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

Elizabeth Benton is known as a health and nutrition guru, but to me, she is more of a "mindset guru." She is someone who has dug herself out of being $130,000 in debt, and has lost (and kept off )150 lbs. My audience from the Logical Weight Loss podcast told me I HAD to read her book, Chasing Cupcakes (get it for free on Audible), and once I finished her book, I checked out her Primal Potential podcast and downloaded all of her episodes. I was thrilled when she agreed to come on the show and explain how podcasting has boosted her business. SPONSOR: School of Podcasting Get access to step by step tutorials, a private Facebook group filled with brilliant podcasting minds, and live group coaching and access to me. Join worry-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee.  Join Today   Topics With Elizabeth Benton 7:16 How Long Did You Run Your Business Without a Podcast? 8:31 Did you hesitate to start your podcast? 9:11 People have STONG Feelings about Eating Healthy 11:24 How has your podcast impacted your business? 12:53 Because of her podcast ______. 14:01 Have you interviewed your clients on your podcast? 14:32 How do you keep going? 16:29 Favorite Piece of Feedback 17:36 Elizabeth shares about expectations in relationships 20:43 Advice for a new podcaster 22:20 You attract people who are like you. My Favorite Takeaways I want to be challenged because in that I learn. If you don't want to roll an ankle don't play basketball if you don't want people to disagree with you Don't ever say anything out in public. The advantage over email is people can listen to episode four. They can't read your fourth email.  If you're having fun, stay in the game. Stay consistent. Don't just do podcasting because podcasting is hot. It's only hot if you're really good at it. Podcast Rewind I appeared on The Brave Files  podcast with Heather Vickery talking about some of my biggest fears and how I overcome them. The show features people living courageously. I also appeared on the Business of Podcasting show with Charley Valher. We talked about taking steps to make sure your podcast connects with your audience. Without a connection, you won't be able to monetize your show. Profit From Your Podcast Pre-Order 30:29  Dave's book "Profit from your podcast" is being released 9/28. You can pre-order today. The book contains oroven strategies to turn listeners into a livelihood. I Need Your Thoughts in Interesting 31:48 Right now, I'm obsessed with the word, Interesting. When you hear the word interesting, what comes to your mind? If someone who spoke another language and asked you to explain what Interesting mean, how would you describe it. Feel free to “riff” on your thoughts of interesting, and explain any examples of content you feel is interesting. I need your answer by September 25th, 2020. Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/queston   Mentioned In This Podcast Elizabeth Benton on the Logical Weight Loss Podcast Elizabeth Benton's Book "Chasing Cupcakes" on Amazon and Audible Elizabeth Benton's website Primal Potential and Podcast Primal Potential Episode on Expectations Question of the Month Start Your Podcast at the School of Podcasting Amazon Music adds Podcasting on YouTube Got podcast questions? Schedule a Coaching Session Today Just want to support the show? Consider becoming a Patron.

Charley Valher started a podcast and was "swinging for the fences" and after hiring a team, and putting 50,000 into a marketing budget he realized after a year that the show just wasn't producing the results he needed. Today he shares the mistakes he made, and how he came back to podcasting with new strategies and insights that resulted in his podcast (the business of podcasting) being the number one way her is driving customers to his business at Valher Media.  Topics Include: 02:41 Charlie's Services 05:14 Charlies Hired a Team for His First Podcast 07:59 What Was Missing? 10:44 How did you come up with the new formula? 12:19 Position Yourself as the Expert 14:45 Can You Niche Down Too Far? 15:54 Three Ingredients of a Niche 16:40 Charlie's Original Call to Action 18:07 Having the Right Topics 22:11 Was it Hard To Try Again? 25:13 How Long Until You Saw Results? 26:57 How do you pick topics? 29:32 Interviewing Potential Clients 33:22 Did You Make Any Technology Mistakes 34:59 Most Memorable Feedback 39:55 What's Working Now? 40:41 How Do You Grow Your Podcast? 43:04 Insights Into Charlie's Prices Great Takeaways Position yourself as an expert  I want to talk to my audience so they feel like I've been watching them. When creating a niche, consider the demographic, the service/industry, and if this is for Beginners/Intermediates/Experts His audience is now quoting the podcast in his approval form. They say things like, "This podcast was made for me."  The 5o,00 budget did not result in success. You can't buy an audience if your content doesn't connect. Question of the Month DeadLine 9/25 Right now, I'm obsessed with the word, Interesting. When you hear the word interesting, what comes to your mind? If someone who spoke another language and asked you to explain what Interesting mean, how would you describe it. Feel free to “riff” on your thoughts of interesting, and explain any examples of content you feel is interesting. I need your answer by September 25th, 2020. Submit your answer at schoolofpodcasting.com/question Mentioned In This Podcast The Business of Podcasting Show  Valher Media Rodecaster Pro and Zoom Podtrack P4 Audio Technica ATR2100 USB Microphone. Join the School of Podcasting  

