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

Today we hear part 2 of my conversation with Joe from Stacking Benjamins (Hear Part 1) comes back to talk about joining Westwood One, why he has a coach and his attitude towards making his show better.  SPONSOR: Podpage Have you tried Podpage? Podpage makes it super easy to make a website for your podcast. You don't need any technical knowledge. Just put in your RSS feed from your media host, and Podpage does the rest. You can try it for free for seven days - no credit card required. Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/trypodpage TOPICS: 00:00 Gordon the Guided Missile 03:00 Welcome to the Show QUESTION OF THE MONTH 04:38 Podcasting Pet Peeves 04:54 York from Poetic Earthlings 06:59 Seth - Geekville Radio 08:53 Dan - Based on a True Story IS YOUR PODCAST GOOD? 11:33 Most Haters Just Leave 14:41 Do You REALLY Want Advice? 16:01 Before You Buy Facebook Ads 16:44 How to Not Feel SALESY 18:30 SPONSOR: Podpage JOE'S AMAZING ATTITUDE 20:40 Joe From Stackingbenjamins.com 21:12 Why Did Joe Join a Network? 24:20 "Messing" with his content? 25:54 Why Does Someone Successful Need a Coach? 27:27 What Innovations Did You Do? 31:04 How Joe Inspires You To Listen to the Ads 32:31 Knowledge is Powerful When Acted Upon 34:26 Being Everywhere 35:54 Great Points: recap GET MORE OF JOE Stacking Benjamins Podcast Pre-order his book, "Stacked: Your Super-Serious Guide to Modern Money Management"  YOUR ATTITUDE 36:55 It Doesn't Have to Be Perfect 38:41 2 Quick Quotes JULY QUESTION OF THE MONTH 40:18 July Question of the Month If you had to stop podcasting (the reason doesn't matter) what would you miss the most? Answer at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/question INSIGHTS FROM SPARK CHRISTIAN PODCAST CONFERENCE 42:20 Example of Standing Out 47:35 In-Person Events ROCK 50:30 Coming Soon MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE ( 781 ) The Importance of Mistakes (John Cleese) Podpage (learn Podpage for free) School of Podcasting - Plan, Launch, Grow and Monetize Your Podcast Poetic Earthlings Geekville Radio Based on a True Story Author Media ( Thomas Umstattd Jr. ) Fantastical Truth Podcast (Zach Russell) Jordan Harbinger Asking Advice Episode Pre-order Joe's book, "Stacked: Your Super-Serious Guide to Modern Money Management"  Focus on the Family Spark Christian Podcast Conference Part 1 of My talk With Joe (About Reviews) The Chosen (Online Series - Interesting Crowdfunding) Tara-Leigh Cobble Author Media - Thomas Umstattdt Jr. Fantastical Truth - Zachary Russell

Today I am blessed to interview the man who helped invent podcasting. Many people know him from his time as a VJ on MTV but there is so much more to Adam than his leather jacket and golden locks of hair. Born in Va but moved to the Netherlands when he was 7. He built his first transistor radio when he was 15, and by 16 was a station announcer for a hospital. He later worked on Dutch Pirate Radio, and Radio Decibel in Amsterdam. He's also worked part-time in a computer store where he built his own modem. Yes, he was on MTV as a DJ from 1987-1994. Seeing the power of the Internet he started OnRamp which turned into Think New Ideas. 1996 Adam Curry served as CTO of Think New Ideas. He built websites for Budweiser, bud light, and put together the first Live Stream of the Grammys. (the sponsor was one of the first digital cameras). Podshow (a podcast network, later renamed Mevio) was launched 2004 to 2014. It focused on selling ads for a cast of podcasters. In 2005  hosted a show on Sirius Satelite Radio that spotlighted podcasts. In 2007 he launched the No Agenda Show with John C Divorak which uses the value for value model. He's part pirate, part broadcaster, part nerd, and part businessman, he's the Podfather, and today we are talking podcasting 2.0 SPONSOR: Podpage If you are a person who understands that having a website for your podcast is important but doesn't have a clue how to build one. You hate WordPress, and found Squarespace confusing, you can build a beautiful podcast website in five minutes (just enter your RSS feed and Podpage does the rest). See www.schoolofpodcasting.com/trypodpage Topics Covered With Adam: The problem with podcasting networks ( 7:20) The history of the No Agenda Show (14:50) What is Podcasting 2.0 and how to get started (27:05) Mentioned in This Episode www.noagendashow.com www.podcastindex.org www.coinbase.com  Strike Bitcoin Wallet James Cridland Article Join the School of Podcasting Avoid sounding unprofessional Learn how to connect with your audience Get your show listed in Apple, Spotify, Google and More Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/start

