PodCraft by Alitu: Honing the Craft of Podcasting

In this episode of Podcraft, Matthew and Colin talk about podcasting and parenting. They discuss the joys of being a new dad, from early morning buggy walks, to "having a good moan" about one's kids.

Brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker and The Podcast Host Planner

Parents always think they’re organized and resilient. The same's true for podcasters. Kids are unpredictable, and podcasting can be the same way. The key takeaway from this discussion about podcasting and parenting is to be honest with your audience. 

Colin recommends that new parents who make podcasts should plan ahead, but stay flexible, and be kind to themselves during this time. 

They discussed episode release schedules, such as podcasting in seasons, as opposed to publishing episodes at random intervals. Colin recommends lining up some episodes in advance of your child's arrival, then publishing each over time. 

For parents who can't leave their child unattended, don't try to multi-task. It's better to do one thing well, instead of multitasking a few things, poorly. 

Don't Wish It Away

This is a big milestone in one's life. It's worth not trying to do too much for your podcast. When babies are unpredictable and need a lot of care, there's a tendency to, as Matthew says, "wish things forward until the dust settles." Colin adds that parents should try to enjoy the early days while they can. In 13 years or so, your kids will want to do their own thing. You'll have plenty of time for podcasting then. 

As a dad to two kids, Colin says, "the first year, especially the first three months, are hell." Plus, every kid is different. This isn't a good life stage for the results-oriented. But, he adds, the first six months are when babies sleep the most. Use this to your advantage: grab time for sleep and/or work when you can.  

Colin adds that when babies are six to twelve months old, since they're more mobile, they need more supervision. They're more likely to grab things, like mixing board sliders. This is the age to child-proof your recording gear.

Be realistic about your plans. Think of this time as maintenance mode. Again, communicate clearly and positively with your audience. It’s not going to kill your show if you miss an episode.

Work sessions with shorter periods of time can force you to really focus. Be accepting of the work that you can get done in a shorter amount of time. Colin says, “a task will always expand to fill the time allowed.”  If you only have forty-five minutes while the baby's out for a walk or napping, you can't procrastinate, overthink, or be too much of a perfectionist.

Rethink your show’s format. How can you bring value in less time, while still being yourself and making the same kind of show?  For example, instead of hour-long interview episodes, can you make fifteen-minute episodes of productive tips? 

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Podcasting news has been hard to keep up with this past year or so. Each week seems to bring a new development in the Apple Vs Spotify saga, a new "must use" tool or platform on the market, or a company buying another company for multiple zillions.

In this episode, we have a chat about what all of this actually means for the average podcaster.

It can be hard to keep up with all of this stuff, after all. You can start to think that if you're not totally on the ball with all of this, your podcast is going to vanish into the ether whilst everyone else moves on without you.

But the same principles apply in podcasting as they did 15 years ago. Know why you're doing it, know who you want to reach, and show up on a consistent basis for your listeners.

Resources Mentioned

• Alitu - The Podcast Maker
• How to Sell Podcast Episodes
• How to Create a Private Podcast Feed
• Podcast Industry Stats
• Podland Podcast
• Deep Questions Podcast

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Check out the full book - Podcast Growth: How to Grow Your Podcast Audience 

Audiograms combine images, text, and audio to create a social media post. they are as memorable and attention-grabbing as video, without being as time-consuming or data-heavy. WNYC created an open-source code to accomplish this means of podcast promotion, and there are other options available to you now, too. 

Type: Short Task

Time Required: One hour

Podcast Level: From the beginning 

The open-source code that WNYC created was intended to be a free resource for podcasters to use to promote their work. It’s great, but it can be confusing for people who don’t know how to code. Fortunately, Headliner has created an app which guides you through the process. The free version lets you make a certain number of audiograms per month. Depending on the social media platform for which you intend to make your audiogram, the size constraints vary. However, you can use the same content with different aspect ratios or time limits for different platforms. 

Figure out what section of your podcast you want to highlight. Much like quote images, an audiogram is a sample of a moment from your podcast. In this case, instead of a line or two of text, you’re using a few seconds to a few minutes of audio. 

Decide on the art you want to use. For consistency, you probably want to use your podcast logo. However, you can certainly use whatever art you want, as long as it fits with Headliner’s size requirements. 

