Just One Tip from Your Podcast Performance Coach

Hands up if your podcast is perfect.

If your hand is up then you are either being a smart ass, totally delusional or both. Nobody's podcast is perfect - me included. And, that's okay.

In this episode of the Just the Tip, I talk about how perfectionism can get in your way and that sometimes, good enough is, well, good enough. This was a hard lesson for me to learn. I was raised to strive for perfect. I always thought 'good enough' was a lazy man's way out of trying harder.

And, I'll admit it, it hurts my ego a little bit when people point out my imperfections. And, they sometimes do. But, in this episode, you'll find out how I got over my need to be perfect and why you should too.

So, whether you have a podcast that you labour over or you're just starting out and trying to create something amazing, I'm here to tell you - perfect ain't worth it.

Now, don't get me wrong - this is not full license to produce crap. There's still one very good reason to keep getting better and to have some pride in production. I'll tell you what that reason is in this episode as well.

And, I'll tell you the three questions you need to answer when you're trying to determine if a production is ready to be released or whether you need to do a little more work on it. If you have a tendency to perfectionism, these three simple questions that will free you from your ego and hours of tinkering.

My goal with this episode is to help you find the creamy middle between shitsville and perfectionist's paralysis. If we can find that for you, then your podcast will continuously get better, will serve your audience, and will be a hell of a lot more fun to produce.

Join me as we kick perfectionism in the ass! Step 1: press play and listen.

Hands up if your podcast is perfect.

If your hand is up then you are either being a smart ass, totally delusional or both. Nobody’s podcast is perfect - me included. And, that’s okay.

In this episode of the Just the Tip, I talk about how perfectionism can get in your way and that sometimes, good enough is, well, good enough. This was a hard lesson for me to learn. I was raised to strive for perfect. I always thought ‘good enough’ was a lazy man’s way out of trying harder.

And, I’ll admit it, it hurts my ego a little bit when people point out my imperfections. And, they sometimes do. But, in this episode, you’ll find out how I got over my need to be perfect and why you should too.

So, whether you have a podcast that you labour over or you’re just starting out and trying to create something amazing, I’m here to tell you - perfect ain’t worth it.

Now, don’t get me wrong - this is not full license to produce crap. There’s still one very good reason to keep getting better and to have some pride in production.  I’ll tell you what that reason is in this episode as well.

And, I’ll tell you the three questions you need to answer when you’re trying to determine if a production is ready to be released or whether you need to do a little more work on it. If you have a tendency to perfectionism, these three simple questions that will free you from your ego and hours of tinkering.

My goal with this episode is to help you find the creamy middle between shitsville and perfectionist’s paralysis. If we can find that for you, then your podcast will continuously get better, will serve your audience, and will be a hell of a lot more fun to produce.

Join me as we kick perfectionism in the ass! Step 1: press play and listen.

Whoop, whoop, re-er, re-er, re-er… sound effects in your podcast can be annoying or effective. It all depends on whether you're doing it right.

SFX can be fun but they can also derail a podcast, piss off your listener or just sound cheesy (which might be fine, if it's intentional or ironic). There is a right way and wrong way to use sound effects in your podcast. Do it right and you'll enhance your listener's experience AND create better engagement and get more conversions.

So, what am I talking about? You've likely heard them in other podcasts. Bells, short music stingers, applause and even the famous Homer Simpson WOO HOO! Done right, they communicate a mood, tell your listener where you are in the show, or, in some cases, bring the listener's attention back. If you're not using sound effects, you might want to consider it. But - be warned… it's a slippery slope. It starts out fun and before you know it, you've gone too far and it's suddenly annoying!

In this episode, I tell you how to navigate that slippery slope. I share why and how you to use sound effects to enhance your show - no matter the format of your podcast.

