speaker sitting on the other side of the room. So they are wanting the original audio file that's being drawn from to be louder to begin with - so that it's easier to hear on those devices.

That makes total sense to me.

So.

If you're even aware of the loudness level of your podcast you may want to consider adjusting to negative fourteen LUFS. Yes, negative sixteen is still what is recommended for podcasting, but because smart speakers are becoming more and more prevalent throughout our society, negative fourteen may be what we need to go to.

I'm considering it for all of my shows, including my client work because we want to optimize things the very best we can.

What are you doing about loudness levels? Anything?

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

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Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

93: Ignore This Audio Production Software At Your Own Risk

Tue, 06 Mar 2018 16:00:00 -0400

Whenever we think about audio production software we typically think about programs that allows to record and edit. Those would be things like Adobe Audition, Hindenburg, and Audacity.

But there are other programs out there that enable the new or inexperienced podcaster to get the same quality audio that many who play around with those software programs I mentioned get, without nearly the same amount of headache.

One of the audio production software packages that falls into that category is Auphonic.

Main Points : Incredible Audio Production Software

[1:24] How I came to know about Auphonic in the first place
[3:50] The benefits of Auphonic and the basic features of the system
[5:50] What you can expect to see within the audio production software
[9:30] Chapter marks are possible in Auphonic - here’s how
[12:32] Multiple output options possible, even at the same time
[15:57] Transcript creation as part of this audio production software
[16:42] Send your finished project to many online destinations
[17:57] 4 different audio algorithms you can choose from - including LUFS
[20:41] Analyzing outputs to see the difference is possible in Auphonic
[22:16] Desktop programs available from Auphonic
[25:18] If you love doing the audio processing stuff… nevermind.

Auphonic is audio production software for the rest of us… it does the thinking so we don’t have to

I do this audio production thing for a living and even I don't enjoy thinking about using limiters, high and low pass filters, compressors, noise Gates, and all that kind of stuff. Yes, it's fun to know what they are and how to use them if I have to, but I'd rather not if I can avoid it.

That is why Auphonic is such a treasure. The team behind this amazing audio production software have developed algorithms that process audio for you so that you don't have to. You can set up the types of audio processing you want the application to do and it simply does it for you.

One of the best things about Auphonic is that there is a free plan that most beginning podcasters would find very useful. In fact, many experienced podcasters may not need to pay for anything and be able to use all the bells and whistles that Auphonic has to offer.

This episode is about that. Auphonic.

If you have the opportunity to optimize your audio with a shorter process and results that are just as good, why wouldn't you do it?

Those of us who have been podcasting for any length of time understand that time is exactly the issue when it comes to producing or episodes. We only have so much of it and we have to use it wisely.

The Auphonic audio production software Is available to help us meet that need. The free plan for Auphonic is probably just about right for most podcasters and could be all you ever need. But if you go beyond that, you can buy one time credits to make up the difference.

The most important thing is that Auphonic does all the optimization of your audio file that you either don't know how to do or spend tons of time doing. Either way, this is a winning situation for you. And this episode I go through the platform step by step to explain to you the benefits if using this incredible software.

As I said in the title of this episode, ignore this audio editing platform at your own risk.

Do you want those cool audio motion graphics to promote your episodes? This audio production software can make them for you

If you spend any time on social media, especially in the podcasting communities that exist you have likely seen the wave motion typing videos that people use to promote their podcast episodes.

Heck, you may have even heard my episode with Baird Hall, co-founder of the Wavve App… they create this sort of thing.

You probably didn't realize it but the audio production software I'm talking about on this episode, Auphonic is capable of producing those files as well. They are called audiograms and you can find out how to use Auphonic to create them for yourself, on this episode.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

www.Auphonic.com
www.PodcastFastTrack.com/86 - My mobile recording setup using Auphonic
The Wavve App
www.PodcastFastTrack.com/80 - the episode with Baird Hall of Wavve

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Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

92: Podcasting Tips I Learned From NPR

Tue, 27 Feb 2018 16:00:00 -0400

I figure, if I want to learn podcasting tips that can help my show stand apart in the crowded podcastosphere, I might as well go to the people who have made a living from doing audio well.

And I also got a little help from a new friend - a guy named Cal Newport. Well, Cal's not actually my friend, but he's like a long-distance mentor via his books and interviews.

Cal's book "So Good They Can't Ignore You" inspired me to work at becoming the very best I can be in a chosen field.

The field I've chosen: Podcasting.

So.... reading a book by the folks at NPR about audio reporting and recording was right up the alley of my learning curve.

This episode is about the podcasting tips I learned from the good folks at NPR.

Main Points : Podcasting Tips from NPR

[4:09] The benefits of audio (why we are audio people)
[7:10] NPRs tips for making good recordings
[16:28] Best practices for working with a co-host
[20:50] Tips for doing better interviews

Podcasting tip #1 : Get clear on the benefits of good audio

As I said, the folks at NPR are a wealth of knowledge when it comes to recording and producing great audio. We podcasters can learn a ton from them and the book “Sound Reporting” outlines a lot of those valuable principles.

Here’s a sampling of the points the author shares about the benefits of good audio… keep in mind, he spoke in terms of audio in general. I changed the points to reflect our particular form of audio, podcasting.

Podcasts are portable (for the listener)

There’s a benefit to audio that you can’t get with video or theater, or any other form of communication. That’s its portability. People can listen on the treadmill, in the car, in the backyard pushing a lawn mower… anywhere.

That makes audio powerful in terms of its ABILITY to be consumed by the end user.

Podcasts are intimate (spoken to one)

Yes, we want to have more than just one person listening to our podcasts. But when we think in terms of the individual person who may be listening, it opens up a whole new perspective that enables us to be more effective.

When you’re recording, imagine yourself speaking to one person - just one.

How would your manner change? What sort of voice tone and inflection would you use? How nervous would you be? Do you see the point?

This is a tip you can apply to your podcasting that could make your process and actual outcome more effective because it’s more effective.

Podcasts are nimble (easy to do anywhere)
Few things affect us like the sound of the human voice

There are lots of sounds that impact us. The sound of a siren. The bell that rings to end classes at school. The screeching of brakes.

But the sound of a human voice is more powerful than any of those. It is filled with meaning, emotion, depth, significance, much more than anything else we hear.

Podcasting enables us to make the most of that reality. We’re able to use the human voice, perhaps the most powerful communication tool in the world, to impact the lives of other people.

Sound tells a story

We all love a good story. That’s why movies - and now narrative style podcasts - are so popular. Stories are told primarily through sound.

Yes, a skillful drawing or painting can tell a story of sorts, but it’s not as complete, not as impacting as a story told through the spoken word. Even words on a page are not as powerful. Notice how the audio book genre is growing?

These are just a few of the podcasting tips I learned reading the book, “Sound Reporting.” I hope you’ll pick up a copy and read it for yourself.

But if you’re not interested in reading, at least listen to this episode.

Podcasting Tip #2: Learn how to make good recordings

A good recording involves more than hitting the “record” button and speaking into a microphone. There’s lots of nuance and skill needed to do it well. Here are the tips I learned from the book about the HOW part of making good podcast audio...

Write and speak for the ear (not the eye)

This point has to do with people who use scripts or bullet point outlines as part of how they make recordings. That’s very common in a highly produced radio project like the folks at NPR create.

But the point is well-taken, even for those who use a script.

That’s because when you think in terms of your listeners actually BEING listeners, you start to realize that we don’t hear things as well the same way we read things. It’s weird, but it’s true.

Simpler is better (be comprehended the first time)

Podcasting is a bit different than radio - which is what the NPR folks are writing about in this book. They only get one chance to get it right for radio because it will be broadcast once and then it’s over with.

So listeners need to be able to hear it and understand it the FIRST TIME. So, in that sense simpler is definitely better. But I think there’s a great podcasting tip for us here…

The same thing is true for us.

Yes, our listeners CAN skip back 30 seconds to hear something that we didn’t quite say clearly enough… unless they are jogging, or driving, or….. Hmmmmmm.

Maybe it’s worth it for us to put a bit more time into our podcasts so that our listeners don’t have to do any back skipping to relisten. It seems to me we’d be serving our audience better by doing so.

Present information at a pace and in a form that allows people to absorb it

Some of us talk fast. Guilty as charged.

I think my brain gets going faster than my lips can keep up, but it doesn’t stop me from trying!

The tip I hear from this point is that we have to learn to slow down so that what we’re saying can have the time to register in the brains of our listeners and be truly understood.

Understanding is what we’re after, right?

Write the way you speak - to one person (not hundreds or thousands)
Don't use words you wouldn't use at other times (lends to authenticity & aids comprehension)

I laugh at how many of us podcasters seem to go into “announcer mode” the moment the record button is depressed. But there’s no need for it… our audience typically wants us to be us. Go figure.

So Jonathan suggests a great tip for us podcasters - don’t use words you wouldn’t normally use. Not only could it sound forced… it can very easily feel inauthentic, because it is.

Stick to what you know. Stick to who you are. Your audience will thank you for it.

Be aware of cliches and look for alternatives
Avoid unnecessary jargon - explain what you must (to a smart but distracted 10th grader)

I loved this point - Jonathan says that if we are able to imagine ourselves talking to smart but distracted 10th grader, we’ll be doing well.

Isn’t that great? Our listeners are smart, but they may be distracted - by kids, by traffic, by social media, by a TV blaring in the other room - so we need to speak simply and plainly.

Know and pronounce names correctly

Podcasting Tip #3: Make your co-hosting situations the best they can be

The points listed below are pretty self-explanatory, so I’m going to leave most of them to speak for themselves. But first, I want to say this…

It’s my opinion that unless you’re someone famous that people are fawning over and dying to hear speak… get to the point.

Don’t sit shooting the breeze with your co-host for the first 5 to 15 minutes before you get to the great content your episode title promised. Get with it.

People are busy. And your listeners are busy people. Give them value right away without all the weekend catch-ups and news flashes of your baby’s latest achievements.

My opinion. Clearly.

Discuss a mutual goal/point for the episode
Communicate ahead of time
Create lists of suggested questions
Inform about your own POV and possibility of sharing it

I did want to say something here. Jonathan points out that co-hosts can add some flair or pizzaz to their recordings by being aware of each other’s points of view.

Think: cable news shows with co-hosts.

When you’re able to inject a bit of disagreement into a conversation, it’s a lot more fun to listen to and people are likely not going to click away until they know the outcome. So… take the time to discuss your topics together - enough to know if you might get to fight a little during the episode.

It could be fun - for you and your listeners.

Suggest sound effects, clips, etc.
Have notes handy that contain facts, stats, etc.
Remember it's a conversation, not a polished script
Don't say, "That's a good question."
(mine) Rapport goes a long way, but keep it on target for your goals for the episode

Podcasting Tip #4: Learn to be a GREAT interviewer

This entire section of the book was great. Jonathan shares wonderful tips for any podcaster who does interviews regularly. It’s a skill - and it can be developed.

Be curious

I can’t emphasize enough how important this is. Let me drive it home a bit…

If you’re interviewing to connect with influencers, that’s only half the battle. You’ve got to make those influencers like you and value the connection you make with them. How do you do that? By being curious - truly interested in what they have to say. And more so, how they learned the things they share with your audience.

Curiosity is one of the cure-alls for people who don’t know what to ask. Just think about the person and start asking yourself questions about them - then turn around and ask them.

Be skeptical (human nature & agendas)
Look and listen for the truth
Listen well (inject emotion and genuine interest into it)

The stories your guests tell matter to them. You want those stories to matter to your audience as well.

The better you listen, the better you connect with your guest’s stories, the better you’re able to help your listeners do the same through penetrating follow up questions and the like.

Don’t just look at your list of pre-selected questions to see what you’re going to ask next. Listen and learn right along with your listeners.

Absorb information clearly
Do everything to avoid factual mistakes
Always engage in small talk first

Engaging in small talk before you launch into an interview does a handful of very beneficial things.

#1 - It puts the interviewee at ease. Nothing like a tense guest to make for a boring show.

#2 - It enables you to make a personal connection, and people share more with people they feel personally connected to.

#3 - It allows the guest to forget that they’re being recorded - sometimes. They get so comfortable with you they relax.

#4 - It establishes the beginnings of a relationship upon which your entire conversation will be built. Don’t take this lightly. Your guests need to feel comfortable with YOU before anything else.

Play dumb
Yes/no questions should be avoided
Either/or questions should be avoided
Ask for analogies to clarify technical subjects

Analogies are word pictures. Ask your guests to use them when a concept or idea is hard to grasp. You can say things like…

“Tell me what that’s like…”

“What is it similar to that my listeners would know from everyday life?”

“How did it feel to experience that kind of situation?”

When you take the time to dig deeper, your guest’s expertise will be able to shine through even more.

Put the same energy into your questions as you'd like from the answers you receive

This is another gold nugget tip for podcasters.

Don’t ask boring questions and don’t ask questions in a boring way.

The energy you demonstrate in asking is the energy that will come back in the response.

Podcasting Tips From True Audio Professionals

So… these are a lot different than Aaron Mahnke’s recent “10 Super Sassy Podcasting Tips” - but they are just as important.

Maybe more so… because nothing against Aaron, but he’s relatively new to the audio broadcasting scene compared to Jonathan and the folks at NPR.

What they’ve learned through the years can serve us well, if we will apply them well. :)

RESOURCES I MENTIONED.

BOOK: Sound Reporting
BOOK: So Good They Can’t Ignore You

Leave your question for me to answer!

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

91: RANT: You Could Be Killing Your Podcast Growth Curve

Tue, 20 Feb 2018 16:00:00 -0400

3 Ways to NOT Kill Your Podcast Growth Curve

Warning - warning - warning. There's a rant ahead!

I have seen this same mistake on podcaster’s websites over and over and over now, so I plead with you… listen to this episode, learn from this episode, and NEVER do this stinkin stupid thing again.

Main Points : 3 Ways NOT to Kill Your Podcast Growth Curve

[1:26] What I’ve discovered while tooling around the Apple Podcasts website
[2:15] It’s INSANE to send people to Apple Podcasts (iTunes) to listen to your show
[3:59] You’ve created tons of goodies. Why send your audience AWAY from them?
[6:21] There are ways you can tell Google that you have GREAT resources - sending people away from your site is NOT ONE OF THEM!
[9:09] How you may be telling Google NOT to send people to your website
[11:02] How you can apply this lesson right now.

So I spend a lot of time in the Apple Podcasts directory. You know, that place that used to be called iTunes but now is called Apple Podcasts.

And what am I DOING in the Apple Podcasts directory? Honestly, I’m looking for clients, for people who are producing great content and want a great production partner to take the podcast time suck off their hands so they can do better things with their time.

One of the things I experience while in the directory is that I usually click the little link that says website, right there next to their podcast listing, and I'll go to visit the website. I want to check them out and see their show. Who knows? Maybe there’s a way we can work together.

Here’s the problem - the way people are killing their own podcast growth curve. Ready?

Podcasters often put a really cool looking show notes page up for particular episode. I go there. I scroll up and down, up and down up, and down that page trying to find a stinkin’ web player so I can actually hear what their podcast sounds like.

And do you know what I find?

I find that silly little piece of artwork that says “Listen on Apple Podcasts” and that's the only way they have for me to listen to their show. I have to go OFF their site to listen on somebody else’s platform.

It’s one of the dumbest things I’ve ever seen and in this episode of Podcastification I walk through 3 important reasons you should not be doing that on your show notes pages.

That’s my rant and I’m sticking to it.

#1 REASON: You’re forcing people to listen to your podcast in a way many are unable to listen

Not everybody has an Apple phone. GASP!

It’s true. What’s the point? There are many, many, many people, who will not be able to listen to your podcast at all if you send them to Apple Podcasts to listen. Why? Because they don’t have the Apple app on their phone that you’re trying to send them to.

OK, what if they are on a computer. It could be a very similar issue. If they don’t have the iTunes software installed, they’re going to be sent to a webpage that has NO players on it at all. So they’ll either get frustrated and turn away (most likely) or they’ll get frustrated and turn away.

Hmmmmmm.

In short, people using android phones are not going to be able to listen to your show simply by clicking on that Apple Podcasts logo.

So don’t send them there in the first place!

OK, OK - if you want to include the logo on the page and you want the logo to link to Apple Podcasts, go ahead. But don't make that the only way someone can listen to your show when they come to your shows notes page. It's ridiculous because you're not making it easy for your listener to actually be a listener.

Does that make sense?

#2 REASON: You’ve got lots of good goodies on your website - and you’re sending people away.

On purpose.

Time after time after time when people land on your show notes page.

You’re sending people away from all the goodies you've created for them to see. Listen now, this is important. If your goal as a podcaster is to get your target audience listening to your show and becoming familiar with you as a resource around your topic, that’s EXACTLY what you should be doing. But if you send them away from your site, that’s not going to happen. They're not gonna to get to get to see all the cool goodies you have for them.

They've not had the opportunity to see things you’ve got - like books, and courses, and consulting, and things like that, the things that you offer that you're actually wanting them to get from you.

May I say this bluntly? You need to keep those people on your website if at all possible - and the best way to do that is to include actual web player from your media host - NOT by sending them to Apple Podcasts.

And it's not that hard to insert that player.

For example on Libsyn, a player code is provided to you for every episode. You just click a little green button and it opens a window, and there's the code.

You copy it
You go to your Wordpress website or even your Wix website or your Squarespace site
You go into the code section where you want that player to appear and you paste in that code.

Walah! You have a clickable web player right there on your page.

And don’t worry, all those plays count as downloads in your stats.

REASON #3: You get to tell Google you’ve got great resources when you DON’T send people to Apple Podcasts

Here’s a little fact about the way Google search works.

The longer people stay on your web page after coming there from doing a Google search, the more Google thinks your particular page was a great answer to the question they were searching for. It’s that simple.

Let me give you a scenario” Say Jimmy John is searching for something about social media marketing and he finds an episode of your podcast through searching Google, that IS about social media marketing.

Okay, he comes to your web page and right there on your page is your great episode title. your great art work, your great podcast player and he decides to click the play button. He's gonna to stay on that page at least for a while as he listens to the beginning of that episode to see if it is going to answer the question has has about social media marketing.

You’ve got Jimmy John on your page - so to speak - as a captive audience for at least a little while.

Naturally, that means you've got to be making great audio content that draws him in right away and makes him appreciate what it is you have to share, but that's kind of beside the point here.

The real point is this: As that searcher is on your webpage - Google is tracking him and is saying, “Hey, Jimmy Johnson searched for “social media marketing.” Jimmy John found this page and now Jimmy John is staying on that page for two minutes, three minutes, five minutes, seven minutes, however long he listens.

Google's algorithm is making some digital assumptions based on Jimmy John’s behavior while he’s on your page - the biggest assumption being that your page is a good resource for people who are searching for the topic of social media marketing.

And you know what's going to happen then?

The next time someone searches for social media marketing, your particular show notes page that Jimmy John found is going to be pushed higher in the search for those people to find. That's just the way the search algorithms work at this point in time.

And for that reason alone, you want to make sure you're not sending people off your page - because that does exactly the opposite.

Let me give you that same scenario again in reverse:

Say Jimmy Johnson searches for “social media marketing.”
Say he finds your web page.
Say he scrolls through the web page like I do day after day and can't find a web player but he only finds a piece of artwork that says, “Go listen on Apple Podcasts” and he clicks on that artwork.

Within 10 to 15 seconds Jimmy John has come to your page and immediately bounced off your page.

What do you think Google thinks in its digital mind?

It thinks, “This was not a good resource for people searching for the term “social media marketing.” And so it's actually going to diminish your ranking in Google search.

Do you see what's happening?

You are killing your own podcast growth curve. Don’t do it.

How to stop killing your podcast growth curve.

Now that you know the mistake, it’s time to do something about it. This is just one of those ways we make a mistake periodically, not even thinking it through in terms of the impact it's going to have, based on the knowledge we already have.

Make changes.

Get rid of that artwork or the links to Apple Podcasts. Or if you absolutely have to have it, ensure that people who land on your page can STAY on your page, by having a player right there for them to use.

Look at your show notes pages and see if there's anything you're doing that is keeping people from staying on your page longer - and FIX IT!

Rant over.

RESOURCES MENTIONED iN THIS EPISODE

www.Libsyn.com - get up to 1 ½ months of hosting free by using the code “PFT” (affiliate)

Leave your question for me to answer!

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

90: [[2018 UPDATE]] - Good Podcast Names Really Matter: A Case Study

Tue, 13 Feb 2018 16:00:00 -0400

There are all kinds of crazy names people give to their podcasts in the Apple Podcasts directory, but I don't believe most of them are good podcast names.

This episode of the show is all about how to properly name your podcast. When I say properly, I don't mean there is some kind of etiquette around podcast naming, what I mean is there are best practices that make your podcast name work for you instead of against you.

Intrigued? You've got to hear what happened in this case study that I didn't intend to be a case study.

Main Points : Good Podcast Names Matter

[0:53] What do I mean when I say podcast names matter?
[3:22] The case study I did that wasn’t intended to be a case study
[4:49] Little promotion, one Facebook share per morning, amazing results!
[6:42] The name I chose for the podcast is the only thing that made the impact
[8:20] The deliberate steps I took to discover a good podcast name
[10:01] Why RELEVANT keywords in your name are a HUGE consideration
[11:27] The reason I thought a good podcast name would matter: Algorithms!
[13:40] The STATS that prove that good podcast names matter
[18:50] Why you’re NOT sunk if your podcast name is not keyword rich
[19:30] Best practices for episode names - keep keywords in mind!

What’s in a name? When it comes to a good podcast name - a LOT!

I have to admit that there are a lot of strong opinions in what I have to say on this episode. They're strong opinions I've had for a long time, not just about good podcast names but about a lot of things including company names, brand logos, and other stuff.

I'm no expert, so what I have to say doesn't usually hold much water, but in this episode, I'm going to walk you through the statistics of what has actually happened from choosing a good podcast name in order to show you that in this case, I think my opinion does hold some water.

Podcast names are not only the way you identify your show to others. They also communicate something about you, your message, the people you have as guests on your show, and the topics you cover. In my view, if your podcast name doesn't express those things clearly, what's the use?

Of course, there are many large brands and successful people who have done this whole podcast naming thing differently than what I am going to suggest on this episode, but we are not them.

Most of us are average people, without big followings, without the benefit of being a household name or brand that others have known about forever.

So we have to go about this a little bit differently. Our main objective is to get people to pay attention, to notice our podcast in the first place. That is why I a good podcast name makes a lot of difference.

In this episode I not only explain why it's true, I also demonstrate it through those stats I was talking about. You really need to hear this.

How do I know it was a good podcast name that made the difference? It's the only thing I did.

The situation I described as my case study in this episode is one where I was launching a new podcast, but the content is something I had created previously. It's a daily show so I didn't want to spend all my time promoting, promoting, promoting. That means my only promotional attempt on any of the episodes is an automatic post from my Libsyn media host account to Facebook. That is it.

No Facebook ads.

No email blasts.

Nothing else.

On this episode, you're going to hear the way the numbers increased to well over 600 downloads in less than 30 days. It's remarkable, and I'm pretty convinced it only happened because I approached the name of my podcast with a keyword-centric mindset.

If that doesn't make sense to you, listen to this episode. I describe exactly what I did, why I did it, and how it appears to have worked.

If you are going to use keywords in your podcast name, make sure they are relevant.

When I say that the keywords you use in your podcast name need to be relevant, do you know what I mean?

Well, let's take this example as a way not to do it…you’ve probably seen podcasts in the Apple Podcasts directory that use this approach.

“Business Tips That Rock - interviews with people like Dave Ramsey, Jay Papasan, Cameron Herald, Tony Robbins, and more.

That is the opposite of a good podcast name. In fact, it is a VERY BAD podcast name. Why?

Because it is keyword stuffed. That means the person who wrote that name used words they assumed other people would be searching for that really have NOTHING to do with their actual podcast.

Not only is that unethical, it simply doesn't work like they think it's going to work. Apple has also been known to boot shows right out of their directory for doing that kind of thing.

So when I say you need to have a keyword-centric approach to the way you create your podcast name, I'm referring to the use of relevant keywords, the words that truly have to do with the topics and items you will be covering on your podcast.

That is a LEGITIMATE use of keywords, and it makes for a good podcast name that actually benefits you and your audience.

It's all about algorithms.

The reason I thought that taking a keyword-centric approach to creating a good podcast name would actually work is that I discovered a little-known fact. The Apple Podcast directory only considers three things when someone does a search for a new podcast to listen to. Here they are…

Your podcast name
Your episode names
Your author field

That is it.

So, if you want to rank in the search results for the words “content marketing” you had better have those words in the name of your podcast. At the very least you should have some episodes with those words in the title.

I guess you could figure out a way legitimately use “content marketing” in your author field, but it feels like a stretch to me.

The point is this: You have to play within Apple Podcasts rules if you want your show to actually rank for the things people are searching for. It's NOT gaming the system to do that, it is playing according to the rules laid down by the system. There's a big difference.

Make sure you listen to this episode to hear the amazing results I got from this little experiment that I didn't really mean to be an experiment.

Leave your question for me to answer!

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

89: Podcast Intro Music Dos and Don’ts: A Legal Q&A with Gordon Firemark

Tue, 06 Feb 2018 16:32:00 -0400

Questions about the proper use of podcast intro music and outro music are some of the most common things people ask me about.

Can I use this popular song? What if I only use 20 seconds of it? Doesn't that fall under fair use Doctrine? What if I get somebody to compose music for me, can that work?

These are only a few examples of the legal side of what it takes to do a podcast in a way that reflects your personal integrity and keeps you out of trouble.

I decided it was time for me to invite someone on the show who could give us clear answers on these kinds of issues.

Gordon Firemark is an entertainment lawyer who specializes in helping theater professionals, producers, big media companies, and podcasters do the right thing when it comes to copyright law, legal working agreements, and lots of other things that are important for anyone publishing content.

This was a great conversation and I personally learned some things I didn't know, which you’ll hear me admit on the episode. Gordon is very generous guy who has provided some great free resources which you can find in the show notes links for this episode.

I only used 20 seconds of a song. Isn’t that OK to use for my podcast intro?

If you are depending on the Fair Use Doctrine often mentioned as support for using a small section of a copyrighted music on podcasts, you could be on very shaky ground. In this conversation Gordon addresses the Fair Use issue head-on as it relates to podcast intros and outros. His insight into what Fair Use really means and when it is applicable is very helpful, because it's very complicated.

WHAT IS FAIR USE?

There are actually four criteria that are used to determine if use of a copyrighted work falls under the Fair Use Doctrine and is therefore oka:

How much of the copyrighted work is actually being used? - which is typically the only thing people talk about
How substantial is the use of it?
What is the nature of the used portion of the work (the most catchy part of the song VS an obscure section)
What impact will the use of the work be on the marketing of the original work?

As you can see, it's much more complicated than you typically hear about and smarter minds than mine have had a hard time figuring out what actually falls under Fair Use and what doesn't.

So what should you do? Unless you have deep pockets filled with cash that you can use in the likelihood that you are sued, I would suggest you steer clear of using copyrighted works for your podcast intro or outro, unless you have clear permission to do so.

And what does it look like to have clear permission to use a copyrighted work? Gordon clarifies that as well, on this episode.

Podcast intro music is not the only legal issue podcasters need to be concerned about

Well it's clear that we podcasters need to be using music appropriately for our intros and outros, it's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to legal issues we've got to be informed about.

The most helpful part of this conversation with Gordon Firemark (in my humble opinion) has to do with how we go about informing our potential guests about the ways we will be using the recording that we make of our conversation with them.

Gordon provides great insight into what a guest should be agreeing to when they come on your show so that you don't wind up getting sued by them over a technicality. Gordon also provides a copy of a legally crafted podcast guest released form which you can download and tweak to your heart's content.

I told you he was a generous guy.

But that's not all Gordon has to offer. He's also working on resources for digital entrepreneurs - you know, those people who create online courses and coaching sessions and seminars and webinars and resources for others to use. His desire is to help content creators like you and me stay out of the legal woods and on the clear path of integrity.

You don't want to miss the things he has to share on this episode.

Is that affiliate link you're citing in your show notes being used in illegal way?

It's not uncommon to hear a podcast episode referring to affiliate links. Heck, I do it time.

But there is a right way and a wrong way to do it. Much like the issue of how to find and properly use podcast intro music, you also need to make sure that the disclosures you make about your affiliate relationships is done properly. If you don't, you can wind up in hot legal water.

Gordon Firemark shares the right way and the wrong way to use affiliate links, how to do it both in the text of your show notes and in the audio of your podcast episodes, and whether or not you should call an affiliate a sponsor of your show - all on this episode.

There's a lot to learn about the legal side of podcasting and Gordon is the guy to tell us what we need to know.

I encourage you to share this episode with other podcasters you know so that they can learn how to do this thing we call podcasting, the right way.

Main Points :

[1:08] Why Gordon believes podcasting is the wave of the future for entertainment delivery
[2:18] The basic foundation of copyright law and how it applies to podcasting
[6:07] What is royalty free music and is it a good option to use for podcast music?
[7:38] Podcast music obtained through a composer or artist: How to do it right
[13:34] Issues surrounding the rights and liabilities of having guests on your podcast
[15:36] Types of things to be concerned about when having guests on your show
[18:07] Legal issues of working with a co-host and how to avoid problems
[24:25] Can an email agreement stand up in court (if needed)?
[28:25] The legalities of monetization and affiliate relationships and how to handle them
[30:29] Is it OK to say that an affiliate company is the “sponsor” of your episode?

Connect with Today’s guest : Entertainment Attorney Gordon Firemark

www.GordonFiremark.com - all of Gordon’s products and services
www.Firemark.com - Gordon’s law practice website
Gordon’s Podcast: Entertainment Law Update
www.PodcastRelease.com - get Gordon’s free guest release form to tweak

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

Podfest Expo in Orlando - Gordon is speaking there about music rights for podcasts
Podcast Music that is legal for you to use - Podcastification episode 32
Audible (NOT an affiliate link :) )

Leave your question for me to answer!

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

88: How To Create A Pinterest Strategy To Promote Your Podcast, with Kathryn Moorhouse

Tue, 30 Jan 2018 15:00:00 -0400

https://www.speakpipe.com/Podcastification

Pinterest itself has been a mystery to me for a very long long time, so to talk about having a Pinterest strategy for my podcast is like asking me to be a girl. I don’t know anything about it. :)

Pinterest is fun to look at - I’ve gone there on occasion to get great ideas for DIY projects or workshop and garage renovation tips, but I kind of view it is this food, clothes and fitness kind of a network. But the more I spend time on the platform, the more I’ve thought it has got to be usable for podcasting on the promotional side of things.

So I thought I'd reach out to a gal named Kathryn Moorhouse - she's a self-proclaimed marketing lover and an obsessive planner. She sounds like my kind of person. Her entire business is dedicated to helping people grow and maximize their Pinterest following. So… I think we podcasters have got a lot to learn from Kathryn today.

Main Points : A Pinterest Strategy for Podcasting

[3:48] Pinterest is powerful because it’s a search engine (isn’t Kathryn’s accent great?)
[9:40] How Pinterest helps you know what keywords to use on your posts
[14:12] Good news: You can effectively start over on Pinterest if you’ve botched it up
[16:04] If you’ve never set up a free Pinterest account: here’s how to do it
[25:47] The power of pinning the same image multiple times over time
[29:45] Group boards: a powerful way to expose others to your content
[33:23] What makes for a good Pinterest image (size, what’s on it, best practices)?
[41:10] Templates can save your bacon when it comes to image creation
[43:07] What Kathryn does to help people make the most of Pinterest

Pinterest is a great platform for promotion because it’s a search engine that focuses on evergreen content - which is exactly what podcast episodes are

Think about how you promote your podcast. Social media makes it easy - sort of - but it’s getting to be very crowded. But it is still true that visual content is what catches the attention of the people you’re trying to reach more than anything else. That means developing a Pinterest Strategy to make the most of the visual nature of the platform could be your ticket to getting new eyes on your content.

And keep in mind, Pinterest is an evergreen platform. That means that what you share today will be searchable for the keywords associated with it long into the future. So it could be like investing in something now for a tremendous return in the days ahead. It’s priceless. It is so easy for podcasters to actually put content out there in a way that is suitable for their ideal listeners.

Kathryn Moorhouse has lots to share about developing a Pinterest strategy for your podcast promotions, so be sure you take the time to listen to this episode.

Your ideal listener is searching Pinterest for inspiration, encouragement, ideas, or answers. How can you create a Pinterest strategy that offers what they are seeking?

When we create an episode of our podcast we usually have in mind how we believe the content we're sharing will help those who listen. We have to think along that same line when we create promotional materials that we will use to distribute the show. Are ideal listener is looking for inspiration, encouragement, ideas, or answers. We got to figure out how to share the answers we have for them in a way that matches how they are seeking for it.

Kathryn Moorhouse Shares that people go to Pinterest for the very same reasons: encouragement, ideas, inspiration, or answers. But they are searching on a visual platform which means we podcasters have to think in terms different than recorded audio, which is what we are used to thinking. But never fear, Kathryn is here to help us. She's got some great tips for using templates and free services like canva to make our social sharing faster, easier, and more effective on visual platforms like a Pinterest. Be sure you take the time to listen.

Connect with Kathryn Moorhouse

Kathryn’s Pinterest page - great for how-to examples of best practices
Kathryn’s Facebook Page
Kathryn on Instagram
Kathryn’s FREE Facebook Group: https://facebook.com/groups/pintereststrategy
Get Kathryn’s discount for her Pinterest course - $50 off - use the code “Podcastification”

RESOURCES MENTIONED iN THIS EPISODE

Tailwind

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Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

87: Effective Podcast Marketing & Content Creation Anyone Can Do, with Kyle Bondo

Tue, 23 Jan 2018 16:00:00 -0400

https://www.speakpipe.com/Podcastification

Podcast marketing - getting your show noticed by the audience you’re trying to reach - is a tough thing to figure out.

You don’t want to be the smarmy guy or gal who’s in every channel screaming, “Listen to my show! Listen to my Show! Listen to my Show!” - but you also don’t want to be guilty of a Field of Dreams approach that believes if you build it, listeners will come. It simply doesn’t work that way.

But - when you take podcasting seriously a lot of amazing things can happen. My guest today is proof of that - Kyle Bondo is a guy I met Kyle at DC podfest a couple of years ago when I was there to speak and we just hit it off. Kyle has focused on making excellent content and being helpful to the people he meets and its enabled him to market his podcast through the relationships and trust he’s built.

Kyle’s got a cool story that should be encouraging to anyone who wants a broader reach for their show. Hit the play button, would ya?

Main Points :

[2:20] Kyle’s podcast “Merchants of Dirt” and the story of building it
[4:10] The story of how GagglePod came to be
[7:22] The best feeling Kyle’s gotten from his efforts to help podcasters so far
[9:00] Reach a bigger audience with a podcasting strategy
[13:20] Content comes first, selling stuff comes second
[35:45] How GagglePod can help you (local to D.C. especially)

Your podcast can reach a bigger audience if you apply a specific strategy to what you do

One of the many lessons that Kyle Bondo has learned in the past three to four years as he's been podcasting is that nothing really happens by accident. You have to plan and shoe towards something specific if results are going to come.

He's written an excellent blog post on his Gaggle pod site that is about how to reach a bigger Audience by applying a very specific strategy to your podcast. It's a podcast marketing approach that you wouldn't necessarily think of as a marketing approach, but it makes total sense.

In this conversation Kyle and I chat about what it means to apply strategy to your podcast, all the way from the way that you producer episodes to the way you promote them to the audience you're trying to reach. Kyle had some amazing insights for a guy who hasn't been doing this very long and I know you're going to like him, and the advice he has to share.

Great content needs to come first. Making money from your podcast has to come second

When you think about marketing your podcast there's a foundational mindset that you should make sure is always part what motivates you to do Marketing in the first place. That mindset is this: great content needs to come first. Making money or bigger download numbers from your podcast has to come second.

Following that principal will enable you to care about the people who listen to your show first and foremost. It means you create incredible resources that truly benefit their lives and as a result, they turn to you for exactly what you have to offer them, paid or not.

It's not wrong to make money from your podcast, and it's not even Shady to have that as a motive behind the scenes of the interactions you're having with people, but you need to genuinely care about them. There's no human relationship in existence where you give benefits to the other and don't get anything in return. It's just a natural part of the way God made the universe to work.

Find out more about the way Kyle does this through his Gaggle pod meetups on this episode of podcast application.

Fast and easy doesn’t work when it comes to producing a quality podcast. Find out what it takes to make it happen the right way

we live in a culture that wants everything fast and easy. The problem is that fast and easy don't create valuable, lasting, truly impacting things. You've got to put in the time and you've got to put in the effort to build something worthwhile.

When Kyle Bondo brought up this topic on this episode of the podcast he was speaking my language. I've been working hard to ensure that I'm doing more of the work required to add value that I am wishing for bigger results. The first thing leads to the second thing, and marking my podcast tirelessly won't do a bit of good if my content isn't worth Marketing in the first place.

You can learn what Kyle has learned as he's built his podcasts from the ground up by listening to this great conversation. He's a genuine guy you will learn a lot from.

Promotion of your podcast happens best when you answer questions, solve problems, THEN tell people about your podcast

If you want to Market your podcast effectively you need to first of all get into the communities where your ideal audience hangs out. But don't jump in there and start screaming about your podcast. Stop to assess the situation and get to know the people involved in the conversations.

Answer questions, solve problems, help people with the things that are obstacles in their lives. When the time comes and if it's appropriate, feel free to offer your podcast as a resource to help them, but only if and when it will help them. They don't want to know how much knowledge you have until they know how much you care about them.

This is one of the main points Kyle Bondo drives home in the conversation we recorded for this episode and I hope you will take the time to listen to what he has to say. It's proven to be true in his experience, and I can attest to the fact that it's been true for me as well.

Don’t be that smarmy podcaster who’s interacting with people just to get them to do something YOU want. Care about people and genuinely offer help

You see people like this all the time in Social media communities you frequent - a guy or gal immediately starts talking about themselves, their podcast, their blog, their product, their everything, and everyone else is cringing under the barrage of self-oriented junk.

