The Podcast Fast Track

https://podcastfasttrack.com/

Effective sound treatment doesn’t have to be pricey.

You can do it simply for almost nothing if you already have your basic podcasting equipment with you (software, microphone, etc.).

My family has started a new lifestyle - traveling full time - and until we get our RV I’ve had to make do with some pretty unusual and less-than-ideal recording conditions.

So I’ve had to get creative - because as they say, “Necessity is the mother of invention.”

For this episode I’m demonstrating my attempts to create my own sound treatment solutions out of nothing - or almost nothing. And I do it step by step so you can actually HEAR the difference in the audio as I go along.

It’s a short episode - but I think it will show you that your recording situation may not be as hopeless as you thought.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE

• [1:18] My situation has changed - and my recording situation is a bit difficult as a result
• [3:39] Pre-treated room sound - no windscreen - open windows - tile floor - hard surfaces
• [4:41] Closed the windows/doors - much less ambient sound
• [6:10] Adding the foam windscreen - often better than a pop screen
• [7:11] Less hard surfaces by adding a blanket to the table my computer is on
• [8:06] A tremendous difference from a DIY sound booth using couch cushions    

 

RESOURCES

• Connect to schedule a one-on-one or group training: carey (at) PodcastFastTrack.com
• Audio Technica 2005 Microphone: http://a.co/d/inaZuSM

 Subscribe to Podcastification here!

https://podcastfasttrack.com/

Tell Better Stories? Really?

But Carey - I publish a business oriented show. What’s that got to do with me?

Everything.

All of us tell stories, all day long. Just listen to the conversations going on around you during the course of any normal day. As human beings we LOVE stories. It’s why the movie industry and the publishing industry and the television industries are even in existence.

Those are STORY industries.

On this episode I want to open the door to an idea - one you likely haven’t thought of before.

YOUR podcast can be and should be full of stories too

But most of us don’t think of ourselves as storytellers. But we are. We are podcast storytellers.

For this episode I decided to chat with a friend of mine, Jonathan Messinger - a podcaster and storyteller for kids. His podcast, “The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian” is a great example of what can be done to leverage storytelling to its fullest… and not just for kids. Stick around and hear how integrating more story into your podcast could make a huge difference. 

 

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE

• [1:26] Who is Jonathan and why did he start a kid’s storytelling podcast?
• [4:90] Making his storytelling fit the podcasting format
• [9:16] How music plays into the impact of a fiction podcast
• [12:02] The original idea of Jonathan’s story idea and how it has morphed
• [14:01] Jonathan’s son, Griffin serves as his content editor and kid’s voice for the show
• [17:42] A taste of “The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian” (clip from the show)
• [20:44] What goes into the production of a mult-sound clip like you just heard
• [26:30] Podcast storytelling: What Jonathan has learned about the power of stories
• [33:48] How Jonathan drives audience participation and WHY he does
• [38:48] Sound effects and music: engagement tips to make your show more impacting
• [40:45] Jonathan’s tips for getting better audience feedback and interaction
• [44:05] Jonathan’s role as part of GenZ media

 

CONNECT WITH JONATHAN

• Jonathan’s show: The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian: http://www.finncaspian.com/
• Jonathan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JonnyMess

RESOURCES

• BOOK: Out On A Wire: http://a.co/d/hRbk7KE
• BOOK: Around The World In 80 Days: http://a.co/d/gZ3WduK
• Sound Toys plugin: Little Alter Boy: https://www.soundtoys.com/product/little-alterboy/
• https://PodcastFastTrack.com/HTP - How To Podcast Step By Step (the course)
• BOOK SERIES: Septimus Heap: http://a.co/d/9mMEbOG
• BOOK: Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus: http://a.co/d/4WbevrT
• Google Forms: https://www.google.com/forms/about/
• Google Voice: https://voice.google.com/
• The Retirement Answer Man: https://RogerWhitney.com
• Hearken: https://www.wearehearken.com/
• GenZ Media and GenZKids: https://BestRobotEver.com 
• The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel: https://www.marspatel.com/
• 6 Questions: http://www.bestrobotever.com/six-minutes  

Subscribe to Podcastification here!

https://podcastfasttrack.com/

Too often we podcasters are guilty of shouting into the crowd that already knows about us, already listens to our show - and we forget all about Podcast SEO - to establish and grow a NEW audience.