I remember my algebra teacher in high school. Whenever he lost a student's interest, he would whip out short piece of chalk from his pocket. (Weird right, I know, but this teacher would carry around pockets of chalk butts. I'm sure he went into the other classrooms and stole them from other teachers.) Anyway, he use to throw them us, I mean kids who weren't paying attention, to say "Wake up!" Trust me, it captured everyone's attention. Heck, even if the teacher missed, we all perked up. I'm pretty sure teachers aren't aloud to do that anymore, and as podcasters, well there's the whole 'laws of physics' thing that makes it impossible for us to throw chalk stubs but the next best thing is sound effects or audio "earmarks" (and it's a lot less mean!)

When done right, sound effects can bring your listener's attention back to you, signify a certain part of the show, or even create an emotion that can help draw your listener in deeper, creating a better connection and memorable moments.

Click play and find out how you can improve listener engagement and enjoyment with SFX. Don't make me throw this chalk at you!

Whoop, whoop, re-er, re-er, re-er… sound effects in your podcast can be annoying or effective. It all depends on whether you’re doing it right.

SFX can be fun but they can also derail a podcast, piss off your listener or just sound cheesy (which might be fine, if it’s intentional or ironic). There is a right way and wrong way to use sound effects in your podcast. Do it right and you’ll enhance your listener’s experience AND create better engagement and get more conversions.

So, what am I talking about? You’ve likely heard them in other podcasts. Bells, short music stingers, applause and even the famous Homer Simpson WOO HOO! Done right, they communicate a mood, tell your listener where you are in the show, or, in some cases, bring the listener’s attention back. If you’re not using sound effects, you might want to consider it. But - be warned… it’s a slippery slope. It starts out fun and before you know it, you’ve gone too far and it’s suddenly annoying!

In this episode, I tell you how to navigate that slippery slope. I share why and how you to use sound effects to enhance your show - no matter the format of your podcast.

I remember my algebra teacher in high school. Whenever he lost a student’s interest, he would whip out short piece of chalk from his pocket. (Weird right, I know, but this teacher would carry around pockets of chalk butts. I’m sure he went into the other classrooms and stole them from other teachers.)  Anyway, he use to throw them us, I mean kids who weren’t paying attention, to say “Wake up!” Trust me, it captured everyone’s attention. Heck, even if the teacher missed, we all perked up. I’m pretty sure teachers aren’t aloud to do that anymore, and as podcasters, well there’s the whole ‘laws of physics’ thing that makes it impossible for us to throw chalk stubs but the next best thing is sound effects or audio “earmarks” (and it’s a lot less mean!)

When done right, sound effects can bring your listener’s attention back to you, signify a certain part of the show, or even create an emotion that can help draw your listener in deeper, creating a better connection and memorable moments.

Click play and find out how you can improve listener engagement and enjoyment with SFX. Don’t make me throw this chalk at you!

Have you seen your itunes podcast analytics yet? It's exciting to get to know your listener's habits but be careful.

In case you haven't checked it out yet, it's an amazing new tool to help podcasters learn their listeners behavior. You can use it to find out how long your fans are listening, on what devices, and from which country. You can even tell if your listeners are subscribers or not (psst... that may be an indicator you're not reminding them to subscribe enough). There's all sorts of data you can pull from this.

To see yours, just login to https://itunesconnect.apple.com

But, there's one one piece of data that excites me the most and it's a game changer. In this episode, I'll tell you what it is and why you need to be extremely cautious when analyzing it. It's very powerful but remember what Spiderman's uncle Ben said, "with great power comes great responsibility". This new data can hurt you if you use it wrong. Similar tech has been around the broadcast industry for years and I'll tell you how it has destroyed some programmers while making others super strong. Make sure you use your new data analyzing powers the right way.

Give this episode a listen and find out how accurate this data really is when it comes to representing your audience and how it can help you when it comes to programming your future podcast episodes.

Apple itunes podcast analytics is just the start of how we'll be able to understand our listeners better. It will help you shape your show and see exactly where you may be going wrong. Embrace this data and start becoming more of a producer than just a podcaster.

Have you seen your itunes podcast analytics yet? It’s exciting to get to know your listener’s habits but be careful.

