Podcast Launch Pad

Every new venture - be it a podcast, a blog, or even a website - is going to need a makeover at some stage.

Because what you thought you originally needed to create, can quickly evolve into a different entity.  And then you need to reflect that in the way you  market it.

In the case of Podcast Launch Pad, I want to niche down on my ideal listener and appeal to an older demographic who is perhaps a bit more shy of the technology than younger people.

I dream of a new format, new music, new artwork and better marketing.

Can I make the changes? Am I even allowed?  Well, that's what this episode is all about.

                                                                                                       ***

About me
Hello, I'm Serena Gay, a BBC-trained journalist and a former international satellite TV presenter.

I have many years of news and audio production experience which I now use to great effect as CEO of a podcast making company called "Made4U Podcasts".

I've  also helped run family businesses in the UK and Germany in the tourism and wine education fields.

So I understand the pressures on businesspeople to perform, promote and reach new and profitable streams of clients.

That's why these podcasts are short, pithy and full of information - not blather!

Contact...

Facebook: @Made4uPodcasts
Facebook Group: @Podcasting Blueprint for Women Business Owners
Website: www.made4u-podcasts.co.uk
Email: [email protected]

Why not download my guide to business podcasting -  it adds a great deal more detail to this podcast’s content.

P.S. I use and recommend podcast host Buzzsprout to new podcasters who want to  get their shows listed on every major podcast platform. You can use this link to sign up. If you choose a paid plan  you’ll get a $20 or a £15 Amazon gift card. This will also help support my show - so thank you!   

 

Neuroscience research is throwing up some truly fascinating insights into the success of
podcast advertising.

And every entrepreneur with podcasting ambitions should know what they are.

So this episode focuses on two revelations from a trusted source - the Audio:Activated report which was commissioned by BBC Global News' branded content division.

(This report dates back to 2019 but given the continued growth  of podcasting since then, you can assume their findings are still valid. Even more so in fact. )

The first finding this episode focuses on is that podcast advertising is FAR more successful at getting through to typical ad avoiders than any other media. It also delivers a far greater measure of "memory encoding" - meaning listeners will remember references to products and services mentioned in a podcast.

The second is how listeners create subconscious associations with a brand, based on words they hear in the podcast.

For more detail on these extraordinary findings - listen here or read the report for yourself. 

                                                                                                ***

About me
Hello, I'm Serena Gay, a BBC-trained journalist and a former international satellite TV presenter.

I have many years of news and audio production experience which I now use to great effect as CEO of a podcast making company called "Made4U Podcasts".

I've  also helped run family businesses in the UK and Germany in the tourism and wine education fields.

So I understand the pressures on businesspeople to perform, promote and reach new and profitable streams of clients.

That's why these podcasts are short, pithy and full of information - not blather!

Contact...

Facebook: @Made4uPodcasts
Facebook Group: @Podcasting Blueprint for Women Business Owners
Website: www.made4u-podcasts.co.uk
Email: [email protected]

Why not download my guide to business podcasting -  it adds a great deal more detail to this podcast’s content.

P.S. I use and recommend podcast host Buzzsprout to new podcasters who want to  get their shows listed on every major podcast platform. You can use this link to sign up. If you choose a paid plan  you’ll get a $20 or a £15 Amazon gift card. This will also help support my show - so thank you!   

This episode is all about the importance of listening back to your podcast recordings.

It is the ONLY way to overcome any problems you have with the sound of your own voice. And that's something I think I need to persuade my friend Julie Kent, MBE,  to do a bit more of.

She has a fabulous podcast called "What's In the Goody Bag"  that is still quite new. In it she talks to successful people who have also given back to society in some way.   

But she admitted to me recently that she can't stand the sound she makes when she speaks and never listens back to her shows.

So this podcast episode on why you must listen back and the techniques I used to overcome my problems with my voice, is for her. But I think you will find it useful too!


About me
Hello, I'm Serena Gay, a BBC-trained journalist and a former international satellite TV presenter.

I have many years of news and audio production experience which I now use to great effect as CEO of a podcast making company called "Made4U Podcasts".

I've  also helped run family businesses in the UK and Germany in the tourism and wine education fields.

So I understand the pressures on businesspeople to perform, promote and reach new and profitable streams of clients.