Including closed-captioning is a wise choice. Many people browse social media with the sound turned off, and don’t turn the sound on unless they’re curious about a particular post. If you include closed-captioning (well done: you make your post more accessible), go through and edit it for accuracy. 

Headliner’s mobile app honestly makes it easy for you to promote your show from your phone. You could do this while you’re waiting for a coffee order or sitting in a park 

Task List: 

• Go to Headliner’s website and sign up for a free account. 
• Use the Audiogram Wizard and type in your podcast’s name or RSS feed.
• Select the portion of your podcast episode that you want to share.
• Follow the Audiogram Wizard instructions to create your audiogram. 
• If you use closed-captions, proofread and edit them for accuracy. 
• Check the audiogram to make sure it’s just right. 
• Download a copy for your archives. 
• Post the audiogram to social media. 
• Make sure that the post includes a link to your podcast website. 
• Encourage your followers to share the post. 

thepodcasthost.com/audiograms - How to Make and Use Audiograms

thepodcasthost.com/publishtoyoutube - Publishing Your Podcast on YouTube

Next season we are running some Q&A episodes - submit your questions here!

Check out the full book - Podcast Growth: How to Grow Your Podcast Audience 

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Check out the full book - Podcast Growth: How to Grow Your Podcast Audience 

Overcast is one of the most popular podcast listening apps in the world today. And with good reason – it's a superb app, packed with useful features.

Overcast is built for podcast listeners. But, they also provide the tools for podcasters to advertise their shows in the app. These ads appear as unobtrusive little banners, which the app’s users see at the bottom of their screen. 

On these banner ads, you’ll see a podcast’s name, cover art, and a little snippet description tempting the listener to click it. 

With Overcast ads, 100% of the folks that you reach are podcast listeners. That's why they're looking at Overcast when they see your ad. They're likely either listening to a podcast, or about to hit play on one.

This means they're literally one click away from browsing your podcast inside their chosen listening app. And one more click away from hitting Play or Subscribe.

There's no education needed here. There's no “what is a podcast?”, no “find us at…”. It's simply down to the snippet you write when you create your ad. 

The ads are unobtrusive, yet clearly visible to the user. 

Costs vary on topic, and on-demand, but you can usually start advertising on Overcast from around $300.

Type: Short Task

Time Required: 15 minutes to set up. Runs for 1 month. 

Podcast Level: 3 episodes or more.

You need to sign up for an Overcast account at Overcast.fm.

Overcast is an iOS-only listening app, but anyone can sign up for an account on their computer.

Once you're in, go to overcast.fm/ads where you'll see the full details. This includes info on current pricing and estimated reach.

As you'll see, ads are broken out into different categories. Naturally, the cost is higher for the more popular ones. You can see how many slots are available, and which ones are currently sold out. If it's one of the sold out ones you're after, you can ask to be notified when they become available.

Once you select a category, you'll click through to a page where you can customise your snippet. You’ll want to write a sentence or two that acts as a ‘hook’, to be displayed alongside the podcast name and cover art. 

If you leave this blank, Overcast will use the start of the description in your feed. It’s much better to write something in there that doesn’t cut off. Try adding “Click here to get started”, if you have the room. 

Then, you can preview your ad, before reviewing your purchase, and making the payment. It's really simple.

Task List: 

• Sign up for an Overcast account at Overcast.fm.
• Select your targeted podcast category.
• Customise your snippet.
• Preview your ad.
• Complete your purchase.

Further Reading: Promoting Your Podcast on Overcast

Check out the full book - Podcast Growth: How to Grow Your Podcast Audience 

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Check out the full book - Podcast Growth: How to Grow Your Podcast Audience 

When you’ve published a decent amount of episodes, you might consider re-writing your scripts and notes from each one into an ebook. You can give this away as an incentive to people who contribute to you through a fundraising campaign, or as a reward for signing up for your mailing list. You can even publish it and offer it for sale through Amazon’s self-publishing channels.  It’s a good way to encapsulate your information, while also rewarding your audience for their commitment. 

Type: Big Strategy

Time Required: One month to plan, compile, re-write, and publish

Podcast Level: At least ten episodes

So, you have a basic script of talking points for each episode (or, better yet, you have transcripts). You have your show notes, and you also have any blog posts or visual aids. You also have an audience that’s interested in your show’s topic. 

For each episode, put together any notes or talking points you used, your transcript if you have one, any visual aids that you might have posted on your website or Instagram, and your show notes and blog post for the episode. 