You don't want to be that smarmy person because that's Mari person is the person you don't want to be around, right? So why would you do to others what you don't want them to do to you?

Learn how to add value. Learn how to give before you get. And learn how to do it all by producing great content. That's the best podcast marketing that exists and it comes through the genuineness of your efforts to be a benefit to others.

Connect with Today’s guest: Kyle Bondo

www.Reckoneer.com - Kyle’s blogging site
Kyle’s podcast: Merchants of Dirt
Kyle’s other show: Get Lost Racing Podcast
GagglePod - Kyle’s Podcasting Resources
The GagglePod Meetup
Kyle’s post: Reach A Bigger Audience With A Podcasting Strategy
Kyle’s post: Find Your Audience, Earn Their Trust, THEN Lead Them To Your Podcast

RESOURCES MENTIONED iN THIS EPISODE

Podcastification Episode #69 - Cleanfeed co-Founder Marc Hills
DC Podfest
BOOK: So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport
Stacking The Bricks
www.AudacityForPodcasting.com

Leave your question for me to answer!

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Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

86: DEMO: Mobile Recording for My Podcast Step By Step

Tue, 16 Jan 2018 16:00:00 -0400

https://www.speakpipe.com/Podcastification

Mobile Recording can be hard to figure out, especially if you don’t have a money tree growing in your backyard. I’ve given a lot of thought to this from a “lean budget” perspective and have tried a LOT of things over the years I’ve been podcasting.

What I demo in this episode is the best MOBILE RECORDING solution I’ve discovered yet. It only requires one piece of software that is app based (phone or smart device) and one additional piece of hardware that is portable and costs less than $100. Interested? Play the stinkin’ episode!

Here’s What You'll Learn In This Mobile Recording Demo

[0:51] Why I wanted to discover a remote or mobile recording solution for my podcast
[2:20] How you can use the Auphonic service to set up for mobile recording
[4:49] DISCLAIMERS: Audio quality at the source is still an audio quality limitation
[5:55] How you can leave me a question that I can answer on this show!
[6:47] The episode within the episode - DEMO of what my mobile recording solution produced (recorded in my freezing cold back yard)
[9:02] The mic I used: The Rode VideoMIC ME
[9:39] Ahead-of-time steps you need to take within Auphonic (see below for details).
[14:35] How to get your smartphone app and connect your microphone - turn on AIRPLANE MODE
[18:15] The perks of doing mobile recording this way - inexpensive, easy to transport, easy to pull off
[21:51] How the Podcastification team will give you a %10 off discount ongoing

First step toward this mobile recording setup is this: you need to connect Auphonic to a storage account - they call it an “external service”

Ok, let’s get to it. In order to do exactly what I did in the “episode” within this episode you’ll need to set up some things ahead of time. First, you’ll need an Auphonic account.

Relax - Auphonic is free for up to 2 hours of audio a month. That’s pretty generous given that many podcasts are 30 minutes or less. So 4 episodes per month… you do the math. You can find a link to Auphonic below.

Then, within Auphonic you’ll need to follow the instructions I explain in this episode to set up a few things…

External services like Dropbox or Google Drive

#1 - click on the “services” tab at the top of the main page

#2 - In the lower section, select the service you want to use to store your intro and/or outro files. Auphonic will pull from that location to use them each time you access the template you’re going to create (I used Dropbox in my example)

Once you’ve got that external service set up, all you need to do is setup your Show’s Mobile “preset”. I’ll walk you through that next…

How to Set up your mobile recording preset in Auphonic

The first thing you’ll do before you actually try to set up a preset in Auphonic is to place a copy of your intro and/or outro into the proper spot within your external service (Dropbox or Google Drive).

I chose Dropbox, so here’s where it has to go: Dropbox>Apps>Auphonic

Place a copy of your intro and outro files in that folder and you’re good. They will be available to you within Auphonic as you move on to the next step

Next, go back to the menu at the top of the Auphonic homepage and select the “presets” option.

Click on the big, red “New Preset” button as you see here…

And you’ll get a page that allows you to specify all kinds of things about your preset. Here are the ones I focused on to set up my mobile recording preset…

Name:

I chose “P-Mobile” (for Podcastification - Mobile”)

Select Intro:

When you click on the drop down it will give you the option to choose from one of your external services. For me, I chose the proper Dropbox account (if you have more than one, be careful to choose the right one).

You’ll see little spinner thing appear for just a second as Auphonic searches the Dropbox account you selected, and then a second drop-down box will appear to allow you to select a file from Dropbox.

When you choose that dropdown, lo and behold, there are your files to select. In this case, I selected my intro.

After you’ve selected the proper intro file, you want to set what Auphonic calls an “Overlap” duration… this simply means:

“How much (in seconds) do you want the ending of your intro to overlap the main content you upload later through the app?”

You may not want any overlap. You may want a lot. But keep in mind - this is referring to the END of your intro file and the BEGINNING of your main content to be uploaded.

You will likely need to listen to your intro file and watch the timestamp as it moves in order to determine exactly how much space you have at the end of it for an overlap. The cool thing about a phonic is that it will automatically duck your intro volume underneath the content of your main file once you upload it. No need to make any adjustments. :)

In my case, I chose 3 seconds because I only want my main content overlap The Fading cymbal crash at the end of my intro for a small portion of time.

Now you will start the same process for your outro. Using the drop-down box, select the proper external service, which should be the exact same as it was for your intro.

Once you have made your selection you will be provided a second drop down box from which you can choose the appropriate outro file.

Then you need to select the overlap time for your outro. Be careful that you think about this one differently, it's actually the exact opposite of what you did on your intro.

The way to think about it is that you are specifying how much of the BEGINNING of your outro file should play underneath the END of your main content file that will be uploaded later through the app.

In my case, I timed out how much music plays at the beginning of my out row before the voiceover begins and discovered that I had about 33 seconds to play with, so that is what I chose for my overlap amount.

The rest of the fields on the page are pretty self-explanatory. Keep in mind that things like your title and track number will need to be input later, after you have determined what those things will be. For now, you are only completing the fields for those things that will be the same on every episode.

If you would like Auphonic to automatically send a finished copy of your audio file to Dropbox, Google drive, or another external location, you can do that as long as you have already set up that location. As you see in the following image, I am having mine sent directly to my media host and to my Dropbox account.

At the very bottom of the page you are allowed to choose what processes Auphonic we'll run on your uploaded file and combined intro and outro. I typically use all four of the check boxes shown and set the loudness target to - 16 LUFS.

Once you've done everything on the page that you care to do, be sure to save the preset using the big red button at the bottom right.

That's it! You have just set up the preset that you will use when your recording from your mobile device. Let's move on to the actual recording and uploading using the app.

Next, learn your way around your Auphonic app to do your mobile recording simply and easily

The Auphonic team has provided two versions of its mobile app, one for iPhone and one for Android. It's going to be next to impossible for me to demonstrate both because I am an Android User, not an iPhone user.

But most people listening to this podcast are tech savvy enough to figure it out on their own. Just download the app (links below in the resources section) and begin playing around with it. It's pretty simple.

Before you actually open the app to do an actual recording for your podcast, be sure you have a good quality external microphone and have it plugged in.

The microphone that I used is the Rode VideoMic ME (link in resources below). It comes with an attachment to secure it to your phone, and a “deadcat” type windsock to cut down on wind noise. I have intentionally used it in high winds to see how effective it is and was pleasantly surprised.

Once you have the microphone plugged in, it's time to record.

In the case of the Android app, it opens immediately to a list of recordings you have made, and if you haven't made any it will not show any. There is a red microphone at the bottom of the screen and tapping it takes you to the recording screen.

Tap the big red record button and begin talking.

When you finish recording, press the pause button as shown in the image below. Notice that just below the timestamp in the middle of the screen is an option to save the recording. You will need to do that before you were able to send it to Auphonic and use your preset to process it.

The following screen will display your recording in a WAV file format. Tapping on the Auphonic log will enable you to access your Auponic account, name your file, and select the preset you created.

Choose the “START” button and your file will begin to upload and Auphonic will do its magic!

What you can expect from this approach to mobile recording

When I discovered that Auphonic had features that allowed me to record in this manner, I knew the sound quality of my resulting file would probably be pretty good because Auphonic is an amazing application.

What I didn't know is whether using the external mic and the intro and outro presets would work the way that I hoped.

I wasn't disappointed. As you can here on this episode, The mini-episode that I placed in the center of the main episode, which was done entirely using this mobile recording method, turned out very good considering that I was standing outside in my freezing backyard.

Of course, there are other ways to do mobile recording, but many of them require a bag full of equipment and I really didn't want to spend the money or the time figuring out what I would have to Lug around with me on trips. So this is my solution.

All in, this approach cost me right around $75 for the microphone, and 4 most people the Auphonic account will turn out to be free. Throw in the free app, and this is a low-budget approach to mobile recording that anyone can do.

I would love to hear your thoughts, questions, and other mobile recording approaches so be sure to connect with me using the contact information on the page.

Resources and Items I mentioned in this episode to help you set up your own mobile recording solution

Auphonic - an incredible audio processing service
Get the Auphonic app for iPhone and Android
The external mic I’m using - The Rode Videomic ME (caution: make sure the mic you get fits your smart device)
Dropbox
Google Drive
My Melanzana pullover hoodie was purchased here :)

Leave a question for me to answer!

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

85: How To Be An Effective PR Manager For Your Podcast and Brand, with Josh Elledge

Tue, 09 Jan 2018 16:00:00 -0400

If I were to insist to you that you are your best PR manager, you would probably think I'm crazy. Why? Because you don't know anything about PR.

But my guest today, Josh Elledge says that anyone can be their own best PR manager if they are willing to put in the effort that it takes to do PR the right way and expand their brand through the exposure that comes from promotions to, and through traditional media.

This episode is a gold mine for those who know how to work and are willing to do it for the sake of their podcast and brand. I think you're going to love me for giving you this conversation.

But I forgot - you love me already, don't you?

Be Your Own PR Manager: Here are the Main Points

[2:35] Why I invited Josh on the show - his unique path to being a PR Manager
[3:35] Why Josh feels a moral imperative to help brands with PR
[7:38] How you can pitch yourself to traditional media as an independent podcaster
[13:05] What should podcasters include in their media kit to lend authority to their brand?
[17:15] The difference between a press kit and a media kit - and why it matters
[19:20] The best way to make your pitch to any media outlet - and it works every time
[26:08] Why would a podcaster want to take the PR route to get more exposure?
[28:58] Where do we start in determining what media outlets to target?
[32:01] How can a person with multiple “personas” or areas of specialization build their brands with equal power?
[34:32] How Josh turns digital entrepreneurs into digital celebrities - and how you can get his $1200 course for free

Exposure is everything, so if you get enough exposure from your PR management, everything else is going to be alright.~ Josh Elledge

Most of us who have been podcasting for any length of time understand the importance of exposure. I'm talking about the magic that happens when your name or brand becomes synonymous with the service or products that you provide.

THAT is right next door to celebrity status, and Josh Elledge says that's exactly what he does for people like you and me.

Public relations is all about that kind of exposure. Josh Elledge is a self-taught and incredibly successful PR manager who teaches digital entrepreneurs how to become media celebrities. And in his words, he has a moral imperative to do exactly that.

Honestly, I'm quite astounded at Josh's willingness to share what he knows with peons like us.

He's got years of experience doing exactly what he teaches and is willing to put that experience to work for you through giving you an incredibly generous gift. If you want to know what it is - hint: it a $1200 value - you will have to listen to this episode of the podcast.

It’s relatively easy to get exposure on traditional media outlets. But you’ve got to be willing to do what it takes. Learn how to crank up your PR machine, from Josh Elledge

There are lots of hyped-up statements on the internet these days so it's hard to know what you can really believe. But after talking with Josh Elledge on this episode, I came to believe that what he says about being able to successfully manage your own PR is absolutely true.

What is it he says? THIS: It's relatively easy to get yourself and your brand exposure on the small-scale media outlets around you. That means your local newspaper, local television, and other similar media outlets. And here's the thing you really need to know - those opportunities are the stepping stones that take you to bigger and better things, like regional and national media exposure.

But there is a catch, you have got to be willing to do the hard work required to get those kinds of results. In this conversation, Josh shares exactly what you need to do to accomplish those things, including how to develop your own Media Kit, how a Press Kit can help you, and exactly how to reach out to and pitch the media outlets you want to be featured on.

It sounds too good to be true, but it's not. Don't miss this episode. If you are not allergic to hard work this could be the answer to finding and reaching the niche audience you've been after.

Where do you start when deciding what media outlets to make your PR pitch to? Figure out who brings the money into your business

If you take the time to walk through the exercises that Josh Elledge shares on this episode of Podcastification, you are going to have all the tools you need to make an effective public relations pitch to the media outlets that can help you reach your target audience.

But how do you decide which media outlets you should target?

I asked Josh that exact question and he came back with the perfect answer: First look at where the money in your business comes from. Then, consider which media outlets are most likely to reach that target audience. That's the way you will be able to determine which of them you should focus on first.

It makes perfect sense, but it's not something I would have thought of on my own. Josh is a very generous guy and I hope you will take the time to learn from him, apply what he teaches you, and watch your podcast audience and potential sponsorship opportunities explode.

How can a person with multiple “personas” or areas of specialization build multiple brands with equal effectiveness?

One of the things I was very curious about when talking with Josh Elledge is the fact that he has two businesses and both operate with the same level of effectiveness. How does a person manage the PR and exposure of two very different brands and keep themselves from seeming disjointed and unfocused to those two different audiences?

Josh admitted that it's not an easy balancing act but that it can be done. In this episode, he reveals how he goes about keeping his two brands distinct and also keeps himself on track with each of them in ways that keep his PR machine rolling along smoothly.

You're going to get so much out of this episode - so take notes and begin taking action on the things that Josh shares.

Connect with Today’s guest

Josh Elledge is on a mission to help entrepreneurs attract their perfect audience! He is Founder and Chief Executive Angel of SavingsAngel.com ®, and has emerged as one of the nation’s leading experts on consumer savings.

UpEnd PR - Josh’s PR Agency
Savings Angel - Josh’s first successful site (and PR challenge)
The Saving Angel Show - Josh’s podcast
Get Josh’s $1200 course for free

SavingsAngel.com has become a major operation employing up to 50 employees and grossing more than $5 million in sales over the past eight years with less than $500 spent in advertising. Hint: It's all PR.

Josh has shared his successful couponing and savings expertise with millions of families, both online and in person as a dynamic public speaker, as a weekly syndicated columnist for nine newspapers (with total readership above 1.1 million readers), and on a number of radio stations, and regularly appears on more than 75 TV stations across the country.

All told, Josh has appeared on TV or radio more than 2000 times.

Josh is also a podcaster. That should give you special respect for this guy - he knows just what you’re going through as a podcaster.

His show, The SavingsAngel Show is the number one consumer shopping and savings lifestyle podcast on the planet. Josh shares life hacks, deals, and researched strategies for earning and saving more money.

But that’s not the point of him being on Podcastification today - through the years, Josh has consulted hundreds of successful entrepreneurs – assisting them in creating the same sort of success he's earned. That consulting eventually led to the creation of upendPR.com – which is designed to inspire and provide a road map for entrepreneurs who want to dramatically increase their own sales by attracting the perfect audiences without the typical expense associated with a PR firm.

upendPR is a software as a service / membership-based website providing step-by-step video coaching, live training, direct access to over 1 million media contacts, media monitoring for ongoing story-ideas, agency-level journalist inquiry monitoring, ongoing pitch creation, and impactful consulting for entrepreneurs and startups seeking to exponentially increase sales & traffic.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

John Livesay - podcast: The Pitch Whisperer

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

84: Easy Wins for Your Podcast - OR - 8 Mistakes Podcasters Should Avoid

Tue, 19 Dec 2017 16:00:00 -0400

There are quite a number of easy wins you can get to make your podcast better.

Is there any reason you wouldn't want to do them?

I have the privilege of spending a lot of time checking out the resources podcasters are producing, from their podcast episodes to their websites and promotional material. Do you know what I find? Lots of obvious mistakes that I guess aren't so obvious to the podcaster in question.

In this episode I share with you 8 of the things I've noticed that many podcasters are messing up when it comes to their websites, the way they present their brand, and the way they interact with their following. I'm certain you will find something in here that you can tweak to get an easy win for your show.

Main Points : Easy Wins (by avoiding 8 common mistakes)

[1:22] How I come across the obvious mistakes podcasters are making
[3:14] Things about your website you need to understand
[4:23] MISTAKE 1: Taking people AWAY from your website. It’s an EASY fix
[8:02] iTunes ranks podcasts on one thing only. Do you know what it is?
[9:05] MISTAKE 2: No subscription options
[12:53] MISTAKE 3: Wonky episode titles that ignore keyword optimization
[16:52] MISTAKE 4: Where is your contact info? Social only? Really?
[19:48] MISTAKE 5: Podcast listens are happening more and more via mobile - can those people easily contact you?
[22:18] MISTAKE 6: Cover Art that makes me want to throw up or yawn
[27:52] MISTAKE 7: The website link in iTunes should go…. Where????
[30:22] MISTAKE 8: Brand names or Cutesy show names

Your podcast player can be like the glue that keeps people on your page

It seems like many podcasters don't understand how and why Google chooses the websites it serves up to people who are searching for various things. It all has to do with Google's perceived value of the resources that are provided on that webpage.

But Google is a computer algorithm, how does it know?

Google's designers, as well as the designers of Bing and Yahoo, have programmed their systems with algorithms that look for certain indications of whether searchers are actually finding the content they discover on web pages to be valuable to them, or not.

One of the most important of those indicators is the time a searcher spends "on page" once they make a selection from the search results.

That simply means if you want to tell Google you've got valuable content, you need to keep people on your show notes pages as long as possible.

In my opinion, a podcast player can be an incredible tool to use simply because it DOES keep people on your website pages longer. It's like glue - as long as they are listening, they are not going anywhere.

So can you see what mistake number one might be? You got it! No web players on the page.

In fact, some people are even sending searchers away from their websites to listen to their episodes on Stitcher or Google Play or iTunes. Find out how I suggest you remedy this problem by listening to this episode. And hey, you'll help Google know this page was helpful to you!

Subscription options: Are you including them on your show notes pages and player descriptions?

It doesn't seem to be common knowledge, but iTunes determines which podcasts to rank highest in its search algorithms primarily by the number of subscribers there are to that show. That means if you are not asking your listeners to subscribe to your show, specifically in the iTunes platform, you are missing out on the opportunity to rank your show higher in iTunes organic search.

But that only has to do with Search in iTunes.

There's a related issue here that you need to be aware of as well, and that has to do with whether people are subscribing to your show at all (no matter the directory or app).

In this episode I explain why asking your listeners to subscribe is important and how it can benefit you, providing an easy win for your podcast promotion.

Episode 27: Bobby Smith. - What’s wrong with that title?

That's a pretty stupid episode title, don't you think? All it tells the reader is that some person named Bobby Smith is being interviewed on that episode. There's no topic, there's no appealing headline, in fact, it's so boring most people will simply click away without giving it a second thought.

You don't want that for your podcast episodes. So take the time to name them effectively.

In this episode of Podcastification - you can click the player above and hear it for yourself - you are going to hear what goes into a great episode title, why it is important, and how easily you can fix them the moment you're done listening.

If that is not an easy win I don't know what the words mean.

If you have no easy contact info on your website - you’re telling me you don’t really want to talk to me

When I go to a website and want to connect with the person who has created it, I expect that I will be able to click on the contact tab and send them an email, fill out a form, or some how reach out to them directly.

What do I find most of the time?

Social media profiles linked from the website. And in some cases, nothing at all.

It makes me think that the person behind the website doesn't really want to talk to me, no matter who I am.

What if I was their ideal client with my pockets full of money? What if I wanted to hire them to do business with me?

The only option I have is to reach out to them through social? Really? There has to be a better way. And there is. You'll hear about it on this episode of Podcastification.

Here’s an experiment to demonstrate how important good cover art is - and how you can get an easy win by fixing yours

Cover art changes are an easy win for every podcaster who needs it and to prove the point I have an experiment for you to try.

I have a little experiment for you to try. Next time you're seated at your computer…

Open up the iTunes directory.
Go to the business category
Then click on the "see all" link.
Scroll through the images you see there that represent the various podcasts available.

What do you notice?

Some of them stand out right away, others make you want to yawn, or worse yet, throw up. Which kind do you think is more beneficial for your podcast?

Creating good looking cover art for your show is an easy win. It's one of those ways you can stand out in a very crowded podcast niche. Seriously, I will click on a nice looking piece of cover art over a boring cover art selection any day. It's just human nature.

The good news is that anytime you want to update your cover art you can do so inside your media host and iTunes and all the other directories will pull that information almost instantly.

You can find out more great tips like this for getting easy wins for your podcast on this episode of Podcastification.

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

83: How To Get More Podcast Guests and Become One Yourself, with Andrew Alleman of Podcast Guests

Tue, 12 Dec 2017 16:00:00 -0400

As a person involved in doing podcast production, it is fairly often that someone asks me if my company offers a service to help them discover and book podcast guests.

Our company doesn't, but I know someone who does. ;)

My guest today is one of my podcasting clients, Andrew Alleman, and for a while now he has been offering a monthly newsletter that highlights opportunities to both be a guest on podcasts and find guests for your podcast.

But now he has upped the game. This episode explains the new directory Andrew has created and how you can use it to find the perfect guest for your podcast and how you can be found as a podcast guest for someone else's show.

Don't miss out on this one. It's simple, but many of the greatest ideas in the world are simple.

Oh no! My podcast guest just canceled! What do I do?

Have you ever run into a situation where a person who was booked to be a guest on your podcast has to cancel at the last minute? What do you do when you were counting on that conversation to fill the next slot in your podcasting schedule?

Now you have a very real possibility of finding a replacement guest for that episode of your podcast within minutes. Podcast Guests is a website that provides a directory of professional experts in a variety of niches. You can scan through the directory to find the person, or the people, who perfectly fit the audience you are trying to produce content for.

In this conversation, Andrew Alleman and I talk about the new service at Podcast Guests, including the various payment options, and all the bells and whistles that are included in each of the plans.

If you were looking for an easier way to find guests for your podcast, or a way to be found as an expert guest on someone else's show, this episode is for you.

Everybody likes a discount. Here is how you can get 25% off the directory listing service at Andrews new website, Podcast Guests.

If you would like to try out the new service at Podcast Guests, Andrew Is offering a 25% off coupon that will continue to give you the discount month after month as long as you stay subscribed.

Isn't that a great deal? Andrew is a great guy and it doesn't surprise me that he's being so generous.

Look below to get the coupon code that you can use to get this fabulous discount. And please know, Andrew has set up the code to link to my account within his service, which provides me a little bit of change for extra coffee anytime you use the code to receive the discount... and you still pay the same 25% off price. What a deal!

COUPON CODE: p25 (affiliate offer)

Main Points : Get More Podcast Guests

[1:23] A new service from Podcast Guests - no longer just a newsletter!
[4:25] How the pricing works: FREE baseline services with upgrades for $$
[7:01] Andrew’s giving you a coupon code to try the service out!
[9:00] The feedback being received so far (it’s pretty good!)
[12:02] How the format works - it’s user-friendly
[19:49] Get your coupon code for 25% off the monthly subscription!

Connect with Today’s guest

Andrew Alleman
www.PodcastGuests.com
Sign up for the FREE newsletter
** Get a subscription ** to be featured in the newsletter and online directory - and this IS **my affiliate link** - use the coupon code p25 to get 25% off a monthly subscription “in perpetuity”

resources mentioned in this episode

My Profile on Podcast Guests (to show you what’s possible)
Andrew’s previous episode (#39)

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

82: Struggling to Make the Time for Podcasting? This Might Help

Mon, 04 Dec 2017 16:00:00 -0400

Are you experiencing the struggle to make time for your podcast?

You are definitely not alone. Perhaps the most common question I receive for appliance and others who find out that I am a podcast producer and Coach is how they can find time to actually do the work required to put out a great podcast.

There are no easy answers. I hope you're not listening to this episode expecting that. But there are approaches you can take to the issue that can help you do better than you're doing now, perhaps.

This episode is aimed at the podcaster who is working a full-time job while trying to build and grow a podcast audience. It's my best tips for how to go about making the time for this thing you love called your podcast.

Main Points : Making The Time for Podcasting

[1:19] The reality of the time-crunch every podcaster faces and why YOU have to figure the issue out for you
[2:28] BACKGROUND: I started podcasting while I worked a full time job
[3:44] The elephant in the room: something is going to have to go - you have to decide
[7:09] The two options I’ve discovered: early morning and late evening
[9:12] Make it happen by starting small
[11:20] Applying these principles to different types of show formats
[15:59] The vital nature of getting your family on board - and my suggestions for how to do it
[18:00] Why you need to think through your own tendencies to put off your podcast

Almost everybody I know has more time than they think they have for the things that are important to them.

You may have heard that said already on other podcasts, and the reason you have is because it's true. We all have the same amount of time in a given week, and some of us accomplish incredible amounts of stuff during that time while others don't.

What's the difference?

Obviously, it's not that one of them has more time. It's that they have learned what it takes to make the most of the time they do have.

This episode is not about productivity, that was episode 78 with Ari Meisel (so make sure you go back and listen to that one to get some great Automation and productivity tips.)This episode is focused more on helping you make the hard decisions you're going to have to make in order to create the podcast that will fuel your vision and serve your audience at the same time.

You won't do it by being lazy, and you can't do it by making excuses. Somebody's got to say it like it is, and I'm not shy about that sort of thing, so there you go.

Do yourself a favor of listening to this episode. Even if what I suggest doesn't fit your situation exactly, it should get your creative juices flowing and your motivation going so that you can learn where in your schedule you can make the time to get your podcast produced and out there for your listeners to enjoy.

The ways I suggest you make time for your podcast are not a one-size-fits-all solution.

You may very well find out what I suggest on this episode doesn't fit your circumstances. That's fine, I don't know your life so it is impossible for me to speak exactly to it. But the principles behind what I share apply across the board with no problem.

You have the time to do the things that are important to you. If that's your podcast, then you have time to podcast.

My suggestions in this episode are examples of what it might look like for some people. So figure out what it looks like for you and make the adjustments necessary to produce that great podcast you envision when you first started.

You can do it. I know you can because I have seen hundreds of podcasters now who have done it. If they can, you can.

What about your family? Did they understand how important your podcast is to you?

One of the most important things about figuring out how to do your podcast week-to-week is making sure that the people in your family not only understand what a podcast is implying you are podcasting in the first place, they also need to be on board with you in making the room in your schedule for it to happen.

If you don't make the time to have these kind of important conversations you will find yourself frustrated by the people you love the most, and you don't want that.

In this episode is outline some of the important things you need to consider when having a conversation with your family about the commitment you're making to your podcast journey. They don't have the benefit of your enthusiasm and your knowledge about what a podcast could do for you or your audience. It's your job to let them know.

Don't shy away from having that conversation, even if you think it might be hard. In most cases, the benefits you derive from getting things out in the open and getting everyone on the same page are going to far outweigh the discomfort you feel when you initially start to talk about these things.

Your family wants to support you, and you need to go into the conversation believing that. Think the best of them and you'll get a lot further then you would if you expect resistance.

Leave your question for me to answer!

resources mentioned in this episode

SpeakPipe - a place you can receive recorded comments from your audience
You Can Book Me - the scheduling app I use. The free version is very powerful.

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

81: How to Record Interviews: 2017 Demo of The Best Options

Tue, 28 Nov 2017 16:00:00 -0400

How to record interviews over a distance is one of the most frustrating things for many podcasters - and the tech is not quite there yet.

But it’s getting better. :)

2017 brings a handful of pretty decent options for recording a conversation, many of them with tech that takes out the “distance” part of a distance recording so you get better quality audio every time.

I wanted to make it obvious how good the options are as well as answer some of the questions I get on a regular basis about the best way to record an interview.

So my client onboarding guy, Aaron and I took a morning to do some recordings of OUR conversations using all the options that I think are legitimate for 2017.

So - How to record interviews: 2017 Demo of the Best Options is what you’ll hear on this episode of Podcastification.

Here’s a rough outline of this “How to Record Interviews” episode:

[1:44] My top 5 recommendations: Zoom - Ringr - Zencastr - Skype - Cleanfeed and our demos of each of these options, demo’d for you.
[3:00] Tips for making a good distance recording, no matter which option you choose

Zoom Demo

[3:46] My experience using Zoom (my description of what I see)
[5:26] The recording of Aaron and I speaking and recording to each other via Zoom along with our impressions and observations of the platform
[7:16] The “guest” side of a Zoom call - Aaron’s insights and observations
[7:50] Zoom’s details, pricing, method of recording, number of participants, etc.

Ringr Demo

[10:40] The pre-recording setup and login experience for recording an interview on Ringr
[11:10] The actual conversation we recorded and how Ringr works (double-ender)
[12:08] The “guest” side of the Ringr connection and some of the cool things we see

Skype Demo

[14:51] Skype calls must be recorded using a 3rd party app
[16:08] The “guest” side of the Skype call - and why Skype is the good-old standby
[17:17] Why Skype calls with bad connections are HARD for audio editing

Zencastr Demo

[18:55] Pre-call setup of a Zencastr recording/call
[19:49] Zencastr’s chat feature, timeline footnotes, etc.
[20:46] Zencastr’s free plan: features, integrations, bells and whistles
[21:40] What is happening when you hear a glitch in Zencastr

Cleanfeed Demo

[23:52] Counterintuitive things I feel about Cleanfeed
[24:38] The guest and host experiences on Cleanfeed
[26:21] Why you need to stay in the platform until things are done uploading

SUMMARY

[27:10] Review of platforms and features
[29:11] Another option as an “honorable mention” - www.Tryca.st
[29:58] OUR RANKINGS OF THE TOP 5 PLATFORMS FOR RECORDING AN INTERVIEW
[31:49] Browser-dependent issues some of the platforms will experience from time to time

I’m not only going to tell you how to record an interview, I’m going to demo it for you 5 different ways… with a little help

This episode of podcast application has been in the works for a long time. Maybe we were putting it off because we knew how much work it would do. But it was worth it!

My client onboarding guy, Aaron and I are going to demo all the options we think are worthwhile when it comes to recording in your interview conversation.

Some facts you might find interesting about these recordings:

We are 823 miles and 3 states apart as we speak to one another so you should keep that in mind when you consider the sound quality of each other recording platforms.
We are both PC users, not Mac users, so the various features and platforms may look different on Mac then they do from what we describe in this episode.
You're going to get to hear both sides of the calls on each platform. When I remember to do it, I will tell you what I see coming into the platform as a host, describe how easy or difficult it is to get into the platform and get a call set up, and then Aaron will describe what he experiences from the guest side of each of the platforms.
And finally, we will outline the features and costs of each one of the platforms and give you our ranking of these five options for recording an interview at the end of our demonstrations.

This is 36 minutes of audio that is well worth your time if you ever have been curious how to record an interview with the best quality possible.

Our experience recording an interview with ZOOM

Zoom is a recording option that many podcasters are using these days, I know because I see files from Zoom coming in from our clients fairly often.

As you listen to our demonstration of what it takes to set up a call on zoom and get it recorded, downloaded, and actually usable for your podcast, keep in mind that Zoom was not created for podcast recording in particular, it is a video conferencing software. That means it includes screenshare capabilities, video, chat features, and much more.

Aaron and I used the free plan that Zoom offers to record the call you will hear on this episode end it offers the following features:

Records 1, premixed mono file (mpeg4)
Can record audio & video
Can record to cloud (Zoom) or computer
You can select the microphone of your choice
Participants can mute their microphones at any time
You can host up to 100 participants (group meeting) - what a nightmare of a podcast episode THAT would be
The free plan offers unlimited 1 to 1 meetings/recordings per month
If you do a group meeting (more than 2 people) there is a 40 minute limit per meeting
When finished, you have to wait a short time for a download of the audio

The Ringr demo

Ringr is a top-of-the-line app brought to us by its founder, Tim Sinclair, who I have interviewed on this podcast before in episode 41. That particular episode was recorded back in June of 2016 and Ringr has come a long way since then.

One thing I did not mention in my conversation with Aaron that you will hear on this episode is that Ringr is not only a web-based app, it also has a smartphone app that enables you to connect with people who are not at their computer at the time you need to do your recording. In a situation like that, you need to keep in mind that recording quality will depend on the quality of the microphone that is being used - either the internal microphone of the phone in question, or an external microphone that might be plugged into the phone.

You can hear from the recording on this episode that recording interviews with Ringr gives you great quality and a good overall experience.

Here is what Ringr offers:

Free Trial (30 days) that includes all the premium features
After that, you choose a plan: Basic $7.99/mo :: Premium $18.99/mo :: Enterprise
You can pause and resume a call/recording
Conference calling (more than 2 people) is now available
Ringr offers both a mobile app & a web-based app
Recordings can be downloaded in either Mp3, OGG, or FLAC
You can choose between mono, stereo, split-track (on the premium plan or higher)
You can choose any bit rate (premium plan or higher)
There is unlimited storage of previous recordings (premium or higher)
Unlimited calling/recording
You must wait for all files to finish before exiting the browser and receiving your download options

The Skype recording process

One of the things you will hear me mention at least a couple of times on this podcast episode is that recording with Skype requires a third-party application of some kind. Skype itself does not offer call recording.

In this demonstration, I used a pc-based application called MP3 Skype call recorder. The link for that free software is in the resources section below.

I believe that one of the reasons Skype has become the go-to resource for people who want to record an interview is because it was one of the first internet-based call solutions any of us knew anything about. So, it's the same as if you had read the book and then gone to see the movie, and the book always seems better. It's simply because you read the book first.

These days, Skype is still in the auction and it does a decent job, but it has its limitations and drawbacks when it comes to podcast recordings. I believe there are much better options for you to offer your listeners that don't cost any more than Skype - and that is free.

Here is what Skype offers:

A free option (there IS free 3rd party software also)
Requires 3rd party software
You can call and record a person who is using the Skype app
You will have to pay when calling a landline
Records directly on your computer
No limitations on the amount of recording you can - other than your time

Our Zencastr Demo - just the facts

Zencastr is one of the first browser-based recording options I became aware of when they first became a thing. It records each person in the conversation inside their own internet browser, then uploads those files to the cloud, the Zen Caster cloud, and sinks them together into a downloadable set of files.

Can you see the advantage of that kind of recording?

It enables you to avoid all of the long distance issues like delays, glitches, warbles, line noise, and anything else that would come from trying to record something over a very long distance. It's only fair at this point to also say that Ringr and clean feed which will be featured next, offer the same kind of technology of a sort, so the quality you get from them should be the same as you get from sin caster.

Here are the features you get from Zencastr’s free plan

Up to 3 people per session
8 hours free per month
Receive a high quality mp3
Must wait for all files to upload, then have the ability to download
Can automatically save to your Dropbox account

Our final contestant: Cleanfeed

I hope you were able to hear my conversation with Mark, one of the founders and developers behind Cleanfeed, back in episode 69. If not, stop everything you're doing and go listen to it right now you insensitive person who seems to enjoy hurting my feelings.

Just kidding. ;)

One of the things that Aaron said during a recording about the Cleanfeed interface is that it is very clean. It is fairly unobtrusive, has very little in the way of controls and knobs that you can see, and overall is pretty pleasing to the eye.

But there is a downside to that. Some of the controls are a little bit difficult to find. Especially on the host side of things. But like anything, once you've gone through it a few times you get used to where things are and are able to work it into your interview recording workflow with no problems.

I've even created a video to show you how to use clean feed which you can find in the resource section below.

Here are the details about Cleanfeed

Always free
Web-based
Unlimited number of guests
Unlimited number of hours you can record
Unlimited number of sessions
You can set the type of file you want (joint stereo or combined)
Receive wav files
Must wait a short time for files to upload and download options to appear

One very good “honorable mention” platform that was NOT included in our demo

There is one other service that records interviews with the same kind of technology that Ringr and Zencastr use, but I did not include it in this demo session because it is much more than just a recording solution.

Cast is a media host and podcast publishing solution very similar to Libsyn or Podbean. And more...

It has all kinds of bells and whistles, including editing software online, including audio optimization software, and more than I can even tell you right now.

Since it is not really a comparison of apples to oranges for me to include cast in this demo, I didn't.

AND THE WINNER IS…

Near the end of our conversation Aaron and I both ranked these 5 platforms for recording an interview according to ease abuse, price, features, and sound quality.

I could tell you exactly what each of us think right here in the show notes, but I think you'll enjoy it a lot more if you take the time to listen. :)

resources mentioned in this episode

MP3 Skype Call Recorder
All of the reliable 3rd party Skype recording apps
My previous conversation with one of the developers of Cleanfeed
My interview with Josh, developer of Zencastr
My video about how to use Cleanfeed (embedded below)
My video about how to use Zencastr (embedded below)

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

80: Share Audio Files Beautifully on Social: Baird Hall Tells Us About Wavve

Tue, 21 Nov 2017 16:00:00 -0400

Have you ever tried to share audio files on social media?

Man, what a PAIN it can be! Depending on where your audio file link comes from, what format the file is in, which social media platform you’re dealing with, you can get all kinds of bizzare results.

The problem Is compounded even more when you realize that social media simply doesn't lend itself to long-form content. Most podcasts are longer types of content so they are hard to share on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other places in a way that can be played, right there, on the spot.

My hope is that this episode will change all of that for you. I'm talking with Baird Hall, one of the creators of Wavve, a great new app that enables you to create motion videos with sound clips from your podcast episodes. Please take the time to listen by clicking the player below, and make sure you scroll down to watch my demo video of setting up my own promo through the Wavve app.

