How to Make Your Audience Go WOW

Every year I read/listen to the book Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World. For me, this is the same as a football go saying, We need to get back to the basics. It reminds me of what my goals are as a content creator. In the book, Michael talks about making good content isn't really good enough anymore if you really want to get noticed. You need to make content that makes people go WOW. Then this response is followed by them telling a friend.

Two Podcasts Episodes That Made Me Go WOW!

Episode 100 of the Story Behind Podcast - Emily Create this Episode as a Musical. I had numerous people ask me if I had heard it. This episode too more than four days to assemble.

Carey Green on episode 81 of Podcastification did an episode comparing Skype, Ringr, Zencastr, Zoom, and Cleenfeed. Carey said that including research, recording, setup, editing, show notes, probably 8 to 12-ish hours, all done in chunks over the course of a month. Carey also runs Podcast Fast Track (audio editing and show notes)

Seth Resler who works for Jabs Media did an article on if there is or isn't a discovery problem in podcasting (read it here). While he had to do a little work to take all the answers and put them into an article that was easily read, he also pointed out, "It took years, because the only reason that the podcasting leaders that are quoted in that article responded to me at all is because I've invested years in the podcasting space, not just learning about the craft, but also building relationships at conferences and trade shows, and establishing my own credibility by writing, speaking, and hosting webinars about podcasting.

This Doesn't Mean Your Next Episode Should Take 14 hours

Please dont read this and think, "I need to spend at least 10 hours per episode. That's not my point. My point is that it takes some planning, it takes some strategy, it takes knowing your audience, and it takes some practice to create WOW content. 

Here are the ingredients to wow content ( Adapted for podcasting from Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World).

1. Surprise. Wow content should exceed expectations.  - The Stacking Benjamins has great information but also is pretty funny.
2. Anticipation.  Anticipating a wow experience is almost as good as the experience. David Hooper's latest episode of the Red podcast had a huge teaser at the end. 
3. Resonance. A wow experience touches the heart. It resonates at a deep level. It might even cause goosebumps or tears. Dictionary.com shows resonate as "to produce a positive feeling, emotional response, or opinion."
4. Transcendence. A wow experience connects you to something transcendent. Michael states, "You experience purpose, meaning, or even God. " Dictionary.com shows, "to rise above or go beyond; overpass; exceed," and "to outdo or exceed in excellence, elevation, extent, degree, etc. ; surpass; excel."
5. Clarity. A wow experience creates a moment when you see things with more clarity than ever before. I've had people tell me I do a really good job of explaining things.
6. Presence.  A wow experience has you experiencing the NOW. You are fully present.
7. Universality. A wow experience is experienced by everyone in the same way. 
8. Evangelism. A wow experience has to be shared. The minutes the content is done, you're already thinking of the people you need to tell.
9. Longevity. You can experience it time and time again without growing tired of it. 
10. Privilege. You're glad to be associated with it.

I wanted to add a few things of my own.

1. Scarcity/Uniqueness. You can't get it any place else
2. Bravery. People that have the courage to stand up and tell the truth
3. Intimacy. When someone shares intimate details of their life, this somewhat ties into Michaels surprise, but it makes people uncomfortable.

Other Things To Consider With Your Content

Managing your audience expectations. If you set the bar too high, you might leave the door open to disappointing your audience.

What about Passion? Audio Quality? Microphones? 

 

Mentioned In This Episode

Podcasting in Six Weeks Starts January 6th Join Now

Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World.

Jim Collison From the Average Gut Network

Ask the Podcast Coach

Jonathon Oaks Trival Warfare

Ravi from Subscribeme.fm and Coolcastplayer.com

Darwin Dave Dealing with My Grief

Master Kuldrin from Kuldrin's Krypt

SP from Better Podcasting

Alan Two Chairs No Waiting

Epodcast Productions (edit and show notes )

The Audacity to Podcast

David Hooper Red Podcast

Podcast Talent Coach

Podcast Review Show

Harry Durran - Podcast Junkies

Pat Flynn Smart Passive Income

Episode 598 Because of My Podcast Segment

Gallon Smashing Pranks on YouTube

Brother Love

Congressional Dish

John Lee Dumas

The Heroes Journey

Podfest.us Podfest Multimedia Expo in Florida 

Social Media Marketing World

Bernie The Cat Show

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Podmio Podcast Hosting

Satish Gaire joins us to talk Podmio.com where their website states they are

When Jim and I asked how this could be, Satish stated when a potential podcaster comes to your page we have to convince them.

The idea is that this platform is more innovative (after playing with it for a week, it's not, and its kind of buggy). Here is the demo.

https://youtu.be/ye8ouS4Zllo

If you want to kick the tires of podmio.com, you can save 10% using the coupon code sop10. The price goes from $14.99 to $47 after January

14:30 Thanks to our Awesome Supporters

16:20 Setting up a Patreon Account with some people already in it.

26:30 Talking the features of different hosts

30:00 Twitch.tv

36:15 Fun with Alexa plugs and USB Speakers

Find Jim at www.theaverageguy.tv

Find Dave at www.schoolofpodcasting.com and podcastinginsixweeks.com

Download the Episode!

Top Podcasts Of 2017

Every year I wind up the year by asking you what your favorite podcast is (if you could only listen to one sh0w) and more importantly why is it your favorite show. Here are the responses:

2:53 Kit from Active Travel Adventures Podcast - She Loves StoryBrand as she learns things she can use in every show

3:36 Adam from Dark Knight Minute loves Digital Dads. He loves the inspiring message.

4:43 Anna Authentic Moments loves The Good Life Project by Jonathan Fields for the in-depth conversations

5:46 Darwyn Dave -Dealing with My Grief podcast enjoys the Grief Dreams  as it has similar views on the subject. Dave and Josh have bonded over the subject.

8:21 Ben from Modern Self Protection likes the Survival Podcast with Jack Spirko. He enjoys to tips to help you in your life every day (not just end of the world stuff)

9:42 Abby  from A time for Horses  loves the  Wooden Overcoats podcast because it's  really Really Funny

10:47 Brian from Engaging Missions likes The School of Podcasting for the interviews and engaging stories wrap up in a professional production

11:56 Clay from Fishnerds loves the Beyond Data podcast due to the  Uber geeky information about Fish

13:14 Daniel Everybody's National Parks loves the Wow in the World podcast as she can listen with the kids

14:28 Paul - Fighting Through Podcast (Great unpublished History) love Dan Carlin's  Hardcore History - The Storyteller's Storyteller, Content is just Awesome

18:32 Justin from Optimal Living Daily loves the Feed from Libsyn. They answer his questions and he gets information that is so good he needs to write it down.

19:28 Kim from Toastmasters 101  she loves the  Clifton Strengths Coaching Blog Theme Thursdays. They even have notes and worksheets you can print out

21:34 Matt from The Author Inside You Podcast really enjoys Ask Drone U  Matt has recently got into Drones and the info is informative and fun. They are also the perfect length.

22:19 Steve Stewart is still listening to Stacking Benjamins (for the fourth year in a row). It's informative, super creative, and very helpful for managing your finances

23:05 Randy Cantrell  from the Peer Advantage - His favorite podcast is the last one he listened to as he changes topics all the time.

