The Podcast Why

Challenges

Over the last 30 days of my 31 day challenge to produce and publish a podcast every day, I really started thinking about the term “challenge.” And it’s various meanings…

1 : an objection to something as not being true, genuine, correct, or proper or to a person (as a juror) as not being correct, qualified, or approved. 

2 : a call or dare for someone to compete in a contest or sport. 

3 : a difficult task or problem.

What are some of your challenges with podcasting? I took a look at some podcasting Facebook groups to get a look at what their challenges are for the next 30 days...

• Wind things down, go on a bit of a hiatus and maybe start doing work for others.
• To slow down to 1 episode a month and really log some serious hours fishing.
• Launch!
• To record more podcasts.
• We have some big guests coming on and very excited about it.
• Increase following
• At the end of the month I hit my 15 year podcasting anniversary.
• 2000 DL
• Gain more listeners and get me interviews lined up
• Increase FB Group to 300 Members! Start an E-mail list giving away free value. Grow listens from 100 to 300
• Figure out the tech to do interview podcast from my home studio
• To start my Season 2. I’ve been on hiatus
• Buy the rode podcaster, collaborate with more podcasters, find ways to feedback and engagement with our listeners
• Starting my 3rd season this month and my goals are to improve my audio editing skills.
• Interview a guest we’ve been dying to have!
• Content planning and outlines for the next 10 episodes
• Master Audacity
• New gear
• Get a new website and hosting setup so I can split my feed into the two shows it’s become
• To hit 50 reviews
• To be a guest on more podcasts

What are your challenges in the next 30 days - are you challenging yourself, or is the challenge to start or to grow your business podcast. 

Let’s talk more about it. 

I am available Thursday and Fridays. I have a link in the episode notes that you can use to book a free consultation session.

Recorded in Studio C at Channel 511, in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH.

Brett Johnson is the owner and lead consultant at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants. With over 35+ years of experience in Marketing, Content Creation, Audio Production/Recording and Broadcasting, the podcast consultants at Circle270Media strategically bring these strengths together for their business Podcast clients.

Subscribe to my free daily Open The Mic Newsletter at www.circle270media.com. It's chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast.

If your business is using podcasting as a marketing or branding tool, I would love to showcase your podcast. Go to www.notetofutureme.com and scroll down to my booking calendar.

Email us at [email protected] to set up time to talk more about your new or established business podcast.

www.circle270media.com

www.notetofutureme.com

Me - Brett Johnson

LinkedIn - bretthjohnson

FB - circle270media

Twitter - circle270media

I want to thank ArchesAudio dot com for the music you're hearing. They provide audio to podcasters for free as long as you give them some accreditation in verbally in your podcast as well on the show podcast notes.

Podcasters have a great variety of software to record podcasts and interviews remotely. 

The options we have available are probably the best that podcasters have ever seen and experienced. 

This is day 30 of my 31 Day Podcast Challenge.

I have put together a list of possible options that usually offer free initial trial periods, or free versions, and premium offerings as well. 

Circle270Media Podcast Consultants has not tested all of the alternatives below. We see posts and comments in online communities that are good and critical with each of these. 

Though, still be aware, that using these tools aren’t necessarily going to give you high quality audio. You may still have to do some post-production sound quality editing. These are still better options than the usual go-to web conferencing tools, like Zoom, for podcasting purposes.

Be sure you ask around and test for yourself. Most of them have demo videos to watch. With each having their own specific uniqueness, kick the tires to see which recording platform will work best for your podcast.

