Mike Murphy Unplugged

Episode Summary: 5 different types of videos any podcaster or content creator can start making today to kick off video marketing — plus what to actually look for when buying LED lights.

What You'll Learn

• What to look for when buying LED video lights: CRI above 90, daylight balanced
• 5 types of video any podcaster can start making today
• The real benefits video brings to a podcast: trust, authority, and promotion
• A bonus idea: trailers for individual podcast episodes

Ask Mike Anything: LED Lighting for Video

Question: Is LED lighting recommended for video, and why?

Answer: Yes. Pros: lightweight, stays cool, low power consumption, great accessories, easy to use. Cons: often more expensive, can carry color tints, not as bright, and not always as flattering as tungsten or fluorescent kits.

What to look for when buying LED lights: a CRI (Color Rendering Index) above 90, and daylight-balanced output (5600K). General recommendation for any camera/video gear: call B&H, describe the budget, and let them recommend specific lights.

LED lights used here: Ikan IFD576-S Daylight LED Light, Fotodiox Pro LED-312DS, Genaray LED-6200T 144 LED Light. Also worth a look: Film Riot's review of Aputure Amaran LEDs.

5 Types of Video to Start Making Today

Benefits for podcasters: engagement with listeners, established authority, teaching, sharing knowledge, showing authenticity and vulnerability, building trust, promoting the podcast and individual episodes, and marketing products or services.

1. Behind the scenes. Show off the workspace or podcast setup.
2. About Me video. A promo video introducing yourself to listeners and the wider community.
3. Gear reviews & product demonstrations. Unboxings or demos of a microphone, mixer, or anything else — good gear reviews can lead to affiliate income or brands sending free products.
4. Tutorials & screencasting. The easiest way to start making video, and a good entry point for anyone who'd rather not be on camera. Software options: Screenflow by Telestream, or Camtasia by TechSmith.
5. Vlogging. Get personal with day-in-the-life videos, uploaded to YouTube, Snapchat, or Instagram, letting the audience see daily routines. Not for the faint of heart, but a great way to build trust and a loyal following.

Bonus idea: trailers for individual podcast episodes — Sean McCabe does a great job with this.

Read the complete show notes and resources on mikemurphy.ai.

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Episode Summary: How to keep a podcast workflow balanced and in rhythm — 5 real causes of burnout, and 5 concrete steps to stay in control of the show instead of letting it control you.

What You'll Learn

• How to submit a brand new podcast to iTunes via Podcasts Connect
• 5 real causes of podcaster burnout and imbalance
• 5 concrete steps to find a sustainable rhythm and stay in control
• Where to keep learning and practicing the craft over time

Ask Mike Anything: Submitting a New Podcast to iTunes

Question: How do you submit a brand new podcast to iTunes?

Answer: Through the Podcasts Connect portal by Apple. Instructions: copy the RSS feed generated by Blubrry PowerPress or Libsyn, log into Podcasts Connect with an Apple ID (there's a "Submit a Podcast" link on iTunes's front page that gets there directly too), paste the RSS feed, and hit submit.

Full resource: Podcasts Connect overview from Apple.

Previous shows mentioned: Episode 25: Podfading (when podcasters slowly start missing episodes until they eventually stop) and Episode 10: The Production Show (how long it actually takes to produce one episode start to finish).

Causes of Burnout & Imbalance

1. It's hard to generate money from podcasts, and they cost money to run.
2. Difficulty building an audience.
3. Technically challenging — audio gear and equipment take real learning.
4. Impostor syndrome: with so many podcasters already out there, why bother?
5. Podcasting can creep into becoming a 24/7 hobby.

Steps to Get Rhythm

Understand why & see the big picture. Episode 22: The Why Show covers this directly — why was the podcast started in the first place? Keep reminding yourself of the goal when it matters. Schedule & prioritize. Put everything on the calendar — it makes follow-through far more likely and turns the work into routine. Be more self-aware. What's genuinely enjoyable and what's a strength? Do more of that, and outsource or ask for help with the rest. Is the show authentic, or is it chasing what's working for someone else? Being yourself makes everything easier. Preparation & writing. Failing to plan is planning to fail. Resources: Medium, the Nuzzel App, Feedly, and Scrivener. Study & practice. Cliff Ravenscraft, The Podcast Answerman, has a great line on this: "I don't need easy, I just need worth it." Places to keep learning: Lynda.com, KelbyOne, Skillshare, Udemy.

