Podcast Launch Pad

So, you've ordered the podcasting equipment, worked out which podcast host you will use (Buzzsprout, I hope!), identified where you will do your recordings and maybe even taught yourself how to audio edit.

BUT, you can't identify the right podcast topic!

All too often, business people with podcasting ambitions get hung on this issue. 

In this episode, you'll find plenty of advice to help you dig deep and find just the right theme to promote you and your organisation.

1. Decide what you need to achieve with your podcast
2. And who you need your audience to be - ie, your ideal podcast listener
3. Then work out what you are most qualified to talk about

Then my advice is to seek what is different and quirky about you or your company and use it to find an angle to help you stand out.

Need a spot of brainstorming help? Drop me a line at [email protected] or book an appointment here.

                                                                                                     ***

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!   

Dazzle your podcast listeners with bespoke music that reflects your standout production values.

Or you could do what everyone else does and buy generic-sounding music off the shelf for a few dollars. 

Today's guest, Leo Saunders of tuneriver.com works with fellow musicians to compose music for special occasions - but they'll also work with podcasters too.

It will cost you in the region of £150 or about 200 US dollars to buy the licence to use the music as you wish - and not just on your podcast. His composers retain the copyright.

If you want to know how to brief a musician to provide a bespoke piece of music for you, what length of music you should commission and how to use it in your podcast - this episode is for you.

Contact Leo on [email protected]

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 stuffed full of encouraging stats for those of us in the podcasting world - or who're thinking of entering it.

If you're UK based you'll have heard of Ofcom - the official British communications regulator.

Their Podcast Statistics report in 2021 was full of facts and figures collected from a survey of 1865 respondents.

If you're just a little bit cross-eyed from listening to my podcast on all these numbers, never fear. I've repeated them all below. Happy reading.

25% of the British public listen to podcasts every week. That is 16.5 million people and it compares with 7.1 million in 2019. 

Overall there are more younger listeners (aged 16 – 44) but older ones (aged 45 - 64) are hot on their tails.

57% of respondents listen at home while relaxing but people also listen in the car, on public transport, while walking or exercising, doing the chores or at bedtime. 

Most podcast lovers will listen to between 3-5 podcasts a week while 20% listen to between 6-10. 

Listeners are predominantly in the AB socio-economic range with C1s not too far behind.  

61% listen to podcasts for entertainment and 21% say it is to get practical advice.

50% of respondents say they love listening to business podcasts and also enjoy comedy, serious discussion shows, arts or music podcasts, politics, true crime, science and technology

After respondents have heard a podcast:

·         15% buy products mentioned in the podcast. 

·         31% follow advice or recommendation given. 

·         62% talk to friends or family about what they heard on the podcast. 

65% listen to the entire episode so they’ll catch any calls to action that the host issues at the end of the episode.

The UK’s audio research body, RAJAR (in its 2020 survey) found podcast listeners tend to earn 28% more on average than the general population and are more likely to have advanced degrees.

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!   

It's basic good manners, isn't it, to welcome your podcast guest with some introductory information and at the end, to bid them farewell?

How you do it, is up to you but in my experience a decent intro and outro demonstrates your production values.

It signposts to both potential and regular listeners that they're in the right place to  find the information they're seeking.

Should you have music in your intros and outros? I think so - but it's not obligatory.

Should you worry about people skipping over your intro to get to the meat of the episode?

No. There'll be plenty of other listeners who love your intro.

Should you be concerned that people won't bother to listen to the very end to catch your carefully crafted outro?

No, most people listen to the end according to statistics published in the RAJAR 2020 report - so use their loyalty to issue your call to action.

Links mentioned or promised on the podcast for sites that we find the easiest to download music from.

Audio Jungle for an excellent choice of music  and reasonable prices
BBC Sound Effects for free sound effects
YouTube for free music
Pixabay for free music
CC Mixter for free music
Purple Planet for free music

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!   

You do not need to splash out a fortune on sound proofing as you start on your podcasting journey.

You do not need to buy a special booth or reams of soundproofing material.

You do not need to line your walls with egg cartons or install a red "recording" light.

You DO NEED to find a quiet room with lots of soft furnishings. A walk-in clothes closet would work well too. As would recording inside a car parked in a quiet spot.

I've recorded in expensively equipped, state of the art studios in this country and abroad. But the work I produce from my cheaply-constructed home studio has satisfied the most demanding producers in the world.

Today's episode is full of the tips and tricks I employed to save money but also to ensure audio quality.

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!   

Dan Harris is a magnificent example of someone who had a great idea for a podcast and then just went for it!

The result - a cleverly conceived podcast which is well-produced and entertaining. 

The theme literally crosses borders around the world comparing nations and discussing what we all think of each other.

I was lucky enough to be in at the start when Dan was planning how best to enact his idea.

We spent a number of sessions together discussing how he could bring together a panel of international experts.

It was always an ambitious plan and technically quite demanding but Dan quietly worked at it for months on end, teaching himself what he needed to know and researching all the different platforms he intended using.

The end result is the podcast "Over Here Over There" and it is a triumph.  So, I couldn't resist inviting him on as our guest expert for June to tell us all about it.

During the interview, Dan and I discussed number 11 of  Podcast Launch Pad  entitled "17 Fun and Sociable Ways to Promote Your Podcast".   (I think Dan is going to go back and have another listen!!)


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!   

 

Podcast listeners have high expectations of podcast interviews.

So, it's not quite enough just to draw up a list of questions without doing a bit of research first!

You want your listener to be captivated by the interview and maybe to even listen a second time if your guest is offering actionable advice.

The 9 killer interview techniques in this episode include:

• how to research and prepare
• how to create the right interview ambience
• the importance of listening to your guest so as to steer the conversation in the right direction 
• understand and reacting to conversational cues
• how to stop the guest from dominating the conversation
• how to ask to right kind of questions 
• what to avoid 

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!   

Post-lockdown we'll still have to keep our distance from other people for some time to come.

So, does this mean we won't be able to interview face to face?

Not long ago I discovered my mobile recording kit (the Rode SC6-L) allows you to record exactly two metres apart from your interviewee or co-host.

The kit fits into the palm of your hand and is supremely portable. The audio isn't bad either!

It only works with an iPhone though and at £130 or US $180 - it's not cheap. But it does tick a whole load of boxes.

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!   

Do you wince when you hear a recording of your voice? 

There's a good scientific explanation for why you feel that way. 

And the truth is,  just because you hate the sound of your own voice, it doesn't mean everyone else will too. 

Far from it. 

In this episode, Serena explains why you need not fear that the sound of your voice will turn people off. 

However, if you detect weaknesses in your vocal delivery, such as sounding:

• too high 
• too airy
• too nasal  
• too scratchy

then there are simple measures you can take to find your "best voice".

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!   

Podcast Launch Pad brings you two blogging experts this week who show exactly why a blog will help you gain new listeners.

You don't need to be the modern equivalent to William Shakespeare or Charles Dickens to write a good blog to accompany your podcast.

But Emma Bradley and Louise Williams from Top Blog Coaching argue convincingly in this episode for why you need one.

Above all,  a well-written blog will help Google find and promote your work and, of course,  it will add to your status as a thought-leader.

Emma and Louise provide some interesting tips for making your blog hit home - so have pencil and paper at the ready to jot join their recommendations.

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!