Pump Up Your Pod

As a creator, trying to find content that you want to create can be quite a challenge. It can feel like what you want to talk about is already out there in so many ways, that you don’t have anything unique to add to the conversation.

I understand the struggle. I know it is real.

Once you have decided on a topic that you’d like to create content around, what is the first thing that you do?

Generally, you write down the topic title and start to think about what you want to say. You might write down a few dot points on the topic. Perhaps you do a bit of research into the idea and start to gain some solid references that you can refer to. 

The time that it takes you to get through those first few steps can range wildly depending on how much research you do, and how wide the topic is. After that stage is complete, you setup your recording space, hit the record button and away you go.

You look through your dot points as you go, refer to your references and you feel like you’ve done a pretty damn good job.

And you probably have.

But did you engage your audience all the way through?

Did you provide the value that you were hoping to?

Is there enough content here with context that you can pull multiple smaller snippets out of to spread your content further?

If you think about that, maybe it hasn’t quite hit the mark, and that’s okay! I have an idea for you that will help you create more engaging content, that can be repurposed in more ways.

Welcome to the world of storyboarding.

A storyboard is used most frequently in the film and television industry. A storyboard is generally quite detailed, but for the purpose of your content creation, it doesn’t need to be.

The main areas I recommend you focus on in your storyboard creation are:

If you spend a little longer in your planning stage, I can guarantee that you’ll be able to pull out more impactful snippets from your content. 

Treat your Action Steps like “silos” of content within the broader topic and you’ll be able to create three times more usable content from the one piece. 

If you would like help structuring your content, book a 90min content planning session below. 

RESOURCES:

90min Content Planning Session with Brianna

YouTube Channel

Website

Join The Pod Lovers free community:

www.thepodlovers.com

Equipment Used To Record This Episode:

Shure SM7B Microphone

Rode PS1A Boom Arm

Rodecaster Pro II

Rode NTH100 Headphones

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the concerns I hear a lot from podcasters is that they don’t know how to stop themselves from talking so fast. It can feel like a jumbled mess for some people! Whether it’s nerves, the uncertainty of what to say or some weird thing that happens as soon as you’re in front of a microphone, I’m sharing some tips today to help you sloooooww doooowwn. 

The first key to slowing down is to breathe. Pretty basic right? But a lot of people don’t actually breathe properly and through decades of singing lessons and stage performances, this is something I’ve learned to do really well. In this episode, I share a nice breathing exercise to help you expand your diaphragm, calm your body down and help your mind and body get into the right mode for recording. 

I also talk about the helpfulness of having a prompt for what you’re going to talk about. A lot of podcasters like to freestyle their content, which is great, but it also can lead to a lot of fast talking ramble. No one likes that. So, jot a few bullet points down to help you stay on track and know that you don’t have to fill every bit of silence. I know it feels awkward, but it’s ok to pause! In fact, it’s necessary. So slow things down, take a breath and allow yourself the space to pause.

In true Bamby fashion, I also share some great tips that are a bit ridiculous but will really help you slow down. You might feel like a bit of an idiot, so watch along with me on YouTube and we can do it together!

Go ahead and practice these tips at home because learning to talk at a slower pace is really going to benefit everyone involved. As the host, you’ll feel more calm and present when recording, your listener will feel more engaged and your podcast editor will thank you for it!

RESOURCES:

Book in for a 60min strategy consult with Brianna here

YouTube Channel

Website

Join The Pod Lovers free community:

www.thepodlovers.com

Equipment Used To Record This Episode:

Shure SM7B Microphone

Rode PS1A Boom Arm

Rodecaster Pro II

Rode NTH100 Headphones

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When I started looking back at the last few years and assessed what are the busiest months for not only podcasters, but the podcast industry in general, it was clear that October and November are bonkers.

So how do we plan for months like this, and what can we learn from previous years?

One of the best ways to make sure that you're stacking the content that you really want to make sure you get out before the end of the year, is by batching. Yes, I know that's a "dirty word" for most because they find it hard enough to get one episode recorded, let alone a bunch.

But you're going to feel the benefits of this of the next few months if you take the time to plan some content, block out a few sessions and record the things you want to have ready.

October and November are the months in business where everything seems to happen at once. If you're a service based business you're probably encountering a lot more enquiries for your services. Customers want to lock things in before the end of the year, they want to tie a pretty little bow around projects that have been going on for some time.

If you're a product based business, well you're about to get slammed for the holiday period. As much as I dislike the "holiday spend" period personally, it's great for the product based businesses. Be strategic about what you're sharing on your podcasts to give yourselves the best chance of finishing the year strong.

It's not the time to be starting a whole new strategy, but it is a great time to start thinking about what your strategy is going to be for the next year.

There are a lot of aspects to think about as you gear up for the end of the year, but don't freak out. Take half an hour to yourself and think about how you want to attack the remainder of the year.

Then give yourself a break!