24:09 Patrick and Aaron from the  Broken Line Podcast  loves the in-depth information provided by the Meat Eater Podcast

25:03 Scott From the Computer Tutor Podcast loves the  Podcast Rodeo Show for its honest, entertaining reviews of different podcasts.

28:30 Seth From geekvillradio.com and classicwrestingmemories.com loves the Rebel Force Radio and considers it the best Stars Wars podcast for its great production.

29:29 Cheri from the Creation Science 4 Kids Podcast just found and loves  The Story Grid podcast. It's great for helping people who write non-fiction write fiction. She feels deeply connected to the hosts and has purchased Shawn Coyne's book The Story Grid Book

31:59 Win Charles Butterflies of Wisdom like the Dreams in Drive podcast

32:38 Zack Raising Rents (as in paRENTS) love the  Based on a True Story Its where History meets Hollywood. I love history books, but don't have alot of time. He educates while he entertains me.

35:30 Erik K Johnson from the Podcast Talent Coach show likes Flippedlifestyle.com as they provide real-life strategies for making and selling products. They are real people, and they deliver more than theory.

39:09 I've created the ultimate Because of My Podcast Mega Mix spotlighting the many ways people have benefitted from launching their podcast.

This includes:

• Attending a taping of a TV show
• Speaking to celebrities, athletes, supreme justices, and others people we have no business speaking to..
• Getting paid to travel to different places (in some cases by 220%)
• Getting millions in sales from billion-dollar clients
• Getting Free Stuff
• Organizing Charity Events
• Building a network of resources and people
• Be contacted to write a book, to create videos
• Have their face on the cover of a comic book
• Getting free wine
• Getting numerous jobs
• Quit their job as a Doctor to do podcasting full time.
• Have boosted time with their family and now feel they have a purpose

Make 2018 the Year You Start Your Successful Podcast

Please let me help you in any of these ways

One on one podcast consulting I can help with any podcast situation

School of Podcasting Self Paced Tutorials (and Facebook Group, Live Coaching, Priority Email Support)

Podcasting in Six Weeks - Live Group Coaching starts January 6th (includes a year at the School of Podcasting). Be in iTunes by February. (A $5299 Value for $1499). Price goes up January 1st.

Download This Episode!

Simple Works - New Apple Stats - and One Size Does Not Fit All

This weekend I had "Christmas" with most of my family as my brother goes to Florida for Christmas with his in-laws. We bought my nieces and nephews who are ages 8 and under some of the toys we grew up playing. I noticed that these games are often very simplistic.  What does this have to do with podcasting? Becuase sometimes we make things harder than they need to be.

 

Because Of My Podcast - I'm Getting to Talk to Some Very Cool People Darryl E. McCullough

Darryl hosts the Full Circle Podcast and helped launch National Podcast Power conference. Daryl has met actors, authors, politicians, YouTube Stars and more. If you want to get doors opened, start a podcast today.

Keeping Simple Is Sometimes All You Need

I spent the weekend playing with my great-nieces and nephew. We brought out some classc board games.

Battling Tops

My entire family ended up playing this game by the end of the day.  What makes it a great game is that it is easy to learn and the action is fast and furious. The tops come out the gate very fast and often one or two of the tops go flying out of the arena. You pull a "string" (now a plastic tie with teeth) and the tops go into what amounts to a bowl and bounce off each other. The last one in the bowl spinning wins. Simple.

Checkers

This is another game that takes very little skill, and you get to the action fairly quickly. It takes some thought and strategy.

Hide and Go Seek

This game requires the ability to count to ten Mississippi. There is suspense, and tension as you wait to see if you can get home without being caught. Here again, it requires a good hiding spot and strategy to determine when you would try to "go home."

I love helping people understand the best path to get to your podcast going in the right direction. There are times when people ask a question and they expect a simple answer, but the absolute truth about podcasting is there are very few absolute truths. The other thing I want to talk about today is letting your personality shine.

So many people make podcasting harder than it is. Don't get me wrong there is still a learning curve, but some time we make the curve much higher than it needs to be.

Sometimes Too Much Technology Can Take the Fun Out of Things

I do a show called "Ask the Podcast Coach" and at one point I had a cohost located in another state, a phone line coming in (with a screen where I could put people on hold and see my callers), and I had a chat room. I streamed it live on Google Hangouts (now YouTube live), as well as mixlr.com and spreaker.com When I started the show I needed eight arms to start everything.

My co-host and I Jim Collison (from theaverageguy.tv) noticed that most of our questions come in via chat. We still offer the ability to join the Google Hangout, but I would say 98% of our questions come in via chat. We also stream the show via Google Hangout and based on audience feedback, only stream via mixlr.com (for those who want an audio only).

Simple Can Work and Sound Great

My friend Cale Nelson from the Modern Christian Men show (and previously Ham Radio 360) got an email from a listener. In it, they said, " You have always sounded great! Better than some national broadcasts/podcasts."

So what equipment does Cale Use? Did he spend thousands of dollars?

He is using an  ATR2100 Microphone, Yamaha MG12XU Mixer, Zoom H2n Digital Recorder. Record Locally to Zoom, then Edit in Audacity.

Bernie The Cat Wishes Everyone Happy Holidays

13:44 Bernie from the Bernie the Cat Show stops by to wish everyone Happy Holidays.

New Statistics From Apple inside PodcastsConnect. Apple.com

14:45 See Video 

https://youtu.be/VmSDwb3iU9s

New Stats From Blubrry and Libsyn

20:28 Libsyn.com  launched a new stats interface that works on your phone. The backend of the stats system now provides IAB compliant (once the IAB launches their certification) stats.

Blubrry Statistics just got better, with the introduction of regional reporting for Canada, UK, and Brazil. More Information

Get a free month of Service at Libsyn.com or Blubrry.com using the coupon code sopfree.

Where You Can Find Me In Person

22:41

February 8 -10 Orlando Florida  Podfest.us I will be speaking on AI and Podcasting and I will be Roasted.

February 28 - March 2 in San Diego California Social Media Marketing World Speaking on Podcast Monetization

 

What Podcast is the Easiest Show To Create?

26:48

There are a number of formats you can choose from when creating a podcast.

You can do a show with just you (a monologue)

You can do a show with a co-host

You can do a show with a panel

Looking at the above list, one might think a solo show would be the easiest. Why? No scheduling conflicts, no arguments over the direction of the show. You have total control. So what is the problem? You need to be comfortable talking to the wall. It takes a little confidence to pull this off. Michael Hyatt is one of my favorite authors. I read his book Platform every January to kick of my year. Michael has publicly stated that he is not comfortable doing a solo show.

So then doing a show with a co-host is easier? This sounds true up front. You don't have to do all the work, and there is another person to help promote the show.

But you now have the occasional challenge of scheduling conflicts. The more people you have, the harder it is to get everyone together. The solution is to pick a time when everyone knows you will be recording and make a commitment to that time. This is easier said than done, especially when multiple time zones are included, and multiple life configurations are included (kids, jobs, etc).

So again, it depends.