Today I am joined by Joe Saul-Sehy from Stacking Benjamins (which was recently added to the Westwood One Network). Joe recently took a class lead by Sinan Aral (author of the book The Hype Machine) and while it's been proven over and over that Apple ratings and Reviews do not help you in the apple podcast charts, but how much influence do ratings have for those looking for new podcasts? Sponsor: Podpage If you're not a technical person, and you're looking for a "Set it and forget it" solution to your podcast's website, look no further than Podpage. You can create a beautiful website in five minutes. I use podpage on the Podcast Rodeo Show, Podcast Review Show, Ask the Podcast Coach, and others. It is being built based on the Feedback of 1000 podcasters in their Facebook group. You can try it for free at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/trypodpage Check out this video to see how easy it is to setup your show. Mentioned In This Episode: Stacking Benjamins The Hype Machine Book Podpage Learn Podpage Free Course Leave a 5 Star Review For the School of Podcasting Take this quick three-question survey about Podcast Reviews Google Trends Jacobs Media My Podcast Reviews Join the School of Podcasting Topics: 05:26 The Importance of Reviews (outside of Apple charts) 12:35 Follow Trends ( see Google Trends ) 15:48 A Faster Way To Create Audiograms 16:38 Managing a Community (want a Facebook Alternative? Check out the Circle Platform) 20:26 SPONSOR:schoolofpodcasting.com/trypodpage 22:09 Give Your Listeners What They Want 25:13 78% of Podcast Discovery is Word of Mouth according to Jacobs Media 29:49 Looking at My Reviews via My Podcast Reviews ( 4 months free on your first yearly subscription ) 31:29 Another Strategy to Battle 1 Star Reviews 33:16 Have I Frightened You From Pressing Record? 34:05 Getting Out Of Our Own Way 37:14 You WILL Get a One Star Review 38:32 Getting Reviews Outside of Apple 39:45 Thanks To My Team 40:31 Bloopers

Podcast Movement Nashville is one of the Podcast Industries' first in-person events. While I'm excited to get in my car and make my way to Nashville, there are those who are nervous about being in crowds, while others have not been cleared to travel. I ask Co-founder Dan Franks how he weathered the storm of 2020, and what he's doing to address the needs of his conference attendees in 2021.  Check out PodcastMovement.com for more information SPONSOR: Podpage.com Automatically create a beautiful, listener-friendly podcast site from your RSS feed. Customize the design to create a professional look you’ll be proud of in a few clicks. No coding or technical knowledge necessary. You can build a beautiful podcast website in five minutes! Check out www.podpage.com  FREE COURSE: Check out www.schoolofpodcasting.com/learnpodpage to learn the ins and outs of Podpage. Full Show Notes at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/778 Mentioned In This Episode Podcast Movement Podpage.com Learn Podpage - Free Course John Lee Dumas Interview Kate Erickson Interview Sendfox Mailerlite Danny Elfman on Marc Maron David Lee Roth on Joe Rogan Question of the Month Tarzan Economics (free book on Audible) Wix Video Join the School of Podcasting Ready To Start Your Podcast? Get instance access to tutorials, private coaching, and a Facebook group filled with brilliant podcasting minds. You don't have to worry about sounding stupid, spending too much on equipment, or wonder how to get into Apple, Spotify, etc.  www.schoolofpodcasting.com/join

How do you decide if something should stay in your podcast episode? For when I listen to the question I asked, I look for: 1. When did their response start to actually answer the question I asked.  2. Is it a good answer? Does it deliver value? Today I play some clips of Sean Evans from Hot Ones being interviews by Drew Barrymore the actress turned talk show host.  SPONSOR: SCHOOL OF PODCASTING Get the best equipment for your budget Sound professional Learn what your audience wants Network with brilliant podcast minds Private Group Coaching Priority Email Support 30 Day Money-back Guarantee Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/join Avoid the Been There Done That The guest provides an answer and you have a similar situation that will answer for the second time your question. Was the answer from the guest so unclear that you need to repeat what is essentially the same point? If not, remove your story. The interview is about the guest (not you).  