That's why these podcasts are short, pithy and full of information - not blather!

Contact...

Facebook: @Made4uPodcasts
Facebook Group: @Podcasting Blueprint for Women Business Owners
Website: www.made4u-podcasts.co.uk
Email: [email protected]

Why not download my guide to business podcasting -  it adds a great deal more detail to this podcast’s content.

P.S. I use and recommend podcast host Buzzsprout to new podcasters who want to  get their shows listed on every major podcast platform. You can use this link to sign up. If you choose a paid plan  you’ll get a $20 or a £15 Amazon gift card. This will also help support my show - so thank you!   

Are you an entrepreneur with dreams of producing a podcast but unsure where to begin?

Then this bite-sized podcast edition will introduce you to the baby steps you need to take to start you off on your exciting podcast journey.

Podcasting is an amazing marketing tool but the idea of buying in new equipment and learning how to use it, can be off-putting.

Download the Ultimate Podcast Starter Blueprint for great suggestions for microphones and headphones and for lots more succinctly-delivered information.

Find out so much more about each step in my other micro podcast editions either by searching through the back catalogue of the podcast or by subscribing now to this weekly production.

                                                                                                         ***

About me
Hello, I'm Serena Gay, a BBC-trained journalist and a former international satellite TV presenter.

I have many years of news and audio production experience which I now use to great effect as CEO of a podcast making company called "Made4U Podcasts".

I've  also helped run family businesses in the UK and Germany in the tourism and wine education fields.

So I understand the pressures on businesspeople to perform, promote and reach new and profitable streams of clients.

That's why these podcasts are short, pithy and full of information - not blather!

Contact...

Facebook: @Made4uPodcasts
Facebook Group: @Podcasting Blueprint for Women Business Owners
Website: www.made4u-podcasts.co.uk
Email: [email protected]

Why not download my guide to business podcasting -  it adds a great deal more detail to this podcast’s content.

P.S. I use and recommend podcast host Buzzsprout to new podcasters who want to  get their shows listed on every major podcast platform. You can use this link to sign up. If you choose a paid plan  you’ll get a $20 or a £15 Amazon gift card. This will also help support my show - so thank you!    

Most podcasters won't fall foul of the law - be it over copyright issues, libel, factual inaccuracies or guests withdrawing permission.

But it's wise to be prepared - especially with business podcast production.

Lawyer Clare Hoban from specialist media lawyers Reviewed & Cleared is our special guest this week with brilliant advice on how to avoid a dip in legal hot waters!

She advises on the risks you face, why you should check your sources and why it's is important to challenge guests who express opinions which are not based on fact.

Always insist on balance and fairness.

Find out on this episode when and how you are allowed to feature short music or speech extracts without first gaining permission.

And why it is good practice to insist that podcast guest sign a release form.

Finally - what should you do, if you do receive a complaint? Clare has got all the answers.

Listen to Clare's excellent presentation "Essential Law for Podcasters"

                                                                                                   ***

About me
Hello, I'm Serena Gay, a BBC-trained journalist and a former international satellite TV presenter.

I have many years of news and audio production experience which I now use to great effect as CEO of a podcast making company called "Made4U Podcasts".

I've  also helped run family businesses in the UK and Germany in the tourism and wine education fields.

So I understand the pressures on businesspeople to perform, promote and reach new and profitable streams of clients.

That's why these podcasts are short, pithy and full of information - not blather!

Contact...

Facebook: @Made4uPodcasts
Facebook Group: @Podcasting Blueprint for Women Business Owners
Website: www.made4u-podcasts.co.uk
Email: [email protected]

Why not download my guide to business podcasting -  it adds a great deal more detail to this podcast’s content.

P.S. I use and recommend podcast host Buzzsprout to new podcasters who want to  get their shows listed on every major podcast platform. You can use this link to sign up. If you choose a paid plan  you’ll get a $20 or a £15 Amazon gift card. This will also help support my show - so thank you!     

Your podcast trailer is your podcast's shop window.

It broadcasts to the world about what's inside. And it's really important. 

It could just be a simple voice-over overlaid with your podcast music explaining what it's all about. 

Or it could be a more sophisticated production with excerpts from interviews or highlights from the shows you've already recorded. 