Taking Phone Calls

I think we all grew up listening to radio shows who take phone calls and we want to recreate that scenario. So how do you take phone calls. The answer? It depends. If you are doing a solo show, you can get a Google Voice Number or a Toll-Free Number at Podcastvoicemail.com and plug the phone into a mixer using your headphone jack. Then you can talk into your microphone that goes into the mixer, you plug the phone into the mixer, and send the mix of you and the phone out to a service like Mixlr.com Send the same output into a portable recorder like a Zoom H1.

But what if you have a co-host? What if you want a phone screener? Then things get way more complicated including two mix-minus setups that I won't even attempt to explain it here (it would be something we could do some consulting on).

The bottom line is, "It depends"

Sometimes You Have to Jump In

I bought myself a new 55" TV for Christmas. I brought it home, and went to put it on my old TV stand, and it was too big. I had to buy a bigger stand. Then I went to plug it into my sound bar, and you guessed it. Even though both the TV and the soundbar were from the same company, I needed to go buy a new cable to plug in.

Some things you only learn things by doing them.

If you want to avoid making the common podcast mistakes when it comes to planning your show, purchasing gear, promoting your show, I urge you to sign up for the School of Podcasting or join the Podcasting in Six Weeks Course which is starting on January 6th.

 

How Can Help You?

One-on-one Podcast Consulting. Schedule a Session Today

Learn At Your Own Pace at the School of Podcasting

Group Coaching "Podcasting in Six Weeks" Course (includes 1 year at the School of Podcasting)

Download This Episode!

Lessons and Observations from PodCon

I attended the first ever PodCon in Seattle this weekend. It was cofounder by Hank and John Green who are You tubers who have a successful Dear Hank and John show, Joseph Fink from Welcome to Nightvale, Justin and Travis McElroy (My brother, My brother and Me).

I went to the opening ceremonies with close to 1000 people in the room that reported any of these people came on the stage. They had other podcasters as well. They were asked questions and were all very witty. When asked about any weird jobs they had done in the past one person answered “Youth Pastor” and the audiences erupted into laughter with people falling out of their seats.

I stood there grinning. I realized that there was an inside joke but I was not inside to get it. The only way to get inside is to talk to as many people as I could.

Lollapalooza for Podcasting
As the music business is having a hard time, many bands now tour together as a festival. These bands may not bring enough people out to support a solo show, but combine them together you have enough people to warrant the expense of the tour. You then get the added cross-promotion benefits.

Cosplay?
I found out that ar events like ComicCon and DragonCon people dress up like their favorite characters. This was happening at PodcCon. What some might call “Weird,” is actually called cosplay as many people dressed as characters (especially from the Adventure Zone show, and Welcome to Nightvale ).

Community
One of the great things about a podcast event like podcast movement or Podfest multi media nations expo is everyone there wants to learn podcasting. When I attend these, I am with my people. When the people with elf ears walked in, I’m sure they felt the same.

Speakers
The sessions I attended were not awful, except one. I was surprised at the lack of experience on some of the panels. The panel on monetization announced they had a combined level of 2.5 years. This probably explains why the only two ways they listed to make money from your podcast was sponsors and Patreon. There are also affiliates, selling your own products, donations.

Because Of My Podcast - I'm Talking To People Who I Thought Would Never Talk to Me

17:17 Kira and Kenza are on episode four and have had their podcast open doors to people they never thought would talk to them. Check them out at https://www.tellmeeverythingpodcast.com

A Quick Tip To Grow Your Audience from Drew Ackerman of the Sleep With My Podcast

32:40 When you reply to an email, tweet, comment, thank everyone for listening, and then ask them how they found your show. If it was from another person (word of mouth) find that person and thank them and ask them how they found your show. Check out Drew at www.sleepwithmepodcast.com and check out Drew's interview with Dave.

Mentioned In This Show

tellemeeverythingpodcast.com

My brother, My brother and Me

Dear Hank and John show

Welcome to Nightvale

Adventure Zone show

Sleep With My Podcast

Podfest Portable Media Expo (in Florida)

Blue Yeti Microphones (Best Podcasting Gear)

Social Media Marketing World

Ready to Start Your Podcast?

Check out Podcasting in Six Weeks or

Join the School of Podcasting and learn at your own pace.

 

Download This Episode!

Questions You Should Ask When Starting a Podcast

Today Dave discusses the following topics:

Sometimes you have to just say, "It's a podcast" if you're doing it as a hobby.

3:40 Questions about starting a podcast

a) You have to start

b) Create a focus group to get feedback

c) Know why you're podcasting

d) Who is your target audience?

e) What would your audience want to listen to?

f) What do you want them to do with your information?

g) How do you want them to feel?

i) How will you know when it is successful

You can't improve what you don't start

9:10 Net Neutrality contact your representative at https://www.battleforthenet.com/#widget-learn-more

10:30 Dave's hard Drives are filling up. The first podcast Dave ever listened to https://soundcloud.com/podcastcoach/adam-curry-ipodder-test-channel

12:15 Don't use Appendipity Themes - there doesn't seem to be anyone home over there (no responses to emails)

13:45 Divi themes (from Elegant themes ) are very flexible but your somewhat married to these site builders when you start using them

16:468 What about Squarespace? They take a piece of your e-commerce and that is a deal breaker

23:30 Thanks to our Awesome Supporters

28:40 Podcasting in the Attic

30:25 Jason from mattalkonline.com and Doug from becomelimitless.org

31:35 Doug is getting people signing up for a podcast that doesn't exist anymore.

38:00 Jason talks about seeing the writing on the wall with his theme becoming outdated

45:57 What Headphones are Doug Wearing? Audio Technica M40

48:03 Doug is using Godaddy. If you want to you Godaddy and help Dave check out Godaddy's Reseller at www.coolerwebsites.com

54:00 What is Zencastr? Check out Carey greens comparison at https://podcastfasttrack.com/how-to-record-interviews-2017-demo-of-the-best-options-ep-81/

1:00:00 What about podcasting Live?

Podcasting in Six Weeks Starts In January

Ready to start a podcast but you're a little nervous? Check out Dave's Online Live group coaching at podcastinginsixweeks.com

Download the Episode!

Flattening the Podcast Learning Curve

Because of My Podcast - My Band Sold Out Our Kickstarter

1:30

Matt from the band EleventySeven tells how his band had "taken a break" for the better part of four years. They decided to get the band back together, but how are we going to get the word out about the band reforming, and reconnecting with their audience? By starting a podcast! They connected with their audience and reached their Kickstarter goal in just a few days

Check out the band's music and podcast at http://www.eleventysevenisalive.com/

How To Flatten Your Podcast Learning Curve

14:07

As someone with 20+ years in the education field, one of the things I do when I learn a new subject was to take a ton of notes on ANY question that came across my mind as I consumed content as a student. This week, I got into a subject that I had not dabbled in the early 1990's. To go from playing techmo bowl on the first nintendo to playing Madden 2018 on an Xbox One is a bit of a culture shock. This is a good thing. I'm WAAAY out of my comfort zone with a huge learning curve in front of me. So here are some tips on overcoming and managing learning curves.

Define Your Goal

It's not enough to join the School of Podcasting, your goal is to launch your podcast. I'm going to through in here that you need to Define Your Why. For example, if you're doing a solo show with no guests. There is no need to read up on creating a mix minus. Some might even say you don't even need to read up on a mixer. 