This episode is about THAT.

It’s a long one - BUT FULL OF PRACTICAL GOODNESS!

strap on your seatbelt, grab your note-taking device, and get your show notes rocking for better organic SEO for your podcast.

EVERYTHING COVERED ON THIS EPISODEWhat you’ll hear on this episode about Podcast SEO

• [2:13] Why our podcasts NEED to be found on Google, etc. - and why what worked in the past doesn’t always work these days
• [4:16] How show notes serve listeners as a resource and how they leverage SEO
• [6:58] Ways that Google has changed in the last few years - and why it matters to podcasters
• [9:26] Let me count the ways your show notes format needs to change - and tell you why
• [12:33] View your approach like a domino effect - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 - BOOM!
• [17:45] Keywords: They are still relevant but they work differently for SEO in 2018
• [21:58] Keyword best-practices and tips learned the hard way
• [25:48] Titles: Here’s how to make your titles the best they can be
• [29:05] The text on the page: how to make yours helpful and SEO rich
• [31:20] Image best practices - and how to pull it off
• [34:00] You want to use LINKS the right way - Google cares about this stuff
• [36:07] Rich media resources can make the page BOOM for readers/users
• [37:30] Commenting and Calls To Action: How you can do it in a smart way!
• [39:15] Why an embedded audio player makes a HUGE difference. It’s spelled “Dwell Time”
• [41:14] A non-SEO value page hack: Subscription options!

 GENERAL RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

See the show notes page here for EVERY link and resource connected to this episode: https://podcastfasttrack.com/118 

• Podcast consulting that makes a difference. https://PodcastFastTrack.com/consulting
• Yoast SEO Plugin: https://yoast.com/wordpress/plugins/seo/
• Episode 20: Why You Need Great Show Notes: https://podcastfasttrack.com/20
• Episode 21: 1st Step to Epic Show Notes: https://podcastfasttrack.com/21
• Episode 22: Step 2 to Epic Show Notes: https://podcastfasttrack.com/22
• Episode 23: Step 3 to Epic Show Notes: https://podcastfasttrack.com/23
• Episode 47: Podcast Show Notes That Work: https://podcastfasttrack.com/47

 

Subscribe to Podcastification here!

 

https://podcastfasttrack.com/

It’s not just a good idea to build community around your podcast - it’s a GREAT idea.

It’s just about the only way to get to know your audience, understand their needs, and build trust on a personal level. So I wanted to bring someone to you who is a PRO at doing that through tools that any of us can use.

Meet Bella Vasta.

Bella is a pet groomer by trade, but she’s built some amazing community and interaction within her industry through Facebook Groups and I know that what she’s done will be of immense value to those of us who are willing to apply it to our own situation. Bella - thanks for sharing.

Let the value bombs DROP!

EVERYTHING COVERED ON THIS EPISODE

• [1:21] I’ve TRIED to build community and failed. Can you relate?
• [2:30] Bella’s experience of saying “yes” to everything led to creating her own FB groups
• [5:10] What you name your Facebook Group is VITALLY important
• [10:40] A podcast case study: how to build community around your topics
• [16:05] Could you take your rabid fans into a private (paid) Facebook Group?
• [22:27] How you can start a Facebook Group from scratch - Bella takes us step by step
• [26:14] The ground rules / photos / and entry questions - follow Bella’s advice to do this right
• [28:11] What NOT to do in your efforts to engage your community
• [32:11] Facebook paid groups are coming… whoa! This could be big!
• [33:58] Bella’s best pitch for why a podcaster should start a Facebook Group

FEATURED ON THIS EPISODE

• Bella’s coaching page: http://BellaVasta.com
• Bellla’s podcast: Bella In Your Business: https://jumpconsulting.net/

MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

• The Podcastification Facebook Group: https://podcastfasttrack.com/facebookgroup
• Facebook’s trials of membership groups: https://techcrunch.com/2018/06/20/facebook-subscription-groups/

Subscribe to Podcastification here!

https://podcastfasttrack.com/

For a VERY long time Android users have not had a native podcasting app - and Google Podcasts is trying to make that problem a thing of the past.