Whatever you do, you need to keep it between 1-2 minutes in length and have it ready to upload when you register your podcast at the start of your journey with your podcast host. 

And of course, I always recommend Buzzsprout for that role! 

Make sure you give the podcast title, your name, an explanation of what the podcast is about and what listeners can expect it to deliver. Whip up a bit of excitement! 

Don't forget to issue a call to action as well - direct people to your website or social media for more information about what you do. 

 ***

About me
Hello, I'm Serena Gay, a BBC-trained journalist and a former international satellite TV presenter.

I have many years of news and audio production experience which I now use to great effect as CEO of a podcast making company called "Made4U Podcasts".

I've  also helped run family businesses in the UK and Germany in the tourism and wine education fields.

So I understand the pressures on businesspeople to perform, promote and reach new and profitable streams of clients.

That's why these podcasts are short, pithy and full of information - not blather!

Contact...

Facebook: @Made4uPodcasts
Facebook Group: @Podcasting Blueprint for Women Business Owners
Website: www.made4u-podcasts.co.uk
Email: [email protected]

Why not download my guide to business podcasting -  it adds a great deal more detail to this podcast’s content.

P.S. I use and recommend podcast host Buzzsprout to new podcasters who want to  get their shows listed on every major podcast platform. You can use this link to sign up. If you choose a paid plan  you’ll get a $20 or a £15 Amazon gift card. This will also help support my show - so thank you!    

Are you thinking? Who'd want to be interviewed for my podcast show? Well, think again.

Most people in my experience are ready to spare time to make a guest appearance on a podcast.

The trick comes in to how you make that first approach and how to make it worth their while.

You also have to use your best persuasive skills with potential guests who you know  will make good interviewees but who are reluctant for whatever reason.

This episode is packed full of advice on who to pick in the first place, when to pounce with an invitation  and what to say to seal the deal.


                                                                                                      ***

About me
Hello, I'm Serena Gay, a BBC-trained journalist and a former international satellite TV presenter.

I have many years of news and audio production experience which I now use to great effect as CEO of a podcast making company called "Made4U Podcasts".

I've  also helped run family businesses in the UK and Germany in the tourism and wine education fields.

So I understand the pressures on businesspeople to perform, promote and reach new and profitable streams of clients.

That's why these podcasts are short, pithy and full of information - not blather!

Contact...

Facebook: @Made4uPodcasts
Facebook Group: @Podcasting Blueprint for Women Business Owners
Website: www.made4u-podcasts.co.uk
Email: [email protected]

Why not download my guide to business podcasting -  it adds a great deal more detail to this podcast’s content.

P.S. I use and recommend podcast host Buzzsprout to new podcasters who want to  get their shows listed on every major podcast platform. You can use this link to sign up. If you choose a paid plan  you’ll get a $20 or a £15 Amazon gift card. This will also help support my show - so thank you!    

Go on - turn off podcast fans is by using up precious podcast-listening time with meaningless banter!

A bit harsh of me perhaps - but I have had it with  presenters chewing the cud and cracking in-jokes.

It just makes listeners drop out in droves.

Successful podcast banter is an art that very few have mastered.

It's probably best done by professional comedians with teams of writers behind them.

Avoid at all costs unless you can be certain of using banter time to entertain and inform. Aim to be inclusive with it, not exclusive.

Be interesting, be informative but above all - get down to the point of your podcast with all haste. 


                                                                                                      ***

About me
Hello, I'm Serena Gay, a BBC-trained journalist and a former international satellite TV presenter.

I have many years of news and audio production experience which I now use to great effect as CEO of a podcast making company called "Made4U Podcasts".

I've  also helped run family businesses in the UK and Germany in the tourism and wine education fields.

So I understand the pressures on businesspeople to perform, promote and reach new and profitable streams of clients.

That's why these podcasts are short, pithy and full of information - not blather!

Contact...

Facebook: @Made4uPodcasts
Facebook Group: @Podcasting Blueprint for Women Business Owners
Website: www.made4u-podcasts.co.uk
Email: [email protected]

Why not download my guide to business podcasting -  it adds a great deal more detail to this podcast’s content.