When you are first starting out, keep things simple.

The problem is you don't know what you don't know. This leads me to point number two.

2.  Talk to someone who is doing what you are doing.

As you don't know what you don't know, you need to find someone who can help you define the area you need to investigate and those you don't. There is one statement that I have seen from my chair and I believe to be very true. You will pay for your podcast in one of two currencies. You will pay with time searching for your answers, or you will pay with money paying someone to help you get to where you want to go. 

3. Make Sure You're Using Good Resource Material

There is a ton of GREAT material for FREE on YouTube. There is also a TON of outdated material that can steer you in the wrong direction. So when you do a search on YouTube currently there is a filter option in the upper right-hand corner that allows you to sort by upload date to have the latest videos at the top. There are tons of Facebook Groups, and other resources (meetup.com) where you can find a community of people who can answer some questions. However, be sure to check out who is answering your question. Every week I see tons of articles on the subject of podcasting written by people who apparently have no podcast. Check out this video

Also when you do find a good resource, use it. I've worked in different tech support departments,  and I know we are in a hurry to get going but ask anyone and they will tell you that most companies put a tremendous amount of effort into the "on-boarding" process (getting your customer setup). This typically includes some sort of welcome email, and in many cases a video. You need to read more than the email title, and if you are given resources, use them.

4. Break Your Goals into Tasks

As the old saying goes, "How do you eat an elephant?" The answer is one bit at a time. So once you understand where you want to go, you break your goal into smaller tasks. So you can take the goal of identifying your podcast and break it into the tasks of creating a list of five potential names, check domain availability, and perform a Google search to see if the name is in use. 

5. Don't Try to Learn it All In One Sitting

While you may be excited, when you try to do too much in too little a time, you can burn yourself out

6. Give Yourself a Timeline, but Don't Bite Off Your Face

Timelines can help you see the plan, and give you an idea of when your goal will be met. However, I've seen people make really bad decisions because they are way behind based on their self-made deadline. 

7. Set a Time to Work On Your Goal in a Focused Fashion

Set a specific time when you will work on your goal. When you are working on your podcast, turn off distractions (Facebook, Notifications on the Phone, YouTube). 

8. Track Your Progress

There is something that happens in the brain when you write something down. By writing down your goals, and your steps, you can then go back and check these off as you accomplish them

Help The Smith Girls

35:50

I only met Scott Smith once on the Podcasters Roundtable. I was deeply saddened that Scott shot and killed his wife, then turned the gun on himself leaving his two daughters. If you'd like to help these two children (every little helps) see https://www.gofundme.com/helpthesmithgirls

Spotify Now Available in Libsyn Dashboard to All Libsyn Customers

38:00

You can now get your show listed in Spotify if you are a Libsyn customer. Previously they were only approving a small percentage of the shows that were submitted. They say that once you add Spotify to your destinations, you should be able to see the show in the Spotify app in two weeks (I wouldn't be surprised if this doesn't get pushed back to four weeks as they are going to get a ton of podcast submissions. See https://support.libsyn.com/kb/spotify/

Libsyn has also launched their new stats interface which is completely mobile friendly

Be Part of the Ask Me Anything Episode 600

40:33

Episode 600 will be in January 2018. I'm looking for you to send in questions for me about anything but podcasting. I need them by January 1, 2018. See my contact page

Where Can You See Me

Podcon in Seatle December 9-10

February 8-10 Podfest.us in Florida

Social Media Marketing World

Mentioned On This Show

Speakpipe

Cale Neslon from Ham Radio 360

Music Radio Creative Jingles

Better Podcasting - Thanks for the Twinkies

Glenn The Geek at Horseradionetwork.com

Casey Kaen Loses it about Doing a Dog Death Dedication

 

Let Me Help You Launch a Your Successful Podcast

Would you like One on One Consulting? Schedule a session

Want to learn at your own pace, and network with other podcasters. Join the School of Podcasting

Want to get started quick? Check out Podcasting in Six Weeks

Download This Episode!

Take a Good Long Look As We Transition Into 2018

Black Friday deals? - Here are some fun tools to think about Hard Drives, Alexa Devices, Google Home, Flash Drives

Replacing things that are getting old slickdeals.com vs camelcamelcamel.com

Looking at What Worked and What Didn't

Keep Your Website (especially WordPress) updated.

First Impression of a show

Praxey.com will podcast listeners pay to talk to the host? Clarity.fm

New Podcasters have a different skill level

Jim's new favorite soda/tea Fuze with Lemon

Thanks to our Awesome supporters

Can you ask your quests to give a five-star review?

Hobby Podcasters are not always stoners (Better Dave Grief is like a Website )

Starting a podcast for the money - how hard is the content to create?

Ron - Should I go on a show I'm not a 100% solid fit?

Check out Jim at www.theaverageguy.tv

Check out Dave at www.schoolofpodcasting.com and www.podcastinginsixweeks.com

Download the Episode!

What Will You Differently For Your Podcast in 2018?

Every now and then I do an episode where you provide an answer to a question and we all learn together. This episode we asked the question, "What will you be doing differently in 2018?" Here are the people and their answers (in Alphabetical order)

Here is Who Contributed to the Episode

1:50 Abby From atimeforhorses.com - is going to keep podcasting because she is having fun.

3:22 Anna from Authentic Parenting has planned her entire 2018, is going to do deep dives based on audience feedback, and create a form for potential guests.

6:18 Ben from http://modernselfprotection.com/ will be more consistent and is adding a blog to his site, and create some online courses to deliver this content. Dave uses Thinkific to manage the School of Podcasting membership area.

8:50 Brad- wearethecinemaguys.com

11:04 Bryan - engagingmissions.com

13:45 Clay - Fishnerds.com

16:24 Daniel Everybody's National Parks

18:22 Erik K Johnson from Podcast Talent Coach and the Podcast Review Show

20:06 Kim from Toastmasters 101

21:34 Kit from Active Travel Adventures Podcast

22:57 Landen from Calling All Platforms

25:08 Randy Cantrel from Peer Advantage Groups

26:18 Scott from the Computer Tutor podcast (plus a big announcement about Podfest.us)

29:16 Seth from Geekville Radio

31:17 Todd From Trucker Dump Podcast

35:29 Darwyn from Dealing with My Grief Podcast

37:59 Win from Butterflies of Wisdom

39:38 Zack from Rasing (pa)Rents

Summary

Some people are adjusting their schedules (wanting to be more consistent, most are planning on doing fewer episodes to avoid burnout, and to provide more time to promote

Some listeners are planning on focusing on running their show like a business and attempt to bring in some income with their podcast

Some are updating their platform by trying interviews (if they were solo) and vice versa (doing solo shows if they were doing primarily interviews)

Some are looking to find ways to engage their audience more by attending events, creating Facebook Groups, and ramping up their social media presence.

Some are having fun doing their show, and because of that, they aren't going to change a thing

The bottom line is your show is just that YOUR SHOW and you can do whatever you want. If things are going great, then don't change a thing. If you want to try something, then you can. There is only one way to know if it will work. That is to get it in front of your audience. This can be in the form of an email or Facebook looking for feedback, or by just trying something in your show and seeing what kind of feedback you get.