 

I just hope these first steps that I’m going to tell you about in this episode/video are something they follow up on diligently.

My hopes for this episode and its accompanying video (find it here: https://youtu.be/Qt-kEOqp3sU) is that people who use Android devices and have never listened to podcasts before will begin to make use of Google Podcasts.

So stick around - I’m going to show you how to use Google Podcasts step by step - and give you my opinion of how it compares to the other podcast apps that have been around for a long time.

 EVERYTHING COVERED ON THIS EPISODE

• [1:56] Get started with Google Podcasts via a Google search - look for the play buttons
• [2:53] What should you do if your show is not available in Google Podcasts?
• [3:20] Checking out the app for the first time - download from Google Play Store
• [6:41] Podcast recommendations in the app and how you can subscribe to them
• [7:45] Keyword searching in the app - it works somewhat… maybe
• [10:10] Subscribe to a podcast and tweak podcast settings using Google Podcasts
• [14:00] Text links don’t appear in the app - you need the http:// or https://
• [17:48] Is Google Podcasts an app worth trying?
• [19:06] Why is the icon not native on the home screen? It’s about the Android ecosystem

FEATURED ON THIS EPISODE

www.PodcastFastTrack.com/consulting

You can have Carey bring his 5+ years of multi-client experience to bear on YOUR podcast, to help you make the tweaks that make a difference. Check out the options and make your appointment now!

MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

• Search for your show in Google Podcasts - and find out how to get it included
• The Audacity to Podcast
• The Podcast Engineering School
• Give a shout to Zack Reneau-Wedeen, one of the head folks at Google Podcasts

Subscribe to Podcastification here!

https://podcastfasttrack.com/

Every podcaster on the planet wants a bigger audience. Unquestioned. But most of us start out with a great idea for a podcast (at least we think so), grab a mic, plug it in, hit the record button, and we start talking.

We don’t start where we SHOULD start - with knowledge of the audience we want to speak to.

Why is that so important? To answer the question I’ve asked Tommy Walker to be my guest on this episode. Tommy has vast experience in Content Marketing (which is what podasting is) and the principles he’s learned there apply directly - almost across the board - to podcasting.

Listen up. Take notes. Work hard to understand what Tommy’s sharing. It could grow your audience like nothing else.

EVERYTHING COVERED IN THIS EPISODE

• [2:23] Tommy’s journey from acting to content marketing
• [5:54] Just because you publish something doesn’t mean people are going to find it
• [8:08] How to find the information and places where your audience hangs out
• [13:23] Case study: Finding demographics for a D&D Podcast audience
• [18:30] As long as you keep a spreadsheet, you can keep yourself focused
• [23:51] Other ways to find your audience: guest posts, talking to people, etc.
• [27:17] What is psychographics and why does it matter?
• [31:28] Is community the missing element in your podcast growth and promotion?
• [33:05] Why you need to analyze your audience like actors analyze scripts
• [37:08] Tommy’s role as the Global Editor in Chief for Quicken

 

FEATURED ON THIS EPISODE

• Connect with Tommy on LinkedIn
• Tommy on Twitter: @TommyIsMyName
• SPREADSHEET EXAMPLE Tommy mentioned (make a copy for yourself) as well as a detailed breakdown of how he uses it.
• Podcast Assessment and Consulting

 

 MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

• BOOKS: Entrepreneur Mind Hacks 1 and Entrepreneur Mind Hacks 2
• Tommy’s Crazy Egg article I referenced
• Shopify
• Google Trends
• www.CityStateInfo.com
• Google Maps
• www.GeekAndSundry.com
• www.SimilarWeb.com
• SPREADSHEET EXAMPLE?????????
• Critical Role Podcast
• Marc Maron Podcast
• Seinfeld TV show - No Double Dipping
• Entrepreneur On Fire with John Lee Dumas
• How To Analyze A Script For Actors

 

Who IS your audience, really?