• SquadCast – SquadCast allows podcasters to schedule the interview. You can record everyone’s audio in separate .WAV files without drift. 
• Clearcast - ClearCast.io was founded out of a frustration that Art of Manliness Podcast host Brett McKay had with his remote interviews via Skype. Oftentimes, he’d experience lag, static, or cut off audio from his guest’s end of the conversation. Chrome and Firefox browsers only at this time.
• Riverside.fm - Record your podcast's audio AND video locally. Separate audio and video tracks for each guest. Livestream it to YouTube/Facebook/Twitter. Let your listeners call in via video.
• Zencastr – Zencastr works in your browser. All you have to do is send a link to your guests and hit record. Their audio will be recorded on their end before it gets compressed and garbled. It is then automatically streamed to your Dropbox account. 
• Cleanfeed.net – Cleanfeed is an online service that uses the Opus audio codec and the Chrome browser to allow for ISDN quality with one or multiple co-hosts and interviews. Cleanfeed can record your sessions and deliver two separate tracks on a single .WAV file.
• RODEcaster Pro – The RODEcaster Pro is worth the investment if you have the option. It makes it very easy to integrate remote interviews of all kinds (like Zencastr). Mobile devices can easily be connected via TRRS cable or Bluetooth, allowing calls to be either recorded and stored for later use or streamed on-the-fly during a podcast. It automatically provides a mix-minus too. 
• Tryca.st – Cast manages a live call between you and your guests, allows you to chat with your guests, mute yourself, and make private notes that only you can see. In the background, Cast streams a high-fidelity audio recording for each participant to the cloud, where they store it for mixing in the Cast Editor or for download on your Account page. 
• StreamYard – StreamYard is a live streaming studio in your browser. It allows you to interview guests, share your screen, and much more. You have the option to stream directly to your social media channels. 
• UberConference – Podcasters can record an interview call one of two ways: through the web or over the phone. Keep in mind that UberConference only records your conference audio – not your screen share. 
• RINGR – Ringr lets you invite a guest (or multiple guests) to a call. Invited users can join the call on their desktop or by downloading a mobile app. When you schedule a call, you and your guests will both get a calendar invite. As soon as they connect to the call, you can start talking to each other. 
• Zoom – Zoom calls aren’t always perfect, but they are mostly reliable. One challenge is that the audio output for these calls is a .M4a file. The good news is that you can usually convert them to a .mp3 file pretty quickly using almost any DAW.
• Skype – Skype has been one of the most popular options for recording remote podcast interviews for years. It is no longer the only name in town, but there is a reason why so many people still use it. Skype calls record as a .MP4 file. 
• Double-Enders – A double-ender is a term describing how the host and remote guest record their microphone audio locally. Afterward, the guest sends their local recording to the host who uses that track in the episode production. This short video shows you how it works. Here’s a video that will show you the best podcast setup for in-studio or guests and dedicated co-hosts in two locations. 

In our opinion, here are the options to look at and consider first..

• Local recordings/double enders, and investigate the Rodecaster Pro
• Squadcast
• cleanfeed
• Zencastr

Recorded in Studio C at Channel 511, in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH.

Brett Johnson is the owner and lead consultant at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants. With over 35+ years of experience in Marketing, Content Creation, Audio Production/Recording and Broadcasting, the podcast consultants at Circle270Media strategically bring these strengths together for their business Podcast clients.

Subscribe to my free daily Open The Mic Newsletter at www.circle270media.com. It's chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast.

If your business is using podcasting as a marketing or branding tool, I would love to showcase your podcast. Go to www.notetofutureme.com and scroll down to my booking calendar.

Email us at [email protected] to set up time to talk more about your new or established business podcast.

www.circle270media.com

www.notetofutureme.com

Me - Brett Johnson

LinkedIn - bretthjohnson

FB - circle270media

Twitter - circle270media

I want to thank ArchesAudio dot com for the music you're hearing. They provide audio to podcasters for free as long as you give them some accreditation in verbally in your podcast as well on the show podcast notes.

Consumers are influenced by other people more than they realize (or are willing to admit).

According to the Wall Street Journal, social norms influence consumption behavior and even private interests, including one’s taste in music and even podcasts. 

This is what makes the concept of social proof a powerful one. 

This is Day 29 of my 31 Day Podcast Challenge

What is social proof?

Sourcing Wikipedia...

Social proof, a term coined by Robert Cialdini in his 1984 book, Influence, is also known as informational social influence. It describes a psychological and social phenomenon wherein people copy the actions of others in an attempt to undertake behavior in a given situation.

Simply put, social proof influences people's decisions on how they should behave. 

Online reviews have significant effects on our behaviors. They've emerged as one of the most potent forms of social proof.

People take positive reviews and high ratings as social proof of a product or service, or for this podcast episode topic, a podcast that is worth subscribing to. They reason, “This has great reviews, so I’m subscribing to it.”

Apart from providing social proof for podcast listeners looking to find a new podcast to subscribe to, reviews also provide social proof in other ways. These online testimonials shape how people perceive the podcast.

But just how important are in-app ratings and reviews? Do they really help your podcast’s visibility? Or are these CTAs just ego-driven tactics that help you climb up the Apple Podcasts rankings? 

We hate to burst your bubble, but reviews won’t change your rankings in the least. It’s not part of Apple Podcasts ranking algorithm. At Circle270Media Podcast Consultants, we believe ratings and reviews are always worth asking for… even if they don’t factor into an app’s discovery algorithm.

Why? Because ratings and reviews are, yes, social proof.

Harnessing the potential of reviews as social proof is about activating happy podcast listeners. Keeping that in mind, here are some equally important tips on maximizing social proof in positive reviews:

Reviews require words that can help form a more complete picture of a podcast for potential new listeners. A good review will help fill in the gaps of what a podcaster says about their own podcast content.

Say thank you and engage 

If a listener took the time to present social proof for other potential listeners to see, expressing your gratitude is the very least you can do. In Apple Podcasts, you can’t respond back to the listeners, but you can give them a shout out in upcoming podcast episodes, or your newsletter, or on your social media channels.

Ask for the review

Here’s where your creativity needs to shine. Yes, a review in Apple Podcasts, or other in-app players, is the initial ask. But can you do more with your call-to-action?  