P.S. I use and recommend podcast host Buzzsprout to new podcasters who want to  get their shows listed on every major podcast platform. You can use this link to sign up. If you choose a paid plan  you’ll get a $20 or a £15 Amazon gift card. This will also help support my show - so thank you!    

Sound professional on your business podcast by making use of these 10 tips. 

It all starts in the mind. 

Doesn't everything?! 

But if you start off confident in the knowledge that you are delivering interesting and useful content that people want and need - you are more than half way there. 

This episode will help you inject that oomph into your voice that listeners love and find  inspirational. 

And they are: 

1.  As above, be confident that you are delivering a useful service with your podcast 
2. Vary the delivery and tone of your voice throughout the episode, in the same way you would if you were telling a story. This might include:

• speaking faster
• speaking slower 
• allowing your voice to rise in pitch 
• speaking at the lower end of your vocal register 
• altering the volume of your voice 

3.  Keep up energy levels by ending all your sentences so that people hear every word
4.  Breathe deeply so that your lungs have enough air to fulfil point 3 above
5.  Use the different sounds your vocal chords produce to engender a sense of wonderment in your listener
6.  Use your eyes and facial expressions to tell your story even if it is just to the mic!
7.  Use silence wisely in your delivery
8.  Gesticulate with your hands - these emotions will feed into your vocal delivery too
9.  Know your script well so that you read it intelligently (see episode 23 "How To Write Your Podcast and Sound Conversational" for useful tips)
10. SMILE! It will magically make you sound more enthusiastic


                                                                                                      ***

About me
Hello, I'm Serena Gay, a BBC-trained journalist and a former international satellite TV presenter.

I have many years of news and audio production experience which I now use to great effect as CEO of a podcast making company called "Made4U Podcasts".

I've  also helped run family businesses in the UK and Germany in the tourism and wine education fields.

So I understand the pressures on businesspeople to perform, promote and reach new and profitable streams of clients.

That's why these podcasts are short, pithy and full of information - not blather!

Contact...

Facebook: @Made4uPodcasts
Facebook Group: @Podcasting Blueprint for Women Business Owners
Website: www.made4u-podcasts.co.uk
Email: [email protected]

Why not download my guide to business podcasting -  it adds a great deal more detail to this podcast’s content.

P.S. I use and recommend podcast host Buzzsprout to new podcasters who want to  get their shows listed on every major podcast platform. You can use this link to sign up. If you choose a paid plan  you’ll get a $20 or a £15 Amazon gift card. This will also help support my show - so thank you!   

Female entrepreneur Christy Smallwood from Louisville, Kentucky launched a podcast in 2018 for a reason that aligns perfectly with her business needs.

She runs her own business (Eagle Eyed Strategies) in sales, marketing, training and development and wanted to help make potential clients get to like and trust her more quickly than they would through occasional networking meetings. 

She hit on podcasting as the way to develop those relationships faster. 

She knows that if people can hear her voice and her intonation as well as the superb content that she consistently delivers, they'll want to do business with her sooner, rather than later.

Christie certainly didn't waste time getting her small business podcast off the ground. She dived straight in and has refined her production over the years. 

These days, she interviews local businesspeople and has won an award from her local chamber of commerce in recognition of the superb podcasting work that she does. 

Listen to how she overcame challenges (not least the neighborhood's barking dog!) to achieve her success.

                                                                                                      ***

About me
Hello, I'm Serena Gay, a BBC-trained journalist and a former international satellite TV presenter.

I have many years of news and audio production experience which I now use to great effect as CEO of a podcast making company called "Made4U Podcasts".

I've  also helped run family businesses in the UK and Germany in the tourism and wine education fields.

So I understand the pressures on businesspeople to perform, promote and reach new and profitable streams of clients.

That's why these podcasts are short, pithy and full of information - not blather!

Contact...

Facebook: @Made4uPodcasts
Facebook Group: @Podcasting Blueprint for Women Business Owners
Website: www.made4u-podcasts.co.uk
Email: [email protected]

Why not download my guide to business podcasting -  it adds a great deal more detail to this podcast’s content.

P.S. I use and recommend podcast host Buzzsprout to new podcasters who want to  get their shows listed on every major podcast platform. You can use this link to sign up. If you choose a paid plan  you’ll get a $20 or a £15 Amazon gift card. This will also help support my show - so thank you!