Next Question Episode

For episode 600 I am breaking format. I am doing what is called an "Ask Me Anything" episode (AMA). I am throwing in one more bit of criteria. You can ask me about anything EXCEPT podcasting. 

So if you've ever wanted to know the person behind the microphone, now is the time. This feels a little narcissistic, but the people I passed this idea by thought it would be a good way to let people get to know me (just this one time). I need your questions by January 1st, 2018 (preferably in audio format). Episode 600 is January 8th, 2018. There are different formats you can contact me on my contact page

How Can I Help You With Your Podcast?

One on One Consulting?

Self Paced Tutorials and Membership at the School of Podcasting?

Six Week Group Coaching Podcast Course

I've been podcasting since 2005, and my background is in Technical Education. I'm an award-winning podcaster ( and trainer) and would love to help you with your podcast.

Download This Episode!

Comparing Your Podcast to Others is Unhealthy

Today we talk about the following topics:

Merchandise / Swag

There are places you can do this with Amazon and Teepublic make it easy to create t-shirts and other swag items.

Collector's items and scarcity can help sell items

Soundpage.fm - create website from an RSS feed

CPM at Spreaker is .0026 per download 

The smallest episode on horseradionetwork.com is also his most profitable

The Messengers is now available on Amazon Prime Video

How a pre-interview call can lead to smooth interviews

31:17 Thanks to all of our Awesome Supporters

35:10 Episode 100 of the Story Behind Podcast is AMAZING

37:50 The #2 Item that kills podcasts - Comparing your self to Others

41:40 Putting your show on Pause

44:45 Does your podcast has a death plan?

48:10 Keeping a local copy of your files

50:48 Good Grief Podcast and the Dealing with My Grief Podcast

54:20 How do I find opportunities to be a guest see Podcasting Resources

 Need Some Podcast Help?

Podcast One on one Consulting

School of Podcasting

Podcasting in Six Weeks Group Coaching

 

 

 

 

 

Download the Episode!

Should You Make You Guests Jump Through Hoops?

Last week I explained how I learned of a strategy from Doug Sandler of the Good Guys on Business show where the goal is to bring on guests who would be a good client for you (assuming you're podcasting as part of your business). There is little focus on your audience and more emphasis on your guest. The presenter also requires that their potential guest subscribes, to their podcast and gives them a five-star review to be considered. This was the part that I thought was a little "black hat." Until I heard his side of the story, I wanted to reserve my judgment. Today I have Doug Sandler on the show to share his insights into his strategy.

Because Of My Podcast I'm Much Better at Public Speaking: Bill Huchison

1:45

Bill Hutchison is a full-time missionary and has a podcast  every now and then Bill is asked to speak in churches. Today Bill shares how he had to think on the fly when he hit a technical snag, anbecausese of his podcast he was able to pull it off. 

Preparing for Episode 600

4:55

I'm doing an "Ask Dave Anything (except podcasting questions)" will be the topic for episode 600. Send in your questions (with the title Episode 600) by January 1st, 2018

Your Target Customer as Your Guest Part II Doug Sandler Interview

7:00 Feedback from last week's show

In today's discussion you hear:

9:23

Doug did his podcast for 16 months without making a dime.

He went from 20,000 downloads to 1.2 million in the second 16 months.

His guests are his target clients

How does his stop his guests from being boring?

Why his potential guests MUST give him a five-star review and subscribe to the show

Does having guests on your show ensure 1.2 million downloads?

Doug didn't get into podcasting to make friends

Summary:

There are no rules in podcasting? Will I look into using my podcast to get clients? I already do. The whole point of the School of Podcasting is to exhibit my expertise, and show you I know how to create a show that engages your audience. I might try this strategy in the future and do something like Natalie Ectal from BizChix.com where she records coaching calls and uses them as episodes. While I force potential guests to subscribe, rate, and provide a five-star review? No.

Where Is Dave Going?

35:09

Podcon in Seatle Dec 9-10

Podfest in Florida Feb 8-10

Social Media Marketing World  2/28- 3 /2 San Diego

Fixing a Podcast Episode After Your Published It

36:07

There is nothing worse than waking up to an inbox full of emails from listeners letting you know there is a mistake in your latest episode. This could be silence, or an edit point that you thought you took out (but didn't). You panick. Oh No! What do I do? Here is what you do.

Do NOT Create a New Episode

If you're using Libsyn.com go to Content > Previously Published and edit the Episode. There you can use the replace option to upload the repaired version of the episode. I strongly suggest you use the exact same file name. This way you don't have to wait for your episode to propagate across the Internet. Your feed has the name of the file, and when someone who didn't download the episode with the mistake presses download, they get the repaired version.

If you're using Blubrry, you can go into PowerPress and upload your repaired file (and it will replace the old file). Again, I strongly urge you to use the exact same file name.

Who Gets the File?

When someone gets the first (wrong) version of your file, the app they use doesn't know there is an issue. Consequently, the app won't download the new version (because to the app, it's the same file).

But I Want Everyone to Get the New Version!

The only way to have all of your audience to get new version is to create a completely new episode (and delete the old episode). This might annoy your subscribers (who typically are the people who get your episode first as it's automated). They may have already listened to and delete the episode, and then all the sudden here it comes again.

What's the Best Solution?

The best solution is to ALWAYS listen to the ENTIRE episode before uploading it to your media host. In other words, the best way to fix the mistake is to not make it in the first place. With that in mind, we are all human and it will happen. I personally just replace the old version and if someone tells me about the mistake I apologize to them and explain they now have a collectors edition.

How Can I Help You

Need one on one conslting? Schedule Some Time

Learn at your own pace at the School of Podcasting

Podcasting in Six Weeks Group Coaching

Mentioned in Today's Show

Scott Johnson From the Computer Tutor Show

Podcast Review Show

Podcast Rodeo Show

 

Download This Episode!

FTC Guidelines - Charging Guests to Be On Your Show

Randy Cantrell from the Leaning Towards Wisdom show growgreat.com joins Dave to answer your podcast questions

Today we talk about

Common Podcast Mistakes

Advertising Questions - Do We Charge People to Be a Guest?

FTC Guide

Code3 Podcast

Google Forms

Dana Carvey Show on Hulu - How they didn't know his audience.

Tips on Contacting support staffs

Opening Chit Chat often ruins your show 

Podcast Review Show Harry Durran

Secrets of Dynamic Communications: Prepare with Focus, Deliver with Clarity, Speak with Power Book

File Formats

Randy's Recording Process

Discoverability Issue in Podcasting?

Companies that don't charge for their service go out of business.

Download the Episode!

Successful TV Podcasting

Today we are joined by Tory Heinritz from the Blacklist Exposed Podcast and the Packers Fan Podcast.

7:30 Dealing with Celebs

13:30 Sports Podcasting

18:00 Dealing with Trolls

26:54 Supporters

27:15 Patreon

29:35 Serious Simple Podcast Plugin

33:08 iTunes Tags

38:00 Troy's Recording Process

47:45 Easy Solutions For Advanced Podcasts

55:02 Zoom Vs Skype

Download the Episode!