Here’s a rough outline about this episode: sharing audio files on social

[1:32] Who is Baird and how does Wavve highlight audio content on social?
[5:20] How the audio wav formations in Wavve can garner greater attention
[6:36] What it looks like online to create a Wavve animation
[9:02] Edit your audio files online or offline to create your graphic animation
[11:03] Baird’s short version of the creation of the platform and how they made the pivot from one business idea to another
[13:53] Pricing plans - Free, Alpha, Beta, Gamma. Did you see that, FREE PEOPLE!
[19:37] How users are using the Wavve to promote on Instagram
[27:45] The other folks on the Wavve team and how the company works
[28:40] New features coming soon (you heard it here first)...

OK, so you CAN share audio files on social, but…

It’s not always something you can do in a way that people will actually click on.

First, it’s likely an outbound link… and people typically don’t want to leave the social platform they are on at the moment (those cute little kittens are too irresistible).

If it IS uploaded directly to the social platform, it’s likely still going to open a pop-up window to make the thing actually playable.

Or, you can create a video of it yourself which is one of the biggest time sucks I can think of at this moment.

There is an answer, and it even has a free option. Did you hear that people, free!

I invite you to listen to what Baird Hall and the team at Wavve have created for people who produce longer-form audio content (like podcasters). It's a way that you can create bite-size pieces that people scrolling through their social media feed would actually want to listen to simply because it's so beautiful and eye-catching.

This is the episode that tells all about the Wavve platform and what it can do to help you share audio of your episodes more effectively.

It's less than 35 minutes long, so take a listen, would you?

Even though Wavve creates beautiful videos for you to share, you’ll have to put in a little work of your own.

I know it's tempting to think that some new app like Wavve is going to come along and make your podcasting workflow simple, easy, and automatic.

Yes, in the previous episode with Ari Meisel we did discover a lot of ways that you can automate your podcast workflow, but that doesn't mean you're going to have 0 work left to do.

With an application like Wavve you've got the opportunity to make something incredible that will help you promote your podcast. But it won't happen by itself.

You're going to have to sit down and do the hard work of figuring out how to use the tool most efficiently and effectively to reach your listening audience. Just throwing a Wavve motion video with your audio underneath onto social media isn't going to do the trick all by itself.

You were going to have to learn the best times to post them, how to do it without a lot of effort, and best practices for how to use the online application to create your videos in the first place.

I'm just being real here. I'm tired of all the “ 6 easy steps to…” posts that you see these days.

Being successful at anything, including podcasting, means you have to do the work in order to make things work.

This episode about sharing audio files on social media is a great step in the right direction. Baird and the folks at Wavve have given us a beautiful tool. But it's only that, a tool.

You have got to be the one to make it work.

In this episode, Baird shares some of the best practices he has seen users of the app apply to their podcast promotion. He also tells us about a few hacks you can put in place to make it easy to share on Instagram stories. You’ve got to hear this one!

resources we talked about in this episode

Connect with Today’s guest

Wavve.co - Check out the FREE program, at least!
Wavve’s Facebook Account
Wavve on Twitter
See the cool stuff Wavve is doing on Instagram
And the every-professional LinkedIn presence for Wavve

Additional resources mentioned

Linktree - automatic Instagram bio link changes
Bit.ly - URL shortener
Meet Edgar - Social media scheduling tool
Vimeo - video platform
LinkedIn Video
Libsyn - THE best media host out there

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

79: The 2017-2018 List of Podcast Directories Your Podcast MUST Be Listed In

Tue, 14 Nov 2017 16:00:00 -0400

I thought it was about time I did something REALLY helpful and did the research required to tell you exactly - step by step - how to submit your show to every conceivable place you can to increase your podcast’s reach.

I’m talking about Podcast Directories, people!

But the problem is this: every conceivable place is not always the BEST place (in my humble opinion).

Why would I EVEN SAY such a thing?

Two reasons:

#1 - There are many options that require you to use their hosting/advertising/app/whatever-thingie-ma-bobber-they’re-hawking. So unless you are specifically looking for those kinds of opportunities, they’re not much use to you.

#2 - Some of the directories out there don’t appear to be professionally done, which in my mind means it’s likely not truly advantageous for your show to be in them.

So…

THIS episode is a walk through of the many podcast directory-ish places you can list your show that I deemed were worth the time of doing so.

And I should probably ALSO say…

The list and instructions I’m about to share DO NOT contain sites that pull directly from Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes).

Why? - Because if you submit to Apple Podcasts, you’ll automatically be included in those directories or apps.

Which includes MOST IOS or Android podcast apps.

Be it known…

I have done EXACTLY what I’m telling you to do with all 3 of my podcasts. And will be referring BACK to this episode myself to submit all future podcasts I publish.

And before we get too far into this… you can find EVERY directory I mention and the links and processes needed to submit to them, on the show notes page for this episode - www.PodcastFastTrack.com/79 - which is ALSO included in the description of your podcast app or player, in its entirety (as much as I have control over).

And ANOTHER THING… These are in ALPHABETICAL ORDER for your sorting convenience...

That’s enough of that kind of stuff - let’s get to the directories!

LISTED ALPHABETICALLY

Acast:

Acast is a new app that claims to help podcasters with “discovery” issues (which is debated hotly in podcasting circles), but regardless, it’s a pretty cool and functional app.

It includes 3 targets: Listeners - Podcasters - Advertisers. And it does include a hosting option for podcasters who are looking for something different. You can discover more about Acast at www.acast.com

There are two ways to add your podcast to the Acast directory.

Non-hosted

You provide the Acast folks with your RSS feed and they’ll make your show searchable and listenable on their app platform. This means no monetization and no hosting.

Hosted

In this scenario, Acast hosts your show. Yes, you’d have to leave your current host.

When you do, Acast will provide opportunities to monetize your show (ads or sponsorships) and you’ll have access to the Acast publishing tool and stats.

So… if Acast sounds like a place you’d like to list your podcast - or a partner you might connect with for hosting/monetization.

Submit to the Acast Directory

Scroll down to the “Add Your Show” option near the bottom of the page.
Choose your adventure (non-hosted, hosted, hosted with a brand new show)
Give them the info requested
Hit the “send” button
Scroll UP on the resulting page to see the confirmation message

That wasn’t too painful, was it?

Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes)

As you know, iTunes - I mean, Apple Podcasts - is the big dog, 500 pound gorilla, place-to-be when it comes to podcast search. It’s one you definitely want to put high on your priority list.

Many people, including Rob Walch of Libsyn fame (previous guest on my show here, here, and here), say that if your show is not in the Apple Podcast directory you’re really not podcasting.

I don’t know about that - but I do know that if Apple Podcasts is not on your radar - you’ve got the wrong radar.

So get into the directory. Here’s how.

Submitting to Apple Podcasts

Some things you need to know about submitting…

Your show needs to have at least one episode published and “live” on your feed
Your cover art needs to meet the minimum 1400px X 1400px requirement
And if your cover art is over 500kb in size, you’ll likely have problems (you can reduce the size by using a tool like this - https://www.reduceimages.com/ )

To submit

Go to Podcasts Connect
Click the plus sign at the top of the dashboard
Enter your RSS feed URL into the field provided and click the “Validate” button
If your feed is OK (no errors) a feed preview will appear
Then click the “submit” button

It typically takes the folks at Apple 6 hours to 48 hours to respond via email to let you know that your show has been approved.

The process for submitting a podcast to Apple Podcast changed in the last year or so (it’s now 10/2017) so it’s good that I didn’t teach you how to do this prior to the change.

Audio-Podcast.fm

No super cutesy logo to represent this podcast directory, just a generic title at the top of the page. BUT the claims made on the homepage are pretty impressive…

“Download from over 6.5 million audio podcast episoded. Choose from over 88 thousand podcasts in one of the largest audio podcast directories worldwide.”

I’m not exactly sure HOW to go about verifying that kind of claim. I guess I’ll just have to take their word for it! ;)

I’m not absolutely sure but I suspect this directory does NOT pull from Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes). The reason I think that is because I did a little experiment with my 3 podcasts.

All 3 of my podcasts are listed in Apple podcasts - so I searched for each of them in turn, by name, on Audio-Podcast.fm.

NONE of them came back in the search results.

So I decided to submit them.

Here’s how you can submit your show(s) to Audio-Podcast.fm

If you go to the home page you have to scroll WAYYYY to the bottom of the page and find the TINY LITTLE TEXT LINK at the bottom (see the image).

But if you use the link I provided in the title above, you’ll go right to the submission page.

Here’s what you do…

Paste in your RSS feed URL
Choose 3 categories for your show
Tick the box saying you’re the producer and have read and agree with the terms and conditions (I DARE you to actually read it)
Provide your contact email address
Enter the infamously-troublesome CAPTCHA code
Click the green “Submit your podcast” button

You’ll be taken to a greenish page that promises your show will be reviewed within 24 hours.

The site will also give you the opportunity to embed an icon on your website that links to your podcast on their directory. A clever way to get backlinks from a reputable website like yours, don’t you think?

Blubrry Podcast Directory

The good folks at Blubrry are most widely known for their podcast hosting services and the PowerPress plugin used on many Wordpress sites.

However, they have a pretty impressive podcast directory too.

Here’s what they say about it…

The creators of Blubrry are podcasters as well, and recognize the importance of other podcast directories including iTunes. Blubrry podcast directory does not try to compete with other directories, our main goal is to offer additional distribution points that otherwise are not available to podcasters. With this philosophy, we believe the Blubrry Podcast Directory fills the void where iTunes and podcasting is otherwise unavailable.

Did you notice that bolded section?

THAT is why the Blubrry directory is significant in my mind. Some of the places the Blubrry directory can list your show are…

ROKU TV
GOOGLE TV
Android
Samsung SmartTV

For just a few examples…

So, how do you get your show into the Blubrry podcast directory? I’m glad you asked ;)

Submit your show to the Blubrry directory

Create an account on the Blubrry Platform
Once that’s done, add your podcast at this link
You’ll be asked for you RSS feed URL
You’ll be asked to create a “web friendly” name for your show
You’ll be asked to choose one category for your show
And you’ll have to agree to the terms and conditions
Then you can hit the blue “Submit” button

Not too difficult that can get your podcast onto TV boxes and the like. Well worth the effort.

doubleTwist

This one is not exactly a podcasting app or directory. It’s a media player.

BUT, it’s also got a directory you can submit to so that people who use it can easily find your podcast.

I’ve long been recommending to people that they submit to doubleTwist. And it’s an easy process.

How to submit your show to doubleTwist

Go to the contact page on the doubleTwist.com website
Enter your name
Enter your email address
In the drop-down for “subject” choose “Request New Podcast”
Enter the title of your podcast
Enter the CAPTCHA stuff and hit the blue “Submit” button

You’ll get a message that says the following…

They seriously have JEDIS working for them? That’s way cool… ;)

Google Play Music

After a very long time of NOT supporting or listing podcasts, Google Play Music is finally onboard with podcasting.

Sort of.

The app still has MUCH to be desired when it comes to being good for podcast search and use (as of 10/2017) but I’m hopeful Google will get the importance of podcasting and create something native to Android that works for podcasts. Maybe a rework of Google Play Music. Maybe something new.

I don’t care what. Just do something Google.

So… if you’re ready to submit your show to Google Play Music, I think it’s a good idea.

Submit your podcast to the Google Play Music directory

You’ll have to create a Google account, first
Go to the Google Play Music podcast page
Click the orange “Publish Button”
Click on the blue “ADD A PODCAST” button.
Supply your information - including your RSS Feed URL and all requested info

A brief word of caution on this one:

Rob Walch, Podcaster Relations guy at Libsyn says that he wouldn’t be surprised if some day Google and Apple go toe to toe and make it hard for the other’s stuff to be used on their platforms.

It’s not an inconceivable idea since Apple is already pretty proprietary in the things it does. (Just try to charge an iPhone with a non-iPhone charging cord to see what I mean).

For that reason, the good folks at Libsyn have devised a way that users of their interface can create a “Google Play Music” only feed - so you can submit to Google Play Music in a way that won’t be influenced in any way by the big Apple gorilla should it decide to throw its weight around as regards your podcast feed.

If you’re a Libsyn user, just go to the “Destinations” tab in your dashboard and create a new one. You’ll see the button for “Google Play Music.” Click it and do the dance.

The result is a new RSS feed URL you can submit directly to Google Play as I’ve just instructed.

iHeart Radio

iHeart Radio is a podcasting app and SO MUCH MORE. It’s actually (as the name implies) a way to stream internet radio of all kinds, including events of various sorts.

Here’s the scoop on iHeart Radio. You can’t submit your show to it directly and it does NOT pull from the Apple Podcast ecosystem.

So how do you get into iHeart Radio?

You have to have a relationship with someone (a company) who CAN get you into iHeart Radio.

At this point, I only know of two options.

#1 - Libsyn

If you are a Libsyn user, you’re in - almost. Your show has to be regularly publishing for at least 2 months before you are eligible to be submitted to iHeart Radio.

You also have to be using the Libsyn destination feed functionality to make it work.

Once you’ve been publishing long enough, you’ll see iHeart Radio as an option in the destinations tab.

Click the “Add” button and jump through the hoops.

#2 - Spreaker

I have to say right up front that I’m not a Spreaker customer or user so the following instructions could be a bit wonky.

But after researching things this is what I understand you need to do to submit to iHeart Radio through Spreaker...

From your show’s settings, go to Spreaker’s Content Management System.
Choose your show, and click the yellow EDIT button.
Select iHeart in the menu that appears on the left and click the SUBMIT button.

After clicking it, you'll be asked to accept the Terms and Conditions, and then submit your show to iHeartRadio.

And if you’re a visual type person, here’s a great screencapture-style tutorial of how to do it from the good folks at Spreaker.

So that’s how to use your connections to get into iHeart Radio.

Lisn

This is a pretty interesting directory. It’s been described as Podcast Directory meets Pinterest.

Interesting indeed.

And from first glance it has a TON of well-known and popular shows in the directory.

And I didn’t even know about this one until I began researching.

And the submission process couldn’t be simpler.

Submitting your podcast to Lisn

Go to the Lisn homepage
Click on the top right-hand “hamburger” menu
Choose the “Upload” option
In the big, black field that says “Paste URL here” - paste your RSS feed URL there ;)
Click on the upload cloud icon below the field
You should see a green text success thingie that tells you to wait 12 to 24 hours for your show to appear

Lisn up - that was EASY!

Listen Notes

I checked out the ListenNotes.com page during October, thus the site had a pumpkin in its logo. Funny. Reminds me of stuff Libsyn does around holidays.

Anyway…

Listen Notes is a fairly new podcast search engine that claims to be “...like Google, but for podcasts.” A self-funded software engineer from San Francisco, Wenbin Fang created the directory and it appears to be working fairly well (the site touts over 380,000 podcasts listed as of October, 2017).

So, it seems beneficial to me to get listed on the directory. Who knows, it could become my #1 means of being discovered!

How to get your podcast listed in the Listen Notes directory

Go to www.Listennotes.com
Choose the “submit” option way at the bottom (see image
Once the page that opens, add your ITUNES URL for the podcast you want to submit (and be sure to copy over the http:// that’s already in the field so you don’t have problems)
Enter your email address if you want to be notified when your podcast is added to the directory
Click the blue/green-ish “submit” button

That. Is. it.

Player.FM

Player FM is a multi-platform app for podcasting that even works offline. You can connect it to your TV. You can access its curated catalogue (not sure exactly HOW its curated) to find niche topics and interesting stuff.

And the app costs nothing. Zilch. Nada. With no ads. There is an upgrade but with a free app this good, there are already tons of subscribers.

But you’re a podcaster… so it would be great for you to get your show in front of all those people.

Here’s the submission process for the Player.FM directory.

Go to this link: https://player.fm/importer/new
Enter your RSS feed URL in the big box (see image below)
Hit the “Import” button.

That was the easiest thing I’ve done all day.

Podbean

If you don’t know about https://podcastfasttrack.com/

How much thought have you given to your podcast workflow recently?

That much, huh? ;)

I've been thinking about mine a lot lately because I have found myself caught up in the minutiae instead of getting the important things in my life and business done.

A workflow like it takes to produce a successful podcast can be very tedious to think through, so I wanted to talk to someone who can give me good tips on how to optimize it.

Ari Meisel is that guy. If you’ve never heard of Ari you really need to listen to this episode so you can hear his story.

An illness literally forced the guy into figuring out how to optimize, automate, and outsource the things in his life that needed to be done in order for him to be truly productive. And he has leveraged it for all it is worth.

In this episode, we walk through the basics of what it means to optimize anything, how to take the next up from there to automate things that can be automated, and then as a last resort, outsource things to people who can take many of the remaining tasks off your hands.

Yeah, I know, it sounds potentially expensive.

But if you'll take the time to listen you'll learn how much of what Ari did when he first started doing it was absolutely free, and what wasn't free wasn't that expensive.

So there you go… check out the outline below and give this episode a listen.

Here’s a rough outline of this episode about optimizing your podcast workflow

[1:28] Who is Ari Meisel? The story of how he was forced into optimizing his life
[3:54] What it means to optimize and why it’s important for your podcast workflow
[6:14] How to begin the optimization process for your workflow
[8:12] What Ari means when he speaks of automation
[10:22] How do you know when it’s time to outsource?
[13:01] Ari’s podcasting career and his tips for optimizing his podcasting workflow
[18:31] What Ari would do if he was starting a podcast all over from square 1
[21:20] What Ari’s doing now and how he can help you optimize your podcast workflow

Your podcast workflow needs help, even if you don’t think it does.

I have been podcasting for over 4 years now and I felt like I had my podcast workflow refined pretty well. But then I talked with Ari.

Man, I was both discouraged and invigorated at the same time.

There are so many pieces of my workflow that can be more effectively optimized or automated that I wasn't even aware of. I'm so glad we had this conversation and I believe you will be too - because it will show you what's possible when it comes to getting things off your plate and producing your podcast faster and with better results.

What does it mean to optimize something… in this case, your podcasting workflow?

When I think about optimizing something I often think of NASCAR.

Just watch 1 pit stop and you'll see how obviously those racers and their pit crews have done everything they can to optimize their speed as a team and the performance of their car and driver.

We are podcasters - we're not zipping around the track at hundreds of miles per hour. But what we are doing is still important. We've got lives to live, clients to serve, and families to love, so optimizing the work we need to do in order to publish a podcast episode is vital... so we can have the time for those things.

That means we need to learn how to optimize the processes that we use to publish our shows.

In this conversation, Ari made it pretty clear that in order to optimize anything you have to first take a very hard look at the details of how that thing functions. You won't know where to make tweaks that will run a process smoother until you know the status the process is in to begin with.

What I'm discovering as I apply what I learned from Ari is that the analyzation process takes time. But it is time well spent. That's because once you know where the weak links in your chain are, you can do what is necessary to fix them.

Sometimes the fix will come through refining the process itself, eliminating steps, or consolidating things into one step instead of 3. Other times, it will mean learning how to connect the dots between the applications you are using with some sort of automation.

And to me, that's where the fun really begins.

Automation is like magic. Stuff gets done without you doing it.

Before speaking with Ari on this episode, I knew there were lots of ways to automate things. I just didn't know how many ways.

As you listen, pay close attention to all the places in his workflow that he was able to connect one app or piece of software to another, so that he didn't have to touch his process once he started the ball rolling. It's an amazing example of automation that almost all of us could put into practice for our podcast workflow.

I'm starting to get very excited about the possibilities that flow out of this concept of automation.

My podcast workflow is going to be running much smoother in the future because it's going to be automatically happening through computer interactions, not my mistake-prone attempts at making the process happen.

But, there comes a point in the process where things have been optimized and automated as much as possible but there are still things that need to be done. That is where outsourcing comes in.

What does it mean to outsource something?

Outsourcing sounds potentially expensive, but it doesn't have to be. It could be as simple as finding a person on Fiverr who can do the artwork for your show, and like the name implies, the job could as little as $5.

Outsourcing is all about having things done for you that are not as valuable so that you can invest your time in things that are. And having a human being involved in the process brings a necessary human element to some of the more detailed tasks that computers simply can't do yet.

In this conversation, Ari describes how he utilized a random set of contractors to produce his audio week after week, and it allowed him to go from producing one episode every four to six weeks, to 2 episodes every week. He was amazed at the difference it made, and I am certain you will be too.

Optimizing your podcast workflow could change your life. Really.

That may sound like an overly dramatic statement, but it's absolutely true. You only have to hear Ari's experience to know the impact a good workflow can have on your productivity and effectiveness.

And that doesn't even take into account that once you do, you'll have time to invest in other things that can move your business forward more rapidly, or build better relationships with the people closest to you.

If you don't know where to start, might I suggest you begin by listening to this episode? You will get a very clear idea of what it could mean for you.

Do you need help figuring out how to optimize your podcast workflow?

Toward the end of this episode, I asked Ari to explain to us what he's doing to help entrepreneurs and business leaders maximize their businesses and lives.

My company has provided show notes for both of his podcasts for the last 5 months so I have gotten the opportunity to hear his philosophy and results repeatedly, in detail, and I can attest to how effective he is at what he does. If you need help addressing the sticking points in your podcast workflow, I recommend you get in touch with Ari right away.

You can find his website at www.Lessdoing.com and go from there.

So what do you say? Are you ready to optimize, automate, and outsource everything you can to make your podcast workflow more smooth and trouble free?

Get started by listening to this episode.

resources we talked about in this episode

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

77: Want to Monetize a Podcast? Here Are Your Options

Tue, 31 Oct 2017 16:59:00 -0400

https://www.smartpassiveincome.com/income-reports/my-september-2017-monthly-income-report/

If I had a nickel for every time a client or potential client or random podcaster has asked me…

How can I monetize a podcast?

I wouldn’t need to monetize a podcast.

It’s a natural question, I guess - there’s nothing wrong with making money from providing value to the world - and podcasts are some of the best vehicles for value-delivery I’ve ever seen.

So heck yes, go ahead, monetize your podcast! You should if you can.

But… it’s not quite that simple, is it? You can’t simply go out and monetize a podcast. You have to take a little time to figure out exactly what the options are, which one fits you and the purpose you have for your podcast, and so on and so forth and such and such.

That’s exactly why I recorded this episode.

My goal is to help you understand what I’ve seen as successful or potentially successful ways people have monetized their podcasts.

I’m also going to be frank with you (or maybe I’ll be Joe this time) and let you know what I don’t like about each of the methods, what I do like about them, what the pitfalls may be, and whether or not that approach to monetization will make you rich or only pay for your weekly coffee.

OK - coffee is more than a weekly expense, I get it. But you get my point, right?

Here’s a rough outline of How to Monetize a Podcast

[1:25] What do we mean when we talk about monetizing a podcast?
[2:53] What are sponsorships? A fancy word for a commercial
[8:01] Have you thought about hawking affiliate products to your listeners?
[12:16] What would happen if you had a patron (or many of them) support your podcast?
[14:24] Could make a membership community for your listeners (and charge for it)?
[18:41] YOUR podcast should definitely feature YOUR resources

If you want to Monetize your podcast, FIRST focus on delivering value

When we talk about monetizing anything we’re talking about making money from it.

I hope that’s not too unrefined for you sensitive types, but it’s the truth. You’re trying to figure out a way you can ask people for money in exchange for the value you’re delivering to them - in this case, your incredible podcast content (for example).

That means you’ve got to be providing them the VALUE side of that equation.

You owe it to your podcast audience NOT to fill their ears with fluff.

It’s the people who throw together some quick and dirty (and useless) PDF download piece of junk who give all of us a bad name. Don’t be that girl or guy. Make your offer something worth having.

And now that we’ve got THAT out of the way…

Idea #1 to monetize your podcast: Sponsorships

Whenever I hear people talking about monetization of their podcast, they usually mean gaining some kind of sponsorship.

What’s a sponsor? It’s a fancy way of saying a person who wants to pay you to put commercial advertisements on your show.

The ads could be pre-produced or they could be something you read. Either way, it’s a commercial, plain and simple.

Sponsorships DO have benefits:

Someone with deeper pockets than you is paying the bills for your show, at least partially
It can be a type of recurring revenue for you
If you/they can track sales directly from your listener base, it could be a long-term relationship

But there’s also the drawbacks (the things I don’t like about sponsorships)...

It’s a commercial. On your podcast.

Part of what I LOVE about podcasting is that I get to listen to a topic I’m interested in WITHOUT interruption.

Many of the companies that are getting into podcast sponsorships may not be directly related to your topic (Audible, Casper Mattress, etc.)

When I have commercials from a mattress company, or an email list company - on my show about Christian Homes and Families - https://www.ChristianHomeAndFamily.com it seems pretty obvious that I’m just trying to make money.

Nothing wrong with that… but does it build trust? That’s what I care about - and what I think you should care about.

The legalities of doing a sponsorship right can be a bit sticky at times.

One tale I heard told was how a podcaster had to provide multiple months worth of “free” sponsorship to a sponsor because of supposed mistakes he was making in the way he read the ad copy. In his mind, the HOW of it wasn’t covered sufficiently to warrant the claim, but he didn’t want to lose the sponsor so he continued to consent to their demands.

And that brings me to the biggest deal about sponsorships that I don’t like…

Somebody BESIDES YOU has influence over your show

You may say they don’t. But they do.

If you’re concerned about what a sponsor might thing regarding what you say, or how you say it, or how it might reflect on them - they ARE having influence on you.

The beauty of podcasting (again, in my mind) is that you get to do YOUR thing with nobody telling you that you can’t.

So there.

Naturally, you can do what you want when it comes to sponsorships. I’m sure there are good experiences out there to go alongside the bad ones I’ve heard about. It also has to do with the “type” of show you’re publishing. Some lend themselves to sponsorships more than others.

In the end, you’ve got to do what you believe is best for you, your listeners, and the sponsor.

Monetization idea #2: Affiliate relationships

In case you’re new to this whole internet thing (like some attorneys I know), it would be a good thing for you to know what affiliate relationships are before I tell you to establish them…

Affiliate (according to Entrepreneur Magazine): https://www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/affiliate-marketing

A way for a company to sell its products by signing up individuals or companies ("affiliates") who market the company's products for a commission.

Get it?

#1 - You find a company that sells products or services your listening audience needs

#2 - You make those products available to your listeners through an “affiliate link” on your website or show note

#3 - When somebody clicks on that link, the company’s website is setup with a “tracking code” that recognizes that person as coming from your link.

#4 - When/if they purchase, you get a commission.

Simple enough, right?

Affiliate relationships can be a gold mine for podcast monetization… sometimes. Maybe.

It depends on a lot of things… but to me it’s an issue of whether your niche has legitimate products/services that you can offer to your listeners.

Yeah, yeah, you can technically offer anything as an affiliate product - related or unrelated to your audience - but I don’t think you should.

Here’s why…

Your audience has done YOU the incredible favor of self-selecting you as their go-to resource for the topics you address.

They feel like they know you (or are getting to know you). They like you (at least you’d better hope they do). They are starting to trust you.

And trust is a valuable thing.

My recommendation is that you do everything in your power NOT to violate that trust in any way. You want to build on it, make yourself a valuable, indispensable resource to your listeners.

In my thinking, a big part of that is NOT trying to get them to buy any old thing. That goes back to making them feel you’re “just trying to make money.”

Instead, why not offer them things that further connect them to you and your topic?

That seems like a winner to me - and when you do it well, it really CAN be a gold mine.

As an example: You’ve probably heard of a guy named Pat Flynn. https://www.smartpassiveincome.com/ One of his most successful affiliate relationships has been with a web hosting company called Bluehost. In September of 2017 he made $18.655.00 by referring people to Bluehost. That figure was even down by $815.00 from the previous month.

The reason I know such details is because Pat publishes his income reports every month.

It’s a great idea - transparency to show people what’s possible by building your own thing online like he has.

The point I want to make is this… that relationship with Bluehost is a hand-in-glove thing for Pat, it’s a service 99% of his listeners will need eventually, so he offers it to them with a full disclaimer that it’s an affiliate relationship.

And it banks for him. Month after month after month.

So… if you’re going to do affiliate relationships, go for it. Just make sure you’re offering things that are truly of benefit to your listeners and do it consistently and genuinely, like Pat does.

But there’s another way to offer affiliate products to your listeners… Guest resources

If you do guest episodes - conversations with experts in your niche or industry - you have a very natural, incredible opportunity to make some income through no more work than recording and publishing a great conversation with that person.

Here’s how…

Many people who are guest on podcasts regularly are established in their niche and have already created their own stuff - books, courses, coaching packages, events, etc.

Before you hit the “record” button, stop to discuss what your guest wants to offer your audience. Yes - offer them the opportunity to highlight what they have to sell.

And find out if there’s an affiliate-type relationship you might be able to establish with them.

You’ll find many such people already have an official affiliate program setup. All you have to do is sign up and place the link in your show notes page. Then, during the interview, disclose that you have that relationship and make the offer.

Better yet, let your GUEST make the offer since they know the product much better than you do. Then you get to simply endorse their offer and recommend it to your listeners.

And keep in mind… podcast episodes are out there forever (as long as you keep paying your hosting bill). This kind of partnership could be a long-term cash cow for you if you do it effectively.

It benefits you.

It benefits your guests.

It benefits your audience (at least it should).

A caution about affiliate offers: Do it right

Remember that trust thing I spoke of earlier? It’s vital that you maintain trust when it comes to affiliate offers.

You don’t want your listeners to in any way feel that you’ve tricked them into doing something that will benefit you directly - even if the supposed “trick” was that you forgot to disclose an affiliate relationship.

So don’t forget.

Always, Always, ALWAYS tell your listeners - both in writing on your show notes page or website - AND verbally on your podcast audio, that you have an affiliate relationship with any product you’re recommending, if you do in fact have such a relationship.

It’s honest. It’s clear. And I believe if you do it right, it can build trust with your audience even more.

And… it’s the law.

https://www.ftc.gov/policy/advisory-opinions/letter-commercial-alert-concluding-respect-type-amplified-word-mouth

#3 Podcast Monetization Idea: Donations

Let me ask you a question…

What sort of compulsion do you feel when somebody does an amazing thing for you? You want to do something for them, right?

It’s what social psychologists refer to as “the law of reciprocity” and there’s something to it. When somebody does good to/for you, you naturally want to do good for them.

Take that concept and apply it to your podcast…

If you are truly adding value to the lives of your listeners, don’t you think some of them are going to start feeling like they want to say “thank you” in a more tangible way than listening to your next episode?

It’s natural. And it’s OK to make a way for your listeners to support your show.

It’s called a Donation Model - and it works. You can see a sterling example of it here - on Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History Site.

http://www.dancarlin.com/dc-donate/

He offers 3 ways to donate - via PayPal recurring donation, via old fashioned snail mail, and via Bitcoin (yes, Bitcoin).

And I could be a bit off on this, but I recently heard Dan interviewed at Podcast Movement 2017 and I believe he said that he only asks $2 per episode - and that the approach does VERY WELL for him.

So… if I were doing this for my “Live Build Change” https://www.LiveBuildChange.com podcast (which I may do someday), I’d say something along this line…

The Live Build Change podcast is my effort to help you live your faith in an authentic, genuine way, to build a business either part time or full time, and then to integrate those two things in a way that enables you to truly change your world. If you’d like to make a donation (one-time or recurring) to ensure I can continue to do so, you can find out how to do that at (website link).

That’s it.

No high-pressure tactics or begging. Just giving listeners an opportunity to reciprocate and moving on.

A similar but different way to accomplish it… Patreon

Back in the olden days… when Kings, Lords and Ladies, and Dukes ruled the lands… there was such a thing as patronage.

For example: The famous artist Michelangelo had two primary patrons who supported him so that he could produce his artistic works: Pope Julius II, and the Medici family.

Patreon is a fairly new approach based on the idea of patronage - it’s where your fans can intentionally set up a recurring payment to you SO THAT you can continue doing what you’re doing with your podcast.

It’s really what I spoke of earlier - but again you’ve got to set it up in order to make the opportunity for your listeners/fans.

Here are the details as I understand them:

You set up the account
Patreon gets 10% of what you receive (administrative costs at 5% and profit at 5%)
Your fans can choose to send you any amount on a recurring basis
Patreon takes care of credit card issues, chargebacks, etc.
And the site claims to have funneled over $150 million to its users so far

My #4 Monetization idea for Podcasters: Memberships

We’ve all done the membership thing at one time or another…

When I was a kid I got into the Columbia Record and Tape Club. For one penny the Columbia people (whoever they were) sent me 14 albums I selected and I committed to buy 20 more in the next three years.

I loved it. It was a membership I was happy to participate in.

Today we have Netflix, Health Clubs, Spotify, etc.

You get it. You understand memberships.

But have you thought of the benefits received by the company OFFERING the membership?

Fairly consistent recurring income

Sure, a subscriber can cancel their subscription at any time (in most cases). But how often does that happen in comparison to the big number of subscribers an outfit like Netflix has?

That dynamic is a reality that makes the income of a company like Netflix consistent. In fact, because of new subscribers, their revenue goes up over the long run.

Check out this graphic of Netflix profits: https://ycharts.com/companies/NFLX/revenue s

And don’t miss the RECURRING part of the setup - people pay over and over and over for what Netflix has to offer rather than a one-time purchase.

That. Is. Bank.

Set-it-and-forget-it payments (they don’t have to invoice monthly)

When I first got this concept it was a game changer for my business.

Invoicing on a monthly basis is a hassle. There are costs associated with it both in time and in tangible goods like paper, etc.

But recurring payments - subscriptions - do away with all that (with the exception of credit card processing fees). A one-time setup BY THE CUSTOMER starts a potentially never-ending source of revenue.

Forgettable fees

I don’t remember where I first heard the phrase “forgettable fees” but it’s brilliant - and important to understand.

Think about it: How many of us even THINK about our $14/mo Netflix subscription?

We just watch Netflix. We enjoy the service. We hardly give the monthly charge a thought when going through our credit card statements.

Why? Because the amount is so reasonable compared to other expenses we have to pay - like a car payment or mortgage or rent.

It’s a forgettable fee - and companies like Netflix count on that as a big part of why people will buy into their subscription service and STAY in.

What does Netflix have to do with monetizing a podcast?

SO...

76: How to Use Long-Tail Keywords to Get Your Podcast Found

Tue, 24 Oct 2017 15:42:00 -0400

Podcasters tend to love their gadgets -

microphones (dynamic or condenser), digital recorders (Zoom H6 or the Tascam DP-006) - and more.

What we’re not typically very good at is learning and doing the stuff that gets our podcast found by those who are looking for the things we talk about.

But if what you have to say is important enough for…

You to say it, and
Others to listen to what you have to say…

I’d say it’s worth you learning and doing the work to let them know it’s there.

Do you follow?

That means you’ve got to learn the strategies for show notes creation and titling of your podcast episodes that make them “findable.” One of the most powerful ways you can do that is by learning about the use of long tail keywords.

This episode is about that.

Here’s a rough outline of this episode about using LONG TAIL KEYWORDS…

[2:07] What IS a long tail keyword? Here’s an example for you...
[5:57] Why optimizing your show notes pages for long tail keywords is important
[9:19] There is a downside to a long tail keyword approach
[13:19] Keyword research works - but it takes work. Are you willing to do it?
[15:32] My terrible pun about the long and short of it on this long tail keyword episode

What do I mean by Long Tail Keywords?

Don’t let the name throw you off. It’s not some kind of creature from Lord of The Rings.

Long Tail keywords mean a keyword that somebody may be searching for on Google, Bing, or Yahoo that is longer than a simple, one word keyword.

Here’s the example I use in this episode...

Home Based business = a typical keyword

Home based Business for Single Moms = a LONG TAIL KEYWORD

Do you see the difference? A long tail keyword is going to target a more SPECIFIC search, something more detailed and niched-in.

In this episode I give a bit more detail - so you should listen - but suffice it to say that when you use a long tail keyword you’re trying to appeal to a specific person, searching for a specific thing, because you have a specific thing to say about that specific thing.

Huh? It’s really not all that confusing, is it?

Real quick, before we move on to why long tail keywords are important, I should clarify…

Long tail keywords matter when applied to sites or pages where a typical search engine (bing, Google, Yahoo) can find the page.

So we are NOT talking about Apple Podcasts descriptions (formerly iTunes).

But we ARE talking about…

The show notes page on your website
The episode listing on your media host (it is what supplies the podcast apps in most cases)
And even on Youtube if you’re repurposing your content there (and you should be - an episode on THAT is coming soon).

Why are Long Tail Keywords important for your podcast show notes pages?

The real difference long tail keywords make for your podcast episode pages (show notes) is that they increase your ability to be shown higher in organic search rankings.

How?

By drilling into the exact things people who are searching care about, relating to the things you’re talking about.

When you can rank in Google search for the topics people are ALREADY SEARCHING FOR… you’re going to find very interested, potentially rabid fans for your podcast.

But wait, there’s more…

There’s a lesson to be learned from Amazon (yes, Amazon) when it comes to long tail keywords.

Search Engine Guide says that Amazon makes 57% of their on-site sales from people who come on the and search using long tail keywords and phrases.

But you’re not selling anything… how does that relate to you?

You’re trying to build a subscriber list, aren’t you?

You’re trying to build a listenership, aren’t you?

So you ARE selling something - your podcast.

People searching for what you talk about are searching SPECIFICALLY for what you talk about. You’ve got to make sure you’re using the keyword phrases THEY are using to make it easy for them to find your podcast episodes.

A smaller number of people will find your posts overall - but you’re not trying to appeal to everyone, you’re trying to appeal to your specific audience.

Who cares if people interested in “Grooming long haired cats” find your page if you’re talking about “Breeding Chameleons” (like my friend, Bill Strand).

Your goal is to do everything you can - including the use of long tail keywords - to make sure your people are finding your page(s).

That’s how you’ll find your IDEAL LISTENER - and you’ll be more likely to get a subscriber as a result.

Conversions (fans/listeners) ALWAYS happen more from the use of long tail keywords. ALWAYS.

The downside of using long tail keywords

The problem with being specific, as you have to be when using long tail keywords, is that you’re unable to be general.

Duh.

Hang on a minute and follow the logic…

If you’re writing a show notes page about Getting Lost in Ultrarunning (like my friend Kyle did here), you’re probably going to cover the topic on an in-depth level, because ultrarunning is a specific, niched topic.

That means you’re not likely going to be able to do much more content on that topic - at least for a bit.