As I continue (as a middle-aged white dude) to attempt to learn more about Black History, Culture, and issues, a friend of mine suggested I watch the TV show Black AF on Netflix as there is always a hidden history lesson.   (a writer and producer)  plays a television writer and producer (named Kenya Berris). In one episode the main character (who is a movie and television creator) is worried about giving feedback to a fellow black creator, and also is worried about what others might think about his films and content. In sone scene, Kenya meets Tyler Perry who might know from his movies feature Madea. This is a character played by Perry. She is a tough, elderly African-American woman. She 6'2" and 365 lbs. Diary of a Mad Black Woman—2005 Madea's Family Reunion—2006 Meet the Browns (cameo)—2008 Madea Goes to Jail—2009 I Can Do Bad All by Myself—2009 Madea's Big Happy Family—2011 Madea's Witness Protection—2012 A Madea Christmas—2013 Boo! A Madea Halloween—2016 Boo 2! A Madea Halloween—2017 A Madea Family Funeral—2019 Transcript from Black AF Featuring Tyler Perry In the episode, Kenya asks about the website Rotten Tomatoes. ---- Kenya Barris: Go to Rotten Tomatoes. Tyler Perry: But let me just tell you about the tomatoes. I don't fuck with 'em. Kenya Barris: No tomatoes? Tyler Perry: I don't give a damn about a rotten or a fresh none of that means shit to me. Kenya Barris: That's amazing. What about critics? Tyler Perry: I don't give a fuck Kenya Barris: I guess that's amazing. Tyler Perry: Can I just tell you why? Listen, man, I know that I'm telling stories that my folks want to see. I'm talking from our point of view. We're speaking a language. We're speaking a shorthand that we get, and that white people don't necessarily get. Nina Simone said this and I never forgot that she said, "You will use up everything you got trying to give everybody what they want." You got to focus man you know what I do? I super serve my niche. We speak like we're talking we know each other - we get it. There's a lot of times I see shit that wins Oscars and I be like, what is this shit? I walked out halfway through it. I don't get it.  I feel like they feel the same way about my work. They don't get it, which is all cool. My mother born in Jim Crow South In Louisiana, right down the street from Mississippi where Emmett Till was murdered. She told me the value of being who I am of my blackness. She said, "Don't you ever let anybody tell you who you are, you know who you are, you know where you come from." I watched her stories, I watched her struggles and that's what I'm telling. I'm telling the stories that I come from, and that's why they're winning. Because people are recognizing themselves in these stories, no matter how crass that people think they are, no matter what the critics are saying, Oh, I don't get this shit. I don't understand what is. I don't give a fuck because I'm talking to us. That's why millions of people are watching my shows every week. That's why people keep showing up and sending the movies to number one. I'm talking to us connecting with us. You know, I'm saying? Let me tell you what you're doing, you're trying to get them to approve you. That's when I don't get why niggas run around trying to get white folks, "Please tell me I'm special. Oh, give me your Oscar. Oh, let me know I'm all of these things that you want me.." Fuck that. Tell your story. Live in your own life in your own culture. Tell your own experience. Ain't nobody gonna tell you how to be you. You hear what I'm saying? Kenya Barris: I do man. I really fucking do. Tyler Perry: Good. ---- Now keep in mind that this is Kenya Berris playing himself and the same for Tyler Perry, but the more I got into researching Tyler Perry the move I loved his message. It's Not How You Start - It's How you Finish Tyler grew up in Louisiana with his mother and an alcoholic father who would beat both he and his mother. His Success Didn't Come Overnight Tyler started with plays. His first play cost $12,000 to put on. He expected to get 1200 people, and instead he got 30. It Starts With Knowing Your Audience Tyler Perry knows white critics are not going to get his movies. He doesn't care because he got feedback from someone who saw the movie "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" and she said, "In two hours, you got my sister to do what we've been trying to do for twelve years - leave an abusive relationship." (source) His Attitude on Feedback In his book Higher is Waiting, he states, "What's more, you need some naysayers in your life. You need people to challenge your point of view. Your job is to look for the truth in their negativity. For instance, sometimes I'll get a bad review. And my first defensive reaction is to think it's completely off the mark. Once I give myself a moment and allow my initial reaction to be released, I'll read it again to see if there's anything I can learn from the review. If it's pure vitriol, well, I let it go. But if there's some truth, even a kernel, I'll use what's written to be better at what I do. I can take constructive criticism." It Took Seven Years to Start to Catch On Tyler mentions how each year he would work different jobs, saving his money so he could put his play I Know I've Been Changed on in a theater. Upon the seventh year, he started to get feedback from attendees saying how much they enjoyed the play. It would go on tour from 1998-2000. He Went To Where His Audience Was Perry continued to create new stage productions, touring with them on the so-called "Chitlin' Circuit" (now also known as the "urban theater circuit") and developing a large, devoted following among