School of Podcasting: Expert Tips for Launching and Growing Your Podcast

Last week we talk about media hosts, this week we are talking about your Web Host, and what to do if you hate yours.

Sponsor: Podcast Movement

I am so looking forward to Podcast Movement. This is the largest Podcast Event that is solely geared toward podcasting. Being face to face with people is the best way to grow your network, and take advantage of all the opportunities. Starting a podcast is a great way to build your network, and coming to an event is like building your network on steroids. I got to talk to Marc Maron a couple of years ago. He just showed up to one of the networking parties, and I said hello and started talking. I can't do that sitting in my chair in my office.

- Podcast Movement is the world's largest gathering of new and veteran podcasters, or anyone looking to start their own podcast the right way

- Join over 2,000 podcasters from around the world in Philadelphia this July 23 through 26 for three days of workshops, panels, parties and more

- The conference offers over 100 sessions on topics ranging from the technical aspects of setting up your equipment and the audio production to marketing and monetizing your current or future show.

- The expo hall features over 60 podcast service and equipment providers, so whether you're in the market for a microphone, or trying to figure out where to host your podcast, anyone who matters will be on site to help you out

It's Jule 23 - 26th in Philadelphia PA.

Use the code SOP when you sign up at www.podcastmovement.com

Do You Need a Podcast Website?

After all, can't I just use a media host and a Facebook page? To this I say, would you buy a car from a person selling them out of a tent? If you ever plan on telling people where to find something, you NEED a website. Case in point, if you do a real estate podcast and say "Find me in Apple Podcasts" you have a very good chance of not being found. Not because the search tools bad (it could be improved) but because there are so many real estate shows. The same goes for Entrepreneur shows.  The solution is instead of saying "Find me in (whatever) app" is to say go to mywebsite.com/subscribe and I've got a tutorial that will walk you through the process.

You Can Get A Website For Free

Of the media hosts I recommend (Libsyn.com, Blubrry.com, Podbean.com) they all have a basic website that comes with your plan. How basic is basic? You can listen and have people subscribe to your show. If you're looking to add products, newsletters, scripts to see what they click on, etc, then you need your own website. You can do some of that with their basic site. For example, while you can't put a MailChimp sign up form on a site that doesn't' allows javascript, you can use the link they provide to link to your sign up form that mailchimp provides. With this in mind, there are ways to work around some of the things that are out of bounds.

What Do You Need On Your Podcast Website?

1. A Play button.
2. An About page
3. A Contact page
4. A subscribe page

A Play Button

You need a play button because asking someone to subscribe to a show they've never heard is like asking someone to pay for a sandwich they've never eaten. Your play button is like the person at the mall who gives out samples of chicken at the food court. They give you a sample and hope your purchase. With podcasts, you make it easy to play and hope they subscribe. One other note, there are still some people who do not have smartphones.

An About Page

Your About page should explain how your audience is going to benefit from listening to your show. Think of your target listener looking at your listing. What are you going to say to convince them? I recently look at my description of the School of Podcasting and it needs work. In the first sentence, I mention that I've been podcasting since 2005. I often introduce myself that way is it speaks to my experience, but I'm not sure that is the first thing to lead with. In general, most people don't' care how the sausage is made. Explain what they are going to get, how they are going to benefit or fell upon listening to your show.  The beauty of this is you can always change it late

The tough part is some consultants have a website for their consulting, and then add a podcast. Do you have a paragraph for the show or for the host? The answer is both. The harder question is which one is first? If your goal is to get hired as a consultant, then put your paragraph first. If you are hoping to use your podcast to build that relationship that leads to more consulting, then maybe you put the podcast paragraph first.

Your Contact Page

I put every way you can contact me on my contact page. Email, voicemail, social media, etc. This way if someone wants to contact me, they only need to look in one place. If you are using some sort of form, be sure to use the form yourself and make sure you get the message.

A Subscribe Page

As more and more podcasts are added to different directories, telling people to find you is becoming less and less of a good thing to say. As more NEW podcast listeners get involved with podcasting telling them to subscribe may fall on deaf ears. Instead, make a page that shows people how to subscribe to your show with links directly to your show on the top platforms. Currently, in 2018 I recommend Apple Podcasts/iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, and Google Play Music (I have tutorials for all of these inside the School of Podcasting)

Web Hosting Has a New Breed

In past, I've used Hostgator (and was even a reseller), and BlueHost (I've never had great luck with them), Godaddy (I am a reseller at www.coolerwebsites.com). Recently I new breed of websites came on board and these were geared to host sites built on Wordpress. I tried a few using Godaddy as a platform and thought I saw some increase in speed. Then I put a Wordpress website on what I will now call "Traditional" hosting, and can say the difference is notable. The fees are typically a little higher (A few dollars more a month), but the speed is higher. That's the good news. The bad news is most of these Wordpress Hosting Packages come with email addresses. This was the case when I hosted a WP Engine. I solved this by getting email through Google at the price of $5 a month per email. WP Engine is a fine company, but to make a long story short, if you get any kind of traffic you pay through the nose (At one point I was paying between 50-70 a month). This is why I liked Godaddy's Wordpress Hosting as it was around $10 a month for 400,000 visitors. I've been using them (again my reseller is www.coolwerwebsites.com) but then I heard about Siteground.