Look at this information as a whole. What’s the cohesive narrative? What did you learn about your podcast’s topic, as you went through the process of making this podcast? What have you learned about it from your audience and your guests? This is a good time for you to encapsulate what you’ve learned so far, and what you can share with others. 

Edit this information into one cohesive document. A reasonable ebook usually runs about 7,000 to 10,000 words. As long as you’re covering the most important points in your information, explaining them clearly, and giving your audience value, length doesn’t matter. 

It’s always a good idea to have someone unbiased and skilled proofread your document before sending it anywhere. You can find someone who does book editing services on Fiverr, or trade services with a friend. A good designer can make sure your ebook is pleasing to the eye and enjoyable to read. If you prefer the DIY route, you can make a pretty good book cover in Canva. 

You can save this as one PDF, and give it to your supporters directly. This makes a great gift for the people who have supported you, as well as a good enticement for a new audience. 

You can also publish it through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing. This lets you set the price, earn royalties, and publish in either digital or paperback. 

Task List: 

• Organize your show notes, scripts/talking points, transcripts, visual aids, and blog posts for each episode.  
• Take note of what you’ve learned through this process. 
• Write a book, using the information you’ve compiled. 
• Get an unbiased, skilled editor to proofread and edit your book. 
• Have a designer make sure your fonts and layout look good, and design a quality cover. 
• Share this book with your supporters. 

Check out the full book - Podcast Growth: How to Grow Your Podcast Audience 

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Check out the full book - Podcast Growth: How to Grow Your Podcast Audience 

Podcast-themed beer mats or coasters! This is a “helpful” way of distributing your podcast logo or branding around pubs and bars in your area. A little cardboard coaster is a useful thing in these places. They help keep the table dry, and some folks even collect them. If your design is intriguing enough, a person resting their glass on one may pull out their phone and subscribe to your podcast there and then. 

Type: Ongoing task

Time Required: One month from design through to creation and delivery. Ongoing strategy to distribute. 

Podcast Level: At any time

The starting point is your coaster design. What are you going to put on there to catch people’s eye? 

Your podcast logo can be a good choice here, just like with stickers or magnets. But, unlike those, you have a bit more time with the person looking at your coaster. They’re also up close to it, so it doesn’t need to work in an at-a-glance sort of way.  

I actually recommend getting yourself 2-4 different designs. A typical bar or pub table sits 4 people, so you can leave 4 different coasters which could even spark some discussion amongst the folks who sit there next. 

Could you create one using a quote from a podcast review? Or, from yourself or an interview guest on the show? You can use humour or intrigue to make the person looking at it want to find out more. As always, it comes down to your own brand and tone, as well as your target audience. 

You should always have your podcast’s name on each coaster. Get your URL on there too. Make sure the people who want to find out more, actually can. 

Cardboard coasters are relatively cheap to have made. Many online printing services offer this service, and you’ll generally pick up bundles of 100 to 250 with each design. 

Next comes the distribution. I use this guerrilla marketing tactic myself; I’ll shove a stack of them in my jacket pocket if I’m heading on a day out somewhere. Each time I’m in a pub, I’ll stick coasters under all of our glasses at the table. When we leave, other folks will sit there, and who knows? One might even go on to become the show’s biggest fan. 

You can also harness the power of your listeners by running a competition. Ask them to take a picture of their drinks proudly sitting on your coasters when they’re out somewhere. You can run a hashtag for this so everyone can see each other’s pictures, too. 

This is a fun way to market your podcast, because you never know who’s going to sit down and start studying your “ad” next. Also, it’s a great excuse to get some friends together and go for a drink one weekend! 

Task List: 

• Have 2-4 different types of coaster design made. 
• Use your logo, but also consider things like quotes from reviews or from the show itself. 
• Remember to have the podcast name, or even a URL on them. 
• Each time you’re going to be in a cafe, pub, or bar, take some with you. 
• Put them under the glasses or cups on your table as you drink. 
• When you leave, leave them for the next people who’ll sit there. 
• Consider running listener competitions to see how many bars around the world you can get photos of your coasters “in action”. 

Further Reading: thepodcasthost.com/guerrilla

Check out the full book - Podcast Growth: How to Grow Your Podcast Audience 

Support the show (https://pod.academy)

Check out the full book - Podcast Growth: How to Grow Your Podcast Audience 

Despite the many hundreds of ways listeners can consume podcasts these days, Apple Podcasts/iTunes is still comfortably the biggest platform in the world. Over 60% of podcast listening happens there. 