So you’ve got to make your best effort on THAT post, THAT one time. And continue improving THAT content as you can.

Should things change in the industry regarding ultrarunning - you could do another episode on the topic. But it’s likely going to be a while before you can.

So… niche topics mean limited opportunities to write about them. It’s just the way it is.

So you’ve got to get creative when it comes to niche topics like that… learn to use what I call “verticals” - related things that are not exactly the same thing.

Make sense?

So instead of doing a second episode about ultrarunning, you might do another episode about “An Amazing training regimen for ultrarunning.” (I know NOTHING about ultrarunning, so give me a break Kyle.)

See what I mean?

How do you KNOW what people are searching for?

By learning how to do keyword research.

“Seriously! Are you telling me I’ve got to spend the time to learn how to do ANOTHER thing????!!!!”

Well… yeah. If you want your podcast episodes to be found by the people who can benefit from them.

OR, you can hire someone to learn it and do it for you.

I don’t really care how you get it done - you just need to get it done.

On this episode I explain how keyword research works and I even recommend a tool (an affiliate link in the resource links) that you can use to make it easier.

But in the end, you’ve got to do it.

It takes work - plain and simple.

But it’s necessary to make what you’re doing matter.

And you want it to matter, right?

And what if you absolutely don’t want to do this?

That, among other reasons - is why my company exists - to help you get your message out effectively.

EFFECTIVELY, PEOPLE!

We don’t slack on this stuff. We do keyword research and focus on using long tail phrasing others in your niche are not targeting.

Because we want to make sure that if you’re taking the time to podcast, you’re reaching the people you’re trying to reach.

We can’t guarantee it will happen with every post we write, but we CAN guarantee that you’ll have a much greater chance of the people you’re trying to reach if you do so with proven methods that work WITH the search engines instead of against them.

resources we talked about in this episode

Article on Search Engine Guide that references Amazon’s observations about long tail
Tool my team uses and I recommend - Keyword Finder: https://goo.gl/egvCQd (affiliate link)

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

75: How High Quality Backlinks Can Get You More Podcast Listeners

Tue, 17 Oct 2017 22:44:00 -0400

If you are not familiar with the term “backlinks,” you’re about to be. ;)

I have come to believe that backlinks (among other traditional SEO best-practices) are among the most powerful ways you can get new listeners. This episode is aimed at teaching you the WHAT, WHY, AND HOW of that statement.

Interested? I thought you might be.

Here’s a rough outline of this HIGH QUALITY BACKLINKS episode…

[2:18] What IS a backlink and why are they important? (An example)
[5:08] How your guests are a powerful win-win source for backlinks
[8:27] The obvious ways podcasters can create backlinks (websites for resources)
[10:05] Email to people who write about your topic(s)
[13:03] It takes 3 things you don’t see in ample supply these days: time, know-how, consistency

Backlinks - what are they?

Every time you surf the internet you see backlinks. You probably just don’t know that’s what they are called.

A backlink is any link from a website YOU DO NOT OWN that points back to your website. Let that sink it for a minute. A link, somewhere else on the internet, pointing to your site.

That means when I place a link right here to Josh’s incredible podcast recording tool, Zencastr, I just gave him a backlink.

You need to get those for yourself, pointing to your website, your podcast episodes, your about page, anything on your site that’s worth pointing to.

But backlinks are on someone else’s site! How can I control what THEY do?

I get it, other people have to agree to link to your website. But here’s what you need to realize:

Very few people will link to your podcast website if you don’t ask them.

And there are ways you can ask for those backlinks that are not smarmy, spammy, awkward, or otherwise untoward.

I promise. It can be done without sounding like a “Hey, gimme, gimme, gimme!” thing.

On this episode I give you a number of ways to do it - including the kind of verbiage you can use to reach out to other people and persuade them to link to your site.

In this episode I mention a guy named Neil Patel (there’s a backlink for Neil) who is an SEO expert and who shares all kinds of generous stuff about how to rank in Google. The article he wrote about gaining backlinks (linked below in the resources) is packed with things you can do to get backlinks regularly.

In fact, I think I’m going to reach out to Neil to see if he might be willing to link to THIS page. There you go!

What makes a high quality backlink?

If you search the internet you’ll probably find some bozo on Fiverr (yeah, that’s a backlink… though they don’t deserve it) who will take your money in exchange for getting you lots of backlinks.

Be careful. No, BE VERY CAREFUL!

The “high quality” part of this whole backlink thing is vitally important. That’s because Google and the other search engines are getting smarter all the time.

The algorithms can tell if the sites linking to you are…

Relevant to your industry/niche/topic OR NOT
Reputable sites to begin with
Linking to you in a “natural” way because of an established relationship with you
And more…

So trying to game the system by paying for backlinks will likely bite you in your behind sooner rather than later.

You want to make sure you’re steering clear of those kinds of shenanigans. You do that by sticking with high quality backlinks.

That means you’re working to get backlinks that are…

From sites with a good reputation
Sites that actually get a decent amount of traffic
Sites that provide content that is truly valuable (not just words on a page)
And sites that have something to do with what you have something to do with. I think.

This episode is an audio version of all the things having to do with getting high quality backlinks.

Podcasters have some very natural ways to get high quality backlinks

Does your podcast feature guest interviews?

Wait for it....

BOOM! Those people are your number one target when it comes to you reaching out to people who might be willing to link to your site.

They are likely reputable in their field.

They likely have a fairly substantial web presence.

And you KNOW they want to expand that web presence because they were on your podcast!

It’s a natural fit to ask them to link to the exact show notes page where they are featured in all their glory (you DO create show notes pages for your episodes, don’t you?).

You also mention resources that will be helpful to your listeners, right?

Those resources are things companies are spending big money to promote.

You can offer them a way to do so for the cost of a tiny bit of text and a link on their website.

Yep, a backlink.

I know it sounds a bit intimidating, but anything is scary the first time.

Don’t give in to the fear! The future of your podcast depends on more people being able to find it - and backlinks help make that a reality.

You can do this. I really believe that. I wouldn’t have recorded this episode if I didn’t.

So - you’re going to hear how I suggest you go about reaching out to those companies - including examples of verbiage you can use in your emails to ask for the backlink.

You need to position it as a win-win situation - because it is. On this episode I give you some of the tools you’ll need to do it.

Then there are those other people out there in internetland who talk about the same things you talk about…

I’m not talking about your competition. I’m talking about the people who operate in areas that are aligned with what you talk about.

Here’s my example from the episode…

Suppose you do an episode on your podcast about the joys of underwater basket-weaving for pregnant women. Google it, I dare you!

Who are the people who may talk about such things? People who talk about...

Women
Pregnancy
Basket weaving
Water sports or activities

You get the point… right?

It only takes a Google search to find out who the big names are in any of those areas. And it only takes a couple of clicks to find contact info on their websites.

You can reach out to them, explaining that you recently published a podcast episode about one of the subjects they cover. Would they mind checking it out - and possibly linking to it?

“But that’s not me. I’m not the kind of person to ask someone I don’t know for a favor.”

Oh, really.

Then what kind of person ARE you?

Oh yeah, you’re the kind of person who doesn’t do the work to make their podcast what it could be.

Come on - think this through!

Isn’t it worth conquering your fears about reaching out (email is a lot easier than in person, trust me) so you can bring greater benefit to more listeners?

So… off my soapbox now. Just listen. It’ll probably take you less time to hear what I have to say than it did for you to read this post about it.

Just sayin’.

resources we talked about in this episode

Episode 74: About good SEO for Podcasters to employ
Interivew Connections
Cleanfeed
Libsyn
Zencastr
Ringr
Podbean
Neil Patel article: How to Build High Quality Backlinks in a Scalable Way

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

74: Podcast Promotion: A Deep Dive into Content Marketing for Podcasting

Mon, 04 Sep 2017 13:50:00 -0400

Podcast promotion is a hot topic these days... but do you see it as a form of content marketing?

Everybody (naturally) wants more eyes on their show’s cool cover art and more ears listening to their show. But I have to give you the hard truth about podcast promotion. There’s no silver bullet. There probably never will be. Like anything else in life that’s worth doing, you have to dedicate yourself to learning how to do it well.

You don’t get returns without investment.
You don’t get crops without planting seeds and cultivating them.
You don’t get bulging muscles without some kind of exercise routine.

And you don’t get huge download numbers without some kind of dedicated, well-planned promotion of your show.

This episode is a deep-dive into content marketing for podcast promotion.

Here’s a rough outline of Podcast Promotion as Content Marketing…

[1:30] We all need to know how to promote our podcasts well.
[2:36] Why podcast promotion is closely related to content marketing.
[4:00] The 3 main goals most podcasters have - and why they matter.
[6:22] The benefits of viewing your podcast as content marketing.
[10:34] Understand: content marketing takes a while to work well.
[16:30] Why I recommend written show note summaries rather than transcripts.
[20:55] The power of truly great content: and how “lazy” has no place.
[26:40] The power of offsite content marketing.
[36:50] The key parts of an effective, well-planned content marketing strategy.
[41:08] What we know from the history of promoting online resources.

My assumption is this:

Your podcast is content - great content.

Therefore the principles and best-practices that have been learned in the content marketing realm apply to the promotion of your podcast. In this episode I give you the full-scoop as I understand it right now (Sept. 2017) and will continue to do so on future episodes. This stuff is important - and it changes all the time. But one fact remains constant, no matter what changes...

resources we talked about in this episode

Dave Jackson
Show notes that work (episode that tells you everything you need to do)
Episode 20 - Why you need good show notes
Episode 21 - Step one to epic show notes
Episode 22 - Step two to epic show notes
BOOK: Mastery
PODCAST: Thinking In Public
Episode 23 - Creating social media elements FROM your podcast show notes
Thinking In Public - a show I love
Episode 59 - How to get influencers to be guests on your show
Neil Patel article about backlinking strategy

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

73: Updates to iTunes Tags: What Podcasters Need To Know

Thu, 27 Jul 2017 13:56:00 -0400

OK, it’s July of 2017 and the powers that be over at Apple have announced that the next version of their software (IOS 11) will introduce a few updated iTunes tags.

You may not even know what a “tag” is. :)

That’s OK - that’s why I’m publishing this episode. iTunes tags are simply some pieces of data that you are able to add to your podcast OR to each episode (depending on what tag we’re talking about) that enables you to communicate to the iTunes software and store, about your episodes and show, more effectively.

That was confusing. Let me say it this way…

Now, you get to tell the iTunes store team/software some details about your podcast and its episodes. You do that by using these iTunes tags. There. That was better.

So how do you access or use these new iTunes tags?

That’s the obvious question, right? So I’m glad you asked it. ;) In most cases these tags will be available for you wherever you host your media (Blubrry, Libsyn, Spreaker, Podbean, etc.). In some cases, they won’t be supported by your media host - in which case I’d say RUN DON’T WALK from that media host. With Apple being the “big dog” in the podcasting industry any host worth its salt should be keeping pace with what they are doing. If they aren’t, then they are a wanna’ be that probably never will be.

That’s just MY take on it.

Anyway, inside your reputable media host, you’ll find options for these new tags that iTunes has made available

And what about podcatchers or podcast players OTHER than Apple’s?

This announcement will also impact the way many of the non-Apple podcasting apps out there operate. Some of those apps will offer support for these new iTunes tags - some may not. So… you can decide if that matters to you from a listener perspective. Regardless, I cover this a bit toward the end of the episode.

On this episode about iTunes tags I’m going to…

Walk you through each of the new iTunes tags
Tell you what iTunes intends them for
Provide some scenarios for how you might use them
Give you a few tips or cautions about each (I’ve already been using them)
And explain why they are important (or not) - in each case.

So there you have it - the summary of what I’ll be talking about on this episode. Start listening or use the time-stamped outline below to go directly to the section you are most interested in learning about.

And go make it a PODCASTIFICATING day!

Here’s a rough outline of this 7/2017 iTunes tags episode…

[1:28] Do you even know what tags are when it comes to iTunes?
[2:19] Episodic or serial show type?
[4:15] iTunes keyword tags? Really?
[5:20] There is now a specific “iTunes title” you can use.
[6:50] A 512 character iTunes summary is coming soon for each episode.
[7:44] What “type” of episode is the episode you’re publishing?
[11:23] What if I WANT to have episode numbers on my episodes?
[12:01] Ratings tags are still around.
[14:22] You can change the author tag for each episode.

resources we talked about in this episode

The video of Apple’s announcement about tags
A PDF of Apple’s explanation of said iTunes tags (kind of technical)
Blubrry
Spreaker
Podbean
Libsyn
Stitcher
Google Play
Gimlet Media’s show Startup

72: I’m The Poster Child of Terrible Podcast Episodes… But You Knew That, Didn’t You?

Mon, 10 Jul 2017 15:00:00 -0400

Talk about a TERRIBLE PODCAST EPISODE - episode 70 of this podcast was it…. And it had NOTHING to do with my guest, Dave Jackson. Dave was incredible (as always). It had to do with the EPIC FAIL I did on the edits for that episode.

You may not be aware of the fail at this point (I’ve since replaced it). :) But believe me - it was bad.

But I also want you to learn from my mistakes.

The episode was so terrible because of one simple thing: I stepped away from my normal podcast production process.

I was in a hurry. I was already feeling a bit impatient with the time it was taking me to finish up my edits and write my show notes. I wasn’t in good place, mentally. And it was in the midst of that messed up mindset that I made the conscious decision to produce a terrible podcast episode.

No, I didn’t think of it that way at the time - you never do! But shortcuts lead to flub-ups - as I’ve so aptly demonstrated. I can’t say it enough - to you and to myself - stick with your process, no matter how long it takes. The process you’ve devised is there for a reason, to keep you from producing terrible podcast episodes.

If I had simply ignored the negative, lazy, impatient voices in my head and pressed on, this episode of the podcast would never have been necessary.

BUT - I trust that God had something good to come out of it, which means this episode of the podcast is likely EXACTLY what you needed to hear (and what I need to be reminded of). Isn’t that a cool way to think of it?

OK, enough of my blather and drivel… go ahead and listen.

Here’s a rough outline of the terrible podcast episode

[1:32] The terrible podcast I produced (and how it got past me)
[3:05] What should you do when you discover your podcast episodes are messed up?
[5:09] Mistakes are going to happen. You are going to have terrible podcast episodes.
[6:00] Did you know you can go back and fix files you’re already published?
[7:13] Don’t take yourself so seriously. You’re not THAT important.

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

71: How YOU Can Be The Trusted Resource Your Listeners Are Looking For

Mon, 03 Jul 2017 15:00:00 -0400

Are you podcasting as a content marketing move? You know, trying to become the trusted resource in your niche that your listeners turn to for help and advice?

I think that’s a good plan. A VERY good plan.

But I don’t see a lot of podcasters actually pulling it off effectively.

There’s only so much you can benefit personally from interviewing OTHER experts, you know?

At some point YOU have got to step out there - YOU have got to let your audience know what you know - and how it can help them. YOU have got to become that trusted resource you’re really wanting to be.

Did you get that? YOU have got to BE that trusted resource.

This episode of Podcastification is brief, but I think it could be the very thing that could help you position yourself to be that resource for your listeners that they’ve been looking for.

Seriously. That’s not an overstatement or smarmy marketing-talk. It’s what I truly believe.

I originally learned this idea from a guy named James Schramko (who has NO idea who I am) simply by listening to his podcast. He did this well - and is what put the idea on my radar.

I believe once you hear this idea and take the time to think it through - and push down your insecurity and fear about putting yourself in the spotlight - you’re going to see that I’m right.

That James is right. That a handful of other podcasters are right. Including one of my clients who I use as an example on this episode.

So… get ready to discover a new way to podcast. Well… it’s not a new way, but it’s new to many of you, I know.

Just listen.

Here’s a rough outline of this episode on being the trusted resource…

[1:28] What’s your true REASON for podcasting in the first place?
[3:43] Where I first got the idea for making YOURSELF the trusted resource.
[7:03] A shining example of a client of mine who did this right.
[10:38] How you can get me to help you. Seriously.

resources we talked about in this episode

Superfast Business with James Schramko
Odell’s podcast - Beyond the Whistle with Odell McCants

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

70: Stop Worrying About Downloads and Make Great Podcasts, with Dave Jackson

Tue, 27 Jun 2017 15:00:00 -0400

There are a lot of great podcasts - and none of them just happened or got that way overnight. There’s lots of tweaking involved (that IS the technical term). You’ve got to pivot, iterate, try stuff in order to get things just right.

But sadly, most beginning podcasters don’t start with great content.

Instead, they start with trying to accomplish great downloads, or hitting the New & Noteworthy list, or some other such nonsense. My guest today has seen it all - including THOSE people who want the big bang at the start with no work to support it or make their podcast great. Dave Jackson is the man. He’s the President Emeritus of the School of Podcasting - the Pod-step-father - the Principle over at the School of Podcasting.

Dave Jackson is one of those guys who’s like a breath of fresh air… OK, maybe more like a guy who’s a breath of slightly-less-stuffy air than I’m used to.

The reason? He calls himself “The Worst Salesman for Podcasting,” but that’s EXACTLY why I like him so much. He’s not afraid to tell it like it is.

So get ready to hear Dave bring it, on this episode. And if you listen closely right around 31:02 you’ll hear a surprise cameo appearance by the newest hairy podcast host on the airwaves - Bernie the Cat.

Thanks for being on the show, Dave.

Here’s a rough outline of TOPIC OR GUEST…

[2:17] Who is this Dave Jackson guy?
[3:45] What Dave did because he didn’t want to miss the boat.
[11:50] The 3-year approach to building your podcast.
[14:43] What IS really a good size for a podcast audience?
[19:16] Why you need to focus ONLY on making your show great.
[26:49] Bizarre experiences Dave has had because of his podcast.
[31:02] A surprise cameo appearance from Bernie the cat!
[31:05] Getting to know your audience by hanging out with them.

resources we talked about in this episode

www.SchoolofPodcasting.com
Adam Curry, the “PodFather”
www.NewandNoteworthy.info - Dave’s site about N&N
Special Mouse podcast
Steve Martin’s Comedy Master Class
BOOK: I Can’t Make This Up by Kevin Hart
BOOK: So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

69: In Search of the Best Way to Record an Interview, with Mark Hills of Cleanfeed

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 15:00:00 -0400

Interviews, interviews, interviews. I don’t know the stats but I bet a vast majority of podcasts out there are interview-format shows. And it seems like a trouble-free solution for recording long-distance conversations - which is what most interviewers have to resort to - has not been created yet. But...

I think we’re getting closer to a great way to record interviews.

On this episode, I’m going to introduce you to a new friend, Mark Hills. He and his co-creator (also named Marc) hail from the UK and come from a radio industry background. In their minds, for live radio, connections simply have to work - and they’ve been working on an internet-based solution for both broadcasting high-quality audio from remote locations, AND recording it.

Here’s where this radio industry solution becomes of GREAT interest to us podcasters.

I invite you to join Mark and me as we chat about the tool they’ve created - Cleanfeed. It’s still in beta but looks very promising.

But more important than hearing our banter - which gets into the details of how Cleanfeed works to record high-quality audio - you need to actually HEAR this episode because we recorded it using Cleanfeed.

Mark was using a laptop with an XLR microphone and an audio interface that was plugged into his computer. I used a USB microphone, directly into my computer. Sound familiar? It should because those are two of the most common ways podcasters connect to their computers for EXACTLY this kind of use.

I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the quality of audio Cleanfeed provides and the possibilities it affords for podcasting. But be warned - it IS still in beta and has glitches now and then. But Mark and Marc are working on them continually.

And the best part is that Mark has committed to always have a fairly full-featured version of Cleanfeed available for FREE. Yes, free.

Have I got your attention? OK - it’s time to listen!

Here’s a rough outline of TOPIC OR GUEST…

[2:56] What is Cleanfeed?
[4:39] How a broadcast radio background led to the creation of Cleanfeed.
[15:59] Cleanfeed is now in beta stage. What are the plans for the software?
[21:12] What the Cleanfeed interface looks like and how it works.

resources we talked about in this episode

www.Cleanfeed.net
The Cleanfeed blog - http://blog.cleanfeed.net/
Skype
Ringer (affiliate)
Source Connect
Zencastr

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

68: Podcast Setup For Beginners. Seriously, Anyone Can Do This

Tue, 13 Jun 2017 15:00:00 -0400

If you’ve ever wondered how technical and complicated it is to get a podcast setup - I’ve recorded this episode to simply say (and demonstrate) - not very. Seriously.

I think anyone with half a brain and can follow instructions can easily set up their own podcast, begin recording, post it on the internet, get it submitted to the directories and be LIVE within a week. It’s not a promise because it depends on you, but I’m confident it can and does happen. In fact, I’m confident it WILL happen because of this episode. If it does happen for you, I’d love to hear about it.

Your podcast setup doesn’t have to be technically complicated.

I know it’s the tech stuff that intimidates most people when they think about starting their own podcast. But the getting started part is really not as difficult as you imagine. It’s simply the unknown (which often looks bigger than it really is) that is making you feel that way. You can do this. I know you can. I’ve done it three times simply by following tutorials I found on the internet - and here’s the cool thing - I’ve learned how to do it without those tutorials and am able to teach YOU how to do it now. Which is what I’m doing on this episode of Podcastification.

Do you have a message or body of knowledge or form of entertainment you want to get out there

Why not start a podcast? I want to help you do it - on this episode. And there’s absolutely nothing in it for me - except the satisfaction of knowing that I was able to help you. So start at the beginning, pause, take notes, use the resources listed below, whatever it takes to walk you through this step by step - DO IT. You can have a podcast up and running by the end of the month. Granted, it will be basic - but it will be YOURS. You can do this!

The highlights of this podcast setup episode

[1:37] Why I think I can teach you basic podcast setup for free - and be just as effective.
[2:35] The importance of having something valuable to say - and what that really means.
[4:03] Before you setup your podcast you need to know who it is you are talking to, specifically.
[6:52] Determining the equipment you’re going to use to record.
[11:54] How you can determine topics for your episodes.
[17:58] The most frustrating part of the process is the actual recording.
[22:15] What is a media host and why do you need one?
[27:02] Getting your new podcast submitted to directories like iTunes (Apple Podcasts).
[31:58] If you’re podcasting and nobody hears it, did you really say anything?
[38:21] And finally: how do you record someone else in an interview format?

resources we talked about in this episode

Dan Carlin’s
Hardcore History
Audacity
My microphone - ATR 2005 (also mentioned - ATR2100)
www.AudacityForPodcasting.com (my course)
Gimlet Media
Libsyn
Blubrry
Pinecast
Amazon S3
INSTRUCTIONS for how to get into all the directories
Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes)
Stitcher Radio
Google Play Podcasts
Podbean
Spreaker Radio
Fiverr

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

67: Grow Your Podcast Via Your Own Custom App, with Rob Walch

Mon, 05 Jun 2017 15:00:00 -0400

You want to grow your podcast. I want to grow My podcast(s). There’s no question that we all want to reach a broader audience. That’s part of why we podcast in the first place - we have something to share that we believe will help people. So… there are always new things to learn when it comes to promotion, marketing, building an audience, and so forth and such and such.

BUT - BUT - BUT - there are some things that I BET you have not considered when it comes to growing the audience for your podcast. What is that mysterious thing? (Yes, I know - you’ve already seen it in the show, but it’s so much fun to say “mysterious,” don’t you think? Or is that just hype-y?). It’s apps. A custom app. For your podcast. For you to provide free of charge to your audience. It’s possible. It’s affordable, and it’s something you should consider yesterday.

So - on this episode of Podcastification Rob Walch is my guest again - who is, by the way, the most-frequently-appearing guest on this show. He’s a pretty gracious guy to put up with all of my shenanigans, don’t you think? He’s got the Libsyn solution to the app need to tell us all about - so you can hear what they’ve got for you and your audience, on this episode.

You can have your own membership site - right on your listener’s phone!

This episode is mainly about audience growth - but there are other aspects to having an app for your podcast that are incredibly powerful. One of the options that THIS humble podcaster thinks is incredibly powerful is to use the app to provide “member only” content to special subscribers (those who pay for the additional content). Libsyn has it all set up for you, takes care of the payment, and handles all the tech issues. It’s pretty incredible and a way that you can make money off your podcast that you likely haven’t thought about. So… what are you waiting for? Listen to this episode to find out more!

People who don’t know about podcasting can be added to your podcast audience.

An app is a very cool way to find people who are totally, rabidly, incredibly interested in the things you talk about - but do NOT listen to podcasts. Here’s a scenario: Somebody is interested in underwater basket weaving (which happens to be what YOU podcast about. Come on… work with me, here). They get it into their noggin that there might be a pretty cool underwater basket weaving app in the IOS or Google Play store. So they go looking. And guess what? They enter the keyword “underwater basket weaving” and they find YOUR podcast app. They don’t know about podcasting, but it’s an app - and they know about that. So they download it, listen, read, check out whatever you’re offering via your app. And Walah! You’ve just discovered another way to grow your podcast.

Find out more stuff like this that an app can do for you, on this episode.

Here’s a rough outline of TOPIC OR GUEST…

[1:24] Back with Rob Walch, winner of the “Most Frequent Guest” award. :)
[2:33] Why Libsyn was one of the first to get into the App Game.
[4:05] How an app can grow your audience - real life examples.
[5:50] But aren’t custom apps expensive? NOPE. Really.
[10:37] How you can monetize your show via “paid” portions of your app.
[15:27] The steps you can take to get your app rolling today!]
[26:10] Get YOUR branding on the home screen of your listener’s phones.

Resources we talked about in this episode

Libsyn App Features and Info
Ben Greenfield’s Podcast (mentioned as a great example)
Libsyn’s podcast - The Feed (in IOS or Android)
Today in IOS (app link for IOS only :) )
Hamish and Andy (app link for IOS and for Android)
www.SchoolofPodcasting.com
www.ChristianHomeandFamily.com

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

66: Podcast Production Tips, Mistakes, and Funny Client Stories, with Steve Stewart

Mon, 29 May 2017 15:00:00 -0400

Podcast production gets easier as you do it more. Naturally, right? That’s at least part of the reason I thought it might be helpful for YOU, the listener, to hear from a couple of guys who, between the two of us (and our teams), probably have our hands on over 100 episodes per week. We’ve learned a few things about podcast production (much of it the hard way) and would love it if you did NOT repeat our mistakes.

Funny stuff happens during podcast production. Here’s some proof.

But I also thought there might be some VERY FUNNY stories we could tell on/about our clients, their guests, and the tech nightmares we’ve seen happen. And I wasn’t wrong about that. There are some truly funny moments in this episode.

So, on this episode I welcome my guest Steve Stewart - he’s a peach of a guy (whatever that means to you… unless it means something dirty to you… in which case I retract the statement entirely). You’ll like Steve’s approach to editing, his ability to tell a story, and will also get some great tips from the guy to boot!

And I throw in a couple of stories and tips of my own as well. So… will you join us? We’d like to podcastificate you. It won’t hurt, honest. In fact, you might find you like it. ;)

Here’s an overview of the podcast production tips Steve and I covered…

[1:30] A thumbnail sketch of the amazing Steve Stewart, esquire. OK, he’s not an esquire - but he IS a cool guy.
[4:26] Ways you can BETTER help your guest make a better recording (and bring their best game) - INCLUDING microphone options.
[14:57] The things you notice when your EDITOR BRAIN kicks in (it can be ugly).
[17:26] The things podcasters do that EDITORS LOVE!
[20:53] My crazy story of the whining dad trying to control his kid who interrupted his recording.
[24:16] If you don’t want to miss things in your podcast production workflow, you NEED a process checklist (bullet point outline).
[32:54] The 3 biggest pain points in a podcaster’s life - and Skype nightmares!
[43:42] Do you use too much DATED COMMENTARY in your podcast?
[48:43] How you can get in touch with the incredible Steve Stewart.

resources we talked about in this episode

www.SteveStewart.me
www.AudacityWorkshop.com
Podcast Editors Facebook Group
Heil PR-40
ATR 2500
ATR 2100 (Steve’s recommended, least expensive mic for guests)
Zencastr
Skype
Getting Things Done (book)
Trello
My video demo of how I use Trello for episode ideas and publication
Dan Miller
BOOK: No More Mondays
You Can Book.me
Schedule Once
Calendly

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

64: How to Stay Encouraged On Your Podcasting Journey, with Rob Greenlee

Tue, 23 May 2017 13:00:00 -0400

It is hard to stay encouraged in any pursuit in life - simply because discouraging things come up against your efforts. I’ve found podcasting to be that way - IN SPADES! There seem to be so many things - from the rest of life to the technology hurdles - that make it hard to stay consistent and encouraged when it comes to keeping your show alive and the vision you first had for it front and center.

That’s why I invited a podcasting veteran to be on the show today. And he’s not just a veteran, he’s like the Grand-Daddy-Grand-Poobah of podcasting. I’m talking about Rob Greenlee - a guy who was doing podcasting before it was podcasting. Seriously, you need to hear his story to see how that was even possible. It’s all on this episode.

I want you to stay encouraged, because you have great things to publish on your podcast.

On this episode of Podcastification, Rob Greenlee digs into the archives of his past to share some of the most discouraging and difficult things he faced in those early years - and he follows it up with sage advice for those of us who are coming behind him on the podcasting journey. His advice about how to stay encouraged is practical, down to earth, and stuff you can implement right away, so be sure you take the time to hear what he’s got to say. Rob’s track record proves that he truly cares about you being the success we all know you can be!

How Microsoft shut down podcasting WAY before Apple came along.

One of the most interesting little bits of trivia Rob Greenlee shared on this episode is a little-known fact about podcasting from the history of a mega-company that is not even remotely associated with podcasting today - Microsoft. Listen in to hear how Microsoft had all the technology in place to make podcasting simple and possible for the average person and then made the decision to pull the plug on it entirely. Oops! You’ll get a kick out of it - and learn a lesson or two from Rob along the lines of - where your mindset is, your actions will follow!

Outline of this conversation about staying encouraged

[2:09] Rob’s experience with podcasting before it was podcasting. Yep.
[5:36] How Rob’s passion for marketing led him to podcasting.
[10:44] The obstacles and discouragement Rob faced and how he pushed through them.
[13:41] How do you carve out the time to produce a quality podcast?
[20:20] The things Rob has seen that most commonly sidetrack podcasters.
[26:11] Rob’s role at Spreaker - and what Spreaker is.
[28:34] Advice for fairly new podcasters to endure the slog.
[31:43] How to determine if your podcast is bringing the ROI you want.
[34:28] Why podcasting needs to be seen as a marathon, not a sprint.

resources we talked about in this episode

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

62: A Hack For Making Better Connections With Your Listeners

Mon, 08 May 2017 15:00:00 -0400

The better your connections with your listeners - the better your connection with the EXACT people who can propel your podcast and brand forward. Just think about the way people feel connected to Apple or Southwest Airlines, or Tom’s Shoes - those things don’t happen by accident. And YOU have the opportunity to make it EASIER and MORE CONVENIENT for your listening audience to connect with you… and I’m going to tell you a way that you can do it, on this episode of Podcastification.

What I cover on this episode about making better connections:

[2:03] Using the description portion of podcast apps to your (and your listener’s) advantage.
[6:49] Where do you put all your cool information? This needs some explaining...
[9:31] Do you know what feed you fed to iTunes?
[12:15] Where do you post all your cool info that will help you make better connections with your audience ?
[14:54] My best practices for what to post in your description (but make up your own mind).
[19:40] Timestamps can be VERY useful to your listeners. Here’s how to include them.
[21:22] Images can help your listeners trust you more. Talk about better connections! Trust is what you want!
[23:09] Help your not-so-savvy listeners know HOW they can use your resources (it’s called marketing).
[24:59] Helping your listeners help you (and them).

Do you know what feed you fed to iTunes?

If you’re going to make full use of the process I describe in this episode to better connect with your listeners, you’re going to need where your podcast feed is coming from. What? You don’t know what a podcast feed, is? That’s OK - I’ll tell you on this episode. But MORE IMPORTANTLY, I’m going to tell you exactly how to DISCOVER where your podcast feed is coming from and make use of that information to best effect. Sounds like a super-secret-government-conspiracy. But it’s not. It’s just learning the tech that is at your disposal to give yourself more opportunities to build better connections with your listening audience.

What is the point of making better connections with your listeners?

Whether or not you are using your podcast to generate money or not, if you think about the connections you make with your listeners from a marketing perspective, I think you will easily see why it's vital that you get this right. Your listeners are not just leads for whatever you are promoting, they are hot leads. They have self-selected to listen to your show and to receive counsel from you as their expert. That means they are chomping at the bit to receive your advice, apply it, and possibly even purchase whatever you create. And they are more likely to take that final step if they know, like, and trust you. That means they need to be connected to you in a way that they feel comfortable with. Are you getting my drift? Find out how to use the current technology to make it easier for them to make those connections with you, on this episode.

resources we talked about in this episode

Pocketcasts
Libsyn (podcast hosting)
iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, iHeart Radio
Blubrry PowerPress Plugin
Podbean
Regan Starr’s feed discovery tool
HTML cleaner (pre-Libsyn step when copying from a doc of any kind)
Blogtalk Radio

The Regan Starr interface for locating your feed address (click for a larger image)

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

61: The Art & Skill of Great Conversations With Your Podcast Guests

Mon, 01 May 2017 18:17:00 -0400

One of the reasons we do interviews at all is because we want the value a great conversation can bring to our show. But there’s both an art and a skill to pulling it off. I’ve learned - through a lot of mistakes and by watching others - that there are some very practical things you can do in order to turn the odds of having great conversations with your guests in your favor. That’s what this episode of Podcastification is all about - my lessons-learned.

[2:21] Why you need to show up on time and get off on the right foot.

There is never a second-chance to make a first impression - so you want to be sure you NAIL things when you first connect with your guest in person. That means being professional and respecting their time by showing up on time when you said you would. But that’s just one piece of making your conversation truly great. And you’re in luck - I’m going to walk you through those issues, as I see them, on this episode.

[4:02 ] Pre-recording small-talk. It’s a valuable thing.

I’ve been on a number of podcasts myself as a guest and I’m often surprised at how LITTLE small-talk goes on before some of those conversations. The host doesn’t take time to truly get to know me, understand what’s important to me, or find out how they can best highlight what I’ve got to share in order to be of the greatest value to their audience. I prefer to go another way. In this episode, I’m walking you through what I try to do with each guest to make for great conversations that my audience actually enjoys listening to. I hope you take the time to listen.

[6:27] My pre-recording checklist - and why I go through it WITH my guest.

If you don’t have a pre-recording checklist that you use every single time you do a podcast interview, you are probably making the same minor mistakes over and over again. I’ve learned that I can’t trust my brain to remember everything, every time - so I have created a checklist for myself to ensure that the important stuff is not overlooked. So… if you want to hear what I include on my checklist, I’m happy to share it - and I do on this episode.

[16:25] Once you hit the “record” button - don’t start your conversation just yet.

I know you’re eager to get started with that great conversation with your ideal guest - but once you hit the record button, don’t launch into your interview questions just yet. There are a few very small but very key things you need to do to ensure that your conversation actually makes it on-air in the way you are envisioning. It’s part of what makes great conversations as impactful as they can be, so don’t miss this important step!

[18:12] How to have great conversations with your guests? Focus on the emotion.

I’m not a particularly emotional guy, but as I’ve become a bit older and have grown in my relationships I’ve discovered that everybody speaks the language of emotion. And the more I can get my podcast guests to share on that level the more it impacts my audience and the more it makes for a great conversation with them. On this episode I’m going to tell you what I’ve learned when it comes to sharing on an emotional level and how I, as the podcast host, can get my guests to share on more of an emotional level as well. If you can learn this one - you’ll be on your way to great conversations that you can feature on your podcast.

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

60: How To Get Your Podcast Guest Ready For Your Show

Mon, 24 Apr 2017 13:00:00 -0400

In the last episode of Podcastification I gave you my best tips on getting that ideal podcast guest to say “Yes” to your invitation to be your show. Today I’m going to take you to the next step. What do you do once a guest has agreed to be on your show? Are there things you can do to help them prepare, make the most of the opportunity, and get the best recording possible?

Is the Pope Catholic?

On this episode we’ll be covering a TON of helpful things you can do to make the guest at home on your show, ready to give their best, and able to help YOU promote and publicize it powerfully.

[2:43] Step 1: Get the info you need to make it a great interview.

Your podcast guest is just that - YOUR GUEST. You need to practice some good old fashioned hospitality and help them do their very best on your show. It’s your responsibility to bring out the great value they can deliver to your audience - and that starts with helping them to help you as you prepare for the conversation. This episode has some very practical tips and tools to help you set up an efficient system that enables your guest to EASILY give you the info you need and set the stage for a great interview and a powerful promotional effort on both your parts.

[6:49] The kinds of things you NEED from your podcast guest (stuff to ask for).

[15:38] What kind of instructions does your podcast guest need?

Whether your podcast guest has ever been interviewed for a podcast before or not, they’ve never been on YOUR show before, right? You have particular things you do and specific things you’re looking to get out of your interviewees - and your guest knows nothing about those. On this episode I’m going to help you think through the things your guest needs to know in order to bring their A-game to your conversation, optimize their side of the recording for great audio, and make it an enjoyable and valuable experience for your listeners.

[19:18] Why it’s good to provide your podcast guests with a “best practice” sheet.

It’s a great idea to provide your podcast guests with a sheet of some kind that they can keep for easy reference that tells them the best practices for being on your show. What sort of things should go on that list? Here’s a short-list: and you can hear them broken down in detail on this episode of Podcastification.