Ask your audience to directly send a note to the show via email. It could be written, or even better, a voice memo. Use those reviews by placing them into your podcast press kit or testimonials on your show’s website. This method makes it extremely easy for a listener to connect with a show, and it will start to build a relationship between you and your reviewers.

Ask if they can encourage one of their friends to subscribe to the podcast. Ask them to subscribe to your newsletter. Ask them to follow you on your social media channel(s). 

Here’s the bottom line. Ratings and reviews are a valuable way to understand how your audience feels about your show.

Podcast ratings and reviews matter because they’re social proof. They are a part of your podcast’s packaging.

If you would like to help your listeners leave a review on Apple Podcasts, we do have a simple way of doing so in your call to action. Go to Please Review My Podcast to find out more.

Recorded in Studio C at Channel 511, in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH.

Brett Johnson is the owner and lead consultant at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants. With over 35+ years of experience in Marketing, Content Creation, Audio Production/Recording and Broadcasting, the podcast consultants at Circle270Media strategically bring these strengths together for their business Podcast clients.

Subscribe to my free daily Open The Mic Newsletter at www.circle270media.com. It's chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast.

If your business is using podcasting as a marketing or branding tool, I would love to showcase your podcast. Go to www.notetofutureme.com and scroll down to my booking calendar.

Email us at [email protected] to set up time to talk more about your new or established business podcast.

www.circle270media.com

www.notetofutureme.com

Me - Brett Johnson

LinkedIn - bretthjohnson

FB - circle270media

Twitter - circle270media

I want to thank ArchesAudio dot com for the music you're hearing. They provide audio to podcasters for free as long as you give them some accreditation in verbally in your podcast as well on the show podcast notes.

You handle the marketing for your company. You’re thinking about starting a company podcast but you haven’t got round to doing it yet.  

Why? 

Don’t know quite where to start the conversation in the next marketing meeting?

This is day 28 of my 31 Day Podcast Challenge.

Podcasts make marketing sense. Fewer people are reading. More people spend more time mobile devices, which means you need to adapt your content strategy to cater to these changes. 

And when done right, this easily shareable content will allow your business’s message to reach your targeted audience.

How people consume content is changing. People are watching less TV and switching to online platforms. And most people don’t have time to read articles. All this means it’s getting harder and harder to reach potential customers. 

Podcasts are quick and easy to consume. But what further sets them apart is that they don’t require undivided attention.

Here’s a quote from Chris Drucker from his blog. He writes about the speed appeal of podcasts: 

‘The average blog posts is approximately 700-words, which can be read in about 5-minutes. However, the average podcast is 35-minutes which translates into 4,550 words, the equivalent of 6.5 blog posts.’

Podcasts slip easily into our daily lives. This will be appealing to your targeted audience. Your customers need content they can listen to while doing other tasks. Time is a precious commodity and podcasts provide businesses with a way to effectively reach consumers while doing other activities.

This means that your opportunity to reach your consumer is limitless. 

Podcasts allow your business to develop a personality and a voice. This is a powerful tool when seeking to influence your target consumers' decisions. 

A podcast confirms your brand’s identity and becomes a valid source of information.

Once you’ve built this relationship of trust with your customers, you’ll be able to influence them during decision-making processes.

When good content is created, you are creating company advertising with no time limit. It also means that old customers will return to your brand for information, and new ones will seek you out.

Podcasts aren’t a one-time creation. Once you’ve published them, they are available in your podcast library of episodes, indefinitely. They will have a similar shelf life to evergreen content—so long as you’re choosing topics with an intent to last.

This means you need to plan each piece of content carefully. Be prepared to adjust your content depending on how it’s received by your listeners. Make sure you continue to be seen as a reliable information source.

As the number of people listening to podcasts rapidly increases, it makes sense to tap into this market for your business.

Podcasts make economical sense. They require minimal investment and technology to get started. That’s why Circle270Media Podcast Consultants have been an important ally to all of our clients 

Once integrated into your content marketing plan, they allow you to reach a wider customer base. This medium is also perfect to target and reach niche audiences.

The main resource required is your time, to ensure that the content you produce is worth listening to for years to come.

The list of businesses who have incorporated podcasting into their content marketing strategy continues to grow month after month. Even smaller businesses are tapping into the medium to reach greater audiences and increase profits. 

If you haven’t already begun podcasting, consider this is your personal invitation to start the process.  

Contact us, Circle270Media Podcast Consultants, and let’s discuss how you can integrate this medium into your marketing strategy. 

Recorded in Studio C at Channel 511, in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH.

Brett Johnson is the owner and lead consultant at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants. With over 35+ years of experience in Marketing, Content Creation, Audio Production/Recording and Broadcasting, the podcast consultants at Circle270Media strategically bring these strengths together for their business Podcast clients.

Subscribe to my free daily Open The Mic Newsletter at www.circle270media.com. It's chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast.

If your business is using podcasting as a marketing or branding tool, I would love to showcase your podcast. Go to www.notetofutureme.com and scroll down to my booking calendar.