Your Customer Is Your Guest

Today I'm back from Speaking at DC Podfest (what a great event) and I went to a session that had some interesting points that I wanted to share. 

The session was titled, "Size Doesn’t Matter: Build a Monetization Program with Any Size Audience with Doug Sandler and Strickland Bonner. Doung and Strickland host the Nice Guys on Business show. Their website states they have over 1 million downloads, and they showed proof in their session, and I can verify they are not lying. They explained a new strategy to grow your customers using your podcast.

Because Of My Podcast: Stephanie Logan

8:35

Stephanie does the DC Diary show (sharing stories of DC Professionals) and she explains how Because of her podcast she was able to transition from a job that was more policy to now working in Media and communications

Interviewing Your Potential Customers - The Power Of Podcasting

11:05

I have said one of the benefits of starting a podcast is people who would normally not give you the time of day, now will sit down to talk with you on a podcast. We've seen people use the power of being part of the media to partner with events and get access to vendors.  Interviewing people that you want to start a partnership with is a solid way of breaking the ice. 

Doug repeated his main point, You have to reverse your thinking and focus on the guest, and identify people who would be a good client for your business. This was an interesting idea. 

One example in the session was someone who did a show about visiting the national parks. This is a hard show to monetize outside of a guidebook, or maybe mosquito spray. Doug said you should find the person who is in charge of the national parks budget, and have them on as a guest. They would know alot about the National Parks. When the interview is done you could mention that the show takes a lot of effort, and to keep going needs to find a sponsor and see if they would be interested in sponsoring the show (I would twist that and ask them if they knew anybody who would be interested in sponsoring the show). Again, interesting.

I know consultants Natalie Echtal and Katie Krimitsos who have offered discounted coaching calls with the knowledge that the call may be used on the podcast. This provides content for the audience (as you help to solve the problems of your target audience) and shows off your expertise. 

So Doug pointed out that if you were a coach, you might interview people who need a coach. This does get a little confusing. If someone needs a coach, then one might think they aren't that successful (cause they need a coach), and with that in mind,  if it's not a live coaching call, what kind of content does that create? This is where this idea goes a little south for me. It's the part where you have to put your brain on backward. 

What if you target customer is a prime prospect, but a horrible guest? If you've listened to my show (or Moondog Marketing) I am all about content, content, content. This is not focused on the audience, or the downloads, it is focused on getting in front of your target customer. They said their conversion rate was around 20%. For every 10 guests, they would get two new clients. This really goes against my main ideas, and I asked, "What if you guest/future client is boring?" They answered that they did their best to create good content. 

They then also stated there was a vetting process. They don't let "just anyone" get on the microphone. 

I left the session scratching my head a bit and realized I would need to listen to an episode to maybe complete my opinion. Their show is well produced and has a fair amount of comedy built in. Maybe a bit too much for my taste as I was five minutes in and they were still having a "how the sausage is made" discussion about the show's publishing schedule (which for me was boring as watching paint dry) and I never made it to their interview. Maybe I'll go back later.

There is more to their strategy, and in my opinion, it's slightly sketchy. I've invited Doug Sandler to come on so we could have a dialogue about. We'll save that for a future episode.

Questions of the Month

22:09

I need your answers to:

What will you be doing differently in 2018?

If you could only listen to one show, what would it be, where and what is it, and WHY is it your favorite (be sure to tell us about you too)

Deadline is 11/20/17

How to NOT Make Money with Podcasting

24:34

Jessica Kupferman from JKM Agency (which recently merged with a new agency) comes with a story of how to NOT MAKE MONEY with a podcast.

In this example, a podcaster knew they were going to start a campaign for a product. The campaign was going to start in the next episode. The podcaster covered ALL the competition of the sponsor in the current episode. 

The sponsor saw the post and asked, "Are they sponsoring the show?" As you might imagine they might wonder why they have to PAY for exposure while their competition did not. While you're always in control of your content, when sponsors get involved you may want to tread lightly around certain topics. 

Start Podcasting With Any of the Three Resources

28:00

One on one Podcast Consulting (Quick and specific to your podcast questions)

Join the School of Podcasting (Step by step tutorials, private Facebook group, priority email support, and live group coaching)

Podcasting in Six Weeks - Live Group Coaching for Six Weeks starting in January 2018, plus a year membership at the School of Podcasting

Mentioned In This Show

Moondog Marketing episode discussing the importance of content

Good Grief Podcast

The Story Behind podcast

Epodcast Productions

 

Download This Episode!

Creating Events For Your Audience Part 2 - Mark Deal

Today we are talking with Mark Deal who has grown Podcast Atlanta to over 500 members (www.podatl.com). We get great tips on growing a local meetup, tips, and resources for better interviews, and how is creating podcasts for a living. 

How Long Does it Take Until Your Show Catches On?

George Hrab answered this question on his Geologic podcast, and George told me a long time ago that if I ever want to use a clip I could. George's show spotlights his life as the drummer of the Philadelphia Funk Authority, but also features George's Skeptic point of view with highlights on Science as well as the "Religious Moron of the Week."

George mentions that you shouldn't start a podcast to "be something" but instead make it because you can make something cool, interesting and fun. Make a podcast because you have a different point of view and it needs to be heard. It took him two years before an absolute stranger mentioned they listened to the show. As George says, "You're making something and that is more than most people."

Growing Your Local Meetup Group

Mark Deal runs podcast Atlanta and in 18 months his group has grown to 500+ members. In today's discussion you hear:

• Not all 500 show up at the same time
• The different formats of meeting he uses
• What he's doing to grow the group
• What didn't work in regards to growing the group
• How a meetup group is not exactly the same a growing a podcast
• How to pick a location
• How he offsets the price of running the meetup group
• How he got Gordon Firemark to come to a meetup
• The typical breakdown of a meeting
• How often they meet, and how they stay connected between meetings.
• The pros and cons of Meetup vs a Facebook Group
• The kind of "Special Events" they have
• Podcast Guest Experts and the Podcast Editors Facebook Groups
• What has happened because of hosting a podcaster's meetup (18:00)
• Podcast Studio Certifications, and what he feels every studio should have
• How he is making a living with podcasting
• Having Alcohol at events
• Other platforms he uses in addition to Faceboook, and Meetup. (Eventbrite.com )
• He makes money from Podcasting not Podcasters
• Why he uses Steve Stewart to edit his show

Check out Mark at www.podatl.com

Podcasting in Six Weeks Starts January 2018

• Six weeks of group coaching and personalized attention
• 1 Year Subscription to the School of Podcasting
• Private Facebook Group
• Be in the relevant Podcasting Directories by February
• Direct access to me / Priority Email Support
• Focus Group to Help Shape Your Idea
• Your Podcast will Sound Great 
• Erase Your Fear of "Sounding Stupid"

Go to www.podcastinginsixweeks.com for more information. Class Size is limited.

Want a more leisurely pace, check out the School of Podcasting.

Mentioned on This Show

Gordon Firemark (Entertainment Lawyer)

Author Inside You Podcast

Eventbrite.com (ticketing for evens)

Social Media Marketing World

Podfest.us

DC Podfest

Download This Episode!