Emphasize that you want to promote them in best light possible.
Tell them you will go over some of this again briefly when you connect.
Ask them to plan to record in a quiet setting with a low amount of echo.
Encourage them to be mindful of sitting still (no activity, driving, treadmill).
Let them know to use a hard-wired computer connection (not wifi).
Emphasize that they need to use an external mic. Here are my recommendations in order of preference: USB microphone, USB headset, earbud microphone.
Stress that they must wear headphones, earbuds.
Ask them to turn off all external speakers from computer (and other noisemakers).

resources we talked about in this episode

www.PodcastFastTrack.com/59 - Part 1 of this episode
Google Forms
Zencastr AND the tutorial video I created
Ringr (affiliate link) - AND the tutorial video I created
AT-2100 microphone
AT-2005 microphone
Rode (microphones)
Blue microphones

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

59: How to Get The Influencer In Your Niche To Be Your Podcast Guest

Mon, 17 Apr 2017 13:00:00 -0400

What is the best way to reach out to influencers and guests you REALLY, REALLY, REALLY want to be on your podcast? In this series I’m going to walk you through everything from reaching out to guests to the practical parts of how you get the conversation scheduled, what you can do to make it easy for them to say “Yes” to you, and the promotion and follow-up that needs to happen all along the way. If you want to reach out to influencers effectively, I suggest you take the time to listen to this episode.

[2:58] Dream big! Create a list of the influencers you would LOVE to have on your podcast.

If you don’t know who you would like to have as a stellar guest on your podcast then you’re never going to reach out to them. You’ve got to think outside the realm of reality to dream a little. What does that mean? You’ll hear my version of getting outside the box of current reality in this section of the episode. You’re going to be challenged to step outside your comfort zone for the sake of growth - to put you into a place of risk and opportunity all at the same time.

[6:16] Do your homework about your guests.

Homework. In school, I HATED homework. But when it comes to life, business, etc. you’ve got to work hard to create the reality you want. So, as you look at the bullet point list of ideal influencers you want to have as a guest on your podcast, you need to understand exactly why that person is a fit for your audience. You need to know exactly why that guest would bring great value to your show.

[8:45] Focus on the benefit it will be to YOUR GUEST to appear on your podcast.

Once you understand WHO is the best guest to have on your podcast you have to begin to craft the correspondence you’re going to send to them that invites them to be a guest on your podcast. You need to do this in a way that makes it obvious that you want to add value to what they are doing. In short, you want to help them. Your outreach to influencers in your niche has to be aimed at benefitting those you’re reaching out to. It’s called relationship marketing, it’s called SOCIAL sales - and you’ll get a lot more traction when you approach it that way. I’m walking through the mindset and the practice of doing this well, on this episode.

[17:17] How are you practically going to connect with the influencer in your space?

When it comes to reaching out to those who are the influencers in your niche, what’s the best way to reach out to them? Email? A contact form? Social media? A phone call? There are LOTS of options but are there specific ways that are better than others? Yes, there are. What are they? My answer is that “it depends.” You knew that was coming, didn’t you? :) On this episode I’m going to unpack that answer to help you think through what it will take to reach those who will bring such great value to your audience.

[24:22] Tools to make it easier for the influencer to say “yes.”

When you reach out to the influencer you’re hoping will agree to be on your podcast you need to make it easy for them to say, “Yes.” How do you do that? Through making it convenient for them to schedule a time to have the conversation, to provide you the resources you need to make their episode the best it can be, and more. I walk through the details of making it practically possible for that guest to join you on your podcast.

resources we talked about in this episode

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

58: Podcast Statistics: What Matters, What Doesn’t, with Rob Walch of Libsyn

Mon, 10 Apr 2017 13:00:00 -0400

www.Podcastification.com

Podcast statistics can be one of two things - incredibly intimidating or incredibly intoxicating. Which is it for you? Since there’s so much ignorance and plain old misinformation out there about stats for your podcast I thought I’d invite Rob Walch, V.P. of Podcaster Relations at Libsyn (affiliate) to be on the podcast to tell us the TRUTH about stats. In this conversation we talk about download numbers, what they mean and where they come from, how they impact your iTunes ranking, whether New and Noteworthy is impacted by downloads, myths about podcast statistics, deep level stats and how to use them, Twitter bombing, and more. As always, it’s an entertaining conversation with Rob. You only have to listen to the beginning teaser to figure that one out!

[5:06] Checking your stats multiple times a day? You’ve got a problem. ;)

There are addictions of all kinds - and podcast statistics can be one of those. On this episode Rob tells us the kind of responses he gets from people when the Libsyn stats system is in maintenance mode for a few hours, why he thinks it’s unhealthy and unproductive for you to check your stats more than once a week, and how you can do that weekly checkup most effectively. It’s worth listening to whether you're the addict or apathetic. I guarantee you’ll learn something.

[12:20] How do you REALLY get into the iTunes New and Noteworthy listing? And does it matter?

There are tons of theories out there about how you can get your show into the iTunes New and Noteworthy section. But very few of them even hint at the REAL way your show can get into N&N. And it doesn’t really have to do with your podcast stats. Honest. Rob Walch speaks to the issue on this episode and clarifies the kind of “bump” to your downloads you might see if you do happen to get into N&N, and why it’s not what you really need to be focused on.

[21:04] Common myths about podcast statistics - and what the truth is.

[23:55] Geography, traffic sources, technology: Do those stats matter for your podcast?

Libsyn and most other podcast media hosts are going to provide some pretty details statistics for your show. But do you know how to use them? There is a ton of insight in your stats dashboard and on this episode Rob shares how to interpret them and gives some practical examples of how to use them to make more money and understand exactly where you need to improve to gain more listeners.

[39:58] What IS twitter bombing and why does it mess up your stats?

resources we talked about in this episode

You can reach Rob Walch at Rob@Libsyn.com
Libsyn (affiliate)
Lore Podcast
Overcast App
PocketCasts App
iTunes App
Casper Mattress
Hello Fresh
Storyworth
Stitcher
Google Play
iHeart Radio
Safari
Firefox
Mozilla
Podcast Addict App
Chrome

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

HTTP://WWW.PODCASTFASTTRACK.COM

57: How To Find And Book Qualified Podcast Guests

Tue, 28 Mar 2017 13:00:00 -0400

If you do an interview-based podcast you know the headache of booking qualified podcast guests. The internet (and the world, for that matter) is a very big place. How do you find, connect with, and book the people who your audience will benefit from the most? On this episode, I’m going to tell you how I recommend my clients do this - and I’m going to explain WHY I do. In the end, it’s up to YOU to provide the best content you can to your podcast listeners, and this could be the missing step you need.

[2:01] Why you MUST research your podcast guests.

There are many people you COULD invite to be a guest on your podcast. But there are only a handful that you SHOULD extend the invitation to. It’s your job to search out that handful of experts who will be of the greatest benefit to your audience. On this episode, I’m going to explain to you what it really means to do your homework when it comes to reaching out to potential guests for your podcast and tell you some slightly easier ways to go about it.

[4:54] Focus on your podcast guests and benefits to THEM.

Every person you invite to be a guest on your show has their own goals and dreams that they are trying to fulfill. When you contact them to ask if they will be on your podcast, they are trying to figure out if doing so will help them fulfill those goals and dreams. On this episode, I’m going to tell you how you can help them make that decision by inviting them in a way that focuses on THEM instead of on you and your listeners. This tip alone could amplify the quality of your podcast guests if you will apply it.

[5:45] Potential guests for your podcast will be more likely to accept your invite if you do this…

Want to know the one thing that can make all the difference to a potential podcast guest saying “Yes” instead of “No”? Here it is: You’ve got to give them the opportunity to accomplish everything they would hope might happen by being on your show. That means helping them promote things they want to promote, giving them the opportunity to reach out to your audience and more. Find out what it takes to get the best guests for your podcast AND make it worth their time to be on your show, on this episode. Who knows, you might also build some lasting relationships with professionals and experts in your field in the process.

resources we talked about in this episode

Interview Valet
My conversation with Tom from Interview Valet
www.InterviewConnections.com
www.PodcastGuests.com - from Andrew Alleman
www.YouCanBook.me
Schedule Once
Acuity Scheduling

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

56: How To Avoid Technical Glitches When You Record Interviews

Mon, 20 Mar 2017 13:00:00 -0400

Do you record interviews with guests for your podcast? Have you ever run into a situation where something goes wrong with the connection? Skype crashes. The voice of your guest is delayed. Every other word is a stuttering nightmare. It’s not uncommon and it’s not something you can always correct. But there are things you can do ahead of time to make the likelihood of technical problems less when you record interviews. That’s what this quick-and-to-the-point episode of Podcastification is all about.

[2:49] Three words: or two if you are a pro-hyphen person: Hard-wired connection.

We’re so used to using wifi for everything it’s hard sometimes to remember that there is another (better) alternative. If you can at all arrange for your computer to be connected directly into your router via an ethernet cable, you’ll do away with some possible points of weakness in your interview recording setup. You won’t be sharing bandwidth with other devices in your home, microwave ovens, cordless landline phones, or anything else. You’ll have a dedicated connection that goes DIRECTLY into your internet service that will make things a lot more stable when you record interviews.

[4:51] When you’re recording interviews, do you REALLY need those programs open?

One of the things I run into during my workday is that the longer I’ve been working, the more tabs or browser windows or programs I have open on my computer. It’s great to have them available so easily, but when it comes to recording interviews over a distance (Skype, Ringr, etc.) those open windows can be a possible failure point. On this episode, I walk you through the “why” behind the issue and give you some suggestions you should consider, including the most common problem programs that work in the background and disrupt the smooth operation of your computer memory while you’re doing your interview recordings.

[7:50] Everything on this episode applies to the guest you are recording an interview with.

That’s right. You can take everything you hear on this episode of Podcastification and apply it to thing son the other end of the line. Your guest needs to be coached by you - the podcaster - in what THEY can do to ensure that you get the best quality recording possible and avoid things that could disrupt your recording and cause you and them to have to set aside time later to record a second time. Nobody likes to waste time, so be sure to pass this information along to your guests too. When you record interviews for your podcast, you need these tips!

resources we talked about in this episode

Connect With Carey:

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

55: Use A Podcast Template To Cut Recording And Production Time

Mon, 13 Mar 2017 18:55:00 -0400

We all love our podcasts. But there are aspects of producing them that we HATE (or at least don’t love as much). One of those for many people is the AMOUNT OF TIME it takes to do the actual audio production - from recording through uploading to their media host. On this episode of Podcastification I’m going to teach you how I use what I call a Podcast Template to make my audio recording and editing process even faster - saving me as much as 4 and half hours per year!

[2:17] What do I MEAN by a podcast template?

What I refer to as a podcast template is a pre-set project in my audio editing software (Audacity) that already contains the ongoing elements of my podcast episodes. So things like intro, outro, transition sounds, sponsor messages - all of those things are preloaded into my template and saved to ensure that I don’t have to re-import or recreate them time after time after time throughout the life of my podcast. This episode is meant to give you a peek into my process so you can develop a process of your own. It’s not the only way to do it, but it’s MY way - and I like it!

[4:41] The steps I take to create my podcast template.

OK, this section is the practical part. I spare you no boring details here - you’re going to learn what I do, step by boring step, to ensure that my podcast template is setup properly so that I can save time in the future as I record my episodes. Grab a cup of coffee - or something stronger. You’re going to need it. :)

[14:25] The most important part of building a podcast audio template.

In recording this episode of Podcastification, I not only wanted to teach you how to build your own podcast template for making your audio production process smoother and faster - I also wanted to save you the excruciating heartache that comes from building a template like I’m showing you and then losing it. The most important part of building your podcast template is not building the template. Can you guess what it is?

[16:45] Best practices for using your template in the future.

A template like I describe on this episode can be used in a variety of ways - and two of the most common are for recording your own “solo” episodes, or live episodes you do using a mixer and additional microphones or audio sources. But you can also use this kind of template with Skype or Ringr recordings. The last thing I teach you on this episode is exactly how a podcast template like this works in those situations.

Thanks for listening! You’re the best!

resources we talked about in this episode

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

54: Podcasting On The Go - Hacks to Record On The Road

Wed, 08 Mar 2017 23:35:00 -0400

It’s becoming more and more common that people need to figure out how they can do podcasting on the go. I can hear Willie singing it now…

On the road again, I just can’t wait to get on the road again, the life I love is making podcasts with my friends, I can’t wait to get on the road again!

But recording your podcast away from your normal studio is a bit trickier than it may sound at first. You’re going to need some way to get a reliably consistent sound recording that avoids all the potential pitfalls that hotel rooms and other non-treated areas can insert into your recording.

This episode is about THAT. How to do it, practically, affordably, and with the things you have around you. OR, if you want to do something a bit more reliable, I’m even going to cover some ways that you can create your own portable podcasting studio to take with you when you are on the go.

[2:27] The variables to overcome when podcasting on the go.

Anytime you’re outside your normal podcast recording environment you need to open your eyes and ears to discover the variables you need to take into account. If you don’t you’ll have all kinds of unwanted noises in your recording.

There’s lots to think about - and this episode covers my best advice for taking care of the most obvious things - and a few things you probably haven’t considered.

[4:30] Addressing possible interruptions in your environment.

How much echo is in the room?
Could the heat or A/C come on unexpectedly?
What about the phones? Are they turned off?

And what other things might you be missing? You should listen to this episode. I mean, come on - it’s only 18 minutes long. You could do that on your next commute or run on the treadmill.

[5:49] You should invest in an “on the go” podcasting microphone.

Technology has made such advancements in the past few years there’s no reason that anyone who’s going to be podcasting on the go regularly can’t simply buy an “on the go” microphone. On this episode I give you my recommendation for the two most affordable, simple, GREAT SOUNDING microphones out there. I’ll even tell you where you can go to hear a comparison of these mics alongside the “big boy” microphones like the Heil PR40.

[10:14] For podcasting on the go you can “soundproof” your mic.

When it comes to removing the possibility for unwanted noise most people think in terms of making the room acoustics better. That’s great. I’ve got no problem with doing that. Except in a hotel room you may have a difficult time figuring out how to hang sheets of acoustic foam. ;)

So on this episode I’m going to get you thinking in reverse. Instead of soundproofing the room, how about soundproofing your microphone? I’ve got a handful of ways you can do it easily when you’re on the go, so make sure you listen and check out the resources to get inspired.

resources we talked about in this episode

Audacity Free Recording Software
Audio Technica 2100 microphone
Audio Technica 2005 microphone
Heil PR40 microphone
Kaotica Eyeball (and here’s the DIY video I mentioned)
Portable sound booth DIY video (the good stuff begins around 1:49)

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

53: How to Work Effectively With A Podcast Editor

Tue, 28 Feb 2017 13:00:00 -0400

If you are finally able and willing to take the plunge and hire a podcast editor to handle the editing and production of your show - HOLD ON A MINUTE! You don’t want to rush into it without knowing some of the pitfalls that can come with any new working relationship - and there are a few that are unique to the relationship you establish with a podcast editor that could throw you for a loop if you’re not careful.

6 tips to help you interact with your podcast editor EFFECTIVELY.

SO…On this episode I’m going to tell you some of my hard-learned lessons regarding the working relationship and communications that make your outsourcing everything you want it to be. I’m including things you need to get right and clear on the front end and another handful of things that you need to know as you develop the relationship over time.

These are not things you hear everyday because you don’t deal with them every day - and they are very niched-in to podcasting in specific ways - so it takes somebody like me who’s been in those shoes for a while to tell you about them. And I’m telling you so that you don’t walk in with your eyes closed and get bitten by some of the messed up things that can happen.

Ready to go? Here it is! Hit the play button!

Outline of this episode

[1:14] Why it’s essential to set up your relationship with your podcast editor the right way!
[2:55] The value and helpfulness of an Episode Map.
[6:40] An easy way to establish the ongoing degree of editing you want done.
[9:49] How to clarify your personal “pet peeves.”
[11:56] Why it’s vital that you communicate early and clearly.
[15:10] Refer to time stamps on adjustments
[16:39] Learn to speak TO your editor on the recording.
[20:39] BONUS TIP: Give them freedom to make smart edits.
[23:30] A service idea I had - would YOU use it? If so, how much is it worth?

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

52: Podcast Editing Services: How To Find The Right One

Mon, 20 Feb 2017 19:51:00 -0400

If you are at the point that you’re considering a podcast editing service, there are many things you need to keep in mind to ensure that you find the RIGHT service to fit your needs. I’ve been running a podcast editing service since early 2013 and know that most people discover what I’m about to share with you - the hard way! But I don’t want that for you. I want you to find the podcast editing service that is a perfect fit for the things you need.

Why wouldn’t I just tell you to hire me?

A couple of simple reasons: #1 - My podcast editing company is not the only game in town that can do good quality work for you (though I do think we’re the best). And #2 - I know that the way we do business and the values we hold to are not going to be the best fit for everyone. So, it only makes sense for me to help you find the exact people who can best serve you when it comes to editing your episodes week to week.

That’s what this episode of Podcastification is all about: 10 Tips To Help You Find The Right Podcast Editing Service.

Outline of this episode

[1:20] What kind of things should be asking a podcast editing service?
[2:05] If you’re not aligned in terms of values, you’re asking for trouble.
[3:37] Find out the company’s editing philosophy.
[5:21] Do you have to provide guidance episode to episode?
[7:24] They have current clients, don’t they? Find out all you can!
[8:29] Listen to their work!
[10:17] Will you have an editor assigned to your show?
[12:14] Does the company have streamlined systems?
[14:12] Is there a commitment to clear communication?
[16:10] Where is your podcast editing team based?
[18:27] The issue of pricing in finding the right podcast editing service.

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

Subscribe to Podfastification Here!

51: What are GOOD Podcast Download Numbers?

Mon, 13 Feb 2017 15:00:00 -0400

Every podcaster wants BIG podcast download numbers. I mean, we hear about amazing accomplishments when it comes to downloads - like Mark Maron’s episode with President Obama, or the most recent episode of Dan Carlin’s “Hardcore History” that got 1 million downloads in 24 hours - and let’s admit it. We’re a bit jealous. OK, not a bit. A LOT jealous.

But podcast download numbers are not all created equal.

When you hear about a show like Hardcore History that accomplishes such an amazing and impressive number of downloads, you need to know that there are facts about the show, the way the downloads happen, and the behind-the-scenes stuff that you don’t know about - that make it IMPOSSIBLE to legitimately compare your show to that show. On this episode I’m walking through some of those very real issue so that YOU won’t be so discouraged when your numbers are nowhere even CLOSE to that. In fact, there’s a lot of reason for you to be very ENCOURAGED. :)

So HOW SHOULD you think about downloads?

What really IS a good number of downloads to expect from your normal, niche specific, podcast - a podcast like yours? For the answer to that I reached out to a colleague of mine, Rob Walch who’s one of the outstanding folks over at Libsyn - the big-dog media host in the podcasting space - and as Rob is wont to do, he pulled out the stats to give me the real picture of what are truly good numbers of downloads and what podcast download stats we shouldn’t even be paying attention to. I think you’re going to hear something from what Rob shares that is first of all - unbelievable - but secondly, very encouraging. Really. It is.

But, the download numbers are NOT what really matters!

I KNOW, I KNOW, Facebook and other social media platforms have us ADDICTED to knowing how many people are liking or tweeting or listening to or reading our stuff. For that reason those kind of numbers are rightly referred to as VANITY metrics because they make us feel good more than anything else. Download stats can become the same sort of self-encouragement.

And that’s not ALWAYS a bad thing.

But there are OTHER things that the numbers tell us that are MUCH more important than the simple fact of what the number is. It’s what the download numbers represent to a podcaster (like you) who truly cares about his/her audience, who is trying to add maximum value to the people who listen to their podcast. I’ve got an example from my past to help you get a handle on how you should look at your podcast download numbers that I think will help. You can hear it on this episode of Podcastification. Come on, it’s a short episode - what do you have to lose?

Outline of this episode

[1:18] The allure of high download stats and why they can’t be trusted.
[1:54] The things about huge downloads you need to understand.
[4:05] What ARE good podcast download numbers?
[6:08] Looking at the numbers the RIGHT way.

resources we talked about in this episode

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

50: Is A Podcast Editing Service Really Necessary? (To edit or not to edit)

Mon, 06 Feb 2017 07:01:00 -0400

If you haven’t noticed there are LOTS of podcast editing services popping up these days. And no wonder - there are more than 1000 new podcasts being added to iTunes every day! But the reality of more services popping up often brings up the question of whether you really should be doing audio editing at all on your podcast. It’s not a simple issue, but I’m going to tackle it - from my perspective as a podcast editor and show notes creator - on this episode of Podcastification.

Should you hire someone to edit your podcast? It really comes down to the time VS money issue for most podcasters.

It’s hard to really KNOW if it’s worth the money to have your podcast audio edited every week. After all, it can wind up being a sizeable amount if you’re not careful - or if you get the wrong company or freelancer working on your show. Keep in mind, it’s not just the quality of audio you want to be concerned about - you also need to be conscious of the amount of time you’re having to invest in communication, back and forth file exchanges, etc. Ideally, a podcast editing service should be set up in a “set it and forget it” sort of way so that when you are paying for someone else to do your editing - you’re not having to do ANYTHING from the time you hit the “stop” button on your recording software and upload the file to Dropbox. On this episode, I’m going to give you the formula I use to easily figure out if it’s worth the money to hire a podcast editing service or not. The numbers don’t lie.

And what about hiring someone from the Philippines or India to do your audio editing? Isn’t that cheaper?

Uh… yes. Cheaper in many ways in most cases. Ways you won’t want to experience. Without getting into the details that I cover in this episode, I’ll just say this: Savings in dollars is not the only consideration. You want to be assured that the quality, dependability, and EASE OF COMMUNICATION between you and your audio editing service is of just as high of an importance as the money you save. So… with that said, you should take the time to listen to this episode. It’s under 10 minutes, so I KNOW you’ve got the time. :)

If you are going to resist the urge to hire a podcast editing service or company, here are some resources to help you do a better job on your own edits.

Not everyone is ready - either financially or emotionally - to outsource something as important as their podcast audio editing. Knowing that I’ve provided a couple of great resources to help you learn how to edit better so that you can keep doing it yourself with a heightened degree of quality. I cover Audacity, Adobe Audition, Logic Pro, and even Hindenburg. So if you want to do your audio editing yourself - you need to hear about these resources.

Outline of this episode

[1:18] How much editing should you do on your podcast? 3 editing philosophies.
[3:30] The time VS value issue.
[4:53] Should you do your editing yourself or hire a podcast editing service?
[6:13] What can you expect to pay for good podcast editing?
[7:17] Can you find someone from other countries to do your editing cheaper?
[9:28] How you can get 15% off your first month our editing service for your podcast.

resources we talked about in this episode

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

49: Is this the best social media app for podcasters?

Tue, 17 Jan 2017 07:00:00 -0400

The best social media apps in the online space had better watch out. There’s a fairly new app on the scene that has integrated a TON of great features into its interface. It’s called eClincher and you need to know about it. (affiliate link)

What I love most about eClincher is that it enables you to reshare your older content - think podcast episodes from long ago - and keep it in front of the people who follow you on social media. And if you follow some great social media practices such as engaging with people and actually BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM (imagine that), that following should be growing all the time - so people who never heard your old podcast episode in the first place are able to see it for the first time.

I believe eClincher is the best social media app for managing your social accounts that I’ve seen.

Another reason I say that is that eClincher integrates the inboxes of all your social accounts into their app so you can see your Facebook notifications, LinkedIn notifications, Twitter stuff, Pinterest (a new platform they added recently), and Google + all at the same time, on the same screen. It’s right there in eClincher, and you can interact with people easily via the app, saving you tons of time.

Gilad Salamander is my guest on this episode, highlighting his amazing social media management tool.

I think you’ll find Gilad a very generous guy, eager to help you make your social media marketing, promotion, and relationship building more effective in less time. That’s what eClincher is doing for me. I hope you find it to be the same way.

Just in case you’re interested - here’s my eClincher affiliate link again. (An affiliate link means I get a cut of your first month’s payment for sending you - but you pay the same you would normally pay). Thanks!

Outline of this episode

[1:23] The problem most podcasters have - old content getting lost - and how eClincher solves the problem.
[3:01] The social platforms eClincher can connect to - and the additional features.
[3:53] How eClincher republishes your older content - over and over and over.
[6:59] Understanding the power of using queues in the best social media app - eClincher.
[8:28] How you can curate content from eClincher - and add it to your queues.
[12:20] The unified social inbox to give you greater engagement and save time.
[17:07] How the custom search feeds help you monitor certain keywords.
[21:01] How you can connect with Gilad and eClincher.

resources we talked about in this episode

eClincher website
Connect with Gilad on Twitter

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

Subscribe To Podcastification Here!

48: How to Make Your Podcast Stand Out From the Crowd

Wed, 04 Jan 2017 05:00:00 -0400

If you want to stand out from the crowd as a podcaster, you’re going to have to up your game. I don’t care how professional or expert you are in what you do as a business, if you want to grow your podcast audience you’ve got to give your potential listeners more reasons to listen to your show above all the others in your niche.

Make YOUR needle stand out from the haystack

You’ve really got to start thinking differently about getting your podcast heard. It’s no longer a “record it and they will listen” world. There are over 2100 NEW podcasts being published every day. EVERY DAY. That’s a lot of noise you’ve got to cut through.

The good news is that many of those shows are absolute JUNK. But there are probably just as many that aren’t. And when it comes to the ones that are in your same niche, you’ve got to stand out from the crowd, to be head and shoulders above them in terms of quality, content, and production values.

So how do you do it? How do you stand out from the crowd?

That’s what this episode of Podcastification is all about. I’m going to share things you can do to improve your podcast in ways that make it better than the other shows in your niche. If you don’t do something, believe me, YOUR COMPETITION WILL! So don’t get left behind.

Don’t blend into the the crowd. Don’t let your show sink into the iTunes directory of obscurity (there really IS a category like that. You didn’t know? ;). You’ve got to up your game.

Blending in is no longer an option. Here’s how you can up your game.

Outline of this episode

[1:18] The reality of the competition you face as a podcaster.
[2:12] Audio quality matters more than ever these days if you want to stand out.
[5:54] The one thing that can get people to click on your show above the others.
[8:50] The different types of intros and outros that can make a difference.
[10:39] One of the reasons you might consider unique music for your show.
[12:02] The REAL power of GOOD QUALITY audio editing.
[13:35] Speak directly to your listener - your IDEAL listener.
[15:49] How unique is your perspective on your topics? It matters.

resources we talked about in this episode

Audacity
Audio Technica 2005 microphone
Audio Technica 2100 microphone
www.PodcastFastTrack.com/clients
Check out my custom music (and contact me for a deal)
https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/ - Go change your cover art to stand out!

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

Subscribe To Podcastification Here!

47: Podcast Show Notes That Work!

Tue, 06 Dec 2016 05:00:00 -0400

If the enthusiasm for your podcast is lagging because you are getting stuck in the rut of podcast show notes creation, I feel your pain. Show notes are definitely one of the less enjoyable aspects of putting together a complete production of a show. But it doesn’t have to be such a painful thing - there are ways you can make the process smoother, easier, and more efficient.

DC Podfest and the Triple Power of Killer Show Notes

I was recently asked to speak at DC Podfest and the topic I chose was, “The Triple Power of Killer Show Notes.” The session was very well received and you know what - since I’m a podcaster myself I decided to record it so you could hear what I had to share with the great folks who were at DC Podfest. By the way, you can meet some of them on my last episode.

So if you want to learn how to create your own podcast show notes - exactly like the professionals on my team here at Podcast Fast Track do - I’m going to unload the truck on you in this presentation. Heck, I’m even giving you my slide deck from the presentation in the resources below.

Here’s how you really CAN produce your own podcast show notes easier and quicker.

Creating show notes for your podcast doesn’t have to be such a pain, so why not take the time to listen?

Outline of this episode

[1:18] The setting and reason for this presentation.
[2:46] 3 purposes of killer show notes.
[3:20] Smartphones change everything and make show notes powerful.
[4:59] How show notes work as an organic traffic magnet (keyword research).
[7:47] Making your show notes an appealing thing to future guests.
[8:41] QUESTION: What ARE show notes?
[11:34] How the PFT team easily writes show notes quickly, sort of. :)
[12:04] The power of high speed playback.
[12:50] Why we use Google Docs to create our show notes (it’s powerful).
[14:30] The format we use when creating our notes.
[16:57] Why it’s VITAL that you clean the HTML of your show notes before it goes to your media host.
[19:23] Should you include transcripts in your show notes?
[25:05] You’ve GOT to repurpose your show notes for social media.
[28:08] The MOST underutilized social media hack for podcasters.
[35:49] Tips for making the show notes writing process easier.

resources we talked about in this episode

See my slide deck for this presentation on the Triple Power of Killer Show Notes right here.

Audacity
Google Docs
www.Grammarly.com
https://html-cleaner.com
Blubrry PowerPress Plugin
Find out where your podcast feed is coming from (thanks Regan Starr).
www.PodcastsConnect.com - the iTunes source to manage your show feeds.
http://hashtagify.me - for hashtag research
Hootsuite
Buffer
AgoraPulse
Edgar
eClincher (my favorite social media platform)
Zapier
IFTTT

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

46: Building Relationships Through Attending Podcast Events

Tue, 29 Nov 2016 05:00:00 -0400

Building relationships with other podcasters is a very cool thing.

I’ve experienced it online for a long time with people in various groups I’m a part of. But there’s something even COOLER about meeting people in person and sharing the love of podcasting together.

I was invited to speak at the recent DC Podfest (about the Triple Power of Killer Show Notes - I’ll share that presentation in an upcoming episode). And just being at the event made building relationships so much easier. The conversations were natural, the people were great, and it was a lot of fun to boot!

So… on this episode I want to help you start building relationships with other podcasters by introducing you to some of the great people I met. I walked around with my digital recorder and got some great clips from some of my new friends and wanted you to hear who they are, what they are doing, and maybe even make a new podcast friend. I hope you enjoy this!

Outline of this episode

[1:18] The reason I’m doing this episode.
[1:51] Jen Hemphill - host of Her Money Matters.
[5:49] Jon Harper - host of My Bad
[10:26] Kip Clark - host of Stride and Saunter
[15:29] Ben & Chris - The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel
[26:21] Sean RIchardson - Artup Bootcamp
[31:22] Kyle Bondo - Merchants of Dirt
[37:51] Amy Young - Future Podcaster
[44:26] Vincent Pugliese - Freelance to Freedom (coming January 2017)

resources we talked about in this episode

DC Podfest
Podcast Movement
DC Podfest
The Her Money Matters podcast
The My Bad podcast
The Stride and Saunter podcast
The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel
ArtUp Bootcamp podcast
Merchants of Dirt
Vincent Pugliese - future podcaster (Freelance to Freedom)
Podcast Movement

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

45: Does Your Podcast Have A Subscribe Button? Or two? Or three?

Tue, 13 Sep 2016 16:00:00 -0400

The all important SUBSCRIBE BUTTON.

It’s one of the most overlooked things podcasters leave off of their websites.

Me included.

On this episode I’m responding to a listener comment on the blog. In all honesty, she was very kind in what she said, but didn’t shy away from taking me to task.

What was she concerned about? It was the SUBSCRIBE BUTTONS on my own website.

She pointed out that on my own website I only provide one subscribe option for my listeners - and it’s the iTunes subscription button.

The funny thing about that is that I’m NOT an Apple guy. I use Android. I love Android. And I really don’t like Apple products.

resources we talked about in this episode

www.iTunes.com
www.Stitcher.com
Google Play
www.PodBean.com
My client page - www.PodcastFastTrack.com/clients

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

44: Do I Get More Podcast Subscribers by Sending Them to iTunes or My Website?

Wed, 03 Aug 2016 12:00:00 -0400

Podcast subscribers are important people to us podcasters.

They are the ones who make the show possible - I mean, very few of us would be doing a podcast at all if we knew that absolutely ZERO people were listening to our shows. Right?

Because we all want to get more listeners we should be continually asking ourselves questions about how to go about getting in front of our ideal audience and how to get them to subscribe. One of the questions I often get from clients about getting more subscribers to their podcast is this?

In the things I say on my show and the links I share, should I be sending people to iTunes, to my website, or someplace else? Which is most effective?

That is an absolutely GREAT question.

On this episode (it’s a very short episode this week) I’m going to answer that question from my perspective after working with over 40 clients over the course of this business (we’ve been in business since early 2013) AND from how I see it as a podcaster.

I’ll give you a hint… my answer begins with… IT DEPENDS…

Click the play button to find out what I recommend for getting more podcast subscribers… or maybe I recommend that subscribers are not your best goal.

Curious yet? It will take less than 6 minutes of your day. I promise.

here's and outline of this fun episode for you...

[1:19] A question from one of my clients: Where should I send people when I’m promoting my podcast episodes?
[2:01] Is more podcast subscribers your most important goal?
[2:51] What about promoting your brand? Are you trying to get more buy-in to your stuff?
[4:18] A hack to aim at BOTH at the same time?
[4:41] What about Stitcher, iHeart radio, and others?

resources we talked about in this episode

www.iTunes.com
www.Stitcher.com
www.iHeartRadio.com
My client page - www.PodcastFastTrack.com/clients

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

43: Libsyn: A Deep Dive Into the Features of an Amazing Media Host, with Rob Walch

Tue, 26 Jul 2016 10:00:00 -0400

Libsyn has been around for a very long time…

since 2004 to be exact - and has carved out it’s own massive space in the podcast industry. Hosting and delivering media files for some of the most popular and lucrative podcasts in history like Mark Maron, The Nerdist, and Dan Carlin’s Hard Core History, Libsyn is definitely the big dog in the media hosting backyard!

I’ve known about Libsyn for a long time. Heck, I’ve worked with the Libsyn interface for over 3 years now since about 90% of my clients are hosting their files on Libsyn. But it wasn’t until this interview that I fully understood some of the amazing things I can do for my podcast using the Libsyn interface.

Automated social media sharing
I can create premium content to sell in a membership style arrangement
Affordable smartphone apps for my podcast
Publish to multiple destinations and keep stats on each one individually

And the list goes on…

Today’s show features Rob Walch, a newly inducted member of the Podcasters Hall of Fame and a very gracious guy to come on my humble show. Rob is the voice of Libsyn, serving as the Podcaster relations guy. In his words…

“I have the best job in the world. I get to talk to podcasters all day.”

Check out the outline below to see what we talk about on this episode… it truly is a DEEP DIVE into all the wonderful things you can do with your podcast when you host your files with Libsyn.

For a long time I’ve tried to experiment on my own shows to be able to talk from experience about how various platforms and options work. As a result, I’m currently hosting my media files in all sorts of places (you don’t want to know) . But in this conversation I was so impressed with the incredible things Libsyn has to offer, I’m in the process of switching my files over to Libsyn for good.

I know you’re going to be amazed by at least one thing on this episode. And I almost guarantee you that even if you already host your files on Libsyn, you’re going to learn something you didn’t know.

Here goes… enjoy this one with Rob Walch.

here's an outline of this fun episode for you...

[1:19] My introduction and welcome chat with Rob Walch.
[1:50] The summary of what I’m talking about with Rob.
[2:40] Did you know that Libsyn is a blogging platform?
[6:20] What is a download-only file supposed to be used for?
[7:52] Adding new content to the LIbsyn interface.
[8:43] Episode level bonus content - WHAT?!!!???
[11:07] Does the Libsyn website create a duplicate content penalty with Google?
[13:00] What populates your iTunes feed for your episodes - and what’s the best way to optimize for user experience?
[14:49] You do NOT want to run your feed through your Wordpress site!
[17:13] Episode specific bells and whistles you can create!
[21:08] Do you need to insert tags and keywords on your episodes?
[24:05] A little known fact about your content ratings in iTunes.
[26:15] How to publish to social media automatically through the Libsyn interface. Really.
[33:06] Extra tags, TV ratings, etc.
[35:39] How Libsyn can provide you a customized app for your podcast.
[38:26] Get into Google Play Music and iHeart Radio - through Libsyn.
[41:15] Social media integrations in Libsyn.
[45:11] Learn about how Libsyn’s STATS are the best!
[47:52] How Libsyn can monetize your podcast for you.

resources we talked about in this episode

www.Libsyn.com
Rob(at)Libsyn.com
www.Podcast411.com - Rob’s site
www.KCStartup411.com - Rob’s other site :)
Today in IOS
The Feed: The Libsyn Podcast
support(at)Libsyn.com

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

42: Interview Valet: a Full Service Podcast Guest and Promotion Service

Mon, 18 Jul 2016 22:00:00 -0400

Interview Valet is a pretty cool service...

Tom Schwab and company are working hard to help people with a...

Book to promote
A business to run
A course to launch
A story to tell

Get exposure through being a guest on podcasts where the audience is the EXACT people the person is trying to reach.

On this episode you're going to hear from Tom about how Interview Valet works. We talk about:

The basics of what Interview Valet is
How it works for podcast guests
The monthly pricing for the service
How it works for podcast hosts (it's FREE)
And the amazing affiliate program Interview Valet offers to all podcasters (not guests)

If you've ever thought that being a guest on a podcast would be a great way to promote your thingie-ma-bob - you're right, and Tom and the team at Interview Valet can help you make it a reality.

And if you need quality, vetted guests for your podcast - contact the folks at Interview Valet to get some guests for your show lined up.

Resources we talked about

www.InterviewValet.com - Go here to sign up to get guests on your show

www.InterviewValet.com/Podcastification - the special page designed just for you - the PODCASTIFICATION listener.

DIRECT DOWNLOAD OF THE EPISODE AUDIO

41: Another perfect audio recording solution – with Tim Sinclair of Ringr

Wed, 01 Jun 2016 04:00:00 -0400

I'm talking today with Tim from Ringer.

Ringr is one of the first apps available to do recordings native from each side of a distance conversation, but until now it's only been available as a smart phone or smart device app.

But no more.

Ringr is now available in a desktop version, which is very cool because that makes it possible now for podcasters or broadcasters of any stripe to record a distance conversation with the ability to include their entire recording "chain" - their own mic, their own mixer, their own processors, etc.

As you can tell, that's a great asset to anyone doing a show where quality is of concern. My conversation with Tim today centers around the new desktop app.

We chat about:

How the desktop app differs from the smartphone app.
What you're able to do with the new desktop app.
The varying accounts you can get for Ringr.
What the service costs (and there IS a free version).
The affiliate program Ringr is offering.
What Ringr has in store in terms of future upgrades.
The "enterprise level" subscription they are working on.
How you can get Ringr and try it out for free.