Avoid the Back Story Sometimes we provide some back story so the guest understands the motivation behind the question. Many times the audience doesn't need to hear the back story. You can edit it out and just leave the part  Don't Forget to Ask a Question? I find it off that Drew Barrymore often does not ask a question. She says nice things about the guest and just stops.  June 2021 Question(s) of the Month 1. What would the ultimate podcast community look like to you? (This will remain between you and me). 2. What are your top pet peaves? (this will be public) Don't forget to provide: The name of your show/ The website. A brief description Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/question by 6/25/2021 Need Help With Your Editing? Check out Affordable Audio Editing Where I Will Be Spark Christian Podcast Conference June 22-24 2021Grapevine, TX Podcast Movement Nashville Aug 306 20201 Thanks for sharing this show with a friend Mentioned In This Episode Join the School of Podcasting Steve Carter Easy Stress Cures and EFT Tapping Junction Drew Barrymore Interviews Sean Evans Last Week Tonight on Paid Placement (with their Fake Product) Episodes 776 Nobody Gets On a Bus Without Knowing Where It's Going – Your Podcast's Intro Episode 771 Podcasting Can Give Your Audience Something They Are Dying To Hear: The Truth Question of the Month

My Co-host of the Podcast Review Show Eric K Johnson has a saying, "Nobody Gets on a Bus Without Knowing Where It's Going." Today we talk about how it is 100% up to you on how you start your episodes. I also talk about insights from reading the book, "The Creator’s Compass" which talks about three different levels of presenting content.  Sponsor: School of Podcasting Get your podcast off the ground, sounding professional, without spending money on equipment you don't need by using the step-by-step tutorials, the private Facebook Group (filled with brilliant podcast minds) and live group coaching. There is a 30-day money-back guarantee when you go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/join The Generic Show Introduction Welcome to (show name) where we (what you do) so that you can (benefit of listening) our website is (website address). Then introduce the episode, and if you can explain why people should listen to you, throw that in as well.  Smooth Transactions Don't Happen By Accident When I do the Podcast Review Show with Erik K Johnson so we both can see the points each person wants to make. If needed we loft up a "softball" comment so the person can make their point. Consequently, when I see we have hit all the bullet points I don't have to ask, "Are you ready to move on."  James and Sam on Podland do a great job of organizing the many topics they cover into stories that easily transition from one to the next. They transition into interviews by providing just the information that resonates with the listener (do we really need their whole LinkedIn bio? No!) and consequently when the show is over I find myself asking, "Already?" It just flows nicely. This doesn't happen by accident. When you have multiple segments take some time to think about how you are going to transition from one to the other. If you don't do this, it's not the end of the world, but it is often the little things that separate good from great. It's the little things that other people don't take the time to do that can really set you apart.  I actually use transition music (SHORT music) to signal my audience that we're moving to a new topic. The bottom line is it is YOUR SHOW and you can do WHATEVER you want. Don't let this stop you from creating your show because it's not "perfect."When in doubt ask someone (not related to you) for feedback and/or do what feels right to you.  Three Levels of Content I read the ebook The Creator's Compass from Jay Acunzo and I loved it. It really made me think, and it's pretty creative. Here is one thing that made me go, "Oh yeah, that is better." Level 1 Content You have some gold. (You drop facts in their lap) Level 2: What Could Happen Here’s some gold. You have some now. And because you have some now, you can do all kinds of things: create some jewelry to feel beautiful or make someone else feel beautiful, etc Level 3: Your Opinion When you say the phrase, "I think" you take all the information, all the pros and cons and insights you have, and put them into an opinion.  Everyone will have their own opinion and that makes your show different than anyone else's sow.  Coming Soon: Dissecting Hot Ones on YouTube Hot Ones is an amazing show, with AMAZING questions.  Mentioned In This Episode Podcast Review Show  School of Podcasting  Podnews Podland The Creator's Compass from Jay Acunzo Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man Kindle and Audible