Read the complete show notes and resources on mikemurphy.ai.

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Episode Summary: What Podcasts Connect is and how to use it, plus the results of taking the StrengthsFinder 2.0 test — and why understanding your strengths (and weaknesses) matters for podcasting, business, and life.

What You'll Learn

• What Podcasts Connect is and how to submit a podcast to iTunes through it
• What the StrengthsFinder 2.0 test measures and what it costs
• The 5 results from Mike's own test, broken down one by one
• Why what you do with the results matters more than the test itself

What Is Podcasts Connect?

PodcastsConnect.com is Apple's portal for podcasters to manage all of their shows — also the portal for submitting new podcasts to iTunes, replacing the old in-iTunes submission method. To access: log in with the Apple ID used to create the podcast. Warning: don't mess with the feed or mirror feed settings unless you really know what you're doing.

StrengthsFinder 2.0

Special thanks to Jim Collison of The Average Guy TV network for the nudge to take StrengthsFinder 2.0. The test costs $15, runs 177 questions, and takes under 30 minutes — the output is 5 strengths out of a possible 34, plus a full analysis and report. The test itself is the easy part; what actually gets done with the results is what matters.

My Results

Top 5 strengths, in order:

1. Strategic — able to sort through clutter and find the best route forward. Not a skill that can be taught; it's a perspective that sees patterns where others see only complexity.
2. Achiever — a constant need for achievement. Every day starts at zero, and something tangible has to get done by the end of it to feel good — workdays, weekends, vacations, no exceptions.
3. Responsibility — psychological ownership over anything committed to, large or small, followed through to completion. A good name depends on it — if delivery isn't possible, an automatic search begins for ways to make it up to the other person. Apologies alone aren't enough.
4. Learner — drawn to the process of learning itself, more than the content or result. Energized by the steady, deliberate journey from ignorance to competence, regardless of subject.
5. Relator — pulled toward people already known rather than constantly meeting new ones. Deep satisfaction comes from working hard alongside close friends toward a shared goal.

Housekeeping

Subscribe to the podcast, leave a rating & review, join the private Facebook group, or Ask Mike Anything.

Music: "Life of Riley" & "Wallpaper" (incompetech.com).

Show Notes & Links

Podcasts Connect StrengthsFinder 2.0 (Gallup) Jim Colli…

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Episode Summary: 5 real benefits of being a guest on other podcasts, and 5 concrete tips to actually prepare for the appearance — a genuine lead-generation channel most podcasters underuse.

What You'll Learn

• 5 real benefits of being a guest on other people's podcasts
• 5 concrete tips for preparing to be a good guest
• Why guest interviews are a genuine lead-generation and revenue channel
• A recommended tool for backing up data

Ask Mike Anything: Backing Up Data

Question: What's recommended for backing up data?

Answer: Backblaze.

5 Benefits of Being a Guest on a Podcast

1. Build authority. Position yourself as an expert in front of a new audience.
2. Grow your own audience and listener base. Most podcast listeners subscribe to multiple shows, so gaining new listeners with every interview is likely — especially on shows covering similar ground.
3. Networking. A guest appearance grows a professional rolodex fast.
4. Confidence & communication skills. The more you get out there talking about yourself and your brand, the more confident and skilled you become at it. A genuinely underrated benefit.
5. Revenue. Episode 28 covered just how expensive running a podcast can be — guest interviewing is a great way to generate leads and sell products and services. A good reminder that having actual products and services to sell is worth prioritizing.

5 Tips to Prepare to Be a Guest on a Podcast

1. Be prepared. Enough said.
2. Organize your assets. Make it easy for the host and audience to spread the word about you.
3. Handle the tech. Get everything ready ahead of time and confirm it works.
4. Be professional. Dress for success and represent your brand properly, even on audio.
5. Listen and show gratitude. Just be yourself, and be genuinely nice.

Music: "Life of Riley" & "Wallpaper" (incompetech.com).

