Perfect Your Podcast

The Podcasting Obstacle Nobody Talks About

I have some exciting news. While I can't go into too much detail just yet, I have been developing a new podcast - and it was during this process that I realized what stops so many podcasters from "taking the plunge." I think.

Essentially it is the fact that the plunge is so HUGE! What if you buy the equipment, get your artwork produced, get hosting set up, get everything in place - and THEN find out that this whole podcasting thing isn't what you thought?  That's scary! And expensive.

So in this podcast I discuss the development process that begins long before you spend a dime on anything. People seem to have this belief that you just "start podcasting." But no  great podcast just happens. It needs time to develop - to percolate and to evolve. If  you want to start a podcast, you can get a lot of that development process done before you buy anything - in fact you should.

So in this podcast I discuss how to get your podcast to take on a life of its own and grow and develop FIRST. That way you feel comfortable that you are on the right track before you have to whip out your credit card and start making purchases.

If you have been hesitant to "take the plunge" listen up. You can do a lot first so that the plunge is small - and it won't feel like you are diving off a cliff.

I hope you find this enlightening!

BTW, in this podcast you hear me refer to my radio show, "Something You Should Know,"  which you can hear at www.SomethingYouShouldKnow.net  

Episode 027 Conversation with Joshua of The Minimalists Podcast

Minimalism. It’s the philosophy of doing with less – only what you need. It all sounds virtuous but how many people are really in to minimalism? Well, it turns out – A LOT!

Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus lead the minimalist lifestyle and talk about it on their website www.theMinimalists.com, as well as in their books and their documentary movie. And they have a huge following.

So in January of 2016 they launched a weekly podcast that quickly became popular.

They don’t take advertising on their podcast and vow they never will. So you have to wonder – why? If they already have a large following and are easy to find on the Internet, why add the chore of cranking out a weekly podcast when there is no obvious return on the investment?

That is what I discuss in this episode with Joshua Fields Millburn. Also Joshua talks about the workflow of getting a podcast recorded and out the door – and reveals how and why many of the episodes they record are never heard by anyone – and instead get trashed.

I think you’ll enjoy this conversation with Joshua and find it very enlightening.

Episode 025 The Art of the Podcast Interview

So many podcasters rely on interviews for a lot of their podcast content.  While interviews can be great and add a lot to your podcast, it is also risky. A lousy interview means a lousy podcast. So how do you make sure you get the best from the people you interview?

Having conducted over 8,000 interviews for the radio, TV and for podcasts, I have learned a thing or two about how to make the most of every interview opportunity. In this episode of the Perfect Your Podcast, podcast, I go in to:

Where to find good guests

Preparing for your interview

Preparing your guest for the interview

When to steer the conversation and when to let it take its own course

The benefits having a discussion rather than a formal Q&A interview

I also address the issue of what to do with a bad interview. If you do enough interviews, you will find some of them just don’t work. So now what do you do? I’ll tell you what I do and it may surprise you.

Here are the two links I discuss in the podcast on where to find guests:

PR Newswire

Radio/TV Interview Report

Please subscribe to my podcast on iTunes and leave a comment there if you like. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/perfect-your-podcast/id1029217314?mt=2

Episode 024 Discussion with Carmine Gallo on the Power of Storytelling

People don't remember facts and figures - they remember stories. People relate to stories, people love a good story. A good story is what sells books, movies and - podcasts.

Carmine Gallo, author of the new book "The Storyteller's Secret" (St. Martin's Press) has researched the art of science of storytelling and discusses why it is so important for podcasters - and really everyone who wants to connect with people.

While people are sometimes reluctant to tell stories - especially personal stories - nothing works better in persuading people and forming a bond with them.

In this episode Carmine discusses:

Why stories are so important

What types of stories are most compelling

What are the ingredients of a good story

How to tell a story and much more

Every good podcaster is a good story teller. If you want to improve your skill and ability to tell great stories on your podcast, listen to Carmine Gallo in this episode.

Episode 023 Storytelling - the Heart of a Great Podcast

"Content is King!" How often have you heard that? Yet in podcasting we spend a lot more time talking about the "process" of podcasting rather than the "content" of podcasts. While the process is important - without great content, what do you have, really?

Even when we do discuss content - one thing that is often omitted from the discussion is the power of storytelling. Yet nothing will propel a podcast to success more than the ability of the podcaster to tell a good story.

When a podcaster tells a great story - something magical happens with the audience. It creates that "Theater of the Mind" effect in the listener's head. The listener's own imagination participates in the creation of story by creating the mental pictures.

Human beings are wired for stories. Neuroscience research over the last decade has proven that a good story affects people differently - and better - than facts and figures.

Podcasting is the perfect medium for storytelling and in this episode I talk about the importance of being able to tell good stories in your podcast. We explore:

• What's the difference between a story and a GOOD story.

• What a good story does to the brain of the person listening.

• The essential elements of a good story.

• Why you, the podcaster, need to be in some if not all the stories you tell.

Without exception, a great podcaster must also be a great story teller. Whether you are already or want to become one, I invite you listen to this episode.

Episode 022 Discussion with Scott Smith of The Daily Boost Podcast

Scott Smith is a very successful podcaster. He is the host of The Daily Boost podcast which is consistently rated high in the self-help category on iTunes - and has been for years.

However, Scott Smith wouldn't call podcasting his profession. He is a speaker, coach and motivator and he uses podcasting as a a tool to grow his business -  MotivationToMove.com.