Email us at [email protected] to set up time to talk more about your new or established business podcast.

www.circle270media.com

www.notetofutureme.com

Me - Brett Johnson

LinkedIn - bretthjohnson

FB - circle270media

Twitter - circle270media

I want to thank ArchesAudio dot com for the music you're hearing. They provide audio to podcasters for free as long as you give them some accreditation in verbally in your podcast as well on the show podcast notes.

A big question that comes up with our new clients is whether you should or shouldn’t plan your podcast script. 

We look at it a couple of different ways.

Scripted podcasts can make speech feel stiff and rehearsed. 

Scripted podcasts can be the key to being confident, concise and keeping the content flowing.

I always answer that question this way. At the bare minimum, plan out your podcast episode. It’s impossible to create great content without some sort of planning. 

Even podcasts which sound ad-libbed are scripted and rehearsed to some level. 

But, don’t think that you need to write out a rigid script which you follow word for word. That may be the worst thing you can do, especially if you don’t have the experience to read from a script like you are presenting a conversation-like recording. 

You can create a script map, or call it an agenda, which gives you pointers and leads you through your topics. And keeps you on track. 

The power of planning is that it ensures your podcast episode hooks listeners and keeps you focused.

At the start, you need to look at what the main ideas and themes you want to cover during your podcast episode. 

Start by getting the central ideas down on paper. Use them to branch out into smaller subcategories. A great way of doing this is by mind mapping.

A mind map is a tool for the brain that captures the thinking that goes on inside your head. Mind mapping helps you think, collect knowledge, remember and create ideas. Most likely it will make you a better thinker.

A good starting point on how to mind map is found at https://simplemind.eu/how-to-mind-map/basics/

Mind mapping lets you work quickly and organically, without planning as you go. This allows you to come back later to structure your content.  

The Trello app can be a great tool to help you collect all your thoughts in one place, and collect outside graphs, photos, and links.

Once you have your ideas clear, get down to the writing. 

The most important factor is to write using your stream of consciousness and edit afterwards. 

Keep in mind whether you’re writing for yourself or someone else, like your co-host. Write clearly and concisely.  

This will come to you easier as you create each episode. You will begin to learn your co-host(s) speaking patterns and presentation manners.  

While you’re reworking your script, remember that you have a very short window in which to grab listeners attention. Your intro should pack a punch and immediately deliver your podcast’s personality and style.

There is a great Medium article from Michelle Prak entitled Enough With The Chit Chat.

"Do you need your podcast host to warm things up with chit chat? Perhaps for some listeners, it seems more relatable and personable. Maybe, to do anything else would be ‘rude’ or too blunt."

I posted this on LinkedIn, and quite a few comments followed about how this is a turnoff for most of them. 

Watch how you start your podcast. Done without the listener in mind, It could be the end of your podcast growth. 

This is part of your style of podcast. Keep the listener in mind first. You literally have seconds to convince your audience you’re worth listening to.

Give your podcast character and individuality, but it’s about respecting the listener. Create a bond between you and listeners; write with a friendly style and avoid anything which could cause listeners to lose interest.

The final step in getting your podcast ready for recording is refining it until you feel confident that it delivers with power. 

One of the best ways to be sure of this is to read your text aloud. 

Reading aloud means you’ll become more familiar with the material. Reading it “in your mind” doesn’t allow your physical speaking, your mouth, your tongue and your breathing, the chance to encounter any rough phrases.

In your mind, you thought it sounded great. But speaking it out loud, didn’t.

This will give you more confidence 

Great podcasts are never accidental. There is more prep in podcasts than you realize, or is discussed.

Recorded in Studio C at Channel 511, in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH.

Brett Johnson is the owner and lead consultant at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants. With over 35+ years of experience in Marketing, Content Creation, Audio Production/Recording and Broadcasting, the podcast consultants at Circle270Media strategically bring these strengths together for their business Podcast clients.

Subscribe to my free daily Open The Mic Newsletter at www.circle270media.com. It's chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast.

If your business is using podcasting as a marketing or branding tool, I would love to showcase your podcast. Go to www.notetofutureme.com and scroll down to my booking calendar.

Email us at [email protected] to set up time to talk more about your new or established business podcast.

www.circle270media.com

www.notetofutureme.com

Me - Brett Johnson

LinkedIn - bretthjohnson

FB - circle270media

Twitter - circle270media

I want to thank ArchesAudio dot com for the music you're hearing. They provide audio to podcasters for free as long as you give them some accreditation in verbally in your podcast as well on the show podcast notes.

Podcast show notes are one of those tasks that you KNOW is essential, but you can never bring yourself to doing it, or doing it properly. This may be, and probably is, because you’ve never been told how important they are to using the power of Google.

This is day 26 of my 31 Day Podcast Challenge

Podcast show notes are nothing more than a blog post with an audio file attached. 

And they're also so much more than that. 