Show Notes & Links

• Backblaze

Related Episodes

• Episode 28: The Green Show

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Episode Summary: How much does it actually cost to start and maintain a podcast? A full gear-and-software cost breakdown, tier by tier, plus why scripting beats winging it almost every time.

What You'll Learn

• A full gear cost breakdown: mics, mixers, interfaces, headphones, cables, and more
• The software and web services needed to actually run a podcast
• Recurring monthly costs beyond one-time gear purchases
• Why scripting (in some form) beats free-form conversation almost every time

Ask Mike Anything: Scripting Podcasts

Question: What's the take on scripting podcasts?

Answer: This show gets scripted in a conversational style. Preparation is the key to a good episode — whether that means a full script, an outline, or bullet points depends on personal style, but free-form conversation rarely produces a good result. Skipping preparation is, in most cases, disrespectful to the audience — listeners give up a real chunk of their day to tune in, and it's the host's job to deliver value rather than waste that time. Bottom line: prepare for every episode the way you'd prepare for a speech or presentation. Ever sat through a presentation where the speaker was clearly winging it? Painful, right?

The Cost of Starting a Podcast

Gear

Full lists live on the Mike Murphy Co Amazon Store

Microphones:

• ATR2100
• Rode Podcaster
• Rode Procaster
• Electro-Voice RE320
• Heil PR-40
• Shure SM7B
• Electro-Voice RE-20

Mixers ($200+):

• Mackie ProFX8 or a Yamaha model are both solid recommendations; the mixer used here is an Allen & Heath ZED 10

Audio interfaces (~$250):

• Focusrite 6i6-class interface

Headphones (under $100):

• Sony MDR-7506
• Audio-Technica ATH-M50X
• Beyerdynamic DT 770s.

Boom arm (~$100):

• Rode PSA-1
• Heil PL-2T

Cables (~$50+):

• Canare 10' XLR cables.

Webcam (~$75):

• Logitech C920.

Optional:

Speakers:

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Episode Summary: Are conferences and industry trade shows worth the price of admission? A firsthand recap of Podfest Tampa 2016 — the highlights, the speakers, and the honest verdict.

What You'll Learn

• Whether industry conferences are actually worth the price of admission
• 6 real highlights from attending Podfest Tampa 2016
• How to turn a recorded Blab session into a podcast episode
• Speakers and connections worth knowing from the event

Ask Mike Anything: Turning Blab Interviews into a Podcast

Question: How do you turn Blab interviews into a podcast on iTunes? I just don't get it.

Answer: Blab emails an audio and video file after each completed session. Take the video file into Audition (or any DAW), edit the audio just like a normal recorded episode, export as an MP3, and upload it to a podcast host the same way as any other audio file.

Podfest Tampa 2016

What: Podfest Tampa 2016, February 25-26. Organizers: Chris & Katie Krimitsos.

Highlight 1: the most organized event attended to date.

Highlight 2: single-track learning kept sessions focused and easy to follow.

Highlight 3: networking. Meeting new people across the industry.

Highlight 4: learning. Genuinely inspiring guest speakers with fresh insights and perspectives. Speakers mentioned: Jeff Brown of Read to Lead Podcast, P. Desmond Adams (Twitter presentation), and Danny Pena of Gamertag Radio.

Highlight 5: vendors, gear, and microphone testing on the show floor. Volunteer mentioned: Marc Johansen.

Highlight 6: self-reflection and personal growth.

Conclusion

Was it worth the price of admission? Absolutely. Glad it happened? No question. Back for Podfest 2017? Most likely. Recommended for others? 100%. Chris & Katie Krimitsos deserve a genuine thank you and shout-out for the effort — great job.

Music: "Life of Riley" & "Wallpaper" (incompetech.com).

Show Notes & Links

• Read to Lead Podcast (Jeff Brown)
• P. Desmond Adams
• Gamertag Radio (Danny Pena)
• Marc Johansen / MotoAnswers

Read the complete show notes and resources on mikemurphy.ai.

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Episode Summary: Content is king, but the real leverage comes from repurposing — 10 concrete ways to turn one podcast episode into social posts, newsletters, articles, webinars, books, and more.