RESOURCES:

Book in for a 60min strategy consult with Brianna here

YouTube Channel

Website

Join The Pod Lovers free community:

www.thepodlovers.com

Equipment Used To Record This Episode:

Shure SM7B Microphone

Rode PS1A Boom Arm

Rodecaster Pro II

Rode NTH100 Headphones

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’m throwing some serious shade on the Blue Yeti microphone here on the podcast, and if this is the microphone that you’re using to record your podcast, you may dislike my musings.

When first starting a podcast, a lot of podcasters search for a USB microphone that they can use to record their show. They do a quick google search for “best podcasting microphone” and one of the top search results for a USB mic, is the Blue Yet Microphone.

They purchase that microphone because it looks cool first and foremost. I personally think it looks a little bit too phallic….but I digress. It’s a bit retro, it has its own stand, it comes in a few colours…what’s not to love?

Well dear listener, there are a few things not to love and I break it down for you in this episode.

Purchase Podcasting Gear:

https://www.bambymedia.com/podcast-equipment

Our Next Podcast Growth Masterclass:

HOW BOOST YOUR ORGANIC REACH

When: Tuesday, 16th August, 2022

Time: 12pm - 1pm

Where: Online via Zoom

Our website:

www.bambymedia.com

Join The Pod Lovers free community:

www.thepodlovers.com

Our socials:

Bamby Media YouTube Channel

@bamby_media

Equipment Used To Record This Episode:

Shure SM7B Microphone

Rode PS1A Boom Arm

Avalon 727 vt Pre Amp

Rodecaster Pro II

Rode NTH100 Headphones

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Picking a good title for an episode is one of the most common questions we get here at Bamby Media. It’s actually really tricky! How do you know what makes a good title?

Firstly, let’s consider the reasons why you want a good title. The main reason is what you’d expect - you want a title that is clickbaity. Something intriguing enough that someone can’t help but want to listen to it.

The other is because of the title's importance for organic reach. 

How effective is your title at turning up in searches? (I have a Podcast Masterclass coming up that talks specifically to organic reach and we go into this in a lot of depth).

Searches are based on your podcast title, episode title and episode description. You really want to make sure they are full of SEO keywords that are related to the topic you’re discussing, otherwise you’re really missing out.

Organic reach is really important when you’re starting out. You want to reach those listeners that have never heard of you, and you can do this via keyword searches.

So definitely think about your episode titles:

I also run through some less than ideal episode titles, and give you some valuable tips on how to improve the effectiveness of them.

There are a few other ways you can optimise titles - it’s pretty lengthy! If you are interested in learning more I’m running a Masterclass specifically on organic reach where we take a deep dive into great podcast titles.

So - think about your titles and think about how you can really upgrade and improve them, to get those people interested in your topics that previously had no idea your podcast existed.

Our Next Podcast Growth Masterclass:

HOW TO BOOST YOUR ORGANIC REACH

When: Tuesday, 16th August, 2022

Time: 12pm - 1pm

Where: Online via Zoom

Our website:

www.bambymedia.com

Join The Pod Lovers free community:

www.thepodlovers.com

Our socials:

Bamby Media YouTube Channel

@bamby_media

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Copyright isn’t something you’d necessarily think about when you’re in podcasting, but it’s a factor you definitely need to consider.

You can’t copyright a topic or idea, but the words you say in your podcast episodes belong to you. In this episode, I’m talking about whether your podcast content is protected by copyright, some of the legal considerations, and what you can do to make sure no one steals your stuff!

Thankfully in Australia, it’s pretty simple to copyright your content. Always write down your ideas and keep a record of them. Where it gets murky is when someone puts their own spin on something you’ve said. You can’t really stop people from doing that! Although it’s somewhat of a compliment to you if someone is copying your content, I talk about when or why you might want to get a lawyer involved.

A really important area you need to understand copywriting is music. Every piece of music you use, no matter how small, MUST be licensed properly. As a musician, I can’t stress enough how important it is to make sure you have the right license in place for the music you’re using! For Bamby Media clients, we take care of all the licensing, read all the fine print, and arrange all this to make sure the artists are remunerated accordingly for their work. 

I also discuss trademarks, the difference between trademarking and copyrighting, and share some great resources for you to find out everything you need to know.

When it comes to anything legal, make sure you always read the fine print. And for anyone out there who wants to copy someone else without asking, don't do that. That's bad. Very bad.

Resources:

Rise Up In Business Podcast

Artlist

Articles explaining copyright in podcasting:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/blog/copyright-for-podcasters

https://www.creativelive.com/blog/podcast-legal-issues/

https://blog.simplecast.com/podcast-copyright-lawyer/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the podcast I’m going to talk to you about YouTube.

I know - you’re probably sitting there thinking, “but I’m already doing ALL the things”.

Before you think I’m just adding another thing to your list, let me run you through the numbers. 

YouTube is now the third biggest way in the US that people  listen to podcasts. In Australia, YouTube is number one! Very, very closely followed by Spotify and Apple. Honestly - if you feel that your target market is on YouTube, you have to get onboard with it.

In this episode I run through some easy ways you can work out if your target market is on YouTube and, if they are, the reasons why being there could be really helpful for organic growth.