Most of us podcasters don’t really know. We say general things about our audience that would be obvious to anyone - but what do those things tell us ABOUT them, about their habits, about their entertainment choices, about the things they might be interested in online?

When we know that kind of stuff we’re able to track them down, hang out with them, talk about the things they are already interested in, befriend them, and eventually, get them interested in our podcast (because they are the kind of people who will like it).

Tommy shares his approach to researching a target audience for content marketing - and it’s not so far off from what we need to be doing to find and befriend our listening audiences.

 

But that sounds like a lot of work, do I really have to do it?

Yep, it is a lot of work. And no, you don’t have to do it - not if you don’t care if your podcast audience grows. Not if you don’t want to find the people your podcast can truly help.

OK - I’m exaggerating a bit there. If you stay consistent with the production of great content, you MAY be able to attract a good following over time, through the slow trickle of word-of-mouth growth.

If that happens, it’s good. I’m happy for you - really. But if you want to get there faster… well, that’s why I asked Tommy to spill the beans for us.

On this episode he talks about things like demographics and psychographics - and unpacks them so we can understand what in the HECK he’s talking about.

SO THAT we can find, meet, befriend, and add value to the people who will benefit from our podcast. That’s something we all need, isn’t it?

To speak to your audience effectively you need to know how they think

 

You will speak differently to a 45 year old man than you will to a Jr. High girl - for a number of reasons. But one of the main reasons is because you know they like different things, relate to different things, have extremely different opinions, and behave very differently.

The fact that you know that kind of stuff is - wait for it - because you know some psychographics about them.

Simply put, psychographics has to do with studying the activity, interests, opinions, attitudes, values, and behaviors of a group of people.

In YOUR case: the type of people who listen to a show that is about what YOUR show is about.

Capiche?

You need to know everything about your audience you can possibly know. Of course, there will be individual differences, but generally speaking, people interested in Dungeons and Dragons are also interested in Game of Thrones. People who are interested in Justin Beiber are also likely interested in the Twilight movies and books.

How do I know that? Psychographics.

What that MEANS for your show is this: If you’re trying to reach the kind of people who are interested in Justin Bieber, you may want to hang out in Facebook groups and physical locations where Twilight is a topic. You’re hanging out with the crowd you’re trying to reach, based on what you know about their entertainment choices.

Tommy explains how to go in-depth with that kind of research, on this episode.

People who share your content aren’t jazzed about you. They share things as an extension of themselves.

It’s disappointing, I know - but the people who share your stuff do so because of how it makes them look - not because you are all that great. There’s nothing you can do about it - except capitalize on it (in a good way).

What is it that those “sharers” are trying to accomplish? How are they wanting to appear to their peers? You can help them achieve those goals by creating the kind of content they like to share.

And how do you know what kind of content that is? By doing your homework/research.

In this conversation Tommy Walker explains what you can do to create the kind of content your audience will be eager to share, so listen closely and take notes so you don’t miss it.

Subscribe to Podcastification here!

https://podcastfasttrack.com/

We’ve seen things go viral - a stupid ice cream pooping unicorn and such.

And while fad-ish attention would be a boost to your show, it’s longer-lasting and more powerful if you do something intentionally to make your show go viral. In my view, one of the best things you can do to point your podcast in that direction is to learn effective ways to repurpose the great content you’re already creating.

This episode is about that - repurposing your podcast - and covers ideas I’ve come up with or have come across in all my journeys around the internet.

EVERYTHING COVERED ON THIS EPISODE

• [1:21] The ideas that have been percolating in my brain for a while now
• [2:56] A 20-minute step for you to do NOW: syndication on multiple platforms
• [5:45] Why you SHOULD be resharing evergreen content forever - social and episodes
• [8:48] Can you bundle a series of topical episodes into a new episode - or a course?
• [11:01] Why isn’t anyone doing “quick tip” episodes from old interview or episodes?
• [15:21] A great idea one of my team members came up with for a client
• [22:09] What do you think about adding your audio to YouTube with an original graphic?
• [26:04] Here’s a creative idea from Dave Jackson about spreading the word at events
• [28:37] No matter how you repurpose, you need to market effectively!