Siteground has Wordpress Designed packages, and they offer your email addresses as well. I moved some sites to their platform to test, and again noticed a speed increase with my pages loading. I finally chose to move the School of Podcasting to their platform (from WP Engine) and again saw an increase, plus I got as many email addresses as I want. Their support is AWESOME And I couldn't be happier. Oh yea, the price? $11.95 a month.  I am very happy to be saving some cash each month and getting more services.

How Do You Move Your Site?

The good news is most web hosts will move your site for free. Siteground did the School of Podcasting for free. However, I wanted to move more sites. They charge $30 to move your site over. So here is how I did it. I used ManageWP. I love this service. I installed a free plugin to my site, and paid $2 to back it up. I then installed WordPress with a few click on Siteground and updated my domain name to point at my blank site.

Here is a video that shows the power of Managewp

I know, there are all sort of ways to do this without having your site go offline, but this is a way to do it without having to go into a cpanel, use ftp, etc

I put a message on the front of the website saying we are moving and we would be going temporarily offline. I would refresh my screen every five minutes, and the minute I saw the deal Wordpress screen, I went into ManageWP and had them restore website from my backup. It worked flawlessly. So instead of paying $30, I paid $2. If I had used their service, they probably could do it without the site going offline, but you can choose your own path.

How Many Sites Can You Have on One Site Ground Plan?

(images at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/603 )

Currently, on their biggest plan I loaded the following sites: http://podcastreviewshow.com http://betterdave.com http://davesblanksite.com http://feedingmyfaith.com http://podcastingresources.com http://powerofpodcasting.com

As you can see on the left, I've got some room to grow. Most of these sites are fairly dead. You can see this information by going into the cpanel and looking on the left-hand side of the screen.

Wherever you host your website, be sure to have a backup, keep your themes and plugins up to date, and remove any plugins and themes you are not using (don't just deactivate them).

 

 

Adding Apple Podcasts Episode Numbers How

Last year Apple added the ability to add episode numbers to your show. These may come in handy later with different apps. Currently, you can now ask Siri to subscribe to your show. That makes it easy. In the future, there is speculation that you will be able to request an episode number if it is in place. There is also speculation that this field may be used by Amazon in skills for your podcast.

What if you already have a bunch of episodes?

If you're on Libsyn, currently ask Rob Walch ([email protected] ) to send you the secret link (as it's not public) and he will send you a link that makes it super easy to add your episodes to your entire back catalog in minutes.

If you're using Blubrry, you can edit your episode to enter the information

 

In terms of where do you start? I would start with the latest episode and work backward. It's not as easy to count that way, but for me, I feel your latest episodes are getting the most attention. If you are using Wordpress, you can right-click on the edit link and open in a window. This keeps you in the same location.

 

 Start Your Podcast at 

www.schoolofpodcasting.com/start

Got a Comment?

888-563-3228

As a podcast consultant, I like to try all sorts of technology to stay informed with what is going in the space. Today I'm going to talk about things to keep in mind when you move, how to move, and why or why not you should move. I also have a resource if you're moving your entire website without learning any code. 

First the disclosure. I was a customer of Libsyn.com for 10 years before becoming an employee almost two years ago. So when I talk about Libsyn competition, I do my best to keep my Libsyn employee hat off, and keep the Dave Jackson School of Podcasting hat on. I also have taken extra effort to base my comments on what happens. Now what I think should happen. I will be sure to tell you when something is an opinion and when something is a fact (as I know it). 

Here are my Updated Criteria for Podcast Media Hosting

1.  Don't mess with my file name*
2. Don't mess with my file format (bit rate, ID3 tags)
3. Give me the ability to have an unlimited back catalog (unlimited storage)
4. Don't limit my audience size (unlimited bandwidth)
5. Don't control my feed, and make it easy to leave if I choose to do so. I need to be able to put in a 301 redirect.
6. Give me support. Preferably within 24 hours.
7. Charge me for your service so you can stay in business
8. Give me stats so I can see what's working. It would be nice if they were accurate.
9. Support the iTunes Serial, Episodic, Season, and Episode Numbers
10. Be IAB Compliant (please note as of 1/2017 certification is not in place, when it is, I want me Podcast Media Host Certified)

*Some media hosts offer to inject your mp3 file with an advertisement and in those instances, they get a pass on this criteria.

So if I look at the following media hosts

Amazon S3  Buzzsprout.com  Podomatic.com Libsyn.com Blubrry.com Podbean.com Spreaker.com Soundcloud.com Simplecast.com Podmio.com Pinecast.com Whooska.com 

Here are the ones who made the cut

Libsyn.com

Blubrry.com

Podbean.com

Use the coupon code sopfree to get a free month at any of these services.

Full show notes at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/602

Because Of My Podcast - I Got To Hang With Rock Royalty

Paul Colligan has a client who invited him to comes to a charity event run by Alic Cooper where he got to meet Ace Frehley (Kiss) Slash (Guns and Rose) Edgar Winter, Rob Halford (Judas Priest), Alice Cooper and his wife Cheryl (WHO COOL IS THAT???!!!)

Find Paul at paulcolligan.com and check out The Podcast Report podcast.