The first two serve existing listeners:

1 - To offer a summary of the episode’s content – to persuade someone to listen, to remind a previous listener what was covered, and to offer easy reminders about what the episode is about to share with their friends, your potential new listeners.

2 - To offer links to resources, people or products that were mentioned. 

The last serves you, and those who have yet to listen:

3 - To attract new listeners through search traffic.

That last one is the one most podcasters neglect, and is the most important part of creating great show notes. 

Many podcasters write up show notes that are nothing more than a very quick introduction paragraph, and then a list of the resources that were mentioned. 

That just serves your listener, covering #1 and #2. 

But, if that's all you do, you're missing an opportunity to grow your audience.

A good set of show notes can attract potential new listeners when they appear in search results.

How do you do that?

That blog post is a written version of the show. Not necessarily a direct transcript, but something created to be read. A transcript can be used to help write the blog, to help find specific details or “pull quotes” you need to include in the blog. 

It contains the same valuable information as the podcast, and encourages readers: “If you liked this, then listen to the podcast episode for even more.”

Some people just can't find the time to do full blog-post style show notes every week. 

An alternative is to keep them short and forget about the search engine benefits. Just do a 50 word intro paragraph and then some resource links and related descriptions. 

Keep in mind, the long blog-post style format offers a lot more value in terms of content marketing. 

The show notes, acting like blog articles, will start to gain traffic. They’re much more likely to be found and indexed in search results. As I like to say, you’re giving each episode as much “Google juice” as you can.

If you're short on time, it’s worth considering transcriptions. You can pay around $1 per minute to have a full transcription done of any show. Some transcription services to consider are Happy Scribe, Sonix and Trint.

As a bonus, they provide search engine friendly content for your website with little extra time effort. Just a bit of cost.

Beware though, the spoken word, especially unscripted or without an outline, often doesn't transcribe well. Unedited transcriptions can often be long and rambling. 

Most transcription services offer an additional charge to “clean” up your transcription so it's in better shape to use, or edit further for your own use as you see fit.

If you don't have the time, or simply don't want to do your own podcast show notes, then you might want to outsource them altogether. If that's the case, then we recommend DSW Transcription.

Recorded in Studio C at Channel 511, in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH.

Brett Johnson is the owner and lead consultant at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants. With over 35+ years of experience in Marketing, Content Creation, Audio Production/Recording and Broadcasting, the podcast consultants at Circle270Media strategically bring these strengths together for their business Podcast clients.

Subscribe to my free daily Open The Mic Newsletter at www.circle270media.com. It's chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast.

If your business is using podcasting as a marketing or branding tool, I would love to showcase your podcast. Go to www.notetofutureme.com and scroll down to my booking calendar.

Email us at [email protected] to set up time to talk more about your new or established business podcast.

www.circle270media.com

www.notetofutureme.com

Me - Brett Johnson

LinkedIn - bretthjohnson

FB - circle270media

Twitter - circle270media

I want to thank ArchesAudio dot com for the music you're hearing. They provide audio to podcasters for free as long as you give them some accreditation in verbally in your podcast as well on the show podcast notes.

Your podcast description is also known as your podcast summary, or show summary. Podcast listeners have over a million potential podcast shows to listen to. So how can you help yourself be found? Have a good podcast description.

This is day 25 of my 31 Day Podcast Challenge

You write the podcast description inside your media hosting account, and it appears in all the directories your podcast is listed in. For example, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc. Unfortunately, many will write their podcast description as an afterthought, and purely because they've stumbled across a big empty text box.

The good news, though, is that you can edit your show summary at any time. 

Podcast descriptions are very important when listeners are weighing up whether or not to hit play, and ultimately subscribe.

Is the podcast description Important for Search? Not really. And it's likely that stuffing your podcast summary full of keywords will be a waste of time, and get you taken off iTunes/Apple Podcasts. So to perform well in search, choose a good name for your podcast, and always publish episodes with descriptive titles.

Who's your target audience? You should write about who your podcast is for, why they should listen, and what they can expect. Speak directly to them in your podcast description. Let them know that this is the podcast for them. Whatever they're going to get from your podcast, tell them about it up front.

Tell the potential listener who you are. You don't need to be famous or well known to run a successful podcast. Write a bit about yourself.

Tell them what they can expect. Will it be interviews? Will you be talking with a co-host? Or flying solo? Do you release new episodes on the same day every week, or do you podcast in seasons? Some info here will help set expectations with your potential listeners.

Then the question comes around about the length of the description. 

This is a bit like the question “how long should my podcast episodes be?” – there's no single ideal length. As long as it needs to be to get the message across. Shoot for 500 words and see how this looks and feels to you. Let a friend or your spouse read the description and see if they can then tell you what your podcast is about.

Recorded in Studio C at Channel 511, in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH.

Brett Johnson is the owner and lead consultant at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants. With over 35+ years of experience in Marketing, Content Creation, Audio Production/Recording and Broadcasting, the podcast consultants at Circle270Media strategically bring these strengths together for their business Podcast clients.