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

On Facebook

On Twitter FEATURED ON THIS EPISODE

• The Podcast Fast Track CUSTOM Audiogram Service using Adobe After Effects
• JOIN my PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://podcastfasttrack.com/facebookGroup

RESOURCES

• My previous episode (79) on getting your show into ALL the directories
• Hootsuite
• Buffer
• Headliner
• Wavve
• Jeremy Weisz and Inspired Insider
• Jonathan Messinger and his podcast, “The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian”
• Tony Grebmeier
• Episode 80 with Baird Hall
• Vimeo
• Daily Motion
• Episode 95 with Jim Kukral
• Book2Pod
• The fiction books I’m writing: The Dragon Slayer Chronicles
• The School of Podcasting with Dave Jackson
• Daniel J. Lewis of The Audiacity to Podcast
• Tommy Walker’s episode - www.PodcastFastTrack.com/115

Subscribe to Podcastification here!

https://podcastfasttrack.com/

You hear the term “monetization” all the time in reference to podcasting - and the translation is usually “get a podcast sponsorship.”

That’s a great option for shows that get thousands of downloads, right? But what about the little guys? What about those of us who have a very passionate but smaller audience? Is there a possibility that we could find an ideal sponsor for OUR show?

Trevr Smithlin from Advertisecast says “Yes, it’s possible” and on this episode of Podcastification he’s going to explain exactly how it’s possible.

EVERYTHING COVERED IN THIS EPISODE

• [1:25] Podcast monetization doesn’t work like most people think
• [2:33] How Trevr got the idea that he could create a company to help podcasters
• [4:46] Why advertising fits for almost everyone who podcasts
• [6:46] How can a niche based podcast even hope to get a podcast sponsorship?
• [8:50] The honest truth about how many downloads you need to land a sponsor
• [12:03] Super niche shows can demand higher sponsorship fees
• [17:19] How advertisers can use the do-it-yourself marketplace
• [19:34] Many sponsors provide samples or trials for podcasters before they endorse
• [20:42] How to get your podcast listed for advertisers to consider sponsoring you
• [23:10] Calculating possible revenue at a $25 CPM on the first 30 days
• [29:06] If you are curious about Advertisecast, try it out - and you can be picky!

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

On Facebook

On Twitter FEATURED ON THIS EPISODE

• Advertisecast
• Trevr (at) Advertisecast.com

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• www.AudacityForPodcasting.com - get my Audacity course (36 videos) for $39
• www.SavvyPainter.com - my client referred to who has a niche podcast

Subscribe to Podcastification here!

https://podcastfasttrack.com/

You know - it really seems that for the average podcaster, interviews are the format of choice.

It IS relatively simple to get somebody to agree to come on your show and just ask them questions. But that's not really how interviews work, is it? At least not the really GOOD ones.

They're actually very difficult to pull off, especially in a way that makes them engaging for your listeners. And that really is the goal that we're shooting for. So in this episode of Podcastificatsion, I want to tell you some of the things I’ve learned about doing great interviews, making your guest more comfortable, and I want to share some powerfully helpful resources I’ve found that are helping me get better with each interview I do. Stick around. This one is good.

EVERYTHING COVERED IN THIS EPISODE

• [1:19] Why interviews are the mainstay of podcasting formats - and why they are hard to pull off well
• [2:36] Be truly interested in your guest: Here are 2 things to help you pull it off
• [4:40] Do whatever it takes to have fun with your guest
• [6:45] Ask questions in a way that makes the answer actionable
• [8:36] Let the silence do the work (from Cal Fussman)
• [14:25] Walk your guest through your format so they know what to expect
• [17:35] No “gotcha” positions
• [19:14] Consider your guest’s time constraints so you can plan accordingly (and they will be more comfortable)
• [20:10] Find out what your guest’s “win” for the interview is
• [22:32] Ask your guest questions in ways that evoke emotion or stories

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

On Facebook

On Twitter FEATURED ON THIS EPISODE

• The Podcast Optimizer Email Series
• The Podcast Fast Track Lead Magnets Service (get a free sample to see how it works

RESOURCES & PEOPLE MENTIONED

• John Lee Dumas
• Tim Ferriss
• Netflix Series: My Next Guest Needs No Introduction
• Cal Fussman’s podcast: Big Questions with Cal Fussman
• LeadPages
• ConvertKit
• The Turnaround Podcast

Subscribe to Podcastification here!