African-American audiences. In 2005, Forbes reported that he had sold "more than $100 million in tickets, $30 million in videos of his shows and an estimated $20 million in merchandise", and "the 300 live shows he produces each year are attended by an average of 35,000 people a week." He is Brave and Shares His Faith If you interview Tyler Perry he will say his success is due to one thing. The grace of God. He knows saying "Jesus" is not a popular thing to do in mainstream media. But it's not to his audience. In a survey in 2007 by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life, the African-American population was found to be more religious than the U.S. population as a whole, with 87% of its members being affiliated with a religion, and 79% of them saying that "religion is very important in their life", in contrast to 83% and 56% of the whole US. population, most of which is Christian, with 83% of black Americans identifying as Christian, including 45% who identify as baptist. He Owns All of His Material While many podcasters are looking to be on a big network, Tyler Perry went direct. He rented theaters for his plays. He wrote, acted, and directed his content. Why? His father was a carpenter and he would see his father build a house and get paid $8,000 while to owner/seller of the house got $80,000. Perry's films are co-produced and distributed by Lions Gate Entertainment; he retains full copyright ownership under the corporate name Tyler Perry Films, and places his name in front of all titles. Perry's movies have seen very limited release outside North America, but in May 2010, Lionsgate announced plans to begin releasing his films in the United Kingdom. He Gives Back to His Community His dream was to own his own studio. He bought land in Atlanta Georgia that was previously a confederate fort that made plans to keep 3.9 million negros enslaved, and he put built it there so other black children could see "that the land is now owned by one negro." (source) Mentioned in This Episode www.reviewsandrandomness.com Question of the Month Indie Pod Con Tyler Perry Spring Tuskegee Commencement Speech Tyler Perry Gives Powerful Speech Of Motivation As He Accepts Ultimate Icon Award | BET Awards 2019 Avoid Overwhelm - Start Your Podcast Today Get access to the private Facebook group, the step by step tutorials, and access to live group coaching, and me! http://www.schoolofpodcasting.com/start  

It's to know what is working for your audience. Sure you can look at your downloads but there are other ways to look at engagement. Today in episode 738 I dig deeper. Website Traffic How many website visitors are you getting? You may be surprised that your top ten pages on your website are the same as the top ten episodes of your podcast? Why, you might have more keywords in your notes that attract google. People may be linking to your episode which can boost "Google Juice" (your rankings). WHAT ABOUT TRANSCRIPTS? I was listening to The Business of Podcasting a great podcast with Charlie Valher from Valher media (Charlie will be on this show in the future), and he was interview Stephan Spencer who is one THE SEO people on the planet. While we often say, "This person wrote the book on..." Stephen actually wrote the book on SEO (Search Engine Optimization) The Art of SEO. It's 994 pages. Here is what he had to say about transcripts: But the key thing here is you're creating something in an audio format and although Google is getting better at taking that audio and doing something amazing with it, like turning that into searchable content on its own, you can't just rely on that. A lot of people don't have time to listen to podcasts and they like to just scan through articles, but nobody wants to read a transcript. Who's gonna get excited about reading a transcript with a bunch of the back and forth banter and not cutting to the chase? Having an article made out of the transcript, however, is a very powerful strategy and if you have an hour-long show or a half-hour-long show, that's a lot of textual content. -Stephen Spencer the Business of Podcasting show. Transcribed by https://otter.ai Google Analytics Google Analytics is a great free tool that enables you to pull insights about your website visitors. The best part is its free. It is very robust. There are ways you can flatten the learning curve with Google Analytics. One is to take the free course(s) offered by Google. One of my favorite tools that takes that data and creates easy to understand reports is Monster Insights. Check out the video on Monster Insights Tracking Clicks In WordPress, many people use a plugin that is free/premium called Pretty Links. There is a free version and the premium version starts at $49/year. It's been downloaded over 2.5 million times. Thirsty affiliates is a very similar plugin for about the same price ($49/year). If you want something even more powerful (especially for affiliate links) check out Lasso which can even check the stock at Amazon for your links, and much more. It starts at $19/month. URL Shortener Pro is only $19. The advantage of these plugins is they enable you to reinforce your brand's website while making an easy to remember. For example, www.schoolofpodcasting.com/subscribe will take you to my subscription page. If someone asks me where to subscribe, I have one link with all the apps. If someone asks about the Podpage service, they can go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/podpage. For my Patreon account that I promote on the Ask the Podcast Coach show I use www.askthepodcastcoach.com/awesome What if you don't use WordPress? How Do You Track Clicks? bit.ly