Subscribe to my free daily Open The Mic Newsletter at www.circle270media.com. It's chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast.

If your business is using podcasting as a marketing or branding tool, I would love to showcase your podcast. Go to www.notetofutureme.com and scroll down to my booking calendar.

Email us at [email protected] to set up time to talk more about your new or established business podcast.

www.circle270media.com

www.notetofutureme.com

Me - Brett Johnson

LinkedIn - bretthjohnson

FB - circle270media

Twitter - circle270media

I want to thank ArchesAudio dot com for the music you're hearing. They provide audio to podcasters for free as long as you give them some accreditation in verbally in your podcast as well on the show podcast notes. 

You want people to share your content. So make it as easy as possible for them. The most logical starting point for this is your podcast's website.

This is day 24 of my 31 Day Podcast Challenge. 

Many inexperienced podcasters share links to their new episodes from iTunes, Spotify or Soundcloud. But these aren't platforms you control. 

Why direct traffic to someone else's site? You're missing out on a lot of opportunities for podcast listener engagement and growth.

Your podcast hosting provider will usually set you up with a basic website when you create an account with them. 

These will lack the customization options you’re looking for. 

The quicker you get your podcast its own website, the more control you will feel as your podcast grows.

Once you're ready to really put a plan together for a website, put the following things in place to make it easier for people to find, listen to, and share your podcast.

This is traditionally the most viewed page on any website, so use it to your advantage. Focus on your listener with this page. List the benefits they'll get from listening to your podcast. Linking to a few of the best episodes you've done so far is an effective use of this page.

People listen to podcasts in different ways and in different podcast players. Link to the key podcast directories where your podcast can be found and subscribed to. Make it clear that your show can be found “anywhere podcasts are found.” 

Having a full list of episodes is a great way for people who've just found you to look through your back catalog. Depending on which podcast hosting platform you use, it may be possible to set this up via your podcast player or an audio player plugin if your website is using Wordpress.

Put all your contact details here. Make it easy for listeners to get in touch with you. It is amazing the number of my favorite podcasts, and their websites don’t have easily found contact information.  

You can put a contact form, e-mail address, as well as any social media links. When you encourage listeners to get in touch with you, send them to this page. This makes it easier to listen to this call-to-action in your podcast, and easier for the listener to find.

This is most crucial for setting yourself up when you start to have a larger and larger back catalog of episodes. Each podcast episode should have its own ‘blog' post on your site. 

When you publish a new episode, it's a link to this post you'll use to share with the world. Here is what you need to include:

Your podcast episode title will also be the blog post title on your website. 

Visitors to your site should be able to play an episode from inside that episode's post, so be sure you embed your podcast player from your web hosting company or your podcast hosting platform. It's true that most people don't listen to podcasts from their desktop or laptop computer, but it still accounts for up to 10% or more of listenership, depending on your podcast’s genre. 

Don’t skimp on including all lists, links, and anything else discussed in the podcast in that episode's show notes. You'll increase the chance of being discovered by potential listeners on Google if you have descriptive show notes of 500 words or more. 

Whether you've asked your listener to subscribe, review, or buy something in your episode, put a link in the show notes. Make it easy for them! And if you’ve said you will have links in the show notes, put them in there.

At the bottom of the post, include a little row of social media icons. There are numerous social share plugins available in WordPress that can set this up for you.

Around 20 percent of people have accessibility needs. For podcasters, the first step you can take towards making your content more accessible is to do transcripts for your episodes. Religiously. 

If you create video content, look into adding in captions too.

Break up your written content by using headings, and use the ‘Alt Text' tab to add in details about any descriptive images you use in your posts.

Here are some other things to think about when looking to optimize your podcast website.

Get a memorable name that makes sense, is easy to spell, and easy to read out on your episodes.

The majority of browsing and podcast listening is happening on mobile. Your website needs to load properly and quickly.

Your website is your home to engage and grow your podcast more quickly than you realize.

In a previous episode, I talk with long-time friend and colleague Chuck Francis. He is the owner of Take And Bake Marketing, as well as the owner of USAAccess, a web-hosting, video production and graphic design firm.

My websites are hosted with USAAccess, full disclosure, but I bring him to the mic because of his knowledge around building websites, and how a website protects your podcast. We cover...

• Importance of owning your own website
• Maintaining control of your own RSS feed(s)
• WordPress for site and show management
• Control your feed, and control where it lives

Recorded in Studio C at Channel 511, in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH.

Brett Johnson is the owner and lead consultant at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants. With over 35+ years of experience in Marketing, Content Creation, Audio Production/Recording and Broadcasting, the podcast consultants at Circle270Media strategically bring these strengths together for their business Podcast clients.

Subscribe to my free daily Open The Mic Newsletter at www.circle270media.com. It's chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast.