Lessons From Steven Spielberg - Podcast Woodshed

Because of My Podcast, I Will Be Attending A Taping of the Black List Television Show - Troy Heinritz

1:58

Troy Heinritz has had story after story when it comes to his Black List Exposed show. He recently won a podcast award, and now was called by Sony to attend the taping of the 100th episode the Black List. Troy was on the Ask the Podcast Coach show and talked about he when he gets these opportunities, he prepares and delivers, and consequently keeps getting more opportunities.

Check out his show at www.goldensprialmedia.com

Questions of the Month

3:00

I need the answer to two questions by November 13th 2017.

1. What will you be doing differently in 2018 with your podcast?
2. What is your favorite podcast (if you could only pick 1)? What is it, what is it about? where is it? and most importantly WHY is your favorite? (be sure to mention your show as well).

I need your answers by November 13th, 2017. For more information go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/contact 

Embracing the Experience Gap

4:52

When podcasters first start, they put a lot of thought into their launch (sometimes too much), and they get their show out and into Apple Podcasts and the other directories. 

Then they do one thing that can really knock the passion out of them: they compare themselves to others. 

They want to know how many downloads other shows get, and start to focus on other podcasters instead of focusing on their audience. 

Back to the Woodshed

I've played the guitar since I was 11. When I got done with school I would deliver my papers to my paper route, eat dinner, and my friend would come over and we would play guitar for hours. We weren't very good. We weren't taking lessons, and I was learning to play lead by trying to recreate the sounds I heard on albums. 

In other words, I would study music, and then practice, practice, practice, until I could play it. The music that was produced on the path to "getting it" was not pretty. I have hours of tapes of us playing Ted Nugent's Stranglehold for hours. Each of us would take turns soloing over the top of it. 

I recorded these so I could evaluate my process. I never intended to release them to the public. You can do the same with your podcast. Record a couple test shows for evaluation.

How Can Podcasters Get Better?

Podcasters get better by podcasting. I know that sounds stupid, but there is no way to know if you're content is good unless you get it in front of your target audience. 

You can also study other podcasts and entertainment. You see podcasting is part of the entertainment industry. Sure some of it is educational. Then again so is Sesame Street, and it's pretty entertaining. 

I recently watched a documentary on Steven Spielberg. Spielberg got turned down to be in the USC film school due to grades.

He would take a tour of Universal Studios, and when the bus stopped for a bathroom break he would sneak away and watch people like Alfred Hitchcock direct. 

One of his first films  (Amblin 1968 ) was geared toward studio executives to show he was not a normal independent filmmaker. - he knew his audience, and it worked it got him hired.

As the youngest director under contract, he was a bit of a novelty item, so he had to prove himself over and over.

One famous director pulled Steven aside and said, "There are days you will go on the set and have no idea what you're doing. Your job is to make sure the cast doesn't know that. The film interviewed Richard Dreyfuss who sais he was hired on the third day of the Movie Jaws. He said they didn't have a script, and they didn't have a shark.

Steven decided to the movie on the ocean instead of a back lot of a movie studio. 

In fact, the first shark doesn’t appear until one hour and 21 minutes into the two-hour film. This was partly due to the mechanical sharks they built didn't work. The cost was 225,000. So you'll notice the use of barrels moving instead of the shark. You didn't need to see the shark. Just the music and the thought of the shark made it scary.

The sharks were smaller than expected so they hired shorter actors to be next to the shark.

The line, "“You’re going to need a bigger boat" was improvised.

Jaws became the first motion picture to gross more than $100 million and won three Academy Awards (for Best Sound, Best Film Editing, and Best Original Dramatic Score).

So how did Steven Spielberg get getter? Jaws had come in way over budget, and instead of taking 55 days, it took 159. His next two films also came in way over budget. This actually stopped from studios from working with him. Yes, he was making a lot of money at the box office, but his integrity was on the line and he improved. 

As podcasters we are storytellers. The only way we can get better is to keep podcasting.

Final Lessons

In the same way that Steven Spielberg didn't have all the equipment he wanted, you can make great content without having the top of the line equipment. 

Your next episode should be better than your previous one. You will get more confident, and your skills will improve. 

The only way to get better at any skill is to do it. 

Don't be distracted by other podcaster's success. Keep working to improve your own skills (keep woodshedding).

The Best Compliment a Podcaster Can Receive

24:20

For me, to have someone say that I am the same off the mic as I am off the mix is a huge compliment. This happened to me when Jim Collison from theaverageguy.tv was a guest on the Podcast Junkies Show. They talk about Jim's background, a bit about his network, working with me, and how Jim balances his podcast and his life.  Its a great interview, and Harry Durran is a great interviewer. 

My First Impression with Squarespace

28:42

I was under the assumption that the Squarespace platform for building a website was so easy that the site almost built itself. I've head a million commercials about it. I decided to try it for my Podcasting in Six Weeks Course. 

While it is flexible, it is more or less a "page builder" tool. I've seen these on WordPress like Divi From Elegant Themes. The Second Line theme I mentioned comes with a page builder. Squarespace is not that different. You add an element to a page and edjust the properties of that item. I was surprised there weren't more elements. While they had enough elements to make most websites, you can look at it two ways, "hooray I'm not overwhelmed with the choices," or "Hey where is the FAQ template?" 

I was surprised that I couldn't change the background color of different elements. The biggest complaint is they have an e-commerce tool. This ties in with Paypal and Stripe. Both of those tools take about three percent plus a transaction fee. This is normal. What is not normal is Squarespace takes an additional three percent. When you are talking about products that are four figures, that can be a chunk of change you are paying to keep people on your website (instead of sending them to another page to check out). 

The bottom line is everyone says this is super drag and drop easy, and while it is easy to drag and drop, to really adjust customize items, there are lots of little boxes that pop up based on where you click. While I didn't expect zero learning curve, the onboarding process was not as easy as expected. 

Speed up Podcast Production

36:20

If you're on a pc, you can add a folder to the quick access area (left column) of the File Explorer Window. Go to the folder you want to access all the time, and right-click and choose Pin To Quick Access." Now you will see it on the left-hand side. You can remove it by right-clicking on it and choose "unpin from quick access." This avoids you having to "Drill down" by double-clicking on folder after folder to get to that folder.

Mentioned In This Episode

The School of Podcasting

Podcasting in Six Weeks (Early Bird Special Ends December 1st)

Podcast Junkies Show

Squarespace

Elegant Themes Divi

Second Line Podcast Themes

Download This Episode!

New Ideas - Lead To New Facts - Lead to New Actions

The Essential Items For Your Podcast Website

Let me state, that this has nothing to do with Wordpress vs Wix vs Squarespace. These are the items that I feel should be on your website (and why)

A Play Button

Think of this as a free sample. If someone is going to subscribe to your show, they need to hear it first. This is why there is a guy with the chicken on a toothpick at the mall. It is the teaser, the free sample of your podcast with no commitment to buy.

A Contact Button/Page

I'm not making this up. I just read an article in Pod to Pod, and I read a story about a podcaster that might have a good "Because of My Podcast" story. There wasn't any contact button at the top, bottom, left, or right side of the screen. It wasn't on the about page, it wasn't there. The only way to contact the person was via twitter. Being somewhat of a geek, I pulled up his RSS feed and dug through the code to find it. Realize, nobody is going to dig through your RSS feed to get your email address. Make your contact button easy to find, and don't get cute and name it something like "Let's get coffee." Be sure to test your button/page to make sure you get the messages from your website.

