Podcast Launch Pad

In a step away from our usual episodes with their bite-sized formats, I'm joined on this edition by PR expert Kerryn Fields. 

Kerryn literally showers us with nuggets of PR gold helping you to understand:

• what sort of coverage you should aim for 
• which platforms you should target 
• how to find the right contacts to send out your press releases to
• how to formulate a press release
• how to make it catch a journalist's eye 
• how far in advance to initiate your PR strategies
• why you don't need a PR expert because you can do your own PR

Kerryn runs her own PR Agency https://www.koolacomms.com/ and her membership PR Engine provides a wide range of support services. Check it out today! 



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  too - you'll find it a treasure trove of information as you start your podcasting journey

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!   

Make the most of your podcast guest appearances to put yourself in the best possible limelight.

The main things to keep in mind are :

1. Treat the opportunity like you would any friendly conversation 
2. Always listen to one of two editions of the podcast in advance
3. Insist on a pre-interview call to find out what the podcaster wants from you and feel free to ask lots of questions 
4. Don't write down and read your answers (but you wouldn't would you?!)
5. Use your podcasting mic if you've got one and prepare your voice by hydrating it
6. Be clear in your mind what you want out of the podcast interview and be certain to follow through
7. Make sure you promote the finished product to your followers  

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  too-  you'll find it a treasure trove of information as you start your podcasting journey

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!  

business podcast production, podcast launch, bite-sized podcast episodes, professional podcast tips, podcast production expert, podcasting for businesswomen,  podcast guest advice, podcast guest tips, awesome podcast guest tips, how to be a podcast guest,

Your podcast artwork aka logo counts.

It's the first impression most people have of your work and your production values.

This episode answers the question - should you employ someone to design your logo  for you, and if you do, how much should you pay?

I used to insist on going down the graphic designer route - but I'm not so sure now this is always necessary.

No matter how you set about it, you will need to bear some key points in mind.

For more information around podcast logo design, see this blog . Since writing it I've changed my mind a bit about using a professional but I think you'll find my examples of artwork that I think works (and artwork that doesn't) quite illuminating! 

Happy listening and happy designing.



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 -  you'll find it massively useful as you start your podcasting journey

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!  

Aargh - we all learn by our mistakes don't we? 

And now there's a whole culture around convincing ourselves that mistakes aren't mistakes. They're learning opportunities. 

Well, whatever, but some mistakes are more painful than others. 

In this episode, I talk about why the name I chose for my very first hosted podcast was a big fail. And I was so pleased with it at the time! 

The lesson I learnt has resonance for you. Don't be too clever. Don't be too witty. Don't be too abstract. 

It's better to say what's on the tin than to leave potential listeners in the dark about its contents. 

Other points addressed on this episode include 

• should you use the word "podcast" in your title?
• can you change the name of your podcast once it has launched?
• podcast names I think really work

Podcasts mentioned in this episode:
Souki Fournier's Content Marketing Explained
Love Your Podcast with Sammie Byrne

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 -  you'll find it massively useful as you start your podcasting journey

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!  

Some people think podcast production is for spring chickens.

That you've got to be generation Z or, at the very least, a Millennial to understand the medium.

This episode properly debunks that myth!

I am Podcast Launch Pad's host and work professionally as a  podcast producer.  I'm - ehem - hardly a spring chicken. 

Let's just say, I'm elegantly aged and buzzing with enthusiasm and energy!

I started up my own podcast production venture, Made4U Podcasts  in my late 50s.

As I say on the podcast:

" Everyone is constantly learning (or should be) and ... if you don’t frighten yourself on the cliff edge of new challenges… well, that’s not really living life, is it? We only have one crack at life, after all"
 
Listen to my story right here and delve deep into the mindset that helped me overcome imposter syndrome to make a success of my podcasting ambitions.


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 -  you'll find it massively useful as you start your podcasting journey

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!  

So, you’ve got an engaging business podcast – but what are the most effective ways to promote it?

The 17 killer strategies in this podcast will help you:

• make new contacts
• network with like-minded people 
• amaze your niche with your business acumen 

They include:

1. Invite your listeners to be a guest on your show (then all their contacts will want to listen too!) 
2. Record a video of yourself explaining why people should listen to this episode
3. Encourage existing listeners to give you their opinions and input and if you use their ideas on the show credit them by name 
4. Leverage your guests’ fanbase and help them to share their interview episode. 
5. Show people how to subscribe to your podcast. Place a subscribe button on your podcast landing page 
6. Encourage people to review your podcast – explain how on your landing page too
7. Write good show notes – don’t just scribble out a paragraph or two. 
8. Be a guest on other podcasts. (This is the most fun of all for me!) 
9. Join Clubhouse and make your voice heard in conversations
10. Join Facebook communities and be helpful without being too salesy
11. Share a podcast recording with another podcast in a similar (but not exactly the same) field
12. Cross promote podcasts that compliment your theme  
13. Find blogs in your niche and ask them to mention your podcast. You can return the favour on your podcast, in your show notes and in your own blogs
14. Find newsletters and do agree crosspromotions there too
15. Subscribe to the free helpareporter.com or the paid for service Response Source and make yourself available to journalists looking for sources of information 
16. Create a freebie or lead magnet in which you advertise your podcast. 
17. Promote your podcast to your email list and if you don’t have one…start building one!  