If your business is using podcasting as a marketing or branding tool, I would love to showcase your podcast. Go to www.notetofutureme.com and scroll down to my booking calendar.

Email us at [email protected] to set up time to talk more about your new or established business podcast.

www.circle270media.com

www.notetofutureme.com

Me - Brett Johnson

LinkedIn - bretthjohnson

FB - circle270media

Twitter - circle270media

I want to thank ArchesAudio dot com for the music you're hearing. They provide audio to podcasters for free as long as you give them some accreditation in verbally in your podcast as well on the show podcast notes. 

If you’re a new podcaster, and you aren’t utilizing a recording or production studio, you’re probably looking for a microphone that’s affordable and easy to use.

It can be intimidating. 

And usually throwing the question into a podcast Facebook group will leave you even more bewildered with all the “I love this one” options.

If you’re an experienced podcaster, you’re probably looking up to level up your sound quality. You’re ready to spend a few dollars on a better product to boost the production value of your show.

You may be looking to buy other podcast equipment that will sonically enhance your show. 

This is day 23 of my 31 Day Podcast Challenge.

No matter where you are in your podcasting career, here is some help.

I have a 30 plus year career in broadcasting prior to coming into the podcasting industry full time. So I’ve seen and heard a few microphones over the years.

I’ve put together a list of USB microphones and XLR microphones to consider for podcasting. 

It’s important to understand the difference between these two categories. 

First things first—let's define what XLR means. It's a pretty simple abbreviation for X Connector, Locking Connector, Rubber Boot. ... In short, XLR is the go-to standard for high-quality audio inputs. This is because they send a balanced signal that isolates noise.

Most professional audio equipment is designed for XLR microphones which gives you a ton of flexibility to upgrade pieces of your audio stack over time. 

Most importantly, they also produce better sound quality than USB microphones. 

Keep in mind, you can’t use an XLR microphone on its own. You also need a mixer, field recorder, or an audio interface. That is an expense a new podcaster has to budget in. 

A USB Microphone is an easy way of making quality recordings on your computer or tablet in a snap. USB Mics are highly portable and work on PC, Mac, iPad. ... It is literally a microphone which contains all the wiring necessary to simply connect to a USB port and start recording.

USB microphones have the same capsules and condenser elements as XLR mics. There is no additional gear required, so they’re easier to set up and affordable for new podcasters. 

Keep in mind, USB microphones make it harder to record multiple tracks. Recording software often struggles to distinguish between different mics. 

Plus, there aren’t many good USB mic options. Most are designed toward beginners. 

The PodMic is a broadcast-quality dynamic microphone optimized for podcasting. It has a rich, balanced sound, with an internal pop filter to minimize plosives and internal shock mounting to reduce vibration. It has a cardioid pickup signal to reduce room or studio noise pickup.

Shure SM86 has everything the SM line of Shure microphones has stood for for all these years — durability, quality performance, and reliability. Tailor-made for vocals, this condenser microphone brings studio quality to your recordings.

They sound warm and clear due to a brightened midrange and bass rolloff, while their metal windscreen and cardioid pickup pattern work together to eliminate background noises.

The Electro Voice RE320 Dynamic Microphone is a professional quality mic designed specifically for recording and sound reinforcement applications requiring extremely low noise and the highest level of predictable tonal and transient response.

The SM7B dynamic cardioid microphone has a smooth, flat, wide-range frequency response appropriate for speech in all professional audio applications. It features excellent shielding against electromagnetic hum generated by computer monitors, neon lights, and other electrical devices. 

USB microphones are growing in popularity, mostly because of they are easy to use, and are travel-friendly. You can easily swap them around devices and use them with any recording application, like Zoom, Squadcast, or Zencastr. 

Many of the heritage microphone manufacturers have released USB mics, so there are solid microphone manufacturers backing them up.

The ATR2100-USB is a rugged handheld dynamic microphone that offers two outputs, USB output for digital recording, and an XLR output that connects with a sound system's conventional microphone input for use in live recording.

I would recommend this microphone for podcasters who aren’t ready to commit to spending a lot of money. Additionally you should consider buying an XLR to USB cable. The USB output on the back of USB microphones can become loose and disconnect within the microphone. 

Audio Technica has a gracious return / exchange policy - but, you are without a microphone during that period. Also, if you are a Mac user, consider a USB to USB-C connector as well. You know how precious USB ports are on a Mac!

The RØDE Podcaster is a dynamic, end-address USB microphone that combines broadcast-quality audio with the simplicity of USB connectivity, allowing recording direct to a computer without the need for an additional digital interface.

It has a built in windscreen, headphone jack, and that it’s designed specifically for broadcast applications. A headphone output on the microphone body provides zero-latency monitoring, so the user can hear exactly what is being recorded, free of delay or echo.

Any USB microphone that you are looking to spend more than the Rode Podcaster USB Microphone, I would suggest you start moving into an XLR microphone. Spending that kind of money on a USB microphone is just not going to up your podcast audio sound quality compared to moving into an XLR.