There are times when we are either planning your podcast, launching it, or you're just trying to get a larger audience. I see people in groups, websites, and meetups where they are stuck in the decision-making process. Today we are going to walk through the basic steps, and look at where and why people get stuck.   Because of My Podcast: Clay Groves is Now the Host of the Morning Radio Show and a Program Director Clay is the man behind the Fish Nerds podcast and because of his podcast he was first selected to be the man behind the scenes who does the editing, some voice-over at a station. That lead to him filling in on the weekends which lead to him NOW being the Morning Radio Show host AND Program Director. HOW COOL?  Check out Clay at www.fishnerds.com  The Basics of Making a Decision In doing some research and reading a bunch of articles you can boil decision-making down to about 5-10 steps. These are: Step 1: Identify your goal Step 2: Gather information for weighing your options Step 3: Consider the Consequences Step 4. Make the Decision Step 5. Evaluation the decision Full episodes notes at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/775 Mistakes People Make When Making A Decisions Zero Research There are some shows that have done zero research and end up naming their show the same as MANY other shows (search for outside the box in your favorite app).  Lack of Qualified Advice Not having an expert or someone who has done what you're doing. My ex-wife was a nurse and when I was given the decision of "How do you want your Dad to die, slow or fast?" She asked for a surgical consult. I didn't even know what a surgical consult was, but we did one and it added about five more years to my Dad's life.  Paralysis By Analysis There is a Ted Talk by Sheena Lyengar who is a blind psycho economist who specializing in decision making They had 348 different kinds of jam. We set up a little tasting booth right near the entrance of the store. We there put out six different flavors of jam or 24 different flavors of jam, and we looked at two things: First, in which case were people more likely to stop, sample some jam? More people stopped when there were 24, about 60 percent, than when there were six, about 40 percent. The next thing we looked at is in which case were people more likely to buy a jar of jam. Now we see the opposite effect. Of the people who stopped when there were 24, only three percent of them actually bought a jar of jam. Of the people who stopped when there were six, well now we saw that 30 percent of them actually bought a jar of jam. So when you do some research and bounce it off someone who you feel provides trustworthy advice, you're ready to move to on to looking at the consequences. Fear of Consequences You think there is an A U D I E N C E listening when you first start (there isn't). Then a few months later you have fear because people ARE listening. Remember no one will punch you in the face. You can change things later. TOPICS: 00:00 Decisions, Decisions, Decisions 01:13 Welcome to the Show 01:55 Clay Groves is Now the Morning Guy 05:03 Basic Steps of Making Decisions 09:00 Hobby Shows Have Easier Decisions 09:33 Hobby Shows Might Have Easier Decisions 10:17 The Perfect Podcast 11:03 Paralysis By Analysis 13:21 Facebook Groups May Be More Confusing than Helpful 14:17 What Will You NOT Do? 16:23 Emotional Decisions 17:12 Emotional Pressure 18:14 Apps to Help With Decisions 19:12 There Will Be Bad Decisions 21:03 Join The School of Podcasting 22:31 Dave Uses This Process In Real Life 31:35 Thanks to All My Well Wishers 35:36 Bloopers Mentioned In This Episode School of Podcasting Affordable Audio Editing Episode 774 Will You trust Your Baby With Apple? Podia Education and Marketing Platform Teachable Online Course Management Tool PodPage Lean Podpage For Free Loom Video Tool Circle Community Tool Follow me on Apple or Android text " sop " to 31996 Start Your Podcast When you join the school of podcast you can forget about sounding stupid, unprofessional, or spending money on gear you don't need. You get access to step-by-step tutorials, live group coaching, time-shifted one-on-one coaching (via video), and a private Facebook group filled with brilliant podcasting minds.  Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/join