BONUS

We previously reported how Emily form the Story Behind Podcast got a book offer, we can now say she has a book DEAL (the offer was approved). 

Check out Emily at www.thestorybehindpodcast.com

 

SPONSOR: 

Are you going to Podcast Movement? 

Podcast Movement is the world's largest gathering of new and veteran podcasters, or anyone looking to start their own podcast the right way

- Join over 2,000 podcasters from around the world in Philadelphia this July 24 through 26 for three days of workshops, panels, parties and more

- The conference offers over 100 sessions on topics ranging from the technical aspects of setting up your equipment and the audio production to marketing and monetizing your current or future show.

- The expo hall features over 60 podcast service and equipment providers, so whether you're in the market for a microphone, or trying to figure out where to host your podcast, anyone who matters will be on site to help you out

Use the code sop when you sign up at www.podcastmovement.com

Find a Guest - Be a Guest at Podcastguests.com 

I signed up at podcastsguests.com and I've already been asked to be a guest on a podcast after signing up as an expert. Today we talk with Andrew Alleman the creator of Podcastguests.com

I love this story as Andrew started it using free services, and has grown with a lot of blood, sweat, and money to build up the email list. 

• Sign up for free and get a list of potential guests who are available to be on your show
• Sign up as an expert and be featured in their email list that goes out to thousands of people (currently only $29)
• Some people are getting 20-30 responses to your call for guests (depending on how niche your show is)

The beauty of this story is Andrew did wait until he had everything in place. He started it an improved it over time based on user feedback. Your podcasts can do the same. Within two years Andrew now has 3000 people on his email list. 

Andrew's wife (Stacey Higginbotham)  also has a very popular podcast Internet of Things Podcast and Andrew handles the sponsorships for that show. Andrew explains how the typical podcaster should avoid using the CPM (price per thousands downloads) model as their pricing model as it doesn't work for the average podcast.

Andrew also do a show about the domain world at DomainNameWire.com

How Being a Guest Can Help Your Show

One of the things we need as podcast producers is more podcast listeners. When you appear on a podcast you are in front of people who already know how to listen to a podcast. Most podcast listeners say they hear about other podcasts on other shows. 

Go listen to the show you're going to be on. This way you can have a better understanding of their audience. 

Make sure your bio is up to date and provide a headshot for them to use and your podcast artwork.

Always confirm the day of the interview the data, time etc of the interview

When you are a guest, be a good guest and help promote the show you appeared on. 

How Using Guests Can Help Your Show

When you have guests that appear on your show (that bring value) you get insights and experiences that you may not have. They have stories to share, and strategies to help your audience. 

While many people feel a guest will tell their audience to listen. That is not always the case (so don't count on it), but as a podcaster you need to make sure the guest has everything they need to share your show (give them a pre-written tweet with an image, give them the link, make it a no-brainer to share).

Make sure to take the time to make your guest sound great (that might mean editing out ums, ya-knows, etc). Guests won't share shows where the interview was crap and the audio is worse.

Always confirm the day of the interview the data, time etc of the interview 

Ready To Start A Podcast?

Join the School of Podcasting at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/start

Have a Podcast That Needs Tweaking?

Order a one on one consultation with Dave. Schedule it now at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/schedule

Every 100 episodes, I break my format. Today I completely broke it and decided to try something I've heard others do and that is an "Ask Me Anything" episode. It was hard as people sent in some questions that were very hard. If you're a new listener looking for podcast help - this is not the episode for you, please go listen to any of the other episodes (Except episode 400, and 500).

Here are the questions:

00:38 A Quick Look Back

2:06 Binky and the Whiz

03:10 Craig from Ingles podcast and Kim From http://activetraveladventures.com/ want to know where I would travel too if money was not an issue.

06:16 Zack from Rasing Rents (pa Rents that is) want to know if I have Any Regrets in Life?

8:38 How Do I Win At Slot Machines? - Easy go to www.professorslots.com (I told Jon to Send this in so I could Plug his show).

09:21 Bobby from Live Nude Puppets wants to know if I believe in Bigfoot, If I have a Favorite Old Testament Character and my thoughts on a handmade guitar pick

13:25 Worst and First Concerts I've attended from Jason Bryant from Mat Talk Online (college wrestling shows)

17:56 Lee From the Covert Nerd Podcast wants to know what video games I played back in the day

20:31 Chris Hache (Noshing Nova Scotians) if I could put a billboard anywhere in the world, where would you put it, and what would it say?

22:14 Dave Got Shot at, at Point Blank Rank and Lived. Scott From the Computer Tutor Show (great computer tips) and Ron want the details.

31:04 Johnathon from Weekly Awesome wants to know if my childhood fueled a passion for podcasting?

34:32 Brad from the Cinema Guys wants to know my top three movies and bottom three?

37:47 Marc from the Talk Star Wars Toybox Daily Show wants to know if I have any Star Wars collectibles?

38:55 Win from Butterflies of Wisdom wants to know the Origins of Bernie the Cat and How I ended up with him?

42:48 Binky wants to know what its like to whack your cat.

43:47 The Ghost of Bernie

44:05 Darren from www.donkeytells.com wants to know about my Favorite High School Moment.