We know from our own data that when listeners want to find new content to listen to, around 40% of them take to searching their podcast listening app first. 

Looking at those two stats, it isn’t hard to conclude that if you were listed by Apple as a “featured” podcast, you’d likely pick up a few new listeners.  

In fact, we know this ourselves first hand. In August 2017, one of our shows – Hostile Worlds – was featured on the front page of iTunes and Apple Podcasts. We’ll link to the article where we break down our listening numbers from that period in the Further Reading section. 

Type: Big task

Time Required: Months of planning - 10 minutes to submit your podcast

Podcast Level: 4 episodes or more

How to Do It

It’s important to stress that there’s no way to guarantee getting featured there. You need to show Apple you’ll be publishing content that they reckon is feature-worthy. It’s also important to stress that said episode is not yet published. 

Apple will consider featuring a podcast on their front page if it’s something topical or noteworthy. For example, if a show is going to have a famous guest on their show. This person must be widely famous – “someone your mum has heard of” – and not just “niche famous”. This might be an author or musician with a new book or album. Apple sells these products, so they like to help market them.

A famous guest could also be a sports star ahead of a big final, or an actor around the time of a movie premier. 

It doesn’t need to be due to a guest though. It might be because your episode will focus on a major event or news story. That was the case with Hostile Worlds, and the Cassini Mission to Saturn.

Apple Submission Form

You’ll find the Apple submission form at thepodcasthost.com/appleform

They’re looking for at least 2 weeks lead time here, prior to the publishing of your noteworthy episode. They’d also like to know how you’re going to promote and market this episode on their platform. This might include things like linking to your show in Apple on your episode post, and tagging them in social media posts around the episode. 

Task List: 

• Plan an episode that Apple may be interested in featuring
• Fill out the submission form at least 2 weeks prior to the episode going live
• Let Apple know how you’ll be promoting and marketing the episode on their platform

Further Reading: 

• Apple Submission Form
• Podcast Discovery Stats
• How Many Downloads Did We Get on the Front Page of iTunes/Apple Podcasts?

Check out the full book - Podcast Growth: How to Grow Your Podcast Audience 

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Check out the full book - Podcast Growth: How to Grow Your Podcast Audience 

Nope, it’s not a new breakfast cereal. It’s a journalism and/or marketing strategy. The name comes from vox populi, or voice of the people. It’s a way of sketching out public opinion at a particular place and time. By asking a lot of different people the same question, you can get a lot of perspective on a bit of truth. This is also often used for comic effect by Jimmy Kimmel, and parodied by A Bit of Fry and Laurie. If you watch television, you have seen vox pops. 

Type: Short Task

Time Required: A hour to record, an hour to edit

Podcast Level: 5-10 episodes

How to Do It

Come up with a good episode topic, and one or maybe two related questions.  Put together a remote recording rig which you can carry easily, such as a hand-held digital recorder and a pair of headphones. Go to a place with good foot traffic, but not so crowded that you’ll have to shout to be heard. Think about places where your podcast topic would be relevant. If your podcast is about fly fishing, try the parking lot of a fishing spot, or partner with a bait and tackle shop. If your podcast is about quilting, check out a fabric shop. 

Bring some of your podcast business cards with you so you can easily share details of where to find the show. 

Participants do have to give you permission to record them. But you don’t have to fill out a contract, just keep a recording of them saying “yes, you have my permission to record me.”

If you see people who look like they might be interested, ask if they’d be up for participating in an interview for a podcast. Be aware that people might not be, and that has nothing to do with you: they might be on their way to work, headed home, or simply wanting privacy. Some people will want to participate. Keep it light, keep it quick, and give them a card so they can listen later. 

Task List: 

• Come up with a good episode topic, and one or maybe two related questions.  
• Practice working with your remote recording rig, and saving the sound files.  
• Get some business cards with your show information on them. 
• Take your recording rig to a local spot with a reasonable amount of foot traffic. Bring a friend. 
• Ask people if they’d be interested in participating in an interview for a podcast.
• Tell them about your podcast and offer them a card right away. That way, even if they say no, they’ve heard of your podcast. 
• After you record them, thank them. Remind them that they’ll be able to hear themselves on your podcast, and they should tell their friends. 