It's a great, short little conversation where Tim gives us the clear lowdown on a great option for recording conversations over distance. I think you'll find something very helpful in this one.

RESOURCES:

http://www.Ringr.com

40: Monetize your podcast with Pinecast

Tue, 31 May 2016 06:00:00 -0400

There are only so many ways you can MONETIZE your podcast...

and my guest today is part of a team that is brainstorming and creating a new way to do it, including the integration of your media host into the monetization act.

Today I'm chatting with Matt Basta of www.Pinecast.com and he's going to tell us about all the bells and whistles of their podcasting platform in a way that enables you to "Focus on podcasts not funding." (That's their tagline, by the way).

On this episode we're going step by step down the page of their website, so if you want to follow along that would be really peachy and cool. Matt's going to give us the lowdown and I'm going to be asking the questions.

www.PodcastGuests.com (affiliate)

39: A new and simple way to get guests for your podcast (or to become a podcast guest)

Tue, 03 May 2016 04:00:00 -0400

If you do interview or conversation style podcast episodes, you know the pain and trouble that can come from trying to wrangle up a new guest every single episode.

Andrew Allemann felt that same pain and decided to do something about it.

In the spirit of Help A Reporter Out, Andrew has put together www.PodcastGuests.com (affiliate link) - a simple and easy way for you to submit your podcast and yourself to an online directory to receive offers for podcast appearances and to make your podcasting guest opportunities known to people who may be interested in sharing their expertise.

I think Andrew's come up with a brilliant idea here that's pretty easy to pull off - but most of all it will be very helpful to the podcasting community. Listen to the episode to get all the details.

LINKS MENTIONED:

www.DomainNameWire.com

www.IOTPodcast.com

37: Yet another incredible audio recording solution - with Josh from Zencastr

Wed, 16 Mar 2016 18:09:00 -0400

As you can tell, I am a huge fan of great audio recording solutions...

and there are more and more apps coming out that are so helpful in getting those long distance recordings down with almost flawless sound quality.

Technology marches on.

This episode covers yet another of those recently developed apps that's proving to be super helpful for the podcast community.

I'm talking today with Josh from Zencastr - in my opinion one of the cleanest and easiest to use apps that is out there.

On this episode Josh and I talk through how the app idea and development came about, how he created it, what it can do (step by step) and how you can get in on the beta testing so that you can get a discount when Zencastr goes to a paid model in a very short time.

You gotta' hear this one. It's a great episode. (Recorded using Zencastr - BTW).

http://www.PodcastFastTrack.com/moreshows

36: Multiple podcasts at once: Is it a good idea? with Daniel J. Lewis of The Audacity To Podcast

Tue, 23 Feb 2016 04:00:00 -0400

Is it a good idea to publish more than one podcast show at the same time?

Should you produce multiple podcast shows at once?

To some of you the idea sounds really exciting.

To others, you think I'm crazy even to ask the question.

Maybe "crazy" is the right word, because...

I have to admit that this particular episode of the podcast is purely a selfish endeavor. That's because I've been considering starting a second podcast or maybe even a third.

I've got all these ideas banging around my head, and I wanted to talk to someone who has actually done it and has learned the hard lessons and has good ideas about how to avoid the pitfalls.

So...

I invited Daniel J. Lewis of "The Audacity To Podcast" onto the show today.

Daniel is not only an experienced podcaster in his own right, but for this conversation what mattered most is that Daniel has produced and is currently producing multiple shows at the same time.

He's the kind of guy I wanted to chat with about this issue.

On this episode you'll be hearing:

Daniel's journey into podcasting.
The launch of a second show and the mistakes he learned from.
His recommendations for making the launch of a second show as good as it can be.
Pitfalls to avoid.
The benefits of producing more than one podcast at a time.

This was a very interesting conversation, especially for me since I'm considering a couple of new shows (yes, I'll let you know what those are in the days ahead).

35: A podcast hosting made simple – SHOUTENGINE

Wed, 03 Feb 2016 13:18:00 -0400

Podcast Hosting is one of the basic things you need to get in place if you're going to start a podcast.

And there's lots of great services out there.

Libsyn
Blubrry
Amazon S3 (OK, it's not a podcast focused media host, but it can be used)
and others

Today's episode is focused on a relative newcomer to the growing list of podcast hosting solutions out there, ShoutEngine

Chris Hayes, one of the founders of Shout Engine says that he got started building their media hosting platform because he was a bit... uhhhh... miffed about the way stats were counted in traditional platforms.

What has resulted is a VERY accurate accounting of downloads and listens for each ShoutEngine hosted episode, an amazingly strong SEO optimization that often gets Shout Engine hosted episodes ranked very, very high in Google and other engines, AND a hosting platform that is very simple, easy to use, and FREE up to a pretty substantial level.

They'll also give you a basic but modern-looking webpage that you can use for your podcast website.

And if you move into a paid account, you won't pay for your hosting space, only bandwidth.

It's a pretty intriguing idea and you'll enjoy hearing how Shout Engine works. You just might want to try out one of their free accounts to take it for a spin (I think I'll be doing that soon).

I think this is a great option for anyone, but especially for those who are not sure if podcasting is something they want to really invest in.

ShoutEngine's free account option would allow you to try it out on a substantial level to see if podcasting is something you want to stick with over the long haul.

https://www.PodcastFastTrack.com/podfading

33: Podfading: What I’ve learned working with over 20 clients

Tue, 22 Dec 2015 04:00:00 -0400

The Podfading spectre is alive and well.

I've done my share of sporadic publishing of my show. If you've listened for any amount of time, you know that to be true.

On this episode of Podcastification I'm going to chat a bit about the things I've learned from my personal experience and the interactions I've had with over 20 clients in my podcast production and show notes business.

There's a lot more to podfading than you think, and I think there are even some ways it can be a good thing

Find out more on this episode.

http://www.PodcastFastTrack.com/GetSomeMusic

32: Podcast music that is LEGAL for you to use!

Tue, 01 Dec 2015 04:00:00 -0400

Podcast music is something that makes a show stand out... in good ways and bad ways.

Your podcast can STAND OUT in a bad way if YOU USE COPYRIGHTED MUSIC AND GET SUED.

Your podcast can STAND OUT in a good way if you use music that makes your audience think of you, and ONLY YOU!

So where can you find podcast music that is legal and gets you noticed in the good way?

That's what I'm going to cover on this episode of Podcastification... here's the links to the sites I mention:

ROYALTY FREE MUSIC (means you pay a small fee, download the music, and use it. But others can use it too)

CUSTOM MUSIC (means you pay for something that is only for you... often you'll have to pay extra for a license to own it as well)

We do custom podcast music based on tracks you like. You get:

Two 30 second pieces to choose from
You choose one of the pieces
They'll never be sold to anyone else
You get a license to use it how you want, forever

we do with the podcast music track you didn't choose?

We keep them in a "hopper" for people to buy at $99 per track. Same usage rights. Same sole ownership rights.

If you'd like to listen to them, you can go here to do that!

http://www.PodcastFastTrack.com/AlwaysDoThis

31: 1 thing you should ALWAYS mention on your podcast episodes

Tue, 24 Nov 2015 04:00:00 -0400

Today I'm going to tell you to do something every single time you publish a podcast episode that I have NOT always done.

That's part of the force behind why I think this is so important.

If I don't always do it, I'm pretty sure you don't either...

and it's a powerful way you can help your audience share your episode with people in their circles.

1 thing you should ALWAYS do on your #podcast episodes

Are you curious? You should be... this is good stuff.

I'll give you a little hint...

It has to do with podcast apps.
You may not know it even exists.
It has the potential to get your show "out there" where people can find it.

Want to know more? Listen in...

And THANKS for listening... I'd love to hear your comments below.

30: Crafting GREAT Episode Titles

Tue, 17 Nov 2015 04:00:00 -0400

Episode Titles are a lot more important than many podcasters think...

Most of us are done with:

blocking out the time to record
scheduling interviews
doing the recording
post recording work
optimizing and tagging the audio
uploading to our media host

And THEN we think about what to call this thing we just recorded.

But episode titles deserve and NEED much more attention than that.

In this episode I'm going to give you 5 thoughts on why your podcast episode titles are much more important than you think.

I'd love to hear your comments below!

28: YET ANOTHER way to repurpose your old podcast audio

Tue, 13 Oct 2015 18:04:00 -0400

Is your old podcast audio doomed to obscurity?

As you may know from listening to previous episodes of Podcastification, one of the things I absolutely HATE about podcasting is that I create this great audio content (one of my shows has over 90 episodes of past interviews and instruction) and once it has it's initial blast of buzz, it's gone into the realms of internet obscurity.

I hate that. But I love it at the same time.

Because it gives ME the opportunity, the challenge, the HIGH CALLING to get those episodes BACK into the light of day - somehow.

In this episode of Podcastification I'll be revealing to you ONE MORE way that you and your team can get your old podcast content repurposed to be of benefit to your audience once again.

It's short - and worth listening to.

And if you'd like to talk to me about doing this very thing for you... it's part of what my team does. You can contact me at Carey(at)PodcastFastTrack(dot)com

27: The one hack to “must listen” podcast interviews

Tue, 06 Oct 2015 04:00:00 -0400

If you really want to be a top guest interviewer, this is all you need.

Honestly.

I've been doing podcast interviews for some time now and this tip somehow alluded my notice.

Until I read about it on the Vimeo blog. You can find the post that inspired this mini-episode HERE.

So listen in to this episode of the podcast to discover this simple trick to make your interviews engaging and powerful.

26: Increasing the lifespan of your podcast episodes with social media

Thu, 24 Sep 2015 21:35:00 -0400

One of the things I HATE about podcasting is that my episodes might have a good run of listens when they're first released...

And then they seem to drop off the face of the earth. I've come to realize that the content I'm creating deserves a longer life-span than that. And it's up to me to make sure it continues to add value to the lives of the audience I'm trying to serve.

In this episode of Podcastification I'm going to explain how I go about using social media, and social media management systems to schedule out my content in a way that keeps it breathing long after the initial "splash" of it's publication date. It's not a perfect system and I'm still working out things every week, but I believe it will help you.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Contact me with your tips, tricks and suggestions about reviving your old podcast content. Carey (at) PodcastFastTrack (dot) com.

And if you're a social media expert who knows how to make this stuff work incredibly well, contact me. I'd love to feature you on the show!

25: Who listens to podcasts? Survey results you can use to determine your podcasting strategy!

Tue, 22 Sep 2015 17:42:00 -0400

Podcasts are THE new media of the masses... and it's only growing!

That's my interpretation of the results Edison research released from their January/February 2015 survey.

Why would I say that?

Because the number of people listening to podcasts is growing every year.
Because those who do listen, usually listen to as many as 6 podcasts each week.

It's a survey filled with insights regarding the general target market of EVERY podcaster...

and it gives plenty of info on how you and I can increase the likelihood that our podcast is found and listened to by people who WANT the niche information we have to distribute.

In this episode, I outline the findings of the survey, and what I think it means for podcasters.

The Podcast Consumer 2015 from Edison Research

23: Show notes: Step 3 – Writing social media blurbs to promote your podcast (and how to craft a great title)

Tue, 08 Sep 2015 17:33:00 -0400

This is the 4th of 3 posts on "SHOW NOTES" - hear the previous entries here

(Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

Our show notes creation also includes social media blurbs...

That's what we call them anyway.

These are a combination of tweets and paragraphs, based on the episode content that we'll use to drive traffic to that specific episode.

Do you get what we're trying to accomplish here?

We've already produced a great audio episode
We've already written great SEO-optimized show notes

We've got to do MORE than just create it, publish it, and then let it languish in internet obscurity! We've got to promote the show!

We choose to do this for every one of our show notes clients WHILE we're creating the show notes themselves because it's the most natural time to do it.

And our SECRET SAUCE is that much of our show notes material can be REPURPOSED (one of our favorite words) into the social media shares.

So we're not really creating new stuff for social media, just reusing and modifying the stuff we've just made when creating our show notes.

Do you follow?

Here's an example of how we create our social media blurbs from our already existing show notes content:

This example is taken from the show notes we produced for one of our clients - Scott Voelker who does an Amazing show called "The Amazing Seller."

Here's a paragraph and header taken from the show notes we created for one of Scott's episodes:

WHY WOULD AN AMAZON SELLER WANT TO SET UP HIS OWN ECOMMERCE STORE?

Steve Chou thinks it’s a must for every Amazon seller to eventually move beyond Amazon to set up their own ecommerce store. There are many reasons, but two of the greatest are #1 – the ability to create your own promotional content, and #2 – the ability to capture your customer information and follow up on them during and after the sale. He’s found that ability alone to be a significant source of conversions for his products. If you’ve been thinking about setting up your own ecommerce sales platform for sales outside of Amazon, don’t miss this episode.

To create a "social media blurb" for from this paragraph, it's a bit of copy and paste and a dab of reformatting to include hashtags. Below is our finished "social media blurb."

Why would an Amazon seller want to set up his own #EcommerceStore? Steve Chou thinks it’s a must for every #AmazonSeller to eventually move beyond #Amazon to set up their own #ecommerce store. There are many reasons, but two of the greatest are NUMBER 1 – the ability to create your own #PromotionalContent, and NUMBER 2 – the ability to capture your customer information and #FollowUp on them during and after the sale. He’s found that ability alone to be a significant source of #conversions for his products. If you’ve been thinking about setting up your own ecommerce #SalesPlatform for sales outside of Amazon, don’t miss this episode.

As you can see, we did a few basic things to make a social media post from our show notes paragraph:

We removed the heading formatting so we could include the heading as part of the "blurb."
We inserted hashtags on appropriate keywords (this decision is made based on the keyword research we've done).
On two-word hashtags we CAPITIALIZED both words to make them more readable.

This step took no more than 2 minutes and we have a social media blurb that we can schedule out in Facebook, Google+, or LinkedIn.

We provide 5 of these social media blurb thingies for each set of show notes.

Nothing could be simpler.

But wait... there's more! We also create 5 Tweets from the show notes.

We don't want the Tweet-O-Sphere to be left out, so we create Tweets as well. Since these are Tweets, there are some unique things we have to keep in mind:

They have to be below 140 characters in length.
They ideally should be less than 120 characters to easily allow for retweeting with comments.
They can and should include hashtags.

So... how do we pull this one off? Don't forget our favorite word - REPURPOSE!

Using the same client episode as an example again, let's take a look at the bullet point outline we created - check the show notes at www.PodcastFastTrack.com/shownotes4

OUTLINE OF THIS INTERVIEW EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

[0:05] Introduction of the topic & today’s guest Steve Chou
[1:07] Scott’s personal update and a meet-up with a TAS meetup group.
[3:14] Your invite to Scott’s live workshops – www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop
[4:22] Who is Steve Chou and why he’s able to tell us about creating ecommerce stores.
[5:27] Steve’s story of creating an ecommerce store with a variety of products.
[7:00] Why Amazon sellers might want to consider an external channel (ecommerce store).
[8:15] The path to starting an ecommerce store – Steve’s story using PPC services, keyword research, and product research.
[10:40] What’s the first thing to do to establish an ecommerce store?
[11:00] How to build great content to draw people to the products.
[13:12] How Pinterest has become a marketplace.
[14:10] How Steve personalizes each of his products through his own site.
[15:56] What ads does Steve recommend for beginning ecommerce sites to drive traffic?
[17:03] How to create “sponsored” ads on Amazon that can drive traffic to your external website.
[20:29] How long does it take to set up a quality ecommerce store?
[21:25] Dos and Don’ts of setting up products on your own store.
[22:10] Is it possible to use Amazon to fulfill products sold on your private ecommerce store?
[23:48] What paid traffic options would Steve begin with?
[27:38] Steve’s process for getting product reviews on his private site.
[29:26] Which social platform is best for getting products into the public eye?
[30:56] Steve’s Pinterest strategy for promoting products.
[33:22] How Steve suggests finding a person to handle a Pinterest account for you.
[34:05] Why Steve thinks it’s important to have your own platform, independent of Amazon.
[35:00] The reason Steve began his blog – www.MyWifeQuitHerJob.com
[39:00] Scott’s recap of the conversation and his call to action.

Many of these are already ideally suited for Tweets because they are keyword-rich, short, and written to grab the reader's attention.

They are EASILY repurposed into Tweets as a result.

Here's our 5 tweets taken from these bullet points:

Why Amazon sellers might want to consider an #EcommerceStore

What’s the first step to establishing an #EcommerceStore?

Steve Chou's strategy for #ProductPromotion on #Pinterest

What ads are best for #DrivingTraffic to #ecommerce sites?

Can you use #Amazon to fulfill products sold on your private #EcommerceStore?

BAM!

Tweets created in less than 5 minutes from content we've already created.

And for our clients we include these on their show notes page with "clickable" links.

These could be scheduled out using Hootsuite, Buffer, or Edgar in another 5 minutes.

But there's one more thing, and it's something we leave until the very last in our show notes creation: The title

We INTENTIONALLY wait until the very end of our process to create our show notes title for a few reasons:

Titles are incredibly important in drawing in the reader or listener. Write a bad title and people won't engage with the post.
By the time we've done all this work surrounding the topic, we've marinated in it long enough to write a good title.

So we write the title. Some of the things we include:

Keywords (toward the front of the title if possible).
Guest names (people will search for them)
Action or knowledge words - powerful, vital, keys, secrets, amazing, value, etc.

Rather than try to school you on how to write a good show notes headline or title, I'll point you toward some outstanding resources:

10 sure-fire headline formulas that work - http://www.copyblogger.com/10-sure-fire-headline-formulas-that-work
Headline writing 101 by Neil Patel - http://www.quicksprout.com/the-definitive-guide-to-copywriting-chapter-3
5 Easy tricks to help you write catchy headlines by Jeff Goins - http://goinswriter.com/catchy-headlines
How to write better headlines from Hubspot - http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/headline-writing-tips

You can Google any of those titles and find them easily. Or you can check out the show notes page to this episode for direct links - www.PodcastFastTrack.com/23

CALL TO ACTION: What do YOU need to do to promote your podcast episodes on social media?

It's clear that more people will find your podcast if you promote it than if you don't.

Right?

What ACTIONS STEPS do you need to take?

Write your own social media blurbs?
Hire someone to do it? (my team is available for a select number of clients)

Let me know if my team can be of help to you... and THANKS FOR LISTENING!

22: Podcast Show notes – Step 2 to making them epic!

Tue, 01 Sep 2015 04:00:00 -0400

Quality show notes matter!

Two episodes ago, I tried to convince you that you need to take the time to create quality show notes. If you missed that episode, you can go to www.PodcastfastTrack.com/20 to hear my reasoning.

In the last installment of Podcastification I showed you the first step my Podcast Fast Track team takes to begin the show notes creation process. It included:

Audio editing & creation of a bullet point outline of the episode
Keyword research

If you missed that episode, you can find it at www.PodcastFastTrack.com/shownotes2

Today I'm going to take you into the next step of our show notes creation process - The 500 word summary of the audio content.

Remember, if you've followed my formula so far (covered in the last two episodes), you've already got 2 vital steps done:

You've got a bullet-point outline of the audio - which will come in very handy at this point.
And you've got a list of keywords to focus on when writing - which will also be very instrumental in creating a great summary of the audio.

So let's dive in...

Why include a 500 (or more) word summary in the show notes?

The main reason is really two reasons:

ONE: To give your readers a true TEASER (keep that word in mind... )a TEASER of what they will hear in the audio content!

You want your show notes to draw you reader IN to becoming not just a reader, but a LISTENER to the audio, which is where the true value is.

500 words is about right to do that in a way that reveals JUST ENOUGH, but NOT TOO MUCH.

TWO: 500 words is just about right to get some search engine attention.

Any shorter, it might be seen as an invaluable resource.

Any longer, it could be TMI (too much information).

500 words is just like the baby bear's porridge that Goldilocks ate... JUUUUSSSTTTT RIIIIIGGTTT!

And before you get too anxious about the word count... let me put your mind at ease: WE NEVER COUNT THE WORDS!

500 is our target. We write what we need to write. We usually go over or under just a tiny little bit.

So relax.

What to include in the 500 word summary for your show notes...

There's a handful of important things you need to include in your show notes. We choose to include most of these in our 500 word summary:

Keywords (remember the keyword list from the last episode?) You're going to include them in your summary.
Deep links (that's links to other pages on your website... just in case you didn't know).
Outbound links (that's links to other reputable web pages or resources).

Why do we include these things?

KEYWORDS - it's obvious. We're trying to get the show notes post to rank for organic search traffic which in turn might lead to new listeners/followers.

DEEP LINKS - linking throughout your own website to RELEVANT content improves your SEO juice.

OUTBOUND LINKS - again, SEO is improved if you demonstrate that you're writing for your readers, providing them value, even if that value is NOT ON YOUR WEBSITE! But make sure the outbound links you include are to reputable sites, not some junky, spammy, ad-filled site.

HEADINGS - Why? We want the post to be scannable (since most people nowadays scan websites instead of reading them). Headings break up the content, highlighting some of the most important topics (hint: keywords), and ENTICING the readers to become listeners.

SHORT PARAGRAPHS: Did you get the operative word there? SHORT! We put these under each heading as mini-blurbs of what the heading-topic covers, and we do our darndest to write it in a way that makes the reader WANT TO LISTEN to the podcast audio.

How do we write the show notes summary?

ONE: We use the bullet point outline from step one.

The bullet points serve as a reminder of what we heard in the audio. It also serves as a road-map for the episode.

We are probably going to use at least SOME of the bullet points as headings.

What I suggest is that you:

Create all your headings first. We typically provide 4 to 5 headings.

Make them catchy, alluring, and full of POP and PIZAZZ! But don't BE SPAMMY OR SENSATIONAL!

Write with your keywords in mind... and that DOESN'T mean you need to stuff your keywords into the headings any chance you get.

It means you want to keep in mind what your readers are LOOKING FOR when they search for those keywords, and SHOW THEM through your scannable headings that they FOUND IT!

Once you have the headings... create alluring paragraphs that will give a HINT of how the heading is going to deliver on the thing the reader is searching for.

Include your keywords or related phrases in the paragraphs in NATURAL ways. Make it READABLE and EASY TO UNDERSTAND.

But don't give away the farm... keep some MYSTERY to the topic so your readers will WANT TO LISTEN to the audio you're summarizing.

TWO: We go back through what we've written to tweak it, optimize it, and otherwise make it better.

You will NEVER get it right the first time. Count on it. Everything you write will need a second run-through to check for literacy, grammar, comprehension, and allure. Here are some tips for how to do this quickly but effectively:

Read it back to yourself OUT LOUD - you'll be amazed at the awkward things you hear that need correction.
Paste it into an online TEXT TO SPEECH GENERATOR so you can hear it in another person's voice. Make corrections as you hear the need.
Using your keyword list, go through and optimize for keywords and keyword phrases. BUT DON'T KEYWORD STUFF! This is a delicate balance... tread lightly.
Add QUALITY images that relate to the content. Make sure you can legally use them. Make sure they are high quality. Optimize them with keywords (file name, ALT tag, description).

If you do what I just taught you, and COMBINE IT WITH the content you created from my steps from the previous episode (www.PodcastFastTrack.com/shownotes2), you'll have a pretty good set of show notes that are:

Alluring and interesting to your readers
Optimized for SEO
EFFECTIVE in summarizing and promoting your episode.

But wait, we're not done with this SHOW NOTES thing... in the next episode I'm going to show you ONE ADDITIONAL STEP we do to repurpose our show notes for SOCIAL SHARING!

OK, It's time for you to take action. What are you going to do with the tips I've given you today?

Here's a little assignment for you... just to try it out!

Relisten to this episode and create a bullet point outline of the content.
Then create headings from the bullet points.
Then create your short paragraphs.
Then go to the show notes page for this episode at www.PodcastFastTrack.com/shownotes3 and compare your bullet point list to the actual show notes.

THANKS FOR LISTENING!

21: Show notes: Step 1 to making them epic

Tue, 25 Aug 2015 04:29:00 -0400

There is a two-fold problem when it comes to writing truly epic show notes

Good show notes have to be optimized, which takes a certain degree of expertise.

As with any blog post or web page, optimization includes some or all of the following:

Keyword research (the most time-consuming part)
Formatting that makes best use of those keywords and related phrases
Proper use and optimization of images
Formatting that is easy to scan, so readers can find exactly what they're looking for.

All of that takes extra time, which most podcasters don't have.

I know the headaches of being a part-time podcaster. I began doing my first podcast as part of a side-hustle while I was working full time at another job.

I also know the headache of having to do something like show notes when there appear to be so many other pressing things to make my full-time business more profitable and effective.

So if you want to do quality show notes, there are only two solutions:

You figure out a system that enables you to do the job in the least amount of time possible.
You outsource it.

I don't know any other solutions.

This episode of Podcastification is all about the first of those two options. I want to equip you by sharing the system the Podcast Fast Track team uses to write quality show notes.

So, here we go into the process...

Create a bullet point outline of the episode as you do the edits on your recording.

I know there are a variety of approaches to recording a podcast. Some of you create a bullet point outline to begin with that serves as the talking points of your episode. I've talked about how to do that that on a previous episode. You can find that at www.PodcastFastTrack.com/PodcastScript. If that's how you approach your podcast recording, you've already got this step done. Congratulations!

The reason the Podcast Fast Track team pulls out a bullet point outline first is because it's the easiest and most effective thing to do while editing.

Main topics are easy to hear and write down on fast speed without losing our place (yes, we use fast play speed while editing).
This enables us to get a firm grasp of the entire episode's content the first time through, which will enable us to do our keyword research before we write the full show notes.

Did you notice that I said we do all this while editing?

That may sound like crazy multi-tasking, and in one sense it is. We search high and low to find people skilled at both audio production and writing so we can optimize our process in this way. If you know someone like that, I'd love to hear from them (carey@podcastfasttrack.com). Making this a high priority enables us to make the entire process faster without sacrificing quality.

If you're going to take this approach (pulling out bullet points while editing) , it will require you to develop the skill of listening for audio that needs to be edited while you ALSO listen for changes in topic. You can do it, it's really not all that hard. After 2 or 3 times, you'll have it down. A tip to make it easier is this: On interview style shows, the questions the host asks usually indicate a topic worthy of its own bullet point.

One other thing:

The Podcast Fast Track team also inserts [TIME STAMPS] on the bullet point outline. That means one additional thing we're doing as we listen/edit/write - we're watching the editing software closely and making a note of the time stamp when we create a bullet point. It sounds complex, but again, it's something you can train yourself to do and will not be that difficult after a few times of doing it.

Why do we include time stamps? It's part of what we provide to readers to make the post more scannable, more consumable. It's all about the end user in our minds.

That's step one - the bullet point outline. Once you have a good bullet point outline of the audio recording, you're ready to move on to the next step...

Do keyword research based on your bullet point outline.

Once you've listened to the audio all the way through, you have a very good idea of the main topic of the episode. The first thing my team does is try to boil down that main topic in one, punchy sentence. We'll come up with 3 or 4 of these - and we write them down.

In the end these may serve as our post title or some sub-headings, but for now, they simply help us solidify the main topic in our minds.

Then we take that topic as the starting point for our keyword research.

How do we do keyword research?

We type our main keyword, or keyword phrase into a google search - then we look at the "related searches" at the bottom of the resulting page. That gives us a great idea what people are searching for surrounding that topic.
You can also use the Google Adwords Keyword Planner. It's designed to figure out good Google Ad campaigns, but using the "Find new keywords" tab, you can get a good idea of the popularity and phrasing of searches surrounding your topic.
There are some other "free" keyword research tools you can use - http://keywordtool.io - http://www.spyfu.com - and http://ubersuggest.com/ among some of the simplest and best.

But if our team feels they've gotten a good grasp on the popular searches that are going on around the topic of our audio through Google search and/or the Keyword tool, we'll move on from there. Remember, we're trying to maximize efficiency and save time in our process.

What do we do with our keyword research results?

We open up our Google Doc, the one where we've already placed our bullet point outline, and at the TOP of the page, where we can easily see it, we type or paste in our list of keywords and keyword phrases. These will serve as reminders to us of what we're aiming to rank for as we write our show notes.

And that takes us to step #3...

Start writing our show notes - a 500 word (or more) summary of the audio.

This step is pretty involved - a lot goes into it - so it's going to be the topic of our next episode of Podcastification.

Show notes call to action...

What is your biggest takeaway from what I've shared so far?

What are you going to DO as a result?

I'd love for you to share your thoughts in the comments of this episode, on the show notes page at www.PodcastFastTrack.com/shownotes2

And if you've heard enough and simply want to hire my team to do all this for you... we'd be happy to consider your needs. We've got a pretty demanding load of clients, and can be kind of picky with who we work with as a result, but if you're willing to talk, so are we. Contact me at carey(at)podcastfasttrack(dot)com

20: Show notes: The top 4 reasons your podcast needs them

Tue, 18 Aug 2015 04:00:00 -0400

Creating quality show notes for a podcast episode takes time... is it worth it?

I've heard all kinds of opinions about the subject...

In Facebook groups
Google Plus communities
On actual podcasts about podcasting

The truth is there's no one-size-fits-all answer.

But as a podcast producer whose company PROVIDES SHOW NOTES for many of my clients, I'm going to try to convince you that there is more reason TO create show notes than there is NOT to have show notes.

Here are my top 4 reasons you should consider show notes a necessity.

Show notes provide text-based content for search engines to find and display for people searching for the topics you cover in your show.

In case you didn't know, Google, Bing, Yahoo, and other search engines don't have the ability to crawl through the audio of your podcast and pull out keywords and topics in order to discover what your episode is about.

They rely on YOU to tell them what the audio is about, so that they can in turn tell the people searching for those topics.

That's one of the most important things good show notes do.

Now that doesn't mean that you can any old thing onto your site as show notes and expect the search engines to feature it.

You have to employ proper web-writing techniques that optimize your show notes for search engine ranking... which IS part of the difficulty of writing good show notes (which I'll address more fully in a moment).

But if you take the time to do that, you'll be creating the most organic way for people to find your episodes and become familiar with you and your podcasting brand.

On a side note, show notes are one more source of content. It's like another hook in the water. The more content you have out there, the greater your chances of landing that big client or raving fan.

Show notes provide one of the simplest ways for your listeners to locate the resources you mention.

The reason you're producing a podcast in the first place is to provide value to your listeners - right?

It's of tremendous value to make it easy for your listeners to benefit from the things you highlight or promote on your show. Here are some examples:

Show notes are an incredible opportunity for you to funnel listeners to your own products and services through easily clickable links.
It's a great way to include affiliate links to relevant resources, which is a nice source of additional income for you (just make sure you disclose that they ARE affiliate links).
Show notes enable you to feature the resources of the guests you have on your show. Not only is that good form, it's a great way to nurture the connections you're making with people, which only serves to advance your cause in the end.

Now, some people have said,

I include all that stuff in the description of my actual MP3 file already. My listeners can find that information there.

That's a valid response, but let me ask you a couple of questions related to that:

Are you telling your listeners that those resources are embedded on every episode you publish? You should be.
You've already created a version of show notes to put IN the description of your MP3 file. Why not simply copy and paste it into a show notes page for that episode so you can get the natural SEO value of having another piece of content on the web?
Have you considered that some of your listeners may actually LIKE to do things on the web instead of through the metadata of the file itself? I think it's better not to force-feed your listeners the format YOU prefer, give them options! It's about THEM, after all.

All that to say... show notes are one of the most natural ways for your listeners to easily access the resources you're trying to highlight in your episodes.

Show notes provide an excellent and natural opportunity for social sharing of your podcast.

A good show notes page encourages your listeners to share the valuable stuff you're producing.

It's visually appealing, and people like to share things that appear "cool" or well-done.
It provides social sharing buttons to make word-of-mouth sharing easy.
You can include "tweet this" functionality on your show notes page to enable your listeners to spread your great content via Twitter.

Think about it, a good show notes page gives your listeners exactly what they need to spread YOUR message.

Show notes pages can feature additional or BONUS content related to your topic to provide even MORE value to your audience.

Some of my clients intentionally offer BONUS content on their episodes. It's like a special treat for those who took the time to listen to their show. And guess where they send their listeners to get that bonus content? Yep, their show notes.

Why is that a smart thing?

For all the reasons I've mentioned already... social sharing opportunities, community-building, promotion of your guests...

But even more, by getting your listeners to your website. When you do that, you're exposing them to even more of you, your brand, and what you have to offer.

They might pick up one of your courses or products or books.
They might sign up for your email list.
They might find the ideal solution for a problem that's been plaguing them.
They might join your members-only community.

Show notes are an amazing way to pull people who are already interested in what you're doing, deeper into your community.

I hope you're convinced that show notes for your podcast are a good idea.

What I've mentioned are only my top 4 reasons, there are many more.

But I haven't addressed the difficulty of actually producing good show notes, have I?

In order to create show notes that have a positive impact...

It will cost you time.
You'll have to ride a learning curve.
You will need to invest in it.

And none of that is something you can simply cram onto your already full plate and expect it to happen.

So how can you produce the best show notes in the fastest way possible?

My company creates show notes for our clients multiple times, every single day.

My best writers produce 6 to 8 SEO optimized, visually appealing, social search integrated show notes every single day.

And they don't do it by luck or by natural gifting... they have a system.

The next episode of Podcastification I'll share part 1 of a two-part series where I'm going to reveal the Podcast Fast Track team's step by step process of quickly but effectively creating great show notes.

What is YOUR belief about show notes?

Why do you create them?
Why don't you create them?
Is there anything I've missed that you think is vital to know?

See part two: www.PodcastFastTrack.com/21

You can find that video here.

19: Better podcast audio from a bad room, 5 Tips to improve it NOW

Tue, 11 Aug 2015 04:00:00 -0400

A bad recording space can ruin your podcast audio.

Yes, I said, "ruin" it.

What makes a room a bad place to record? There are many things but here's a list of the TOP 3 room issues, that I'm going to help you address in this episode:

A large room.
Lots of hard surfaces in the room (walls, floors, furniture, glass, windows, etc.).
A hardwood or tile floor.

All those and more cause the sound waves your voice is producing to bounce around the room, creating echoes and residual noise that your microphone can (and will) capture.

Once I've stated these 3 issues so clearly, the solutions to them are pretty obvious - but I'm going to walk through my favorite ways to solve them.

Then before we finish, I'm going to cover some extra steps you can take to take serious control of your sound quality.

1. Get out of that large room

Think of it this way:

The more space there is between your mouth and the walls of your room, the more distance the sound wave has to travel.

And as sound waves travel, they get wider, like ripples in a pond.

That means by the time they hit that wall 15 feet across from you, they have a LARGER profile.

Then they bounce off the wall and head toward another.

Eventually you'll have lots of large sound waves, bouncing from wall to wall, and into each other, causing an echoing nightmare from an audio quality perspective.

The solution is simple: Move your recording space into a smaller room.

The less square footage, the better.

2. Get rid of the hard surfaces

Of course you can't remove walls and windows, but you can add things to the room to make them less hard.

Simple things like:

Wall hangings, tapestries, curtains, canvas pictures, etc.
Overstuffed furniture instead of "hard" furniture.
Place a thin blanket over your desk surface.

Get creative here. Anything you can do to make hard surfaces soft will make your room a better recording space.

Some people go all the way and purchase acoustic foam to hang on the walls.

And it doesn't have to be expensive stuff. You can use eggshell type foam mattress toppers if that's all you can find.

It may not be "studio quality" foam, but it beats the hard wall you have now.

In all honesty, that's what I've got hanging on my walls right now.

TRUE STORY: When I first began podcasting the only place I could set up my desk and studio was in our walk-in closet. I didn't know it at the time, but that was the best move I could have made, acoustically speaking. The hanging clothes and small space made it an ideal place to record.

3. Cover the floor

If the only thing you did to improve your podcast's sound quality was to cover your hardwood or stone floor with an area rug, you'd be amazed at the difference it makes.

And it doesn't have to be a hideous shag rug, just a normal area rug will do the trick.

When you do this you're eliminating the effect of one of the most sound-reflective hard surfaces in your room.

The echo will diminish. The "room noise" will decrease.

Guaranteed.

Extra steps you can take to improve the sound quality of your podcast studio

These extra steps have to do with changes you can make to the equipment you use.

You might be thinking about the dollar signs the moment you hear that, but I'm going to give you a couple of options that don't have to be expensive.

Change your microphone

You don't necessarily need an expensive microphone, but you do need the right kind.

There are two basic kinds of microphones - condenser microphones and dynamic microphones.

What you want for podcasting is a dynamic microphone.

The reason is in the way they are made.

I like to think of it this way:

Every microphone picks up the sounds that surround its head.

How LARGE of an area around the head it picks up depends on what kind of microphone it is.

A condenser microphone picks up the sounds in a LARGER area around the head.
A dynamic microphone picks up the sounds in a SMALLER area around the head.

Take a few seconds to think that through and you might discover that your microphone is the main reason you have lots of room noise in your podcast recordings.

There are some very inexpensive dynamic microphones out there these days.

I'll give you 2 recommendations:

The Audio Technica, ATR 2100 - I have one of these microphones in my backpack all the time. It plugs in via USB and XLR. It's a great mic. $69.00
The Audio Technica, ATR2005 - This is the microphone I've used as my main mic since I started podcasting. It' what I'm using right now. $79.00

Modify your microphone setup

There are some clever and very effective DIY hacks you can do to surround your microphone with sound absorbing materials.

I've heard of people stacking pillows around the sides and back of their microphone, with another laying across the top.

Hey, if it works - why not try it?

But the most impressive and effective one I've seen is a guy name Joe on YouTube who created his own little vocal booth to surround his microphone.

He used acoustic foam, a portable box from IKEA, and that's it.

But the really cool part is that his video shows exactly how he did it, and he does a before and after recording.

The results are amazing.

You probably need to improve the sound quality of your room... or else you wouldn't have listened to the episode this far.

What are you going to do to improve your room sound?

I'd love to hear the steps you're taking. Maybe you'll come up with something not mentioned here that could help others.

Thanks for listening!