Where I Will Be

Pofest Multimedia Expo Feb 8-1

Social Media Marketing World Feb 28- March 2

 

Ready To Start Your Podcast

I can help you with One on One Coaching, or you can join the School of Podcasting

Subscribe to the School of Podcasting on iTunes

Every year I read/listen to the book Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World. For me, this is the same as a football go saying, We need to get back to the basics. It reminds me of what my goals are as a content creator. In the book, Michael talks about making good content isn't really good enough anymore if you really want to get noticed. You need to make content that makes people go WOW. Then this response is followed by them telling a friend.

Two Podcasts Episodes That Made Me Go WOW!

Episode 100 of the Story Behind Podcast - Emily Create this Episode as a Musical. I had numerous people ask me if I had heard it. This episode too more than four days to assemble.

Carey Green on episode 81 of Podcastification did an episode comparing Skype, Ringr, Zencastr, Zoom, and Cleenfeed. Carey said that including research, recording, setup, editing, show notes, probably 8 to 12-ish hours, all done in chunks over the course of a month. Carey also runs Podcast Fast Track (audio editing and show notes)

Seth Resler who works for Jabs Media did an article on if there is or isn't a discovery problem in podcasting (read it here). While he had to do a little work to take all the answers and put them into an article that was easily read, he also pointed out, "It took years, because the only reason that the podcasting leaders that are quoted in that article responded to me at all is because I've invested years in the podcasting space, not just learning about the craft, but also building relationships at conferences and trade shows, and establishing my own credibility by writing, speaking, and hosting webinars about podcasting.

This Doesn't Mean Your Next Episode Should Take 14 hours

Please dont read this and think, "I need to spend at least 10 hours per episode. That's not my point. My point is that it takes some planning, it takes some strategy, it takes knowing your audience, and it takes some practice to create WOW content. 

Here are the ingredients to wow content ( Adapted for podcasting from Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World).

1. Surprise. Wow content should exceed expectations.  - The Stacking Benjamins has great information but also is pretty funny.
2. Anticipation.  Anticipating a wow experience is almost as good as the experience. David Hooper's latest episode of the Red podcast had a huge teaser at the end. 
3. Resonance. A wow experience touches the heart. It resonates at a deep level. It might even cause goosebumps or tears. Dictionary.com shows resonate as "to produce a positive feeling, emotional response, or opinion."
4. Transcendence. A wow experience connects you to something transcendent. Michael states, "You experience purpose, meaning, or even God. " Dictionary.com shows, "to rise above or go beyond; overpass; exceed," and "to outdo or exceed in excellence, elevation, extent, degree, etc. ; surpass; excel."
5. Clarity. A wow experience creates a moment when you see things with more clarity than ever before. I've had people tell me I do a really good job of explaining things.
6. Presence.  A wow experience has you experiencing the NOW. You are fully present.
7. Universality. A wow experience is experienced by everyone in the same way. 
8. Evangelism. A wow experience has to be shared. The minutes the content is done, you're already thinking of the people you need to tell.
9. Longevity. You can experience it time and time again without growing tired of it. 
10. Privilege. You're glad to be associated with it.

I wanted to add a few things of my own.

1. Scarcity/Uniqueness. You can't get it any place else
2. Bravery. People that have the courage to stand up and tell the truth
3. Intimacy. When someone shares intimate details of their life, this somewhat ties into Michaels surprise, but it makes people uncomfortable.

Other Things To Consider With Your Content

Managing your audience expectations. If you set the bar too high, you might leave the door open to disappointing your audience.

What about Passion? Audio Quality? Microphones? 

 

Mentioned In This Episode

Podcasting in Six Weeks Starts January 6th Join Now

Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World.

Jim Collison From the Average Gut Network

Ask the Podcast Coach

Jonathon Oaks Trival Warfare

Ravi from Subscribeme.fm and Coolcastplayer.com

Darwin Dave Dealing with My Grief

Master Kuldrin from Kuldrin's Krypt

SP from Better Podcasting

Alan Two Chairs No Waiting

Epodcast Productions (edit and show notes )

The Audacity to Podcast

David Hooper Red Podcast

Podcast Talent Coach

Podcast Review Show

Harry Durran - Podcast Junkies

Pat Flynn Smart Passive Income

Episode 598 Because of My Podcast Segment

Gallon Smashing Pranks on YouTube

Brother Love

Congressional Dish

John Lee Dumas

The Heroes Journey

Podfest.us Podfest Multimedia Expo in Florida 

Social Media Marketing World

Bernie The Cat Show

Let Me Help Start Your Podcast

Podcasting in Six Weeks Starts January 6th

School of Podcasting Self Paced Online Classes

One on One Consulting

Every year I wind up the year by asking you what your favorite podcast is (if you could only listen to one sh0w) and more importantly why is it your favorite show. Here are the responses:

2:53 Kit from Active Travel Adventures Podcast - She Loves StoryBrand as she learns things she can use in every show

3:36 Adam from Dark Knight Minute loves Digital Dads. He loves the inspiring message.

4:43 Anna Authentic Moments loves The Good Life Project by Jonathan Fields for the in-depth conversations

5:46 Darwyn Dave -Dealing with My Grief podcast enjoys the Grief Dreams  as it has similar views on the subject. Dave and Josh have bonded over the subject.