Listen as he explains:

How to engage your audience (and how not to)

How he uses podcasting to attract new clients

Why he believes podcasting is an entertainment medium not a content medium

How he efficiently produces and uploads 5 episodes each week in under 90 minutes

Why he doesn't edit his episodes -and much more.

Scott brings several years of radio and television broadcast experience to his podcast. And as other broadcast professionals bring their skills to podcasting, Scott see the need for all podcasters to "up their game" and produce a more professional product.

One of the most interesting thing he discusses, is why he thinks commercials in his podcast may actually be costing him money - and why he is thinking of getting rid of them.

There is a lot to learn from Scott Smith in this episode. Enjoy!

You can contact Scott directly at: [email protected]

His website is: www.motivationtomove.com and you can access his podcast from there.

Episode 021 Do You Have the Voice To Be a Podcaster?

In your podcast, your voice is everything. It’s all a listener has to judge you. Knowing how to use your voice properly can make your podcast much more interesting and engaging. I like to think:

If podcasting is an art, then your voice is the paint brush.

But what if you think you have a lousy voice? Actually most people do hate their voice when they hear it played back. But that doesn’t make it a bad voice. In fact your voice is much better than you think it is. In this episode I discuss:

• Why you don’t really hate your voice – and I can prove it

• Why you don’t need a big booming “announcer” voice – in fact it’s better if you don’t have one

• Adding confidence to your voice

• How to “find” your voice and make it more powerful

• Why you should speak from your “mask”

• How to add entertainment value and energy to your voice to make it more interesting

Please subscribe to this podcast on iTunes and I always appreciate it if you would leave a review there.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/perfect-your-podcast/id1029217314?mt=2

Thanks

Episode 20 Discussion with Mikey Rupert of the Cooper & Rupert podcast

You will find a lot of sports related podcasts in iTunes.  They come from radio sportscasters, large media companies (ESPN, Fox Sports, etc) and several radio stations that post re-purposed sports broadcasts that were heard on the radio first - then become podcasts.

So it is certainly a crowded field. But that didn't stop Doug Cooper and Mikey Rupert from starting their own sports podcast. The Cooper & Rupert podcast is now 2 years old and they have over 100 episodes completed.

In this episode of my podcast, Mikey Rupert tells the story of how the podcast began and reveals a lot of details and techniques they have learned along the way that has helped improve the podcast over time in terms of technical and content quality.

You can hear their podcast and contact them atwww.cooperandrupert.com

Episode 019 Discussion with Michael Harrison host of the "Up Close & Far Out" podcast

Podcasting has been around for about 10 years or so. But to hear him tell it, Michael Harrison says podcasting has actually been on his radar for about 18 years. As a veteran radio broadcaster, Michael has been a proponent of podcasting and has been encouraging people in the radio industry to embrace it.

Some have - many have not. Why not? That is one of the topics he discusses in this episode.

In addition to being a veteran radio broadcaster, Michael is also the publisher of Talkers magazine, the most influential publication aimed at the talk radio industry. And about a year ago, Michael started his own podcast called Up Close and Far Out.

In this edition of the podcast, I speak with Michael about a range of topics related to podcasting and digital media. Including:

• The opportunities and challenges podcasters face

• The important differences between the professional and hobbyists podcaster

• How podcasting differs from radio

• What it is like working with a podcast network (Podcast One)

• The growing culture of podcast listeners

• How podcasting will impact radio and other 20th century media

Hit the play button and let’s get started!

Sponsored by Boostability. Get your free website score - just go to www.myfreewebsitescore.com

Episode 018 Podcast Reality Check Part 2 with Rob Walch of Libsyn

How many downloads do the majority of podcasts get - per episode? 100, 500, 1000, more?  As VP at Libsyn, Rob Walch can tell you. Since Libsyn is a leading podcast hosting company which hosts thousands of podcasts big and small, Rob sees the numbers. And I think you will be surprised by the answer which he reveals in this episode. In addition Rob continues his discussion on the current state of podcasting. Specifically he talks about:

Podcast advertising

Podcasting as a hobby vs a business

Podcast length

Podcast content

Podcast listening measurements and metrics

Podcast marketing

"Downloads" is the measurement of success or failure in podcasting. It is the only real way to measure listenership. And many advertisers think it is a fairly worthless measurement. After all, a download doesn't mean anyone listens - or listens very long. Rob tackles this subject in a very interesting way.

A lot of talk in the podcasting world is all about "dynamic ad insertion" or programmatic advertising. Essentially what that means is inserting ads into podcasts after they have been recorded. Additionally those ads might be served to different listeners according to location, demographics, etc. For example, in the same podcast, someone listening in Florida might get an ad for sunscreen while someone listening in Maine might get an ad for a snow blower.

While this is touted as the future of podcast advertising - it is definitely not the present. Dynamic ad insertion was designed for audio streaming but putting it to use in podcasting has a long list of problems. 2 big ones:

Podcasters are resistant to it

Advertisers aren't yet asking for it (much)

Additionally the "live read" commercial is proving extremely effective. So in this discussion (both part 1 and part 2) Rob talks about the current state of podcast advertising. He also reveals why many advertisers have yet to embrace podcasting as an advertising medium and what it will take to get them on board.

I think you'll also like Rob's insight into who podcasters really are. Most are not professionals - they are individuals many of whom are hobbyists just having fun.

Rob has been involved in podcasting from the very beginning and he has some interesting opinions and predictions regarding the direction podcasting is going and how it will get there. This is part 2 of 2 parts that every podcaster should hear.

You can find Rob at www.Podcast411.com 

Sponsored by Boostability. Get your free website score - just go to www.myfreewebsitescore.com