Today I explain the continuing issues with Apple (and Google, and Spotify). Your podcast is like a baby. It needs never-ending attention and if there is an issue you need it solved NOW.  I judge a company on how things are handled when they make a mistake (cause we are all human). To have a problem that is ongoing for weeks, I find it hard to believe. I get that podcasting is barely a revenue generator for Apple (as in almost none), but you have to realize that in the same way that the actions of a child reflect on the parents, the actions of an app (AND YOUR BRAND) are a reflection of the app you told people to use to listen to your show.  Bottom line: It's going to take long (for now) for new episodes to appear in Apple. Apple is not displaying links properly. There is currently (May 2021) a bug where duplicate numbers are appearing (I do see where an update is waiting to be installed - fingers crossed). To see any episode numbers you need to follow.  Apple (or Google, Spotify etc) don't put out any public notices. Communication is the lubrication of any relationship. It makes you feel very small and insignificant. That feeling does not make me want to use your subscription service.  Who is going to answer any of the customer tickets when someone can't access their subscription? or loses their password? etc. I don't want them treating my customers the way they've treated me. They owe me an apology.  How Do I Know If I Have An Issue?  You can use a tool like inoreader.com or feedly.com and input your feed. You should be able to see if your latest episode is there. If the episode is in the reader, but not the podcast app, the app just needs to catch up. See video Ready To Start Your Podcast? Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/join Mentioned in This Episode Podcast Index Blubrry Directory Last Pass Password Tool Podfriend App Overcast App Other new podcast 2.0 Apps How to earn Bitcoin from your podcast Podcasting 2.0 Podcast

I reached out to you and asked how you found your co-host and you were nice enough to reply.  SPONSOR: School of Podcasting Audio Editing If you're stressed out about your podcast, and you're spending too much time, check out the School of Podcasting Editing service. We have different variations to meet your budget. Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/edit Tips in Choosing a Co-Host for Your Podcast You want someone who has the same commitment (and support).  You want someone who loves your topic, but might approach it from a different angle. You don't need a clone of you. We already have one of you.  Make sure you all understand how things are divided up and workaround: Money coming in Podcast production Podcast Promotion Who is paying for what (money going out) How do you get fired or quit? What schedule is the show going to use (record some test shows to determine this) Finding a Co-host Today we hear how some people: Ask other podcasters they knew Ask family members Asked bloggers Asked their audience You might consider starting your show as a solo artist which makes it easier to ask someone to join something that exists than something that is just an idea in your head. see www.schoolofpodcasting.com/join Thanks To The Contributors: Wayne Henderson from the Packers Fan Podcast ( https://packersfanpodcast.com/ and www.mediavoiceovers.com) Andrés Brenes from Colmillo Roquero colmilloroquero.com ( a Spanish podcast about Heavy Metal) Brent Bergherm from Lattitude Photography Podcast - https://latitudephotographypodcast.com/ Fred Castaneda from Podcast Reporter ( www.podcastreporter.com and www.strugglingbiz.com and http://2030podcast.com/) Roben Harris from Destinations Connections ( www.destinationconnections.com ) Matt Rafferty - The Author Inside You (www.theauthorinsideyou.com ) Josh Rivers 24 Faithful www.24faithful.com Craig Wealand from Ingles Podcast.com ( inglespodcast.com ) Mentioned In This Show Podcast Editing Podcast Review Show Text " sop " to 31996 Join the School of Podcasting www.schoolofpodcasting.com/join    