8:21 Ben from Modern Self Protection likes the Survival Podcast with Jack Spirko. He enjoys to tips to help you in your life every day (not just end of the world stuff)

9:42 Abby  from A time for Horses  loves the  Wooden Overcoats podcast because it's  really Really Funny

10:47 Brian from Engaging Missions likes The School of Podcasting for the interviews and engaging stories wrap up in a professional production

11:56 Clay from Fishnerds loves the Beyond Data podcast due to the  Uber geeky information about Fish

13:14 Daniel Everybody's National Parks loves the Wow in the World podcast as she can listen with the kids

14:28 Paul - Fighting Through Podcast (Great unpublished History) love Dan Carlin's  Hardcore History - The Storyteller's Storyteller, Content is just Awesome

18:32 Justin from Optimal Living Daily loves the Feed from Libsyn. They answer his questions and he gets information that is so good he needs to write it down.

19:28 Kim from Toastmasters 101  she loves the  Clifton Strengths Coaching Blog Theme Thursdays. They even have notes and worksheets you can print out

21:34 Matt from The Author Inside You Podcast really enjoys Ask Drone U  Matt has recently got into Drones and the info is informative and fun. They are also the perfect length.

22:19 Steve Stewart is still listening to Stacking Benjamins (for the fourth year in a row). It's informative, super creative, and very helpful for managing your finances

23:05 Randy Cantrell  from the Peer Advantage - His favorite podcast is the last one he listened to as he changes topics all the time.

24:09 Patrick and Aaron from the  Broken Line Podcast  loves the in-depth information provided by the Meat Eater Podcast

25:03 Scott From the Computer Tutor Podcast loves the  Podcast Rodeo Show for its honest, entertaining reviews of different podcasts.

28:30 Seth From geekvillradio.com and classicwrestingmemories.com loves the Rebel Force Radio and considers it the best Stars Wars podcast for its great production.

29:29 Cheri from the Creation Science 4 Kids Podcast just found and loves  The Story Grid podcast. It's great for helping people who write non-fiction write fiction. She feels deeply connected to the hosts and has purchased Shawn Coyne's book The Story Grid Book

31:59 Win Charles Butterflies of Wisdom like the Dreams in Drive podcast

32:38 Zack Raising Rents (as in paRENTS) love the  Based on a True Story Its where History meets Hollywood. I love history books, but don't have alot of time. He educates while he entertains me.

35:30 Erik K Johnson from the Podcast Talent Coach show likes Flippedlifestyle.com as they provide real-life strategies for making and selling products. They are real people, and they deliver more than theory.

39:09 I've created the ultimate Because of My Podcast Mega Mix spotlighting the many ways people have benefitted from launching their podcast.

This includes:

• Attending a taping of a TV show
• Speaking to celebrities, athletes, supreme justices, and others people we have no business speaking to..
• Getting paid to travel to different places (in some cases by 220%)
• Getting millions in sales from billion-dollar clients
• Getting Free Stuff
• Organizing Charity Events
• Building a network of resources and people
• Be contacted to write a book, to create videos
• Have their face on the cover of a comic book
• Getting free wine
• Getting numerous jobs
• Quit their job as a Doctor to do podcasting full time.
• Have boosted time with their family and now feel they have a purpose

Make 2018 the Year You Start Your Successful Podcast

Please let me help you in any of these ways

One on one podcast consulting I can help with any podcast situation

School of Podcasting Self Paced Tutorials (and Facebook Group, Live Coaching, Priority Email Support)

Podcasting in Six Weeks - Live Group Coaching starts January 6th (includes a year at the School of Podcasting). Be in iTunes by February. (A $5299 Value for $1499). Price goes up January 1st.

This weekend I had "Christmas" with most of my family as my brother goes to Florida for Christmas with his in-laws. We bought my nieces and nephews who are ages 8 and under some of the toys we grew up playing. I noticed that these games are often very simplistic.  What does this have to do with podcasting? Becuase sometimes we make things harder than they need to be.

 

Because Of My Podcast - I'm Getting to Talk to Some Very Cool People Darryl E. McCullough

Darryl hosts the Full Circle Podcast and helped launch National Podcast Power conference. Daryl has met actors, authors, politicians, YouTube Stars and more. If you want to get doors opened, start a podcast today.

Keeping Simple Is Sometimes All You Need

I spent the weekend playing with my great-nieces and nephew. We brought out some classc board games.

Battling Tops

My entire family ended up playing this game by the end of the day.  What makes it a great game is that it is easy to learn and the action is fast and furious. The tops come out the gate very fast and often one or two of the tops go flying out of the arena. You pull a "string" (now a plastic tie with teeth) and the tops go into what amounts to a bowl and bounce off each other. The last one in the bowl spinning wins. Simple.

Checkers

This is another game that takes very little skill, and you get to the action fairly quickly. It takes some thought and strategy.

Hide and Go Seek

This game requires the ability to count to ten Mississippi. There is suspense, and tension as you wait to see if you can get home without being caught. Here again, it requires a good hiding spot and strategy to determine when you would try to "go home."

I love helping people understand the best path to get to your podcast going in the right direction. There are times when people ask a question and they expect a simple answer, but the absolute truth about podcasting is there are very few absolute truths. The other thing I want to talk about today is letting your personality shine.