In case you haven’t checked it out yet, it’s an amazing new tool to help podcasters learn their listeners behavior. You can use it to find out how long your fans are listening, on what devices, and from which country. You can even tell if your listeners are subscribers or not (psst... that may be an indicator you’re not reminding them to subscribe enough). There’s all sorts of data you can pull from this.

To see yours, just login to https://itunesconnect.apple.com

But, there’s one one piece of data that excites me the most and it’s a game changer. In this episode, I’ll tell you what it is and why you need to be extremely cautious when analyzing it. It’s very powerful but remember what Spiderman’s uncle Ben said, “with great power comes great responsibility”. This new data can hurt you if you use it wrong. Similar tech has been around the broadcast industry for years and I’ll tell you how it has destroyed some programmers while making others super strong. Make sure you use your new data analyzing powers the right way.

Give this episode a listen and find out how accurate this data really is when it comes to representing your audience and how it can help you when it comes to programming your future podcast episodes.

Apple itunes podcast analytics is just the start of how we’ll be able to understand our listeners better. It will help you shape your show and see exactly where you may be going wrong. Embrace this data and start becoming more of a producer than just a podcaster.

What has your podcast done for you lately?

Measuring success can be difficult without realistic goals. Like driving without a map, having a podcast without goals can have you podcasting in circles. Fun for a while but then a bit pointless.

So let me ask you - do you remember why you started your podcast in the first place? Did you have a goal? Does your podcast have a goal?

Maybe your goal is sheer numbers - which is great if you just want to feel loved. But, if you want to do something with those numbers, you better know what all those downloads are for (and how many you need for them to get you what you want). If you want conversions, make sure your podcast includes the tools or tactics it needs to make that happen. Knowing what you want out of your podcast can help you reverse engineer each episode for maximum effectiveness.

And, every podcast you do without knowing your goals is opportunity lost. Each time you record without a mini goal or call to action that supports your bigger goal, you're throwing away an episode. That one episode could have been the Willy Wonka bar with the golden ticket...but you didn't even bother to look.

In this episode I'll give you tips on how to set goals for your podcast. We'll reverse engineer your goals into podcast. Then, I give you 3 easy steps to make sure your next episode is getting you closer to reaching your podcast goals.

So, before you hit record and start blabbing away about what it is you blab about. Take 5 minutes and get clear on what exactly you want out of this podcast thing you do (you may have forgotten, since you started). That way, you'll actually be able to answer that question we podcasters keep asking ourselves (why the hell am I doing this?!?) and not spend your time hosting a pity-party in your pajamas pouting about podcasting. Now, press play.

What has your podcast done for you lately?

Measuring success can be difficult without realistic goals. Like driving without a map, having a podcast without goals can have you podcasting in circles. Fun for a while but then a bit pointless.

So let me ask you - do you remember why you started your podcast in the first place? Did you have a goal? Does your podcast have a goal?

Maybe your goal is sheer numbers - which is great if you just want to feel loved. But, if you want to do something with those numbers, you better know what all those downloads are for (and how many you need for them to get you what you want). If you want conversions, make sure your podcast includes the tools or tactics it needs to make that happen. Knowing what you want out of your podcast can help you reverse engineer each episode for maximum effectiveness.

And, every podcast you do without knowing your goals is opportunity lost. Each time you record without a mini goal or call to action that supports your bigger goal, you're throwing away an episode. That one episode could have been the Willy Wonka bar with the golden ticket...but you didn’t even bother to look.

In this episode I’ll give you tips on how to set goals for your podcast. We’ll reverse engineer your goals into podcast. Then, I give you 3 easy steps to make sure your next episode is getting you closer to reaching your podcast goals.

So, before you hit record and start blabbing away about what it is you blab about. Take 5 minutes and get clear on what exactly you want out of this podcast thing you do (you may have forgotten, since you started). That way, you’ll actually be able to answer that question we podcasters keep asking ourselves (why the hell am I doing this?!?) and not spend your time hosting a pity-party in your pajamas pouting about podcasting. Now, press play.