Apple Is Launching Subscriptions Here is what we know: In the US, it's $19.99 a year to participate Your show is only available in the Apple podcast app but it's not exclusive. You can set your monthly and yearly subscription price, and signing up will be super easy. You can offer a free trial along with a freemium model (some free episodes and some paid). The first year a person subscribes Apple takes 30% of the revenue from that listener, the second year of their subscription they take 15. Apple will host your files and choose the output format. Stats on your downloads for the subscribers will come from Apple. When you sign up for a "regular" podcast you need to choose the one with an RSS feed. Apple is having MAJOR difficulties this week and as I write this my dashboard has been reading "We're setting up your account. This could take a few hours. When we're finished, you can start adding new shows" since 4/21 (it's 4/25 as I write this). If you're on Anchor and you let Anchor submit your show, you will need to get your show under your Apple ID. Check out Apple's site The Math of Subscriptions Let's look at a podcast that is getting 150 downloads on every episode (after 30 days).  If you have 150 downloads per episode. The typical percentage of people who will take action is 3%. This would mean 4.5 people which I will round up to 5. If you charge $5/month that is $25 (Five people at $5/month). Apple is going to take 30% ($7.50) and leave you with $17.50 With this in mind when you start thinking of bonus content, and the effort it takes, you need to ask yourself is this worth $17.50. In the same scenario your take-home pay is: Glow.fm: $23.93 Supercast: $23.64 Patreon (8%): $22.88 Apple: $17.47 Is It Worth It? All the extra work, how long is it going to take? You need to answer that question. If you spend four hours a month creating additional content, you want to take that $17.50 per month you are making from subscribers and divide by four hours to get $4.38per hour. Is missing time with your family, your sanity, your health, with it? What We Don't Know About Apple Subscriptions Are they going to release Apple podcasts on Android? This seems like something they should be doing. Is it $20 per year (US) or $20 per year per country? IMHO, this is $20/year (US) for all countries. When I started to sign up last night Apple wanted to charge me $20 My Podcast Reviews Adds Follow Pages On episode 709 Interviewed Daniel J Lewis from My Podcast Reviews (which is ONE place to get ALL of your reviews in ONE place from ALL Countries). Now they have added an easy way to get people to subscribe/follow your podcast (which really is something you want them to d0. You can see it live in action at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/follow For more information check out My Podcast Reviews (aff link) Podpage Has Added Multiple Updates I interviewed Brenden from Podpage.com on episode 728. That was after Podpage first launched. If you need more than your "built in" website from your media host, but don't need all the complexity from something like WordPress, Podpage is for you. They've added features such as: Free voicemail Episode signatures (default text that is placed at the bottom of every episode A place for transcripts Multiple templates, more color options, and eCommerce Better search (which s great as WordPress search is awful) Email list building tool Check out my free course at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/learnpodpage Tidycal Adds Zoom Integration If you need a tool to help schedule guests or consulting clients, Tidycal allows you to create free (or paid) appointments and now it automatically creates a zoom meeting. It also integrates with Paypal, and Google Calendar. Currently, you can purchase LIFETIME access to the tool for $20 (no monthly fees).  Check out Tidycal Get Your Podcast Audited By Two Consultants Want some honest feedback on your show? Check out the Podcast Review Show where I and 30 years radio veteran Erik K Johnson go over your show, your website, and your goals to help you do more of what is working, and tweak anything that is not. Check it out at Podcastreviewshow.com/reviewme Ready To Start Your Podcast? Join the School of Podcasting and get access to: Step by step tutorials Live group coaching Private Facebook Group Priority Email Support. Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/join