So many people make podcasting harder than it is. Don't get me wrong there is still a learning curve, but some time we make the curve much higher than it needs to be.

Sometimes Too Much Technology Can Take the Fun Out of Things

I do a show called "Ask the Podcast Coach" and at one point I had a cohost located in another state, a phone line coming in (with a screen where I could put people on hold and see my callers), and I had a chat room. I streamed it live on Google Hangouts (now YouTube live), as well as mixlr.com and spreaker.com When I started the show I needed eight arms to start everything.

My co-host and I Jim Collison (from theaverageguy.tv) noticed that most of our questions come in via chat. We still offer the ability to join the Google Hangout, but I would say 98% of our questions come in via chat. We also stream the show via Google Hangout and based on audience feedback, only stream via mixlr.com (for those who want an audio only).

Simple Can Work and Sound Great

My friend Cale Nelson from the Modern Christian Men show (and previously Ham Radio 360) got an email from a listener. In it, they said, " You have always sounded great! Better than some national broadcasts/podcasts."

So what equipment does Cale Use? Did he spend thousands of dollars?

He is using an  ATR2100 Microphone, Yamaha MG12XU Mixer, Zoom H2n Digital Recorder. Record Locally to Zoom, then Edit in Audacity.

Bernie The Cat Wishes Everyone Happy Holidays

13:44 Bernie from the Bernie the Cat Show stops by to wish everyone Happy Holidays.

New Statistics From Apple inside PodcastsConnect. Apple.com

14:45 See Video 

https://youtu.be/VmSDwb3iU9s

New Stats From Blubrry and Libsyn

20:28 Libsyn.com  launched a new stats interface that works on your phone. The backend of the stats system now provides IAB compliant (once the IAB launches their certification) stats.

Blubrry Statistics just got better, with the introduction of regional reporting for Canada, UK, and Brazil. More Information

Get a free month of Service at Libsyn.com or Blubrry.com using the coupon code sopfree.

Where You Can Find Me In Person

22:41

February 8 -10 Orlando Florida  Podfest.us I will be speaking on AI and Podcasting and I will be Roasted.

February 28 - March 2 in San Diego California Social Media Marketing World Speaking on Podcast Monetization

 

What Podcast is the Easiest Show To Create?

26:48

There are a number of formats you can choose from when creating a podcast.

You can do a show with just you (a monologue)

You can do a show with a co-host

You can do a show with a panel

Looking at the above list, one might think a solo show would be the easiest. Why? No scheduling conflicts, no arguments over the direction of the show. You have total control. So what is the problem? You need to be comfortable talking to the wall. It takes a little confidence to pull this off. Michael Hyatt is one of my favorite authors. I read his book Platform every January to kick of my year. Michael has publicly stated that he is not comfortable doing a solo show.

So then doing a show with a co-host is easier? This sounds true up front. You don't have to do all the work, and there is another person to help promote the show.

But you now have the occasional challenge of scheduling conflicts. The more people you have, the harder it is to get everyone together. The solution is to pick a time when everyone knows you will be recording and make a commitment to that time. This is easier said than done, especially when multiple time zones are included, and multiple life configurations are included (kids, jobs, etc).

So again, it depends.

Taking Phone Calls

I think we all grew up listening to radio shows who take phone calls and we want to recreate that scenario. So how do you take phone calls. The answer? It depends. If you are doing a solo show, you can get a Google Voice Number or a Toll-Free Number at Podcastvoicemail.com and plug the phone into a mixer using your headphone jack. Then you can talk into your microphone that goes into the mixer, you plug the phone into the mixer, and send the mix of you and the phone out to a service like Mixlr.com Send the same output into a portable recorder like a Zoom H1.

But what if you have a co-host? What if you want a phone screener? Then things get way more complicated including two mix-minus setups that I won't even attempt to explain it here (it would be something we could do some consulting on).

The bottom line is, "It depends"

Sometimes You Have to Jump In

I bought myself a new 55" TV for Christmas. I brought it home, and went to put it on my old TV stand, and it was too big. I had to buy a bigger stand. Then I went to plug it into my sound bar, and you guessed it. Even though both the TV and the soundbar were from the same company, I needed to go buy a new cable to plug in.

Some things you only learn things by doing them.

If you want to avoid making the common podcast mistakes when it comes to planning your show, purchasing gear, promoting your show, I urge you to sign up for the School of Podcasting or join the Podcasting in Six Weeks Course which is starting on January 6th.

 

How Can Help You?

One-on-one Podcast Consulting. Schedule a Session Today

Learn At Your Own Pace at the School of Podcasting

Group Coaching "Podcasting in Six Weeks" Course (includes 1 year at the School of Podcasting)

I attended the first ever PodCon in Seattle this weekend. It was cofounder by Hank and John Green who are You tubers who have a successful Dear Hank and John show, Joseph Fink from Welcome to Nightvale, Justin and Travis McElroy (My brother, My brother and Me).

I went to the opening ceremonies with close to 1000 people in the room that reported any of these people came on the stage. They had other podcasters as well. They were asked questions and were all very witty. When asked about any weird jobs they had done in the past one person answered “Youth Pastor” and the audiences erupted into laughter with people falling out of their seats.