18: A little known shortcut for Libsyn and WordPress users that will save you time

Tue, 04 Aug 2015 05:00:00 -0400

Libsyn is one of the biggest names in podcast hosting. Wordpress is one of the biggest names in websites.

Put them together and what have you got? A great combination of experience, efficiency, and effectiveness in getting your podcast audio out to the world.

But most of you know that.

Most podcasters who host their media files on Libsyn upload their file, add the title and description fields, and then publish the episode, grab the link, and insert it into their Wordpress site.

That's great. It works great. No problems.

However, if you're doing it that way you might have noticed that you're essentially posting your content twice - once to Libsyn, then you copy the download link and paste it in on your Wordpress site along with another copy of your show notes or blog post?

As I said, that's great. It works great. No problems.

But what would it do for your workflow if I told you about a way you could publish once on Libsyn, and not even have to touch your Wordpress site - and the content would publish there automatically?

For me, a solution like that would cut out an entire step and save me 5 to 10 minutes PER PODCAST EPISODE!

That's exactly what Libsyn has created with what they call their "On Publish" solution.

The good folks over at Libsyn have created a way that you can publish your entire blog post or show notes on their site, using the Libsyn interface and it will transfer directly to your Wordpress blog when you hit "publish."

You can include images using a link from an external site (your website media library?) - and they will transfer over to your WP site.
You can include clickable links - and they will transfer to your WP site intact.
You can have it post to your WordPress site in "draft" status or according to a scheduled date and time.
The post will also include the Libsyn player of your choice (Legacy, standard, or standard mini), customized to the size you want.
And I even did an experiment using a the shortcode for the "Tweet This" plugin that I have installed on my WordPress site. Inserted the shortcode in my Libsyn post just like I would on my WordPress site (which requires you know the shortcode), and it worked beautifully.

Almost every function you have within the WordPress dashboard can be set up in Libsyn so that when the post publishes on your WordPress site, it's just like you want it.

How do you set this up within your Libsyn account?

It's a bit to involved for me to walk through every step of it in this episode, but I'll tell you that it is done through the "Destinations" section of the Libsyn interface, and you'll have to install an additional plugin to make the player render properly on your site.

But I don't want to leave you in that kind of a lurch, so I'm going to point you to a great video tutorial the folks at Libsyn have created to walk you through this amazing feature.

One little disclaimer...

Though all this sounds wonderful in terms of time savings, and it is... it will require some front-end work on your part.

If you're using Blubrry PowerPress to generate your feed you'll have to switch to the Libsyn feed entirely for the OnPublish option to work properly. The Libsyn support team will happily walk you through that process. You can contact them at support (AT) LibsynSupport.com.

You will also need to set up what is known as a "301 redirect" which tells iTunes and the other directories that come looking for your old podcast feed, to go get it from Libsyn. Again, when you get to that step, the Libsyn team will be delighted to help you out. support (at) Libsyn.com

17: Recording Skype calls for podcast audio

Tue, 28 Jul 2015 04:00:00 -0400

THIS EPISODE CONTENT IS OUTDATED

Skype is one of those applications that has changed the world.

Seriously, think about it.

Most people listening to this podcast didn't grow up with the ability to video conference with a person across the globe.

Now, we do it almost daily.

For podcasters, Skype has become a great asset, enabling us to connect with experts around the world for interviews and conversations, all with the click of a couple of buttons.

Maybe you're new to podcasting and don't know how to record a call using Skype.

Maybe you're an old-timer who is considering a switch to a better option.

In this episode I'm going to walk through some of the 3rd party applications that enable you to record Skype - both audio and video - and provide links to all of those resources so you can check them out and make up your own mind.

Third party applications to record Skype calls.

First, understand that when I say "third party" applications, I mean software programs that are not developed or distributed by the folks at Skype. These software packages come from other folks who have found a way to connect to Skype and record what is going on through it.

Here's my list:

Amolto Call Recorder for Skype - http://amolto.com/ - Windows only

I've never used this program but it appears to be pretty good. With Amolto you can:

Record Skype calls automatically
Make your recordings any length of time (no limit)
Record in lossless or compressed formats
And record in split-tracks

That's all in the free version. The paid version includes video recording and a bunch of other stuff for $29.99 per user. Find out more at http://amolto.com

Callnote Premium Call Recorder - https://callnote.net/ - Windows and OS

This program is for Windows and MAC and records video as well as audio. Here's the features:

Records Skype, Google Hangouts, Viber, and Facebook Audio and Video calls
Can save your recordings to Evernote or Dropbox
Can share the call records on Facebook, Youtube, or Email
Can record a shared screen or chat from Skype calls
You can manage your recordings on your computer
Limited to 30 audio/video recordings per month on the free version
Paid version is $9.95/year after a 14-day free trial

Ecamm Call Recorder for Skype - http://www.ecamm.com/mac - OS only

There are two versions to this one - demo and full. The demo version is free, but puts a "DEMO" watermark across your screen. The full version is $29.99 U.S.

Demo version works for 7 days.
Both versions record directly to your MAC
HD video recording quality
Split screen mode for conversations
MP3 conversion capabilities
Tracks can be split after the call

Evaer - http://www.Evaer.com - Windows only

Free/trial version only allows 5 minute recording of video calls.
Lifetime license is $19.95 and removes all restrictions.
HD quality
Records calls, screen sharing, and up to 10 way group Skype calls
Many versions can be saved (audio only, video, etc.)
Can adjust frame rates, etc.
Save to MP4 or AVI
Can record in split audio channels

G-Recorder - http://g-recorder.com - Windows and MAC

Two versions - Standard ($24.99) and Professional ($39.99) - both lifetime licenses
Record audio calls to local disk as mp3 files
Quality adjustments
Can automatically forward calls to any email

iFree Skype Recorder - http://ifree-recorder.com - Windows only

Free, no limits attached
Audio only recording
Saves as mp3 file
Simple, easy to use

MP3 Skype Recorder - http://voipcallrecording.com/MP3_Skype_Recorder - Windows and MAC

Free, no limits for non-commercial use
Automatic or manual recording options
Saves as mp3 format
Easy to use
Can choose sample rate, bit rate, and stereo or mono

Pamela for Skype - http://www.Pamela.biz - Windows only

Free version has 15 minute limit
Unlimited recording 14.95 euros
Can save to mp3, wma, ogg, or wav

TalkHelper - http://www.TalkHelper.com - Windows only

7 day free trial with no limitations
Then $49.95 for full version
Audio and video
Saves directly to your computer

Vodburner - http://www.Vodburner.com - Windows and MAC

$99.95 purchase price
Can record and edit audio and video
No time limits
Save to MP4 format

As far as I know those are the only options for recording a Skype call.

Do you have anything to add to the list? I'd love to hear your comments!

16: How to eliminate filler words in your podcast without editing

Tue, 21 Jul 2015 07:00:00 -0400

Um.... You know, like, those filler words.... uh... we all, like... use when we speak... are uh... practically... like, the worst!

Almost every person who speaks uses filler words of one kind or another.

It's mostly done out of habit and without us even realizing that we're doing it.

When it comes to your podcast... those filler words can really become, like, irritating to your, um.... uh... those people who listen to your show!

So how do you cut out those habitual filler words?

That's what this show is all about.

Most of you don't know my whole story. But that's OK, I'm about to fill you in on some of it.

For over about 20 years I spent my life serving as a Pastor in a local church.

The only reason that's important is that if you add up all the times I've spent before audiences, speaking, teaching, preaching, leading meetings, and all that... it's probably pretty close to the amount of words a woman uses in one day.

Almost. :)

So I've had a lot of practice learning how NOT to use filler words.

That doesn't mean I'm in any way... uhh.... cured of the problem.

It just means that I've learned some tricks to help me keep the filler words from filling those gaps in my speech that often get filled by filler words.

And I'm about to tell you my top 6 ways to get rid of them.

Getting rid of filler words

Tip #1: Assess your use of filler words

You can't get rid of something or stop doing something if you're not fully aware of its existence. So here are some ways you can go about analyzing how much you use filler words, and what filler words you're using.

Ask someone close to you to point out how you use filler words. And don't get angry with them... you asked.
Start paying attention to your conversations and make note of the frequency of your filler words.
Make a mental list of the words you use to fill in spaces.
Prioritize those words: Which one do you want to get rid of first? Make a choice and file it away in your brain as the first candidate for your "Filler word elimination project."

Once you've got this figured out, you're ready to move on to tip #2.

Tip #2: Take a moment to understand the REASONS behind your filler words

It's obvious that we don't use filler words because they are needed. So why do we use them?

At times, our brains need time to catch up with our mouths.
In other situations, we use them to communicate that we're still thinking. "Well, uhhhhhhh... I'm not too sure about that. Hmmmm.... can I get back to you?"
But a third reason, and the one I think is most common among podcasters and other public speakers is this: We're uncomfortable with silence.

That last one is HUGE. Silence feels negative to us, especially if we are the ones providing the content everyone else is supposed to listen to (like in a speech... or a podcast).

But the reality is that silence is NOT a negative thing. Appropriately timed and placed silences... like that one, serve to keep attention and accentuate what we're saying.

More on that one in a minute, let's move on to tip #3.

Tip #3: Prepare more

I learned this one in my own public speaking experience. It's like a math or science formula where one side of the equation always, ALWAYS balances out the other:

More preparation = less filler words

Less preparation = more filler words

So ask yourself, "How prepared am I? Am I ready to record this podcast episode?"

I'm not suggesting that you script out every word of your podcast (though I have talked about some possible advantages to doing that - that was in episode 7, which you can find by going to http://www.PodcastFastTrack.com/podcastscript).

What I am suggesting is that you feel entirely comfortable with the content you're going to be presenting.

Know it. Understand it. Backwards and forwards.

The better you know what you're talking about, the less you'll use filler words.

And what if it's a guest interview? You can't be completely prepared in that case.

That's where the next tip comes in...

Tip #4: Accept that pausing is OK

Like I mentioned earlier, allowing some space between phrases or sentences can SERVE your communication better in many cases.

We've all heard the phrase "dramatic pause." That's the point of what I'm saying here.

Every person who is a public communicator has to recognize that none of us speaks non-stop with no pauses.

None of us are expected to.

So allow yourself room for pauses. Allow yourself to BELIEVE that it's OK to have some silence in your presentation.

Use those pauses to gather your thoughts, to consider HOW you're going to say the next sentence, to draw in listener attention THROUGH the pause.

Don't let nerves or the notion that you've got to fill in every pause cause you to resort to filler words.

This one takes some self-control, but you can do it.

And I believe that if you take the time to learn HOW to use pauses, you can make your communication even better.

A great resource I found is at the ChangingMinds.org website - http://changingminds.org/techniques/language/persuasive/pauses.htm

Let's move on to the next tip...

Tip #5: Slow down!

Many public speakers, especially those new to the role, speak far too fast.

Something about the setting, and the pressure, and the adrenaline, get our mouths moving faster than our brains can formulate good sentences.

When that happens, our brain has to do something while it's figuring out what to say next...

And that's where filler words slip right in.

An easy solution for much of that is to slow down.

Consciously learn to speak more slowly, deliberately.

You'll find the need for filler words will vanish most of the time when you do.

Tip #6: Start a Filler Word Elimination Project

Do you remember back in Tip #1, I suggested you decide on the filler word you want to eliminate first?

This is where that word comes into play.

Begin to consciously listen for your use of that word - in presentations and in everyday speech.

Whenever you hear it escape your lips in the course of everyday speech - pause, take a deep breath, then restate the sentence or sentences WITHOUT the filler word.

As you do, set your mind to deliberately avoid that word. Reinforce your desire not to say it through making a conscious determination that it will NOT victimize your communication.

That may sound a little "woo woo" or strange, but it works. Your mind is powerfully effective in developing new patterns in your life.

Think about it... that's how you got into the habit of using filler words in the first place, your mind subconsciously inserted them into your speech patterns without you even being aware of it.

Just think how quickly you might be able to get rid of them if you consciously worked on it!

That's my 6 tips for getting rid of filler words

I've got 3 calls to action for you from this episode:

Do you have any tips you've discovered that help YOU get rid of filler words? I'd love to hear them. Go on over the the show notes page at www.PodcastFastTrack.com/fillerwords and leave me a comment.
If you've not left a rating and review for Podcastification on iTunes, please do so at https:www.PodcastFastTrack.com/review
Finally, if you've got a topic you'd love for me to cover on a future episode, or a question about any aspect of podcasting, please let me hear it - carey AT podcastfasttrack DOT com

Thanks for listening!

15: 2 Simple ways to get the best sound quality on guest interviews

Tue, 14 Jul 2015 17:26:00 -0400

Sound quality really, really, really matters for your podcast show.

If you want to know how much I believe that to be the case you should go back and listen to Podcastification episode #2 - www.PodcastFastTrack.com/2

One of the most difficult places to ensure that the sound quality is the best it can be is when you are doing guest interviews or having a conversation with a guest to the show.

When you introduce a person to your show who is not familiar with audio production or sound quality issues - you've just introduced a whole slew of variables into your show that can seriously impact the sound quality.

Some of the more common sound quality issues a guest can introduce to your show are:

They don't have a good microphone.
The only microphone they have is a "phone" mic and it keeps rubbing against their shirt.
They keep bumping the desk the mic is setting on or the microphone itself.
Dogs, doorbells, cell phones, children, email sounds, etc.
They don't speak into the microphone.
They are too close to the microphone (pops, harsh "S" sounds, and other plosives - yes, that's what they're called).
Their input volume is turned up too much.

Etc., etc., etc.

In this episode I'm going to take just a few moments to run through some of the simplest remedies to most of those problems.

Remedy #1: Prepare your guests

If your guest doesn't know anything about sound quality and what it takes to get good sound quality in an audio recording, it's your job as the host to kindly and briefly educate them.

Now I know this is a contested point. I heard one podcaster say just a week or so ago that he doesn't want to add any additional burden to his busy guest's schedule by asking them to do anything extra before the recording. I get that - but I disagree.

If the people you're interviewing care anything about their own brand and image, they will appreciate you helping them sound the very best they can for your audience - which may at least in part, become their audience after your interview.

So what I usually do to prepare my guests is this: I send them a one-page PDF document that outlines some of the issues that I need them to take care of BEFORE we start recording. I know other podcasters who create a page on their website with the same information, to which they point their guests ahead of time.

You can find a copy of my PDF document which you are free to tweak and make your own, HERE.

But so you don't have to wait to download it... here's a quick blast through the document to give you an idea of the kinds of things I include:

FOR MY GUESTS

I can't thank you enough for being willing to come on my show. I'm confident that your experience and expertise will be of great value to my listeners. I just wanted to give you a quick bullet list of things that you can do to prepare for our conversation. I want you and your brand to be represented in the best possible light, so please read through the list below and make any of the suggested adjustments you are able to make prior to our conversation. Following these suggestions will enable us to make the most of our time.

Visit the necessary "personal room" before our scheduled time to chat.
Have a glass of water nearby during our chat… you'll probably need it.
If you think you might reference any websites or links, please have them open and ready so you don't have to hunt for them during the conversation.
Turn off all non-essential programs on your computer to enable our recording to happen with less potential for technical glitches.
Please use a wired computer connection (not wireless) if at all possible.
Find a quiet place for our conversation.
Make sure all potential noise-makers are turned off or taken care of ahead of time (phones, email, children, pets, etc.)
While we are doing our interview, please don't bump the table, scoot things around your desk, click pens, or anything else that might make noise. We want our interview to be as professional sounding as possible.
Use a microphone other than your built-in computer microphone if at all possible. Even a microphone that is built in to your ear buds is better than your computer microphone.
Make sure your computer speakers are turned down, or wear headphones or ear buds while we talk. This will help us avoid feedback and electronic echo in the recording.
We'll do a quick microphone and sound check before we begin our conversation.

Remedy #2: Do a pre-recording sound check for audio quality

When you first get on the line with your guest, take time to get to know them in a comfortable way... but then transition to "get er done" mode. Let them know that you need to do a quick quality-check to make sure the audio quality is good. Then do it.

Here are the steps I'd recommend you go through every, single time you do a guest recording.

Make sure the "record" button has been activated.
Check your audio level.
Check your guest's audio level.
If you are experiencing drops or glitches on Skype or a Google Hangout - hang-up and reconnect in an attempt to get a better connection.
Ask your guest if they have their water, notes, etc. that they need for the next however long you've agreed to, while you record.
Ask them if they've turned off their noise-makers.
Ask them if they've turned off all other programs on their computer.
REMIND them not to touch the microphone, its stand, the desk it's on, and to use headphones if at all possible.
If they're using an earbud mic, help them arrange it so it doesn't rub on their clothes.
Let them know that if they need to stop for a drink or to cough, etc. to let you know.

And there are likely many other things you could add to the list. The point is to keep it simple, but at the same time thorough so you don't miss anything essential.

14: How to create call to action links for your podcast

Tue, 07 Jul 2015 04:00:00 -0400

It's frustrating when you're listening to a podcast while driving or jogging and the host mentions a link of interest or a call to action and you have no way of grabbing it for later!

You know what I mean?

You've got to go back and listen to the episode or go to the podcast website and hunt down the shownotes in order to find that link.

What if there were an easier way?

As you might imagine, there is. It's a method that makes the links mentioned in a podcast episode LIVE, so the listener can click on them immediately and go right to the site!

How do you get this great functionality? You've probably already got it and may not know it.

It's in the description that you add to the tags of your actual mp3 file, or in the description that you include when you post the file on your media host.

How does it work? I'm about to tell you...

But before I get into that I want to thank someone who left a rating and review on iTunes - NancyBeginnings - thanks so much for your kind words. It's my prayer that the show continues to be helpful to you!

The power of links within your media file description

Most podcasting apps, or pod-catchers as some folks call them, have developed the functionality to allow links that are included in an audio file's description, to be "live" within their app.

That means that if someone hears a link you mention on your show - say it's your show notes page - and they want to check it out, all they have to do is check out the description of that episode and there are the live links they can click to go directly there.

No more waiting!

No more jotting down notes to remind you about links you need to visit later!

You can go right to the link the minute you hear it.

But what does this mean for YOUR show's call to action?

It means that if you're smart - and you're listening to this show so I know you are - you'll add links to your mp3 file descriptions and media host accounts so that your listeners can go directly to your links.

It means...

It's really a pretty simple thing, wouldn't you say?

Here are my "best practice" tips for including these kinds of links in your show's call to action

#1 - Be sure you have a call to action

Don't just pump out audio - encourage your listeners to do something with it. Some of the best things they can do center around community and interaction.

Take action on one point you gave in the show and let you know about it on the show notes page (Here's a link you can provide in the description).
What would they add to your list of tips (Provide the link for them to tell you).
What is their experience regarding the topic you've covered (Provide a link in the description for them to tell you about it).
What was helpful about what you shared? (Again, provide them a link to let you know).

The more you are able to become a "real person" to your listeners by relating and interacting with them, the more they are going to know, like, and trust you - which is the main obstacle to getting a raving fan base for your podcast.

So make sure you have a call to action - and give them specific links to use to take that action.

#2 - Include the actual link, not just an "anchor-text" link

Do you know what an "anchor text" link is? It's a link that is coded into the text so that you only see the text with an underlined hyperlink and not the actual link (http://....)

Anchor text links are cool for web writing but are not always the best on a practical level for the kind of thing we're talking about here.

Here are some reasons why...

Not all podcatchers (podcast apps) can read the link that is behind an "anchor text" link. So you'll want to include the full link or a short link to it just to be safe.
When your listeners actually SEE your link (www.PodcastFastTrack.com/whatever) it helps to solidify your website name in their minds. Don't miss the importance of that.

#3 - Include the http:// in your link addresses

Some podcast apps are designed so they can assume the "http://" when you write a link as www.PodcastFastTrack.com - but some are not.

So play it safe and include the http:// all the time. That way whether the app is able to function without it or not, you don't have to care about it.

You can be confident that the links you provide are live.

#4 - Be sure you include the links in whatever place supplies your podcasts feed

Have you ever wondered where those lovely Podcatcher apps get their information?

Most of them pull it straight from iTunes. So whatever feed iTunes is pulling for your show is where you want your link-filled descriptions to be.

Some podcasters use the feed provided in their hosting account (Libsyn, Blubrry, others) as the place iTunes pulls their information.

If that's the case for you, make sure when you post your episodes to Libsyn that your posts have full-blown copies of your show notes, links and all.

Other podcasters use the Blubrry Powerpress plugin and the feed it provides as the source they submit to iTunes.

If that's the case - then make sure the posts you put on your website that you use to publish your audio have all those juicy links you want included with your episodes.

That way your listeners will always have the option to go to the description that their podcatcher has pulled from iTunes and find the links you mention.

#5 - Be sure to mention that your listeners can go to the live links in their podcast app

There are still many people who use podcatcher apps who don't know the episodes they're listening to even have descriptions, much less that they have live links they can click.'

So as the host, you need to tell them.

When you give your call to action for a particular episode, tell your listeners they can go to the episode description on their smart device and use the direct links you've provided.

#6 - Include the description and links in the ID3 tags of your actual mp3 file.

If there's an "optional" one out of these 6 steps, it's this one. But I suggest you do it.

The ID3 tags are the behind-the-scenes info about the actual audio file you produce. They are attached to the mp3 file itself.

Why?

Because often people download the audio to their computer or other device. They might listen to it in Windows Media Player or Quicktime, or some other player. They may not actually use a podcast app that pulls the information from iTunes.

If that's the case, you want those people to have access to the links also. They can if you've placed them in the ID3 tags. They probably won't be "live" or "clickable" but the link is there all the same.

That's how I'd suggest you maximize your call to action on your podcast episodes - by using the live links available to your listeners.

So, I'm curious how many of you knew that you could include clickable links to accompany your podcast audio.
I'm curious how many of you intentionally direct your listeners to those embedded descriptions?
I'm curous what changes your going to make as a result of learning about this incredible opportunity?
Let me know at http://www.PodcastFastTrack.com/14
You can find that link in the description of this audio file -right there on your podcast player.

Thanks for listening!

13: How to use and set explicit tags for your podcast and its episodes

Tue, 30 Jun 2015 04:00:00 -0400

The explicit tag for your podcast is a really big deal

Free speech is a big deal in the U.S. - which is where I'm broadcasting from, and I'm not one to say that you or anybody else can't say whatever you want to say in whatever way you want to say it.

BUT it's only common sense to realize that people or companies who provide the platforms upon which you say what you want to say in the way you want to say it have THEIR right to limit what you say over THEIR platform.

Did you get that? It's THEIR platform. They get to make the rules - and they do. They have created criteria you must agree to if you're going to use their platforms to make your content available to people.

For some reason it's easy to forget that web services like Apple Podcasts and Stitcher, and even Facebook for that matter, are THOSE kinds of platforms. But they are.

Today's episode is focused exclusively on the "explicit" tag in Apple Podcasts.

You may think this doesn't apply to you... after all, you keep your show clean all the way around. That's great. You may be right that you'll never have to deal with this issue at all.

But what if some day you have a guest on your show who's native language in the 4-letter-word? What are you going to do then?

Some folks would beep out every instance. That's cool if that's what you want to do.

But what if it's not as bad as all that? What if they only use one or two colorful words and they actually lend to the emphasis or context of what they're saying?

That might be a good time for you to know how to use the "explicit" tags the right way, on an episode-level. That way you can label that ONE episode "explicit" and the rest can keep their "no rating" or "clean rating" tag intact.

Did you know you could do that? Label JUST ONE episode with "explicit" and leave the rest of your show non-labeled or clean?

You can. Keep listening and I'm going to tell you how to do it using two of the most popular avenues - Libsyn and Blubrry.

Before we get into the details, let me say this:

I'll be referring to some very specific functions inside the Libsyn interface and the Blubrry PowerPress plugin - and being an audio podcast I'm going to do my very best to describe exactly how you can find them. But in case you need to see the visual or re-check what I say, you can find all those sorts of things in the show notes for this episode. They'll be at www.PodcastFastTrack.com/13 OR www.PodcastFastTrack.com/explicittag.

OK - let's get going

Why the "explicit" tag is important

I covered this a bit in the last episode but let me quickly sum up...

The "explicit" tag's main use is two-fold:

It's a "heads-up" to potential listeners that they may get an earful of colorful language or topics in your show
But more importantly: It's used by the iTunes search filters to make the "parental controls" of the directory work.

I'm not going to go into a lot of detail about that but I will quickly tell you that if a parent sets their parental controls in iTunes to block explicit content and little Johnny downloads your show that is NOT tagged as "explicit" but it DOES indeed have explicit content - you've just made an enemy.

And they may complain to iTunes.

And your show may get the boot.

Find out more about iTunes Parental controls

OK, let's move on...

What qualifies as "explicit" and what doesn't qualify as "explicit"?

Some people are a bit confused about this, so let's do what we can to clear it up.

Is one F-bomb considered explicit? What about the S-word, or the A-word, or a reference to the sex act?

It does get a bit fuzzy when you boil it down like that. And Apple doesn't give us any kind of specifics to tell us what THEY mean by explicit.

So... here's what I've been able to discover.

In a quick online chat with Todd Cochrane over at www.Blubrry.com (a great media hosting site and the creators of the Blubrry PowerPress plugin) - he said that in his years of experience dealing with iTunes and many podcasters who use or have used their service, shows that contain X-rated content typically don't show up in the iTunes directory at all after a while.

So on the far extreme there appears to be one clear boundary. X-rated content is out.

On the other end, curse words, crass language, and even references to sexual topics or things are OK to include within your content IF you use the "explicit" tag - at least on that episode.

That leads us to the guts of what we want to talk about - HOW to tag your show or episodes as "explicit"

There are two ways you can use the "explicit" tag - and I've already referred to both - #1- By tagging the entire podcast feed OR #2 - By tagging an individual episode.

Let's start with the Entire podcast feed.

This is what you'll want to set for your show if it's going to be "explicit" most or all of the time. By "feed" we mean the entire podcast, the whole enchilada. You're going to set this up in the place where you generate the "feed" that you submit to iTunes.

I'm only going to cover the two most popular options: Blubrry PowerPress and Libsyn. Now some of you are still using Feedburner - and I guess that's OK for now, but my advice is to RUN AWAY AS FAST AS YOU CAN!

You can find out more about that issue and why I would say that at the very end of episode #9 - www.PodcastFastTrack.com/9

BLUBRRY POWER PRESS

First you're going to install the Blubrry PowerPress Plugin and get it set up with your normal podcast stuff.

If you don't know how to do that, there are plenty of great tutorials on YouTube to get that going for you.

An exhaustive video by Daniel J. Lewis (51 minutes long) - "How to Use PowerPress to Setup Your WordPress Blog for Podcasting"

But moving on... you can find all these details in the show notes for this episode at www.PodcastFastTrack.com/13

The first thing you want to do is to go into your PowerPress plugin settings on the left hand side of your WordPress dashboard

From there, go to the top of the window that opens and click on the "iTunes" tab

Once that window opens, scroll down the page until you see the "iTunes Explicit" drop-down, and choose "Yes - explicit content." That will set your ENTIRE PODCAST to show on the iTunes directory as "explicit."

The other two options are:

No - display nothing - which literally shows no rating at all - which most podcasters choose
Clean - no explicit content - another option if you want to emphasize that your show is not explicit.

Then be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page and hit the "Save" button. If you don't and close that window, you just did a whole lot of nothing and your changes will not appear.

One last thing... these settings take effect in iTunes ONLY if you're using the feed provided by the Blubrry plugin AS the feed you submit to iTunes. If that's what you're wanting to do, you'll go back to the Blubrry Powerpress settings > the FEED tab > then copy the feed address you see there to submit it to iTunes.

The good news about everything I just described to you is that if you're using the PowerPress generated feed like I just described, you can go into these settings and make adjustments at any time.

And keep in mind what I just described is ONLY for the ENTIRE SHOW explicit tags. We'll get to the episode-level explicit tags in a bit.

LIBSYN PUBLISHING PLATFORM

Now let's talk about how to accomplish the same FEED-WIDE explicit tagging on Libsyn. The reason I'm talking ONLY about libsyn and not about some of the other media host solutions out there is because it's the Big Boy in the industry. But I have used some other platforms and know that all of them have some kind of setting similar to what I'm about to describe to you.

If you use something other than Libsyn to produce the feed you send to iTunes, you'll have to poke around in their interface and find the explicit tag setting yourself.

So Libsyn - step 1 - Setting up your podcast with the right "explicit" setting

When you first log in to your Libsyn account you'll have to go through all the hubbub of entering your description, etc. Go ahead and do all that if you never have. Part of that process will give you the option to set what Libsyn calls your "Content rating."

If you've already set up your show on Libsyn you can still change this setting at any time, but it's not really intuitive as to how you're going to do that, so let me walk you through it.

First, login to your Libsyn dashboard, then choose the "Destinations" tab at the top.

Once you do you'll see a page full of options. Scroll down to the "Destinations" section and choose the "Edit button" on the one that says the name of your show.

Scroll down until you see the "Content Rating" option and choose the one you want. Be sure to hit save at the bottom of the page.

And keep in mind, this is the option you'll use if you're submitting your LIBSYN FEED to iTunes.

You can find that feed address by going back into the Dashboard > Destinations > and copying the first feed link you see.

Now let's talk about episode-only explicit tags

To set an individual podcast episode to be "explicit" when the rest of the feed is not labeled that way is not all that difficult. In Libsyn, it's very, very simple so let's do that one first.

LIBSYN EPISODE-ONLY EXPLICIT TAGS

Log in to your Libsyn dashboard and post a new episode just like you always do by clicking the Content > Add New Episode options.

As you fill out all the information for the episode, you'll come across the Rating option. Under the "iTunes Style" section just choose the one you want.

Be sure to "Publish" or schedule it for your setting to take effect.

BLUBRRY POWERPRESS EPISODE-ONLY EXPLICIT TAGS

PowerPress is not any more difficult, but there is one little tick-box you have to set up before you'll have the option to choose "explicit" on your episodes.

So, go back into your Blubrry PowerPress settings on your Wordpress blog

Choose the "Basic Settings" tab at the top.

On the page that opens, scroll down to find the tick box for "iTunes Explicit field." Tick the box.

Don't worry - you're not setting your entire podcast to explicit, you're just giving yourself the option to indicate if a particular episode is explicit or not.

Now you're ready to indicate specific episodes as "explicit" or not. You do that on the individual blog posts where you publish your episodes.

So, go to a blog post where you've already published an episode and scroll down to the PowerPress field where you typically enter the URL for your media file.

You'll see a convenient little "iTunes Explicit" drop-down. Choose the one you want.

Be sure to publish or schedule your post.

That's how you set up your "explicit" tags the right way - on episode-wide or episode-only levels.

Let me know what you think of this episode and any others by commenting on the show notes page at www.PodcastFastTrack.com/13. And if you've got any questions about podcasting or topics you'd like me to research and cover. I'd be happy to do it. Reach me at carey AT podcastfasttrack DOT com.

Thanks!

12: Get featured in Apple’s podcasts app – maybe

Tue, 23 Jun 2015 04:00:00 -0400

The content on this page is outdated. Apple has a NEW approach to this topic that is shrouded in mystery. Sorry ):

How would you like your podcast to be featured in Apple's "Podcasts" app?

It could be. Maybe. Possibly.

Of course the powers that be at the big fruit-endowed building in Cupertino, California are not about to let common mortals like you and me know exactly how they go about determining which shows are featured in their inbred... I mean, native podcast app.

But did you know... DID YOU KNOW that they do in fact tell us how we can increase the chances of our shows being featured there?

Really... I found everything I'm about to tell you on one of their LONG, SMALL-PRINT, IMAGELESS web pages. (https://www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts/specs.html)

But to save you the endless scrolling and the fine print - yes, it is VERY fine print on those Apple webpages...

I'm going to give U the skinny on how 2 get UR podcast featured on Apple's "Podcasts" app

How to get your show featured in Apple's "Podcasts" app

Everything I'm about to cover has to do with the information and items you provide to Apple when you submit your podcast. The good news is that if you've already submitted your podcast, you can always go back and update it.

Yes, you can. So if you hear something in the following tips that you think will enhance your podcast listing, get to it!

Here we go!

Produce compelling, new, or unusual content

Compelling: evoking interest, attention, or admiration in a powerfully irresistible way.

In other words, your show has to be interesting. So don't put together a ho-hum, run-of-the-mill podcast and then hold your breath waiting for it to show up in the features section of the Podcasts app.

You'll pass out before it shows up.

Here's a great example of something compelling, new, or unusual. Granted, it's produced by a Public Radio station with a staff, and budget, and other stuff you may not have. But maybe instead of viewing those as obstacles, you could look at them as opportunities for you to get creative and excel in new ways.

Anything's possible... Take my situation as an example:

Just over two years ago I was a full-time employee. Now I'm a self-employed podcast producer, entrepreneur, and author.

I'd never have dreamed it could be so.

But let's get back to your podcast and the Podcasts app...

Attractive, original cover art

You've probably heard this mentioned before but it is worth repeating.

Think about it... what gets YOUR attention when you're scrolling through the iTunes store looking for a new podcast?

COVER ART!

The ones that have a boring, generic headshot, or text so small you couldn't read it with a microscope simply get skipped over.

It's not intentional. Nobody's prejudiced against those podcasters.

There's simply no eye-candy, no bling, no make-me-check-this-out podcast graphics 2 lure you in

And when it comes to what Apple considers "attractive and original" cover art (which IS what matters in this case), they are not shy to tell us...

Does not include any words or images depicting any kind of Apple-branded content. That means no pictures of ipods, iphones, Apple logos, etc.
Must be at least 1400 X 1400 pixels (your graphic designer friend can help you out if you don't know what a pixel is)
Must be either JPG or PNG format (again, ask your designer friend)
Must be created in the RGB color space (You do have a graphic designer friend, don't you?)
No pixelation (Hello! Graphic artist friend?)
No images or language that could be construed as racist, misogynist, or homophobic. You can publish it... but don't expect it to be featured.
No images depicting sex, violence, gore, illegal drugs, or hate themes. Again, do it if you want, but don't expect Apple to show you off.
Cannot contain any third-party trademarks without authorization or usage rights. How will Apple know if you have the rights? I don't know. I'd suggest you simply refrain from using the image.

I can't claim my cover art is anything super special - but it's more than a plain image or MSpaint DIY image. I'm counting on the color scheme and the unique spin on the word "podcast" to catch the eye of a specific niche audience (podcasters).

You'll have to let me know what you think of it in the comments (http://www.PodcastFastTrack.com/podcastsapp)

A robust and accurate written description of your podcast

Robust... wow, that sounds like a description of BBQ sauce to me, not a podcast!

Let me attempt to translate that for you...

More than a one-line description. Tell people what they're going to hear on your show. Tell them in a way that lures them in, makes them want to listen.
Fill your description with APPROPRIATE keywords. And did I say "appropriate?" Don't stuff it full of keywords one after another like in the old days of very bad SEO. The Apple bots are smarter than that. But you SHOULD fill it with a description that naturally uses keywords that fit your show. Remember, the description is one factor that iTunes and the Podcasts app uses to pull up results when someone does a keyword search.
Accurate - the keyword part is one aspect of the "accurate" bit, but you also want to be honest about what your show is and what it isn't. Don't describe your show as "deeply introspective" if it's business news and analysis. Don't call it "psychologically stimulating" if it's your latest rants about your favorite video game. Be honest. Make your description tell EXACTLY what your show is, and nothing more.
MY TIP: Include a URL to your website or landing page. Or include an EMAIL address (I'd recommend you disguise it from the spambots somehow - i.e. carey AT podcastfasttrack DOT com). You might even include a phone number if you're that kind of business. Believe it or not, people use iTunes as a search engine for more than just podcasts. You want to make it easy for them to find everything "you" on the internet.

A clear and complete author listing

Simply put, fill out the author field on your podcast.

Carey Green

That's it. Don't do anything more or you could get booted from Apple's directory entirely!

Proper tags regarding language, category, and explicit language or content

Language

If your show is an English-language show... pick the Spanish option.

JUST KIDDING! Obviously, list your show in the language it's really in.

Category

You actually get to pick up to 3 categories for your podcast.

MY TIP: Use all three! Even if they are subcategories of a main category, use them. It gives you more chances of being found by people who are searching within that category.

And don't list your show in categories that don't apply to your show.

BONUS TIP: DO NOT pick the "podcast" category UNLESS your show is ABOUT podcasting (like this one).

Explicit language or content

There is a lot of debate out there about what is considered explicit and what is not when it comes to iTunes. I get to that. We'll get into that more on the next episode (www.PodcastFastTrack.com/explicittag)

But for what we're talking about here, that's not the issue. The point HERE is that you want the people searching the iTunes directory to get an accurate view of your show.

You also need to know this: For the sake of parents who set the "parental controls" on their devices, your show needs to be listed correctly when it comes to this "explicit" tag.

If somebody's kid downloads your F-bomb-laced show because it wasn't filtered (because you didn't label it "explicit"), you not only just offended that parent. You just made someone angry at you... your show... your brand - everything.

Apple has been known to boot shows from their directory that have improperly labeled the "explicit" tag.

Don't do that to yourself.

RELATED NOTE: The "explicit" tag option you get when submitting your show is for the OVERALL description of your show. If you're going to have a clean show most of the time, and maybe now and then a guest will unexpectedly drop one or two curse words, DON'T label your show explicit.

There's a way to label individual episodes explicit (or not) when you publish them. I'm going to cover that via the two most popular avenues in the next episode (episode 13).

New episodes being posted regularly

THINK consistency on this one.

It doesn't matter if it's once a week or once a month. The key word here is "regularly."

If Apple's going to feature you, they want to know that you are committed to giving your audience content on a consistent basis.

My personal experience tells me that if you're launching a brand new show, having 3 or more episodes already "live" when you submit to iTunes for the first time communicates the same message.

So again, the message is - good content, consistently delivered.

No references to illegal drugs, profanity, or violence in the title, description, or cover art

So no swear words, drug terms, or aggressive verbiage in your titles, descriptions, or on your cover art.

AGAIN, you can do it if you want to - but it's a sure-fire way to get Apple to IGNORE your content when it comes to being featured.