Also Mentioned

• The Best Podcast Digital Recorders on the Market
• Shure SM58 Mic
• Samson Q2U Mic
• Zoom PodTrak P4 Podcast Recorder

Check out the full book - Podcast Growth: How to Grow Your Podcast Audience 

Support the show (https://pod.academy)

Check out the full book - Podcast Growth: How to Grow Your Podcast Audience 

A montage episode is a piece of audio content, made up of clips from different contributors.

A tried and tested way of creating one is to build the episode around a single topic or question. Each participant records their answer to the question, and sends over their audio to the creator.

You can collect clips from anyone from the general public, to your podcast listeners. In this particular instance, we want to create one with fellow podcasters in our niche. 

Type: Big Strategy

Time Required: Around 3 months, from planning to publishing 

Podcast Level: About 10 episodes, or at the end of a season

Firstly, you need to decide on a topic for your episode. Choose something that’s going to be interesting and useful to the audiences of all involved. 

Some examples of montage episodes could include

• An episode of a travel podcast, where contributors talk about their favourite holiday destination
• An episode of a sound design podcast, where contributors talk about their favourite audio production software
• An episode of a health podcast, where contributors talk about their morning routines

You may be asking a single question, but it's a good idea to have some prompts alongside it.

Imagine the hypothetical travel podcast creates a montage episode titled “The World's Best Holiday Destinations”, and one of the clips is someone simply saying “Jamaica”. That would be a pretty dull and pointless episode.

When asking for contributions, you might expand on the question “what is your favourite holiday destination?” with any of the following;

• Why did you choose to go there?
• What’s your favourite memory of the place?
• What’s something that surprised you about it?
• What's your top tip for someone planning to go there in the future?

This will help give yourself the best possible chance of gathering great, insightful content.

Decide too, if you'd like to put an approximate time guide on answers. Between 3-5 minutes is always a good sweet spot. But don't be too strict with this, or you'll discourage folks from participating.

You’ll want to set a deadline for getting the clips back, so you can begin production. Lay out specific instructions in an easy-to-skim manner. These are things like

• When you need the clip sent over by
• Where or how to send it
• Any file format or naming preferences 

Once you have the clips together, assemble them in a good running order. You can then script your own parts in the episode - the intro and outro, as well as any commentary you’d like to add in between clips. 

When you’ve published a montage episode, be sure to reach out to everyone involved and ask them to share it with their own listeners. Everyone’s podcast can grow with this strategy, on top of it being great content for the collective audience. Everyone wins! 

Task List: 

• Identify the podcasts you’d like to collaborate with
• Come up with a useful and interesting episode topic
• Reach out to them with your proposal
• Sell the benefits to them - this can help grow their reach!
• Lay out your specific instructions
• Gather in audio clips
• Record and intro and outro, and any commentary 
• Mix episode together
• Publish 
• Share with all involved - ask them to share it too

Check out the full book - Podcast Growth: How to Grow Your Podcast Audience

Support the show (https://pod.academy)

Check out the full book - Podcast Growth: How to Grow Your Podcast Audience

This is where your love of your podcast’s topic will take the wheel. Let’s say you have a podcast about thrift (charity) shops. So you join a group on Facebook dedicated to unusual thrift shops. People post pictures and talk about great shops they’ve found, unusual things they’ve seen or bought in thrift shops, and so on. If you come in on day one saying “Hello everyone, I have a podcast about thrift shops and you all should listen to it,” you’ll just alienate people. What you owe it to yourself to do is read, watch, and see what the content and dynamic of the group are. How compatible are their discussions with your podcast? What are the big concerns? Are they talking about Goodwill vs. Salvation Army, or the prevalence of costume jewellery? You might find shop owners to interview, or topics to discuss on your podcast. When you feel comfortable, and you’ve added some value to the group, then mention that you have a podcast. 

Task List: 

• Find a few online communities related to your podcast’s topic. 
• Join them, follow the group guidelines, read and watch the group for a few weeks. 
• Let yourself be inspired by what’s happening in the group. 
• If there are discussions where you can honestly add value (i.e., “I know a great way to get stains out of velvet!”), then participate. 
• Use your knowledge and expertise with compassion. 

Links 

• Creating a 'Real Life' Podcast Community
• Building a Community Around Your Podcast
• Do Podcasters Need Social Media?

Check out the full book - Podcast Growth: How to Grow Your Podcast Audience

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