 

https://podcastfasttrack.com/

Grab a pen and paper and take notes on this one.

If you use ZOOM or have considered it, you’re going to learn the BEST ways to optimize it for podcast use. And check below for the video of Derek and I poking around in my ZOOM settings. It should help you find the things we talk about on this episode.

WATCH DEREK AND I GO THROUGH THE SETTINGS ON VIDEO AT https://youtu.be/pF48bS2l1bU

• [1:40] The popularity of Zoom has prompted this episode. Here’s why…
• [3:00] Derek’s history with Zoom and why he enjoys being part of the Zoom team
• [7:03] Ideas for using Zoom for podcasting - including video promos!
• [11:10] Bitrates, Frequencies, and adjustments podcasters can make to improve things
• [18:53] How you can set the platform to “preserve original sound” for better quality audio (see the video for details)
• [25:24] Setting up split-tracks for conversations so you can do better quality audio edits
• [28:11] How to set a co-host in Zoom who has direct access to the audio/video files
• [29:43] A few video hacks for those of you interested in such visual things
• [31:56] Pricing on Zoom.us - including a full-featured FREE plan!

Not only is ZOOM.us a cool platform to use - it’s apparently a great place to work. That matters to me

Anytime I consider working with a company, I really want to know what the values and culture of the company are like. I don’t want to be supporting someone (a company’s founder, let’s say) if they treat the people who work for them like garbage.

It was cool that as Derek Pando and I began talking about Zoom, he was instantly telling me how great of a place it is to work. In his words, “the culture at Zoom is great.” I wanted to know why, so I asked.

You’d think all companies would be team-friendly - but that’s hardly the case.

Derek says that Zoom’s culture, set by its founder and CEO, Eric Yuan is team-friendly and energizing. Describing Eric, Derek says, “He is just the nicest… he's a servant leader. He's got an open door policy. He’s just a great person to work for. His whole philosophy is, ‘Hey, if I make my employees happy, they're gonna make our customers happy.”

That makes ME happy. My company values mirror what Derek is describing. That feels good - like we are on the right track.

Distance recording for podcasting has come a long way - Zoom is helping us out

I’ve used a lot of video conferencing services in my day - and while Zoom.us is not flawless by any means and doesn’t attain the clear audio quality of Cleanfeed or Zencastr, it’s a VERY good video conferencing service when it comes to audio quality.

When I asked Derek why Zoom’s audio is so much better than other video services he said it’s because from the start, Zoom’s founder made a commitment to improving the VOIP experience on their platform so that Zoom could become a leader in video conferencing. Naturally, none of that diligence was done with podcasters in mind - but you and I both know that if podcasters find a solution for recording distance conversations that is fairly trouble free - and FREE to boot - they are going to use it.

When Derek noticed that podcasters were using the platform he reached out to some of them and chatted with podcasters he knew personally. He wanted to spearhead efforts inside the company to make Zoom’s interface and functionality even better for podcasters. I think they’ve done a lot in that direction.

Be sure you listen to hear the exact details of how podcasters can use the Zoom platform.

Zoom settings - inside the desktop application

As I mentioned before - I’ve heard a ton of misinformation out there about the quality (or lack of quality) Zoom.us offers. So I wanted to clarify things with Derek. He was so helpful - showing me the exact settings podcasters need to use in order to maximize the video quality.

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

On Facebook

On Twitter DEREK'S INFO

• Check out Derek’s personal website, “Tech Waffles”
• Follow Derek on Twitter: @DJPando
• Zoom.us - check out pricing OR set up your own free account
• Zoom’s YouTube channel

 

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Get your own custom music: www.PodcastFastTrack.com/music
• My head-to-head shootout between distance recording apps
• Cleanfeed
• Zencastr

Subscribe to Podcastification here!