What You'll Learn

• Why repurposing matters more than creating even more new content
• 10 concrete ways to turn one podcast episode into many pieces of content
• The social media automation tools used to keep episodes circulating
• A useful WordPress plugin for scheduling posts and show notes

Ask Mike Anything: Scheduling Blog Posts and Show Notes in WordPress

Question (from Blab): Is there a way to schedule blog posts and show notes in WordPress?

Answer: One favorite plugin: WP Editorial Calendar — free, and drop-dead simple to use. It gives a more visual way to schedule draft posts in WordPress, speeding up the blogging workflow considerably.

What Is Repurposing Content?

Taking anything created — a podcast, blog post, or behind-the-scenes video — and either posting it across different platforms, apps, or channels, or slicing and dicing it into multiple fresh pieces. Why repurpose? A lot of time and effort goes into making one piece of good content. A single tweet or blog post doesn't give that work the exposure it deserves — content is created to provide value, so it should actually get in front of people. That's what repurposing accomplishes.

10 Ways to Repurpose Podcast Episode Content

Social media. Share each episode's content repeatedly and creatively to build authority and exposure. Tools: Buffer (free and excellent), Tweet Jukebox (automates and recycles tweets, free plan available), MeetEdgar (powerful Twitter automation, $50/month). Newsletter. Email is the best communication channel with an audience — share episode content there in a variety of formats. Be innovative, and show the audience why the content was created through guides, infographics, or other unique framing. Blab/Periscope/live streaming. Embed the video and reuse the audio from live streams on YouTube and the website. Spread it around. Blog post. Beyond good show notes for each episode, individual concepts from an episode can become standalone blog posts — the work is already done, just repackaged. Medium article. Medium is a favorite internet magazine and a great way to build authority as a thought leader — turn podcast content into a white paper or guide. Webinar. Webinars or Google Hangouts make a great evergreen promotional platform — for example, a webinar on repurposing content that demonstrates turning one episode into a lead-magnet guide. It functions like a reusable class, and doubles as a promo tool for a paid course since most of the content is already done. Resource mentioned: WebinarNinja. Kindle book/audiobook. Bundling episodes together into a book is a genuine goal here. Books mentioned: #AskGaryVee by Gary Vaynerchuk (a compilation of his podcast) and The School of Greatness by Lewis Howes (also built from his podcast). Book links are affiliate links — a sm…

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Episode Summary: "Twenty-five and still alive" — what podfade actually is, why so many podcasters quit before episode 25, 8 common causes, and 5 concrete ways to prevent it from happening to you.

What You'll Learn

• What podfade is and the stats behind why episode 25 is a real milestone
• 8 common causes of podfade, from lack of time to boredom
• 5 concrete ways to prevent podfade before it happens
• The go-to budget microphone recommendation for new podcasters

Ask Mike Anything: The Best Budget Microphone

Question (from Blab, from someone in the planning stage of launching a podcast): What's the best microphone to start with on a tight budget?

Answer: This question comes up more than any other, on Blabs and everywhere else podcasting gets discussed — and the answer is almost always the same: the Audio-Technica ATR2100. It's a dynamic microphone, well-suited to broadcasting since it rejects a lot of room noise, and versatile — it connects via XLR cable or USB directly to a computer. It sounds good and costs about $50. Genuinely surprising quality for the price, and the top recommendation for any new podcaster or content creator on a budget.

Podcast Statistics

50% of all new podcasters quit before episode 7. Of the 50% who make it to episode 7, only half make it to episode 15. Podcasters who reach episode 25 have a really high chance of lasting 2 years or more. Making it to episode 25 doesn't sound like a huge number, but according to the stats, it's genuinely a big deal.

I. What Is Podfade?

Podfade (per Urban Dictionary): when a podcast starts putting out episodes more sporadically and at greater intervals — usually starting with one missed episode, but compounding over time, sometimes as severe as one episode every other month. Podfade often leads to podcast death.

In simpler terms: podfade is when podcasters lose interest or get too busy, and stop producing shows on schedule until they eventually stop altogether.

II. Why Does Podfade Happen?

Common causes:

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Episode Summary: 5 real roadblocks new podcasters and online content creators run into — time, shiny object syndrome, health, technical difficulties, and skills — with honest solutions for each.