Your About Page

There are two answers here. If your website is primarily the home of your podcast then the first paragraph should be about the show. If your website is the home of your brand (products, press, etc) then the first paragraph should be about the host. Then a second paragraph about the show. In my travels, the about page is one of the pages that receive the most traffic. If you've been podcasting for a bit and have some reviews, take some of the phrases used by your audience and use it in your about page (use the native tongue of your audience).

Subscribe Buttons

We all love to talk about iTunes/Apple Podcasts, as we should. They have a huge amount of the market. There are android phones as well and it's a bit of a chicken or the egg. More podcasts are consumed on Apple products than Android. Well, most podcasters talk about subscribing on Apple products (and leave the android people out to dry). If Google would get off their butt and make a native app for podcast listeners that would be great (they did just purchase the 60 db app). So make sure people can subscribe to your show. You REALLY want to avoid telling people to "Find me in iTunes."

Extra Credit

Don't just make a subscribe page, but add directions with screenshots. You could even do a quick presentation on YouTube Live on how to subscribe to your show, and then send people to the video on YouTube.

There is more power in subscriptions than reviews.

Because Of My Podcast Scott Orr  is Going to the Movies for Free

Scott Orr does the Code 3 Podcast and was approached by the people behind the new movie Only the Brave. Check out Scott's podcast for Firemen at code3podcast.com

Not sure what is up with Scott's voice? Check out the first 30 seconds of his show at code3podcast.com

Always Be Open For New Input

I've heard reports from one person or another. Anything on the internet that is repeated enough becomes an undeniable fact. With this in mind, I always stay open to new feedback. I always consider the source and always allow new ideas to challenge my beliefs. If I'm going to believe something, it is typically based on things I believe to be facts. Beliefs are based on input and your ideas and feelings (your feelings can skew the input).

Actions are based on beliefs. Beliefs are based on perceived facts. Facts are based on input into your brain. For example, I don't like coconut. Any candy bar with coconut, I'm not a fan. The one day someone handed me a drink. I wasn't sure what it was, it was supposed to some drink better than soda. It was white. It turned out it was some sort of vanilla coconut mix. I have input. I now can say, I don't like something that is predominantly coconut, but I don't mind it mixed with vanilla. You have to be open to someone challenging a belief (I don't like coconut) and taking a look at the other side of the story (having a sip). Then allowing that information to influence your beliefs, which then influence your actions.

New and Noteworthy Insights

I've been begging people to share their before and after numbers if they got into New and Noteworthy and that is just what Matthew McClain did on this post about downloads from Apple

He states before being on the Front Page of New and Noteworthy, "In this period we had an average of 71 downloads per day." This is with two episodes (36 downloads per episode - DPE)

On their first day, the traffic went, "from 26 total downloads the day before (our lowest day ever) to 241." (122 DPE)

He does say, "We released episode two on the 8th which pretty much doubled the recent total downloads to 1,447" (so he now had three episodes counting his trailer) (482DPE)

One day they reached 1,928 downloads for the day (1928/3 = 642 DPE)

He states, " At the time of writing, episode one has 6,978 downloads, episode two 6,161, and episode three 2,295. So 37% of listeners followed the podcast from episode two to episode three.

According to VP of Podcast Relations Rob Walch when it comes to iTunes/Apple Podcasts rankings, "“100% about the total number of new subscribers in the past 7 days, with a weighted average for the last 24, 48, and 72 hours”

Things to Consider

This was on the FRONT PAGE of iTunes/Apple Podcasts  New and Noteworthy (not a category)

Their genre may fit a wider audience than yours.

If you don't make New and Noteworthy, your life is not over. iTunes/Apple Podcasts is a directory, a phone book if you will. It is a central location where people can put in the full name of your show and do a search.

Plays From Your Website Add Up

Ravi Jayagopal (the man behind Digital Access Pass, and the Cool Cast Player along with being the host of the Subscribe Me show sent a link to a post. Last week I mentioned how there are a ton of players out there, but the majority of downloads come via mobile devices. In his post, he pointed out that:

A player on a website is more suitable for "introducing" someone to your podcast - not necessarily for long-term consumption. Introduce on your site, lead them to subscribe on a mobile app on your actual show.
Promote your website to cold and luke-warm traffic, like ad traffic and social-spraying content marketing, so you can cookie/pixel them for later retargeting, promote your brand, show them your face, maybe connect with them with a personable video, offer them your lead-magnet and get them to maybe give your their email id, etc etc. But once they're on your list, promote Apple Podcast and Stitcher and Google Play links to those already on your "list", because they don't need to be "convinced" or "converted" anymore about the value that you provide.

Here is a link to the Facebook Post.

He shows how he is getting thousands of new plays on different websites.

Launching Your Podcast With a Massive Amounts of Downloads

Most good ideas are not a single thought. A single idea comes up, and someone says, "You know what else, you might try this..." I always want people to know that:

1. When you launch with more than one episode, the additional episodes do not download automatically.
2. New and Noteworthy will not deliver you 10,0000 downloads per episode (if that is the goal)
3. While you should focus on generating buzz when you launch, a podcast is a marathon and not a sprint.

Some Reasons Why You Might Not Want to Launch with a Ton (25) New Episodes

1. If you record 25 episodes and find out at episode two that people hate your super jumbo deluxe lightning round, they have to sit through 23 episodes (unless you go back and edit them) until you put out a "new" episode with the changes.
2. You might pre-fade. What I mean by this is you never make it to episode 25 because you aren't seeing the downloads, getting any feedback, and so you quit before you ever launch.
3. People will need to go and download your earlier episodes. By default, they will download your latest episode, and then manually download 1-24.

Some Reasons Why Might Want to Launch with 25

1. You maybe have found your voice by episode 25, and with episode 26 you sound more confident, organized and professional. Maybe it's not such a bad idea.
2. If you can't come up with 25 episodes, maybe you shouldn't be podcasting?

A Compromise on Launching Your Podcast with 25 Episodes

Instead of putting all your 25 episodes out at the same time, release your episodes (one at a time) to your website, and to your feed. However, don't submit your show to any directories like iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play music just yet. You can tell your friends if you want, but any traffic will come from people searching for your content via search engines. You might also use Facebook to assemble a "Focus Group" and ask people for feed.

This way you can get feedback as you are creating it. When you get to a certain number where you feel confident your show will have a positive impact on your target audience, submit it to the directories, sound out an email blast, tell your friends, family, and neighbors, and do your "launch."

Questions Of The Month

I have two questions for you to chime in on.

1. What will you be doing differently in 2018 with your podcast? (please answer by 11/20 put "2018" in the subject line to  email dave"at" schoolofpodcasting.com). This will be used the last week of November
2. What is your ONE favorite podcast and WHY? (please email that by 11/20 with the email subject line "my favorite podcast is 2017").This will be used in our Year End "My favorite Podcast is" episode. 

Podcasting in Six Weeks Starts in January 2018

This will be a live group coaching session. If you're interested (more information next week) get on the waiting list at startapodcastinsixweeks.com 

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