Importantly, you don’t need to have a video recorded. At the very least you can have episode artwork and, in really excellent news, YouTube no longer penalizes static images. I share lots of creative options you can use to get around not needing to have a fancy video recorded.

I also talk about the ways you can be onboard and engage with YouTube that doesn’t require a bunch of time, but still enables you to build a slow growing presence. 

Slow growth. This is key - don’t jump onto YouTube and expect an explosion in growth. And even more importantly, don’t use it as a vanity metric. The focus is not on the number of views, but on getting your material up there and allowing people that want to find you, find you. The point is for it to sit there and slowly grow.

So - think about YouTube, think about the ways you can use it to your advantage, and if you’d like some help with it, get in touch with us here at Bamby Media.

And for a more in depth look at a bunch of growth topics, then take a look at my monthly masterclasses on our Pod Lovers+, which you can join from within our Pod Lovers free community.

Resources:

Article mentioned in this episode 

Grab a ticket to our MASTERCLASS on BOOSTING THE ORGANIC REACH OF YOUR PODCAST - Tuesday 16th August 2022

Join THE PODLOVERS+

Shure SM7B - the microphone I used in this episode

60min Podcast Strategy Session - Book Here

30min Podcast Strategy Session - Book Here

Our website:

www.bambymedia.com

Join The Pod Lovers free community:

www.thepodlovers.com

Our socials:

Bamby Media YouTube Channel

@bamby_media

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is your podcast available via Google Podcasts?

You may have assumed that Google’s all-knowing machine would’ve picked up your podcast and put it front and centre when showing search results but you actually have to do an extra step to get there. 

In this episode, I’m sharing exactly what Google Podcasts Manager is and the reasons why it's such a useful tool for your podcast. 

When you’ve submitted your podcast to Google Podcasts Manager, using your RSS feed and your email address, your podcast will show up in Google searches in the Podcast section, as well as Google Assistant, Google Home and the Google Podcast app. This is so important because it’s the most common method people use to look up new podcasts so, of course, you want to be visible and direct people to your show! 

Google Podcasts Manager also provides you with valuable ‘Impressions’ that include how often a listener sees a link to your show (or specific episode) based on keywords they have searched for. This is incredibly useful information to see which episodes and topics are resonating with new audiences. You’ll also find out how many clicks you’re getting from searches and more handy insights that I’ll run you through in this episode. 

Don’t worry, if you’re a client of ours at Bamby Media we’ve already submitted you to Google Podcasts through the Google Podcasts Manager when you first signed so you have nothing left to do. We also provide Strategy Consults that our clients can book where we go into all of the back ends of the statistics and information available to give you an audit on exactly how you’re going, trends and what you can focus on in the future. 

Tune into today's episode to learn more.

Previous episode mentioned: 

Podcast statistics you should be tracking

Resources:

Grab a ticket to our MASTERCLASS on UNDERSTANDING YOUR STATS - Tuesday 12th July 2022

Join THE PODLOVERS+

Shure SM7B - the microphone I used in this episode

60min Podcast Strategy Session - Book Here

30min Podcast Strategy Session - Book Here

Our website:

www.bambymedia.com

Join The Pod Lovers free community:

www.thepodlovers.com

Our socials:

Bamby Media YouTube Channel

@bamby_media

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I know you're SO enthused to read a title like that one, but truly this is information that you podcasters out there should all know.

The latest research has come out from Edison Research in collaboration with Triton Digital and there are some particularly intriguing findings in relation to the world of podcasting in Australia for 2022.

In this episode, I break down a few of the statistics that I find to be the most useful, and how these trends are informing where the industry is going on the whole.

If you have a podcast, or you're looking to start a podcast soon then give this episode a listen.

Resources I Mentioned:

The Infinite Dial

Grab a ticket to our MASTERCLASS on UNDERSTANDING YOUR STATS - Tuesday 12th July 2022

Join THE PODLOVERS+

Rode NT-USB Mini - the microphone I used in this episode

Our website:

www.bambymedia.com

Join The Pod Lovers free community:

www.thepodlovers.com

Our socials:

Bamby Media YouTube Channel

@bamby_media

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you've clicked on this episode purely because you don't even understand what "listener consumption rate" means, then you are absolutely in the right place.

Listen in!

Your podcast host of choice (Buzzsprout, Podbean, Captivate...etc) does a pretty damn good job of providing you with really solid statistics about the kinds of people listening to your show.

Your host can tell you information such as how many downloads you're receiving per episode, when people are listening, what country they are from, what city they leave in and a few other bits and pieces.

What almost all podcast hosts can't show you at the moment is how much of each episode a person is listening to. That is incredibly powerful information because it will inform how you record your content.

Apple Podcasts Connect has recently updated the analytics in the backend of your show to give you this information, along with some other stats around your actual follower count (hooray).

In today's episode, I go through what the average listener consumption rate means, and why you should be tracking it to make sure that you're providing the content that your listenership wants to engage with.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Masterclasses or PodLovers+

Apple Podcasts Connect

Spotify for Podcasters

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.