What You'll Learn

• 5 real roadblocks new podcasters run into, and honest solutions for each
• What a mixer actually is and why podcasters need one
• Why time management, not gear, is the biggest early obstacle
• Where to keep learning skills so you never plateau

"When you come to a fork in the road, take it." — Yogi Berra

Ask Mike Anything: What Is a Mixer?

Question (from Blab): What is a mixer?

Answer: A genuinely good question — it's easy to assume everyone already knows, and that's rarely true. A mixer is the audio interface used to connect a microphone and any other audio sources (an iPhone, iPad, or an instrument like a guitar) into a computer or recording device. Some kind of interface is necessary to get quality sound into a recording program — Adobe Audition, in this case. A mixer is also called a mixing desk; the big intimidating versions with rows of knobs and sliders seen at live concerts or recording studios are the same idea, just scaled down for podcasters. They look confusing at first but are actually simple once the logic clicks. A class on using this exact mixer is in the works for Udemy and Skillshare. The mixer used here: the Allen & Heath ZED 10.

5 Roadblocks on the Podcast Journey

1. Time

Most podcasters and online entrepreneurs have full-time jobs. Producing a podcast is a real commitment — working 9-5 often means doing the work in the evenings (or mornings) instead. Resource mentioned: Gary Vaynerchuk's 7-2 strategy.

Solutions: use the roadmap discussed in Episode 18 — download the 2016 Roadmap PDF directly. Work in the mornings before the day job starts; every minute counts. Do the hardest work when your brain is sharpest — for most people, that's first thing in the morning, not spent on email or social scrolling. Batch-record shows when possible to free up time later.

2. Shiny Object Syndrome

Distractions and ideas from other people and influencers that pull focus away from the original plan. Resource mentioned: John Lee Dumas's mantra — F.O.C.U.S.: Follow One Course Until Successful.

Solution: resist, focus, one thing at a time. Multitasking is the enemy in the online world.

"There is no there there."

3. Health & Well-Being

Sitting all day takes a real toll — back pain, weight gain. Keep stress in check: good stress can be fun in small doses, but bad stress affects physical and mental health, and the people around you notice.

4. Technical Difficulties

Read the complete show notes and resources on mikemurphy.ai.

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Episode Summary: 7 concrete steps to actually get a podcast started — from picking a launch date to defining long-term goals — with realistic timelines and real resources for learning the craft.

What You'll Learn

• The 7 concrete steps to actually launch a podcast, in order
• Realistic launch timelines: 4-6 weeks solo, 8-10 weeks minimum for interview shows
• 5 podcasts and courses worth studying to learn the craft
• A tool for promoting episodes with short audio teasers

"Perfection is not attainable, but if you chase perfection, you can catch excellence." — Vince Lombardi

Ask Mike Anything: Promoting with Audio Teasers

Guest question from: Dr. Vivian Carrasco, The Turning Inward Podcast.

Question: Are there tools for promoting a podcast with audio teasers?

Answer: Yes — Clammr, essentially "Twitter for audio." It lets 24 seconds of audio get shared on any social media channel or website, a great way to promote individual episodes.

How to Start a Podcast: 7 Steps

"You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do."

1. Pick a Launch Date

4-6 weeks is a reasonable timeline for a one-man-band show, 8-10 weeks minimum for an interview format. Action step: put the launch date on Google Calendar and hold yourself to it.

2. Create a Master Document

Organize and plan as thoroughly as possible. Action step: create a Google master doc and write everything down.

3. Learn Your Craft

Resources mentioned: Dave Jackson's The School of Podcasting, Daniel J. Lewis's The Audacity to Podcast, Ray Ortega's The Podcasters' Studio, Cliff Ravenscraft's The Podcast Answer Man, Pat Flynn's How to Start a Podcast Tutorial, and John Lee Dumas's Free Podcast Course.

4. Define Your Topic & Content

What's genuinely exciting to talk about? Go there.

5. Choose a Format

One-man band? Interview show? Co-host? Storyteller? See Episode 21: The Format Show for a full breakdown of each.

6. Commit to a Publishing Schedule

Daily? Weekly? Monthly? Pick a schedule and stick to it — audiences want consistency above almost everything else.

Read the complete show notes and resources on mikemurphy.ai.

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