That's it - 7 tips to get your show featured on the Apple Podcasts app.

And if those sound strangely like the same things Apple suggests in order to get your show featured in their "New and Noteworthy" section of the iTunes store... it's because they are the same things.

Apple's "Podcasts" app pulls its info directly from the iTunes store and uses the same criteria as New and Noteworthy. My gut feel is that there's more than just an algorithm involved (real-live Apple minions are at work in there someplace too), so do your best to hit every one of those tips - and you'll dramatically improve the chances of your show being featured in Apple's "Podcasts" app.

11: Batch recording your podcast – save time, record better

Tue, 16 Jun 2015 04:00:00 -0400

How to do batch recordings to stay organized and save time

This episode is hands-on practical. If you apply the information you find in this episode, you'll find yourself having more time to do other things.

So... enough is enough

Here's my tips for doing batch recordings effectively

12 steps to effective batch recording

Refresh your mindset about your podcast. Before you start any of this work, remind YOURSELF why you are doing the podcast in the first place. What is it you are trying to accomplish - for your listeners and your business? You need to be in that mode when you record.
Scheduling matters a lot. Examine your weekly schedule and block out the time to do the number of episodes you desire to do each time. Set it at a realistic time during the week, and make it non-negotiable. Make sure you schedule enough time to record and edit (I'll explain why you should do both a bit later)
Outline each episode. Your style is relaxed enough, you don't need a script. But an outline will give you the peace of mind to know you're not going to miss important things. Insert your ratings/reviews, announcements, etc.
Think ahead as you write the outline. When will the episode you're outlining actually publish? Is there anything date-specific you'll want to mention on that episode? What about show notes links? Do they need to be mentioned? Have you set those up so that you have the specific links to mention? Do you have all your resources available (stats, listener recordings, links you want to mention)? You get the idea.
Save your outline as a template. You know about templates. It's an incredible time-saver for batch recording. That way you don't have to re-write our re-outline your intro/outro, or things that are the same most of the time.
Let others in the house/building know you'll be recording. Obviously, you want as few inturruptions and outside noises as possible.
Do some push-ups before you start batching. Sit-ups, jumping-jacks, whatever. I've found the adrenaline helps me get into an excited, "ready" mode that makes for great recordings.

#PODCASTING TIP: Do some push-ups before you start your recordings. Find out why?

Before you record, pause and get your mind right. Once you get started, you'll get into a flow. But between episodes take a second to pause, take a deep breath, look over your outline for the upcoming recording, and get your mind centered on that content.
Pause when needed as you record. There's no reason you have to get everything right in one take. Pause if you need to in order to collect your thoughts (without pressing the pause or stop button on your recorder). The blank space you see visually will enable you do the editing of that gap very easily. If you're having someone do your editing, the same will apply.
Stop and say it again. Along the lines of the previous point, if you don't like the way you said something - pause, clap your hands near the mic (leaves a big visual spike on the wav form to show you the obvious editing point) and restate it the way you want it. Again, with the ability to edit, you don't have to get it right the first time.

#podcasting tip: Clap your hands near the mic to create a visual edit point. More in this episode

Do your editing as part of your batching. With the content for the episodes fresh on your mind, you'll do better edits. So do them right away. If you pass on the editing to someone like me :) this won't apply. That's why in the first point I said you should set aside enough time to record and edit.
Set the date for your next batch recording session. Batching your recordings causes you to feel a HUGE relief about the coming weeks. That's the point. BUT, people often let that feeling cause them to miss or delay their next batch recording session. Once you're done recording, set the next batch session on your calendar. Set reminders. Don't let it slide. Don't let yourself delay it. If you do, you'll lose the benefits of batching.

10: How to go about repurposing your old podcast episodes

Tue, 09 Jun 2015 04:00:00 -0400

You've created so many episodes of incredible content over the years:

Guest interviews
Teaching segments
Tricks of the trade
Step by step tutorials

All of that and more... such great content you've produced over the years.

It's a pity that it could be sitting on some server, at the bottom of your archives, seldom being heard any longer.

How do you jump-start all that great, older content you have in your archives?

Through repurposing!

What is repurposing?

I don't want to assume that you know what I'm talking about, so here's my best stab at a definition:

REPURPOSING: The re-use of older content or material.

So, imagine looking through your podcast show archives... you might have 100, 200, or even 900 shows in there.

You want to figure out how to get the evergreen stuff (the content that still applies and will always apply) - into the airwaves again so that more people can benefit.

And I've got just the way for you use your old podcast audio in new ways.

I want to walk you through this idea I've had for reusing older podcast audio - and I want to challenge you to consider doing it yourself.

I'm even going to include an example of what it might sound like, using some audio from one of my old podcast episodes.

So stay tuned... you're going to love this!

Repurposing old content can be challenging

Before we move ahead, we need to be honest about the difficulties you're going to face if you try to repurpose your old podcast episodes.

You don't want your current audience to feel like you talk about the same things over and over... and repurposing sounds kind of like that. What if they've heard the episode before? What if it seems like "old stuff" to them?

Those are very real concerns.

But you also have to realize that there are also people who haven't followed you for very long. For them, repurposing could enable them to hear that content for the very first time. You don't want to withhold valuable, helpful information to potential new customers, clients, or listeners, just because you're afraid someone else might have heard it before - do you?

Could there be a way to walk that balance between boring the old timers and inspiring the new ones?

I believe there is.

The Quick Tips podcast repurposing strategy

I call this the "Quick Tips" strategy because I picture repurposing that old content in short, powerful, inspirational sound bytes.

Imagine quotes from past guests, from yourself, from webinars or teachings that motivate and inspire people.

They can serve as reminders, quick calls to action, productivity prompters that your listeners need to hear again.

If you're willing to serve as an inspiration and motivation to your listeners in an whole new way... keep listening.

EVALUATE YOUR OLD CONTENT

Let's imagine for a second that you do an interview style show.

Over the years, you've interviewed industry leaders, big names in your niche who have tons of knowledge and expertise to share with your audience.

If you were to pull out one of those old episodes and give it a listen again, how much of the content of that one episode do you think would still be applicable to your audience today?

10%?
30%?
50%?
80%?

Unless the sole focus of your conversation with that guest was the launch of a particular product, service, or book, my educated guess is that you'll be closer to the 80% mark when it comes to that episode's relevance for today.

Even if I'm being totally unrealistic in my estimation and you only come up with 50% relevance, you've got to stop and think through what that means for you and your audience.

You've got 50 to 80% of one of your old episodes that is STILL relevant to your audience today... and it's sitting in your archive helping no one.

Now add up how many older episodes you've got in the archive.

Say you've got 100, and we'll subtract 15 of them as an estimation of book releases or product launches that would not be relevant today.

That's 85 old episodes, each with 50 to 80% usable content.

That's a GOLD MINE of podcast audio to repurpose. Here's how to do it.

HOW TO REPURPOSE ALL THAT GREAT CONTENT

Here comes the fun part. Or the difficult part.

It probably depends on your personality.

You get to decide how to go about repurposing that old podcast audio

You can create an entirely new show OR you can add a new segment or weekly/monthly episode to your existing show.

What? I'll give you a couple of examples to show you want I mean...

One podcaster I listen to regularly is James Schramko. His podcast is called Super Fast Business.

James's show is NOT a "one-style-of-episode" show.

He does interviews
He does event promos
He does shorter "quick tips" episodes
all in the SAME podcast feed

It's not a problem for his audience because we've come to expect the variety. Some episodes will be short, actionable tips. Others will be lengthy conversations or webinar audio.

And we, the listeners, don't mind because we're sold on James and the way he does business!

Get that through your head.

Adding to the flavor of your show by adding segments to it, or even entirely different types of episodes will not throw your listeners for a loop.

It will help them. Tremendously.

It will add value to your show, thereby increasing your value to your listeners.

That means your listeners will trust you more. Turn to you more. And some of them will become your clients or customers.

So here's the questions you need to ask yourself and your team:

Should I just add a small segment to my show, reusing some of my old content?
Should I add a new "type" of episode to my show that consists entirely of old content that I'm repurposing?
Should I consider a new show altogether that is the "Quick Tip" show?

And there may be other options besides those.

But you've got to choose how you're going to put these bite-sized morsels of podcastificating goodness out on the airwaves again.

MINE THE CONTENT FROM YOUR OLDER SHOWS

Now's the time-intensive part - which is probably why I've not gotten many people to try out this idea.

You need to go through your old audio and identify the GOLD NUGGETS that you're going to use for your repurposing efforts.

Depending on the size of your operation, you may:

do this yourself (Listen to the old audio, pick out the quick tips or quotes you want to use, cut and paste them in your audio editor, and produce the new audio)
assign it to your VA or assistant (Give them your criteria and they can listen through and write down the time stamps of the nuggets they find.)
outsource it to a company like mine (Provide the criteria and we'd do the actual editing and production for you).
or who knows, there may be some high-powered audio tech on Fiverr who's itching to get his first job (You can always hope).

Regardless of how you go about it, you've got to do it. You've got to pick out the gold nuggets to highlight for your new quick tips.

Taking that kind of content from older podcast episodes where 50 to 80% of the content is still relevant to your listeners, you're probably going to find 10 or more quick tip quotes per show!

Wait a minute... let's do the math on that...

85 episodes X 10 quick tip quotes = 850 new segments or podcast episodes!

Wow... talk about repurposing! This is the way to do it

You've just repurposed 85 pieces of forgotten content, multiplying it into 850 new gold nuggets to help your audience, build your brand, and position yourself as the go-to-guy or gal in your niche.

WHAT WOULD I DO?

With that much repurposed content, I think I'd give it its own show.

I'd leverage my current audience to get lots of ratings and reviews on iTunes the minute the show is live.

I'd encourage them to pass these quick, actionable tips on to their friends or associates.

And I suspect I'd also pick up an entirely new demographic of listeners who prefer short, concise, easy to apply podcast content.

Here's a sample episode of how I'd do it, taken from my old show - the Christian Home and Family podcast... (you'll have to listen to this episode to hear the sample I created)

Are you willing to try this repurposing idea?

If you're willing to give this a shot and report your experience to my listening audience, I'd love to chat with you about

How to do it
Your experience
The results you get

Get in touch with me: Carey AT PodcastFastTrack DOT com

9: More about Spotify podcasts and getting your show known, with Rob Walch of Libsyn

Tue, 02 Jun 2015 04:00:00 -0400

This episode's content is outdated. :(

8: Spotify podcasts… how can you get on board?

Wed, 27 May 2015 13:38:00 -0400

The content of this post is now outdated! See current status of getting your show onto Spotify here.

7: Should you use a podcast script?

Mon, 18 May 2015 22:13:00 -0400

When I was 8 years old I didn't know anything about a "podcast script."

I mean come on, podcasting didn't even exist then. But that's when I first learned what a script was. I was in my first "real" play. A drama my church was putting on and somehow I got the lead children's part.

To me, the script was like a road map - a very clear outline of exactly what was going to happen in the play.

Who does what, when.
Who stands where.
Who says what and when they say it.

Can you imagine what it would be like if you tried to put on a drama but didn't have a script?

How would the actors know what it was about? How would they know how to act in conjunction with each other?

How would they know where the play was headed?

For a play, a script is a "must have."

What about for your podcast? Should you use a podcast script?

There's a lot of debate about whether podcasts should be scripted and I understand why.

Everybody has their own idea of what makes for a "good" podcast.

But I think you and I should approach the issue from an entirely different angle.

Whether or not you use a podcast script has nothing to do with what will make your podcast "good" or "bad."

It depends solely on the PURPOSE of your podcast.

Let's look at a handful of podcast "types" to see if a podcast script would be helpful in each case

THE LAID BACK PODCAST

There are shows out there that are intended to be informal, laid back, and easy going.

Often there are a couple of hosts who banter back and forth to make for a "fun" and relaxed atmosphere to the show.

There's a certain appeal to those shows because they tend to be more entertaining.

If a show like that may feel like it doesn't have much structure, but you can be sure they're at least going by an outline, but not a script.

That sort of loose direction allows for the free-flowing nature of the show that listeners enjoy.

THE INTERVIEW PODCAST

You know about these shows... there are thousands of them out there.

Somebody is featured as a "guest" and someone else asks them questions.

It's similar to the "laid back" show in that the outline is in the questions the host asks the guest.

Good interview shows benefit from the structure of the questions/outline while allowing for the flexibility that makes the show interesting and interactive.

If you need some tips on how to be a better interviewer, I've written about that before.

If you're doing an interview podcast, a script may be helpful, but could also serve as a straight-jacket, making the show far too wooden and inflexible.

THE "SALES" OR "LEAD GENERATION" PODCAST

Some of the podcasts out there are produced by a brand-name or company in hopes that their show will generate leads or sales for the company.

You know the kind I mean.

They often cover information related to their product or niche and include a soft sell encouraging you to check out their product.

Should this kind of show use a script?

I think this kind of show could definitely benefit from a podcast script for these reasons:

Just like a sales letter or brochure, you want to make sure you include the benefits of your product very clearly and persuasively.
You want to ensure that you don't forget anything vital to your product that might induce a prospect to give it a whirl.
Your podcast is serving as audio sales copy. SALES COPY. It needs to be crafted to persuade and convince, not spoken on a whim or off the cuff.

A podcast script seems a no-brainer for a "sales" podcast.

THE "EXPERT" PODCAST

I don't know anyone who calls their show an "expert" podcast... but you know the kind I'm talking about.

There's typically somebody teaching or coaching, passing along information the listener needs to know.

They may do it in a straight "info dump" style or through Q & A segments.

Typically, there's no guest - just an "expert" (thus the name) who's teaching the listener a particular skill, body of knowledge, or tip (kind of like this post).

In my opinion, this is an IDEAL type of podcast to use a podcast script.

You're able to lay out your content and teaching points accurately.

You're able to say exactly what you want to say in exactly the way you want to say it.

Word choice is perfect because it's planned.

You're able to have exactly the impact you want to have because you're going about it intentionally.

BUT, you've got to be careful that you don't sound like you're reading the podcast script, even though you are.

This helps our audio to be much more interesting and engaging - and your listeners will appreciate it.

Figure it out for yourself based on what type of podcast you're producing

You owe it to yourself and you owe it to your listeners.

For the right kind of show, a podcast script could make the difference between sales and no sales - a raving fan-base and no fans at all.

The folks over at Copyblogger have written 4 Copywriting techniques for engaging podcasts.

If you want to learn how to write a great podcast script, they are the guys to teach you how!

6: My top 5 Interviewing tips for podcasters

Mon, 11 May 2015 18:19:00 -0400

Are you doing an interview podcast? Could you use some interviewing tips?

You're in luck... 'cause I'm about to give you some (and point you to some great resources to help you even more).

Interviewing seems like a pretty simple thing.

You ask a question. Your guest answers.

But there's a lot more to good interviewing than that... and it's not so much about what you KNOW as about what you DO.

I've carried on over 100 interviews on my previous podcast and have done other interviews live in various settings.

You've got to be able to "think on your feet" and keep the conversation flowing in a positive direction.

And in the back of your mind as you interview every guest, you have to be thinking, "Does this interview benefit my listeners?"

My interviewing tips

I'd love for my experience to be of benefit to you, so if you want to know how to interview - here are my top 10 interviewing tips!

Get organized before you contact your guest

Most people you're going to have on your podcast are professionals.

They've got a busy life and shouldn't have to suffer through your lack of organization.

So make sure you get your ducks in a row before you reach out to them.

Your guest will greatly appreciate a handful of things from you before you start.

Here's my short-list:

Clarity on what you want to talk with them about
An accurate estimation of time requirements for the interview (be sure to include time before and after to leave room for technical issues)
A list of possible questions (you don't have to go exactly by questions you send, but as a courtesy this is helpful to your guests)
Clarity regarding time-zone issues. To avoid these problems altogether use a scheduling app like http://meetme.so
Technical requirements for a good interview (use headphones, use an external mic, hard-wired connections VS wireless, etc.)

You're welcome to tweak my "For my guests" email I send to every interview guest.

GET IT HERE

What do you need to add to it?

Set a goal for your interview

Too many interviews are rambling romps through memory and anecdotes.

That can be fun but if you want your guest interviews to be tremendously helpful to your audience, I'd suggest you map out the end result you have in mind.

Why are you interviewing this particular person?

What do they have that your audience needs?

What would be the ideal, best-in-the-world end result to come of your interview?

Answer those questions and you're well on your way to making them happen.

That leads us to the next step:

Think through your questions ahead of time

The questions you develop should put you on a path toward your goal.

They are the way you chart the course to the end result you want.

Bad interviews come from unprepared hosts.

Don't be one of those.

Start here:

What does this person bring that is of particular importance or interest to your audience?
How can you draw that out? What kind of questions would help you do that?
Is there something you want to know from this person that nobody has ever thought to ask?
If you could only ask this person one question, what would it be? (That will give you an idea of what's most important to talk about)
Is it really all that important to do the "tell us your story" bit at the beginning? Maybe not.
Is there a way you could approach the interview that would be different from how your guest is typically interviewed?

And on and on... you get the idea.

You want to have an idea where you're going before you start. Nobody gets to their destination without knowing how to get there.

Know about your guest

One of the most painful things I've ever listened to is a newbie podcaster stumbling through random questions that are obviously ignorant of who their guest is.

What goes into good podcast interview preparation?

Know about your guest.

They have a website, don't they? At the very least browse their website.

Read the "About" page.

Look at their books and resources on Amazon, etc. Read one of them if you have time (especially if you're interviewing them ABOUT the book).

If they do a podcast or videocast, listen to it or watch at least one episode.

You'll be doing your listeners a favor because knowing about your guess will enable you to know what questions you can ask that will be relevant to your audience.

You'll be doing the guest a favor because they'll feel your respect for them through your knowledge of them.

I can't stress this one enough - know about your guest!

Relax

Even if you're interviewing the President of the United States, you've got to settle down those nerves.

You need your wits about you.

You need to be your best.

You need to be able to respond to answers you didn't expect.

Every bit of that is harder to accomplish mid-interview if you're nervous or scared.

So breathe deep. Let it go.

Remind yourself that your guest goes poop in the potty just like you.

There is no reason that you need to be nervous.

Additional "How to interview" resources that should help

7 Steps to a great podcast interview - by Yaro Starak

The Secret to Great Podcast Interviews - by Social Media Explorer

22 Interviews to Improve Your Podcast Interviews - by the Podcast Answer Man Himself, Cliff Ravenscraft

Better Podcast Interviews through 6 Simple Steps of Preparation - from the folks at Copyblogger

Any other interviewing tips you'd add to the list?

5: A DIY Way To Get A Sponsor For Your Podcast

Wed, 06 May 2015 21:33:00 -0400

Get a sponsor for your podcast... go ahead, I dare you!

As you probably know by now, getting a sponsor for your show is not such a simple thing to do.

There are tons of shows
The competition is getting tougher
Not all potential advertisers have bought into podcasting as an advertising medium - yet
Not all advertisers will fit your niche audience
You have to have a show worth advertising on

And on top of all of that... how do you actually get in touch with the actual decision-maker who can actually pull the trigger to sponsor your show?

In this post I'm going to walk you through an idea I had about how anyone can take their best shot at getting a sponsor for their podcast

ONE DISCLAIMER FIRST:

I've dreamed up the scheme you're about to read. I have not tried it.

But given the many clients I've worked with and the stories they tell about getting sponsors, I believe with all my heart this idea will work.

And it's not for the "faint of heart" who aren't willing to take risks. How about it, are you game?

What's a great sponsor for your podcast worth to you?

If you decide to try this approach, I'd love to hear from you.

The "get a sponsor for my podcast" experiment:

Have a show worth sponsoring

It should go without saying, but it doesn't - so I'll say it.

If your show quality is below average you don't have a hope of getting a sponsor.

A quick check-list to ensure your show has quality standards that any sponsor-to-be would be proud to endorse:

You use a good quality microphone ** (they don't have to cost a lot).
No excessive background noise or harsh "S" and "P" sounds (these are called "plosives"... really, they are).
Music and spoken word segments are balanced and easy to listen to.
Your audio levels are, well, level. That means you've done appropriate loudness normalization (to industry standards... my service includes this at no extra charge).
You know how to talk, speak, interview, explain without boring your audience to tears.
Your content is good stuff, relevant to your specific niche.

If U don't have these basics, don't hold UR breath about getting a sponsor 4 UR podcast.

Pick a company you'd like to see sponsor your podcast

Go ahead, dream!

This is your podcast we're talking about so aim high and choose a sponsor that would be the ideal, perfect, best-fit for your show.

Make it an industry leader who would put a powerful stamp of approval on what you're adding to the market.

Other than that, there are only a few "make sure"s I'd suggest:

Make sure they have a product that fits your niche audience.
Make sure that product is truly beneficial to your listeners.
Make sure that you use the product yourself to know the pros, cons, bugs, and best practices.
Make sure they are a company your listeners think well of and would be happy to buy from.

This is your chance to choose your own podcast sponsor. Choose wisely

Create your own "advertisement" for that company's product

You may need to learn a bit about copywriting for this piece, but it will be well worth your time.

You'll be creating your very own advertising for the potential sponsor's product that you've identified.

Yep. You will. I'm not crazy, just convinced.

Here are some well-considered tips for how to go about it:

Make sure everything you say about the product is absolutely true. (Do your homework/research).
Consider using a variation of the advertising copy the company itself uses (That way you don't have to worry about the first point).
Never make claims about what results to expect (You don't want to imply that the company makes those guarantees).
Tell your own story about using the product. (But make sure it's clear that it's YOUR story and not a guarantee).
Create 2 or more versions of the sponsor ad.

You are going to write this out, like it's ad-copy your perfect sponsor gave you.

And you're going to read it on your show (in a few steps).

Seriously. You're going to advertise their primo product for free (for a limited time... and for an AMAZING reason).

Keep reading. I'll show you how to hook a podcast sponsor by advertising their product for free

Create a "pretty link" that is easy to speak and gives you analytics of click-throughs

"Pretty link" is a free plugin that you can set up on your blog that creates an easier-to-remember link that goes to a webpage you designate. It will also provide you a limited but adequate of set of statistics on how many times the link has been clicked.

Let's walk through an example using one of my products and my website...

Let's say I want to send a person who clicks the link to the product page here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VU6XGHC/ref=s9_simh_gw_p351_d2_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=desktop-1&pf_rd_r=1W6SNB50R512F37PTACR&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=2079475242&pf_rd_i=desktop **

You can do that in a much prettier and simpler way by using a Pretty Link that looks like this: http://www.PodcastFastTrack.com/greatproduct **

So you'll create your Pretty Link, target it to your potential sponsor's product, and mention it in your advertisement.

This Pretty Link could lead to podcast sponsorship gold. Keep reading.

Begin running your "sponsor" advertisement on your podcast episodes.

This is pretty simple.

You've heard sponsor spots run on other podcasts.

You're just going to do the same thing on your show using the ad copy you created.

My suggestions:

Choose the length of time you're going to run the "ad" for your podcast sponsor (I recommend a pretty substantial length of time... maybe 5 months?)
Don't call the company a "sponsor" of your show. Just tell your listeners that you have a great resource you want to tell them about. (Avoid potential legal trouble)
Be sure to include the easy-to-remember Pretty Link you created for their product.
For the sake of integrity, don't send the listeners through your own affiliate link. (I don't have anything against affiliate links, I just think that when you contact your potential sponsor, it will look more genuine if you don't use an affiliate link).
Be patient. It's going to take a while, and you may have to do it all over again if it doesn't prove to be a good sponsor-podcast fit.

Be patient. Run well, this experiment could fulfill UR podcast sponsorship dreams.

ASSESS the analytics you get from this experiment - HONESTLY.

A company will only be interested in sponsoring your show if the DATA shows that there is sufficient ROI (return on investment).

That means they won't spend money advertising on your show if there's not a reasonable hope that they'll make more than they spend.

So be honest. You need to look at the number of click-throughs soberly.

Most click-throughs DO NOT result in a sale. About 3% of them will. So figure out what that number is given the data you've accumulated.

If - in your estimation - the numbers DO validate that your show would be a good fit for that sponsor, you'll go on to the next step.
If - in your estimation - the numbers DO NOT verify that your ideal sponsor would earn income from advertising on your show, run the experiment again targeting a different company.

Finding the right podcast sponsor is possible, but it takes some work.

Contact your dream sponsor about the possibility of sponsoring your show.

And don't go empty-handed (like many podcasters do).

That's the point of this entire experiment.

You're going to be able to show the potential sponsor, in a respectful, data-driven way, that your show may be a good investment of their advertising dollars.

When you contact the "ideal sponsor" you've targeted, you'll include:

A description of your show, it's target audience, and how long you've been publishing it.
Data regarding number of downloads, reach, etc. your show has. You can get this info. from your media host.
A clear description of the experiment you did, featuring their product.
Why you chose their product for your experiment (it's fit with your audience, etc.)
The data you've gathered regarding your experiment.
Mention the time-frame through which you did your experiment. They'll have data of their own sales and may be able to make the correlation between your advertisements and their sales.
Why you'd like them to be a sponsor of your podcast.

Do you see what you're doing?

This method ensures you're approaching a podcast sponsor in a way that appeals to them.

Approaching a potential podcast sponsor should B $ and data driven, not guesswork or good feelings.

So how's that for a strategic plan to find your ideal podcast sponsor?

If you're interested in reading more about podcast sponsorship and how John Lee Dumas looks at the issue of sponsorship, you can find his article on the subject here.

Subscribe To Podcastification Here!

4: Configuring Blubrry PowerPress to Optimize Apple Podcasts Search

Fri, 01 May 2015 17:18:00 -0400

What about PowerPress?

In my last post I told you all about optimizing the ID3 tags in your actual mp3 files to benefit you in iTunes search.

UPDATE: Much of this post uses old terminology - just translate it in your head > "iTunes = Apple Podcasts"

But if you're using a WordPress site and are also using PowerPress from Blubrry, there are all kinds of options in your PowerPress plugin settings that iTunes can and will pull. Make sure you fill those out well.

Setting up your powerpress settings right can help you get found in iTunes search

Here's my take on it...

FEEDS TAB - make sure the "Feed Title" and "Feed Description" are filled out with additional keywords. Here's an example of what mine looks like (http://goo.gl/lzjRMl). You should also make sure your "rating" is set to the appropriate level (G, PG, etc.)
ITUNES TAB - This is the most important page for metadata. Make sure you get these things right. Here's what I suggest...

iTunes Subscription URL – This is the URL that you are given by iTunes. It's something like https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/name-of-your-great-podcast/idXXXXXXXXX. If you have lost your subscription URL, go into iTunes and search the store for your show. Once you find it, click the "view in iTunes" button. Once your program opens and your show comes up, right-click over your cover art (for Windows users) and choose “Copy URL”. Paste the URL into this field and remove the “?mt=2″ at the very end.

iTunes Program Subtitle – This is your Tag line or mission statement for the show. This is another good place to insert some keyword rich description. But again, be sensible about it.

iTunes Program Summary – Give a punchy, powerful, keyword-rich summary, but don’t get spammy about it. Make sure it fits your podcast and the keywords are used in full sentences.

iTunes Episode Summary – Leave “Optimize iTunes Summary from Blog Posts” unchecked.

iTunes Program Keywords – You can only insert 12 keywords separated by commas. Choose wisely. You can always come back and switch them out if you decide to.

iTunes Category – This is the genre of your show. Make sure you pick the best appropriate category for your show. Do Not choose "podcasting" or "podcast." That's for shows that are about podcasting.

iTunes Category 2 – Secondary category that fits your show.

iTunes Category 3 – Yet another category. Make sure you fill in all three categories.

iTunes Explicit – Choose "Yes" if you use cursing or speak about sexually explicit or violent topics in your episodes. If you don't use the "Clean" tag.

iTunes Talent Name – This is you. Your name (or whoever is the "talent" on the show).

iTunes Email – The email address where iTunes can reach you if needed.

iTunes New Feed URL – If you ever change your RSS feed, you'll use this.

ARTWORK TAB

Apple Podcasts Image - As it says, this is your cover art and should be 1400 X 1400 pixels. Insert the URL where Apple can find your cover art.

Apple Podcasts Episode Image – this is if you have episode specific images you are wanting to use.

RSS2 Image – again use your album art but make it a 300 x 300px image. You can use a larger size but it will be too large for most podcast players. Not a good end-user experience.

That's a lot of stuff! Does it really help in iTunes Apple Podcasts Search?

Imagine "Peter Podcast Listener" is looking for something new to listen to.

He goes to Apple or Stitcher.
He searches for a subject he's interested in (basket weaving).
One of your episodes is a conversation with a world-renowned basket weaver and you tagged that file with the keyword "basket weaving".

Guess what? Your episode will be one of the top results Peter Podcast Listener finds in iTunes Apple Podcasts.

This stuff works to get your podcast found in Apple Podcasts iTunes. Really, it does.

But it IS a lot of time and extra steps... which is why I provide it as an additional service in ALL my podcast production packages.

I not only want your show to sound good, I want it to be found and listened to!

2: Why audio editing and professional sounding audio really, really, really matter.

Thu, 16 Apr 2015 17:22:00 -0400

Audio editing is a MUST for your podcast

You'd expect to hear this from a guy who edits podcast audio for a living, but I'm going to say it anyway - your audio quality matters.

Why?

Like it or not, people make quick estimations about the resources they find on the internet, which means that their first listen to a less-than-quality podcast might easily be their last. In my experience (and the experience of many people I speak with), it's exactly that.

Compare your podcast to a movie

Think about the last "C" grade movie you saw.

Did you rush out to find more films by that producer or director? Doubtful.

Did you immediately begin gushing about the movie to your friends and family? Laughable.

You probably told everyone how terrible the movie was.

The same thing can happen to a podcast with less-than-great audio.

Your goal should be to make your podcast audio of the quality that people will eagerly rave about it in nothing but glowing terms.

Audio editing is about setting yourself apart

There are so many podcasts to choose from. Last time I checked iTunes (for example) there were over 250,000 shows on iTunes!

How are you going to make YOUR show one of those 5 or 10 that a person wants to listen to regularly?

Settling for poor quality audio is an unnecessary wedge between you and a potential fan. And why settle at all when great sounding audio is not all that difficult to attain.

There might be a niche audience in some obscure realm of the internet that really doesn't give a hoot whether you record in a studio or a cave, but you know as well as I do that's the exception rather than the rule.

The average podcast listener will not endure hissing, echo-y rooms, pops, and harsh "S" sounds for very long. Not only is it irritating, it can literally cause pain to the ears when headphones or ear buds are being used.

Then there's the "ummm" and "uhhhh" filler-words that are common.

I'm not throwing stones, we all do it (yes, even me). But why settle for the amateur feeling those speaking habits give to your show when you could remove them?

You'd sound more authoritative and professional and make the listening experience easier and more enjoyable.

Who are you podcasting for, anyway?

Approaching it that way is keeping the end-user in mind. THAT is what drives the "connection economy" nowadays.

If you stick to your guns about "not doing any audio editing" simply because you don't care about it (or you're too lazy), you're way too self-absorbed.

Get outside yourself. Think about your listener.

But that's a LOT of editing

And I know what some of you are thinking:

"Doesn't that level of editing make the conversation sound stilted or wooden? You know, like too much makeup on a pretty woman?" It doesn't have to.

A good editor has the intuition and skill to create the right spacing and pacing to keep that from happening. Maybe you could be that kind of editor...

For most podcasters, the problem with what I'm saying is that they don't have the expertise to do their own professional audio editing ("Which of the thousand audio effects should I use?") or the time it takes to develop it ("I'm busy enough already!").

I get that. It's a hard balance to achieve. You've got to make the decision based on your answers to a few important questions.

How to know if you should edit

Is this the right timing for me to upgrade the sound of my show? (Do I have the time or budget to make it happen?)
Is the audio quality I would receive from professional editing really needed in my case? (It may not be… you have to decide).

Always keep THEM in mind.

Hope this helps - Carey

And if you decide you NEED some help with your audio editing...

Here's two options:

DONE FOR YOU: www.PodcastFastTrack.com - Professional podcast editing and production

LEARN AUDIO EDITING YOURSELF (using Audacity) - www.AudacityForPodcasting.com

1: Introducting Podcastification: The best podcast education money can’t buy

Wed, 15 Apr 2015 20:53:00 -0400

The best podcast education money can't buy... what does THAT mean?

It's my not-so-clever way of introducing you to this, my new podcast about podcasting.

Yeah, I know there are a lot of great podcasts about podcasting already going.

Let me assure you, I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel here, just trying to let you in on the lessons I've learned on my podcast journey.

And it is a DIFFERENT kind of journey. More on that in a bit...

Before we move on, let me pause to say a tiny bit about the podcast educators who are ALREADY out there...

The best podcast education out there is actually pretty good.

There are some powerful personalities and very knowledgeable coaches out there who are doing truly helpful, consistent work to help us all get a little bit further down the road. Since you're listening to a podcast about podcasting right now, you probably know all the people I'm going to mention. But I need to pay tribute to them for all they've done to help me along... so hold your horses while I wax eloquent here...

These are the guys who have rocked my podcasting journey

Cliff Ravenscraft - AKA: The Podcast Answer Man

Cliff is the first guy to really make it big as a podcast instructor for podcasters. He's really done it well and I give him high marks. He's a man of integrity and I've enjoyed getting to know him through his podcast. If I ever have he opportunity to thank him in person, you can be sure I will.

If you've never listened to Cliff's show, Podcast Answer Man, you've just dispelled my doubts about extraterrestrial life... because you must be from another planet.

David Jackson - AKA: The original podcast coach

I've had a handful of email interactions with David over the years and he's a swell guy. He's really the very first guy who saw the need for education about podcasting and has occupied a very important place in the podcasting space for years. He runs www.SchoolofPodcasting.com if you're in need of help.

When was it Dave, 1995 that you started teaching people about technology and the internet? And he started "School of Podcasting" in 2005. As you can see, Dave has been at this podcasting thing a long time and has a thing or two to tell you about it.

If you've never heard David's shows (yep, he's got more than one... your classic overachiever), you're missing out. His relaxed manner and wonderful sense of humor are refreshing. Check out School of Podcasting, and Ask the Podcast Coach.

Daniel J. Lewis

Daniel J. is the guy behind an awarding winning podcast - The Audacity to Podcast.

By award winning, I mean he won the "#1 technology podcast" in 2012 at the Podcast Awards. His show is full of tips, tricks, insights, thoughtful considerations, etc. I've chatted with Daniel a few times and even interviewed him once, and find him to be a likeable, helpful guy who really knows what he knows.

Give his show a listen.

Ray Ortega

The first thing I have to say about Ray is that he's amazingly gracious and very helpful. In my beginning days as a podcaster I dunned him over Twitter more than once and he was always quick to respond, kind, and very helpful. He's got the branding thing down with his podcast helper Twitter moniker.

Ray's actually employed by his boss to do podcasting for the company and teaches the rest of us by night... or whenever he does it.

Another overachiever, Ray's got 3 different shows going on.

1) The Podcaster's Studio

2) Podcast Quick Tips (which he hasn't updated for some time, but there's a TON of great info in the archives)

3) Podcaster's Round Table - an amazing podcast built off a Google Hangout. Check it out!

I'm sure there are many others who do a fine job of educating the rest of us unwashed masses about best podcast practices and such and so forth, but these are the guys who have influence me the most.

And here I am... looking all of that amazing "competition" and daring to throw my hat in the ring too. And that's just it. I don't see any of those guys as competition.

I see them as comrades, friends, fellow educators trying to podcastify the world for the greater good.

Why I think I can add to the best podcast education out there

As I said before, I'm both a podcaster AND a podcast producer.

I've experienced the headaches and learning curve of figuring out the podcast thing and have gone on to create a thriving business that comes alongside busy, successful podcasters to give them back their time while still creating amazing sounding audio.

In talking to clients, prospective clients, and running my business every day, I've feel like I approach the podcasting scene from a pretty unique perspective.

I get to work with a lot of podcasters on a daily basis.
I regularly hear lots of headaches, problems, and hangups that podcasters face.
I'm talking with new prospective clients daily and understand the needs they have as newbies to the podcast world.
I'm just a regular guy who loves the simplicity of podcasting, and wants to keep it that way.

All of that gives me the opportunity to hear first-hand accounts of the struggles of newbie and experienced podcasters.

And having done this podcast stuff for a while now, I really do believe I can help you.

So the Podcastification podcast is born!

My goals for the show are pretty simple. And I'm going to be honest here:

I want the episodes to be short, generally speaking.

If any episodes hit over 15 minutes, ever, I'll be surprised. The exception might be the occasional interview conversation.

And yes, I mean occasional on the interviews.

Most of the stuff you hear on this show will be my opinions and hard-learned tips to help you make your show the best podcast it can be. I'm not the ultimate expert, but I do know some stuff.

I want to have fun.

The music's fun. My attitude is fun. The content should be fun. I believe it's a sin to bore people. I hope you feel the same.

I want to build relationships with you, the listener.

Really, I do. If you ever want to reach out to me, email is the ticket: Carey AT PodcastFastTrack DOT com

No sponsors. Ever.

I'm not going 2 waste your time with ads You come here 2 get content so I'm going 2 give you content.

The only way I ever intend to make money from this show (which I do believe is a good thing for podcasters) is through lead-generation. If listening to this show builds trust between you and me and you decide to contact my team to help with your podcast. That's cool. If not, that's cool, too.

The only thing like an advertisement that you'll ever hear on this show are for my services and courses... and here's my promise to you: They'll be very infrequent and mainly in the closing segment of the show. Once you hear the closing music start up, feel free to skip it.

So here we go... Podcastification - the best podcast practices, as often as I can get them recorded

Feel free to leave comments on each episode. I'll do my best to pretty-link the show notes on www.PodcastFastTrack.com / 3 digit episode number so you can easily find the show notes pages.

Feel free to contact me. As I said, I aim to be accessible.

Feel free to tell others about the show.

And feel free to leave a rating and review on iTunes.

And now that you feel so free... go podcastificate your world!

Thanks for listening!