Do you have any 'best of' albums? They're great, right? So, why not give your listeners nothing but the hits by creating a 'Best Of' episode?

A 'best of' episode is pretty self explanatory - you take the most impactful or magical moments of your podcast and slap them together for a show chock full of the good stuff. There are a few really good reasons to do this and you can get surprising results - if you do it right. In this episode I reveal why you should do one and how to pull it off.

I might be dating myself here but I used to love buying 'best of albums' from my favourite musicians or bands. I got the cream of the crop all in one shiny disc. Even if I had all of the other albums - I still loved having the best of the best all in one place. It was smart for the artist too because they were either selling the same song twice to fans or giving potential new fans a way to fall in love with them.

It's the same with podcasts. You take the best parts of past episodes and stitch them to make a new episode. And, as we head into the holidays and the new year, now is the perfect time to do it. Especially if you want to take some time off over the holidays or you're having trouble convincing guests to give you time right now. This is a trick we used to use all the time around the holidays. It was something we could produce ahead of time so we could take time off without leaving our listeners without content (looking for a replacement!). And, want to know a secret? The audience loves it. They love reliving their favourite moments or hearing something GOLD that they may have missed. Plus, new listeners get to sample only the good stuff - like filling your plate with meat and dessert and never having to even pretend to consider those stupid Brussel sprouts.

But, beware! You can get this wrong. If you don't pick the right stuff, fail to string it together cohesively or you do it too often, the result could be the opposite from what you intend - your listener might feel like you're being lazy or taking them for granted.

In this episode, I go over when you should be putting out a best of episode and how often. Also, how to pick the material to use by using different approaches. I'll also give you a handy way to move forward so your next best of show produces itself.

I've put together these tips for you so that you can pull this off the right way and reap all of the benefits of a good 'best of' show. It's my little gift to you - a perfectly produced best of show that warms the heart of your audience, attracts new listeners and gives you a much deserved break.

Here's the best of my advice - go listen to it now.

Do you have any ‘best of’ albums? They’re great, right? So, why not give your listeners nothing but the hits by creating a ‘Best Of’ episode?

A ‘best of’ episode is pretty self explanatory - you take the most impactful or magical moments of your podcast and slap them together for a show chock full of the good stuff. There are a few really good reasons to do this and you can get surprising results - if you do it right. In this episode I reveal why you should do one and how to pull it off.

I might be dating myself here but I used to love buying ‘best of albums’ from my favourite musicians or bands. I got the cream of the crop all in one shiny disc. Even if I had all of the other albums - I still loved having the best of the best all in one place. It was smart for the artist too because they were either selling the same song twice to fans or giving potential new fans a way to fall in love with them.

It’s the same with podcasts. You take the best parts of past episodes and stitch them to make a new episode. And, as we head into the holidays and the new year, now is the perfect time to do it. Especially if you want to take some time off over the holidays or you’re having trouble convincing guests to give you time right now. This is a trick we used to use all the time around the holidays. It was something we could produce ahead of time so we could take time off without leaving our listeners without content (looking for a replacement!). And, want to know a secret? The audience loves it. They love reliving their favourite moments or hearing something GOLD that they may have missed. Plus, new listeners get to sample only the good stuff - like filling your plate with meat and dessert and never having to even pretend to consider those stupid Brussel sprouts.

But, beware! You can get this wrong. If you don’t pick the right stuff, fail to string it together cohesively or you do it too often, the result could be the opposite from what you intend - your listener might feel like you’re being lazy or taking them for granted.

In this episode, I go over when you should be putting out a best of episode and how often. Also, how to pick the material to use by using different approaches. I’ll also give you a handy way to move forward so your next best of show produces itself.

I’ve put together these tips for you so that you can pull this off the right way and reap all of the benefits of a good ‘best of’ show. It’s my little gift to you  - a perfectly produced best of show that warms the heart of your audience, attracts new listeners and gives you a much deserved break.

Here’s the best of my advice - go listen to it now.