I stood there grinning. I realized that there was an inside joke but I was not inside to get it. The only way to get inside is to talk to as many people as I could.

Lollapalooza for Podcasting As the music business is having a hard time, many bands now tour together as a festival. These bands may not bring enough people out to support a solo show, but combine them together you have enough people to warrant the expense of the tour. You then get the added cross-promotion benefits.

Cosplay? I found out that ar events like ComicCon and DragonCon people dress up like their favorite characters. This was happening at PodcCon. What some might call “Weird,” is actually called cosplay as many people dressed as characters (especially from the Adventure Zone show, and Welcome to Nightvale ).

Community One of the great things about a podcast event like podcast movement or Podfest multi media nations expo is everyone there wants to learn podcasting. When I attend these, I am with my people. When the people with elf ears walked in, I’m sure they felt the same.

Speakers The sessions I attended were not awful, except one. I was surprised at the lack of experience on some of the panels. The panel on monetization announced they had a combined level of 2.5 years. This probably explains why the only two ways they listed to make money from your podcast was sponsors and Patreon. There are also affiliates, selling your own products, donations.

Because Of My Podcast - I'm Talking To People Who I Thought Would Never Talk to Me

17:17 Kira and Kenza are on episode four and have had their podcast open doors to people they never thought would talk to them. Check them out at https://www.tellmeeverythingpodcast.com

A Quick Tip To Grow Your Audience from Drew Ackerman of the Sleep With My Podcast

32:40 When you reply to an email, tweet, comment, thank everyone for listening, and then ask them how they found your show. If it was from another person (word of mouth) find that person and thank them and ask them how they found your show. Check out Drew at www.sleepwithmepodcast.com and check out Drew's interview with Dave.

Mentioned In This Show

tellemeeverythingpodcast.com

My brother, My brother and Me

Dear Hank and John show

Welcome to Nightvale

Adventure Zone show

Sleep With My Podcast

Podfest Portable Media Expo (in Florida)

Blue Yeti Microphones (Best Podcasting Gear)

Social Media Marketing World

Ready to Start Your Podcast?

Check out Podcasting in Six Weeks or

Join the School of Podcasting and learn at your own pace.

 

Because of My Podcast - My Band Sold Out Our Kickstarter

1:30

Matt from the band EleventySeven tells how his band had "taken a break" for the better part of four years. They decided to get the band back together, but how are we going to get the word out about the band reforming, and reconnecting with their audience? By starting a podcast! They connected with their audience and reached their Kickstarter goal in just a few days

Check out the band's music and podcast at http://www.eleventysevenisalive.com/

How To Flatten Your Podcast Learning Curve

14:07

As someone with 20+ years in the education field, one of the things I do when I learn a new subject was to take a ton of notes on ANY question that came across my mind as I consumed content as a student. This week, I got into a subject that I had not dabbled in the early 1990's. To go from playing techmo bowl on the first nintendo to playing Madden 2018 on an Xbox One is a bit of a culture shock. This is a good thing. I'm WAAAY out of my comfort zone with a huge learning curve in front of me. So here are some tips on overcoming and managing learning curves.

Define Your Goal

It's not enough to join the School of Podcasting, your goal is to launch your podcast. I'm going to through in here that you need to Define Your Why. For example, if you're doing a solo show with no guests. There is no need to read up on creating a mix minus. Some might even say you don't even need to read up on a mixer. 

When you are first starting out, keep things simple.

The problem is you don't know what you don't know. This leads me to point number two.

2.  Talk to someone who is doing what you are doing.

As you don't know what you don't know, you need to find someone who can help you define the area you need to investigate and those you don't. There is one statement that I have seen from my chair and I believe to be very true. You will pay for your podcast in one of two currencies. You will pay with time searching for your answers, or you will pay with money paying someone to help you get to where you want to go. 

3. Make Sure You're Using Good Resource Material

There is a ton of GREAT material for FREE on YouTube. There is also a TON of outdated material that can steer you in the wrong direction. So when you do a search on YouTube currently there is a filter option in the upper right-hand corner that allows you to sort by upload date to have the latest videos at the top. There are tons of Facebook Groups, and other resources (meetup.com) where you can find a community of people who can answer some questions. However, be sure to check out who is answering your question. Every week I see tons of articles on the subject of podcasting written by people who apparently have no podcast. Check out this video

Also when you do find a good resource, use it. I've worked in different tech support departments,  and I know we are in a hurry to get going but ask anyone and they will tell you that most companies put a tremendous amount of effort into the "on-boarding" process (getting your customer setup). This typically includes some sort of welcome email, and in many cases a video. You need to read more than the email title, and if you are given resources, use them.

4. Break Your Goals into Tasks

As the old saying goes, "How do you eat an elephant?" The answer is one bit at a time. So once you understand where you want to go, you break your goal into smaller tasks. So you can take the goal of identifying your podcast and break it into the tasks of creating a list of five potential names, check domain availability, and perform a Google search to see if the name is in use. 

5. Don't Try to Learn it All In One Sitting

While you may be excited, when you try to do too much in too little a time, you can burn yourself out

6. Give Yourself a Timeline, but Don't Bite Off Your Face

Timelines can help you see the plan, and give you an idea of when your goal will be met. However, I've seen people make really bad decisions because they are way behind based on their self-made deadline. 