USB microphones and XLR microphones have benefits and drawbacks, but there are plenty of options. 

Recorded in Studio C at Channel 511, in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH.

Brett Johnson is the owner and lead consultant at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants. With over 35+ years of experience in Marketing, Content Creation, Audio Production/Recording and Broadcasting, the podcast consultants at Circle270Media strategically bring these strengths together for their business Podcast clients.

Subscribe to my free daily Open The Mic Newsletter at www.circle270media.com. It's chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast.

If your business is using podcasting as a marketing or branding tool, I would love to showcase your podcast. Go to www.notetofutureme.com and scroll down to my booking calendar.

Email us at [email protected] to set up time to talk more about your new or established business podcast.

www.circle270media.com

www.notetofutureme.com

Me - Brett Johnson

LinkedIn - bretthjohnson

FB - circle270media

Twitter - circle270media

I want to thank ArchesAudio dot com for the music you're hearing. They provide audio to podcasters for free as long as you give them some accreditation in verbally in your podcast as well on the show podcast notes. 

Podcasts are becoming more and more popular week after week. Their range of content covers a variety of genres. 

As more people become interested in podcasting, the myths and misconceptions about the industry easily come to light. Especially from a Google search on podcasting while researching how to podcast. 

And these myths continue to plague those who are creating podcast content as well.

This is day 22 of my 31 Day Podcast Challenge.

Some of the common podcasting myths you need to scroll right past in your research and podcast preparation are:

Podcasts and radio are very different, though both are based in audio. Radio is a traditional broadcast medium of mass communication, with a pre-set, fixed schedule.

Podcasts on the other hand, generally have no set schedule. Podcasts are in the form of digital audio files that listeners can download or stream. This makes them closer to OTT platforms (think Netflix or Hulu) with content when and where you want to consume it.

Radio content is generally live. Once it’s broadcast, you can’t listen to it again. Podcast content has a much longer life, as there is no time constraint on when people can listen to podcast episodes.

Many podcast listeners, podcasters, and those who work in the radio industry, believe podcasts are in competition with radio. The only competition is for the share of ear time, where both are vying for the economics of our time as audio consumers. 

But podcasts are their own category and appeal to a specific audience. These listeners subscribe to these podcasts because of genuine interest in the content. Radio and podcasts can work together to bring quality audio content, and continue the audio listening growth that podcasting has spurred on in the last decade.

There are many podcast listeners who use podcasts as a way of learning. And during podcasting’s early days, most of the podcast content generated was around computers, software, and apps, today there is something for everyone.

Podcasts cover a wide variety of genres that include education, news, humor, audio drama and much more.

Voice acting is not the most important thing in a podcast, contrary to popular opinion. A genuine voice, and clear, thought out presentation will beat out a polished, over-the-top, un-relatable voice every time.

A single podcast is made up of efforts put forth by sound engineers and audio designers, podcast producers, content curators, marketing managers, distributors and voice actors.

Each role has its own place in the industry, with their own levels of importance.

In the case of podcasts, it is actually the sound engineer/audio designer that has the greatest responsibility. They are responsible for refining the quality of sound in the podcast.

This myth continues due to the broadcast industry, for the most part, in my opinion. As many podcasts continue to grow in popularity due to an unknown host but big name guests, the broadcast industry cannot come to recognize that their on-air talent isn’t the only pool of talented people that can interview big name guests. 

But the true star of a podcast is the host, as they are THE content curators of the podcast.

They have the most responsibility to create an interview podcast that generates enough interest in podcast listeners to share that podcast episode, talk about the episode with friends, and tune in for future episodes.

A guest can help surge that listenership for a short duration, but the host keeps the listenership coming back constant.

The variety of podcasts genres includes entertainment, but also delves into sectors like finance, investments, news, sports and more.

Many podcasts are hosted by personalities that are highly respected in their field of work. This can be the biggest draw for listeners, to have a unique opportunity to learn from these experts and authorities week after week.

Recorded in Studio C at Channel 511, in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH.

Brett Johnson is the owner and lead consultant at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants. With over 35+ years of experience in Marketing, Content Creation, Audio Production/Recording and Broadcasting, the podcast consultants at Circle270Media strategically bring these strengths together for their business Podcast clients.

Subscribe to my free daily Open The Mic Newsletter at www.circle270media.com. It's chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast.

If your business is using podcasting as a marketing or branding tool, I would love to showcase your podcast. Go to www.notetofutureme.com and scroll down to my booking calendar.

Email us at [email protected] to set up time to talk more about your new or established business podcast.

www.circle270media.com

www.notetofutureme.com

Me - Brett Johnson

LinkedIn - bretthjohnson

FB - circle270media

Twitter - circle270media

I want to thank ArchesAudio dot com for the music you're hearing. They provide audio to podcasters for free as long as you give them some accreditation in verbally in your podcast as well on the show podcast notes.