Which of the above is the best way to increase the reach of your podcast? 

All these promotions are fun exercises in engaging with other people. What works best for you will only become clear once you've tried a few out!


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 -  you'll find it massively useful as you start your podcasting journey

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!  

Asking how long should a business podcast last is a bit like asking how long is a piece of string. 

But there are some ways to help you decide the perfect length for your audience. 

This podcast explores what it is about your potential listeners that can help you decide the ideal amount of time. 

Because that is the deciding factor – not  how long you can talk about your business know-how, no matter how engaging you or your guest can be. 

There’s also the matter of how much time you have to spare to make your podcast. The longer it is, the more time you need put aside. 

What do most of my business podcasting clients aim for? Listen to find out!  

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!  

Take the strain out of what microphone to choose for your business podcast!

The choice of mics on offer is overwhelming but follow my suggestions and you'll save yourself a ton of time and trouble.

These are the mics I use myself day in, day out.

They are tried and tested and have proved to be reliable and great value as well as providing consistently good audio.
 
Samson Q2U (a dynamic mic)
Shure SM 58 (a dynamic mic to use with an audio interface)
Rode NT1A (a condenser mic)
Rode SC6-L (an extremely compact mobile kit of tiny lavalier mics to use with your iPhone - especially handy when you are at events)

(Just remember to use them in the right recording environment - either a dedicated studio or a quiet, preferably carpeted room full of soft furnishings. If you can, cover any sizeable hard surfaces with blankets to reduce reverberations.)

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 will show you how easy it is to get your business podcast out there.  

You need to register your podcast with a podcast host like Buzzsprout, Libsyn , Podbean or Spreaker (and there are plenty more to choose from). 

Sign up with one of these and they will send out each new episode of your show to every major podcast directory like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts etc. 

It will save you huge amounts of work and place your podcast exactly where you need it to be.

And they will arrange your RSS feed too (a one-off job because once you’ve got it, you’ve got it!

(An RSS feed is a piece of code that enables the podcast directories to recognise and publish your new episodes – you can’t podcast without one basically.)

As it happens, I’m a fan of Buzzsprout. I’ve always used them for my podcasts and for my clients. 

If you'd like to join them too 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 might think you’ll simply upload all your podcasts to your website. But podcasts take up too much bandwidth so hosting them yourself just isn’t practical.

The podcast hosts help you put all your registration ducks in a row which ultimately means all you have to do is upload your new episode once and everything else will be taken care of.   

They really save you a huge amount of trouble for a small amount of money each month. 

There are free plans you can use but these are not recommended for business podcasters because your bank of podcast episodes would only be kept online for up to 90 days. 

Spend around $12 or £9 a month and they’ll stay evergreen for listeners who want to binge listen! 

The likes of Buzzsprout and their competitors can do more for you too such as helping to improve your audio (a Buzzsprout speciality costing an extra €6 a month),  as well as providing embeddable website players and download links. 

You’ll also be able to access stats to see how well your podcast is doing. 

Let me know if these tips are useful. It would make my day to hear from you – email [email protected]
 
 Why not download my guide to business podcasting -  it adds a great deal more detail to this podcast’s content.  

And have a listen back to all my previous bite-sized editions of Podcast Launch Pad which I think you’ll find helpful and concise.  

If you’re looking for a friendly community to discuss your podcasting plans with – please join my Facebook Group, "Podcasting Blueprint for Women Business Owners"; EVERYONE is welcome!   
 
Finally, please check out my company, Made4U Podcasts to find out more about me, my podcasts and the services we offer. 

Listen to this episode for a whole slew of tips to help you avoid making a ton of rookie mistakes   

Summary: What are the best ways to sound good on a podcast? 

1.      Pretend to be cool, collected and confident. It’s what all the professionals do! 

2.      Follow my suggested practical tips to avoid beginner’s mistakes

3.      Adopt the right mindset and tell yourself you simply can’t fail to be engaging

4.      Use your imagination to help your vocal presentation strike a really personal note with your listeners to encourage them to “talk” back to you

5.      Protect your voice and remember to hydrate

6.      The more you plan your content the more professional you will sound 

7.      Smile and inject your voice with energy 

Let me know if these tips help you with your podcast presentation. It would make my day to hear from you – email [email protected]

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

And have a listen back to all my previous bite-sized editions of Podcast Launch Pad which I think you’ll find helpful and concise.  

If you’re looking for a friendly community to discuss your podcasting plans with – please join my Facebook Group, "Podcasting Blueprint for Women Business Owners"; EVERYONE is welcome!   

Finally, please check out my company, Made4U Podcasts to find out more about me, my podcasts and the services we offer.

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!