7. Set a Time to Work On Your Goal in a Focused Fashion

Set a specific time when you will work on your goal. When you are working on your podcast, turn off distractions (Facebook, Notifications on the Phone, YouTube). 

8. Track Your Progress

There is something that happens in the brain when you write something down. By writing down your goals, and your steps, you can then go back and check these off as you accomplish them

Help The Smith Girls

35:50

I only met Scott Smith once on the Podcasters Roundtable. I was deeply saddened that Scott shot and killed his wife, then turned the gun on himself leaving his two daughters. If you'd like to help these two children (every little helps) see https://www.gofundme.com/helpthesmithgirls

Spotify Now Available in Libsyn Dashboard to All Libsyn Customers

38:00

You can now get your show listed in Spotify if you are a Libsyn customer. Previously they were only approving a small percentage of the shows that were submitted. They say that once you add Spotify to your destinations, you should be able to see the show in the Spotify app in two weeks (I wouldn't be surprised if this doesn't get pushed back to four weeks as they are going to get a ton of podcast submissions. See https://support.libsyn.com/kb/spotify/

Libsyn has also launched their new stats interface which is completely mobile friendly

Be Part of the Ask Me Anything Episode 600

40:33

Episode 600 will be in January 2018. I'm looking for you to send in questions for me about anything but podcasting. I need them by January 1, 2018. See my contact page

Where Can You See Me

Podcon in Seatle December 9-10

February 8-10 Podfest.us in Florida

Social Media Marketing World

Mentioned On This Show

Speakpipe

Cale Nelson from Ham Radio 360

Music Radio Creative Jingles

Better Podcasting - Thanks for the Twinkies

Glenn The Geek at Horseradionetwork.com

Casey Kaen Loses it about Doing a Dog Death Dedication

 

Let Me Help You Launch a Your Successful Podcast

Would you like One on One Consulting? Schedule a session

Want to learn at your own pace, and network with other podcasters. Join the School of Podcasting

Want to get started quickly? Check out Podcasting in Six Weeks

Every now and then I do an episode where you provide an answer to a question and we all learn together. This episode we asked the question, "What will you be doing differently in 2018?" Here are the people and their answers (in Alphabetical order)

Here is Who Contributed to the Episode

1:50 Abby From atimeforhorses.com - is going to keep podcasting because she is having fun.

3:22 Anna from Authentic Parenting has planned her entire 2018, is going to do deep dives based on audience feedback, and create a form for potential guests.

6:18 Ben from http://modernselfprotection.com/ will be more consistent and is adding a blog to his site, and create some online courses to deliver this content. Dave uses Thinkific to manage the School of Podcasting membership area.

8:50 Brad- wearethecinemaguys.com

11:04 Bryan - engagingmissions.com

13:45 Clay - Fishnerds.com

16:24 Daniel Everybody's National Parks

18:22 Erik K Johnson from Podcast Talent Coach and the Podcast Review Show

20:06 Kim from Toastmasters 101

21:34 Kit from Active Travel Adventures Podcast

22:57 Landen from Calling All Platforms

25:08 Randy Cantrel from Peer Advantage Groups

26:18 Scott from the Computer Tutor podcast (plus a big announcement about Podfest.us)

29:16 Seth from Geekville Radio

31:17 Todd From Trucker Dump Podcast

35:29 Darwyn from Dealing with My Grief Podcast

37:59 Win from Butterflies of Wisdom

39:38 Zack from Rasing (pa)Rents

Summary

Some people are adjusting their schedules (wanting to be more consistent, most are planning on doing fewer episodes to avoid burnout, and to provide more time to promote

Some listeners are planning on focusing on running their show like a business and attempt to bring in some income with their podcast

Some are updating their platform by trying interviews (if they were solo) and vice versa (doing solo shows if they were doing primarily interviews)

Some are looking to find ways to engage their audience more by attending events, creating Facebook Groups, and ramping up their social media presence.

Some are having fun doing their show, and because of that, they aren't going to change a thing

The bottom line is your show is just that YOUR SHOW and you can do whatever you want. If things are going great, then don't change a thing. If you want to try something, then you can. There is only one way to know if it will work. That is to get it in front of your audience. This can be in the form of an email or Facebook looking for feedback, or by just trying something in your show and seeing what kind of feedback you get.

Next Question Episode

For episode 600 I am breaking format. I am doing what is called an "Ask Me Anything" episode (AMA). I am throwing in one more bit of criteria. You can ask me about anything EXCEPT podcasting. 

So if you've ever wanted to know the person behind the microphone, now is the time. This feels a little narcissistic, but the people I passed this idea by thought it would be a good way to let people get to know me (just this one time). I need your questions by January 1st, 2018 (preferably in audio format). Episode 600 is January 8th, 2018. There are different formats you can contact me on my contact page

How Can I Help You With Your Podcast?

One on One Consulting?

Self Paced Tutorials and Membership at the School of Podcasting?

Six Week Group Coaching Podcast Course

I've been podcasting since 2005, and my background is in Technical Education. I'm an award-winning podcaster ( and trainer) and would love to help you with your podcast.