Many people use bit.ly which I did, but I found something that really changed my opinion of bit.ly. While you can setup a bit.ly link to point at a long URL that makes it easier to remember if later you want to change that link - you can't. This is why I started researching this topic. Then on August 13th, they added the feature to update a link see announcement. However, you have to pay for this feature ($35/month). Rebrandly One company called Rebrandly was started based on the pain point of "I can't change my destination URL in Bitly." With Rebrandly you can have up to 500 links and have up to 5000 clicks per month for free. You can have up to 5 custom domains. If you're looking for a free tool to track clicks this seems to be the tool. They have 550,000 happy customers. If You Want to Do More Track Clicks (Marketing?) Click.org Click.org allows you to do A/B Split testing, and you can have one link for people in one part of the world, and another link used for others in a different part. For marketing people it adds the tracking pixel. So now when you send someone to a website that is not yours, you can add a pixel to retarget them. This is much more of a marketing tool and may be overkill for those who want to just have a link to give to their audience. Pixle.me Pixle.me is all about retargeting. It is the primary feature you see when you go to their website. For example, you could send people to a post on Medium and then they would see your Facebook ads when they go about the Internet. They have a tool where you can send someone to an Amazon site (for example) and make YOUR email pop up box appear. While they have some fun marketing tools if you want to change the destination URL (the feature that launched this investigation) it will cost you $24 a month. I did like some of their tools, and when it comes to marketing and tracking (which somewhat keeps your brand in front of your audience) it seemed to be a clear winner. What You Can Learn? Here is a list of things you might want to track: A link in your email signature Links in your emails Links in your show notes. Your Instagram URL (instead of using some third-party service) Links to your subscribe buttons A general idea of how engaged your audience is with your content. Check How Far People Are Listening To Your Episode What do Apple, Google, Spotify, and Stitcher all have in common? They all provide extra stats that show you how far your audience is listening. Also, if you are using Anchor and allowed them to submit your show to directories "for you" you have given away this option (they don't tell you that when they offer to do you a "favor"). Here is a video from Apple Advertiser Practice Run Last week I talked about the Zoom Podtrack P4, and 84 people clicked on it (11% of my audience at the time), but nobody purchased it. As many people feel that 3-5% click rate is "great" this seems to be a very interesting product for my audience. My feeling is due to it not being available yet (and only available for pre-order) this may mess up my affiliate stats. By using an affiliate link, it has built-in click tracking and you can see how many units were sold. Amazon Associates is the largest affiliate program. The best thing is to find a product you like, and then see if the word "affiliates" or "partners" is at the bottom of their website. Sign up and promote it. As its a favorite product of yours, your sales pitch will be more heartfelt. Mentioned In This Episode Start your podcast at the School of Podcasting Zoom Podtrack P4 Episode Zoom Podtrack P4 Pretty Links WordPress Plugin Thirsty affiliates WordPress Plugin Lasso  WordPress Plugin (great for Affiliate marketing) Easy AZON Plugin Click.org Pixle.me rebrandly.com bitly.com Need Help With Your Podcast? I'd love to help you plan, launch, and grow your podcast. Need some feedback on your show? Get your show audited on the Podcast Review Show Looking for podcast Mentoring? Let's setup a coaching call

The Zoom Podtrack P4 is coming out next month (from what I hear) and this appears to be a game-changer for those podcasting on a budget. Here are some of the features of the Zoom Podtrack P4: Zoom Podtrack P4 Podcast Recorder Four mic inputs with XLR connectors Four headphone outputs with individual volume control Gain control knobs and mute buttons for each input Phantom power for all XLR inputs Automatically prevent feedback from call audio using the Mix-Minus function Easily connect your phone using the TRRS connection Trigger sound effects using four assignable Sound Pads with 11preset sounds All input sources can be recorded on separate tracks 16-bit /44.1kHz audio WAV Records directly to SD, SDHC and SDXC cards up to 512 GB 2-input, 2-output USB audio interface Class-compliant mode for iOS compatibility Up to four hours of use with just two AA batteries or a USB power supply Can be powered via 2 AA Batteries Can be powered via USB or Zoom AD-17 AC Adapter Comparing the Podtrack P4 to the Rodecaster Pro Zoom P4 VS Rodercaster Pro Zoom Podtrack P4 Manual (pdf), Price: Zoom Podtrack P4 is $199 Rodecaster is $599 Audio Processing: The Rodecaster has built-in APHEX audio processing and mic modeling. There is a "big bottom," an aural exciter, a compressor, and noise gate. The P4 has a low cut (to cut out unnecessary frequencies) and a limiter (to make sure you don't peak and distort). ThePodtrack P4 does have very powerful preamps that are very quiet. The Rodecaster also features a built-in ducking option so if the host is in channel 1, and someone tries to talk at the same time this feature (which can be turned on and off) will ensure the host (mic 1) is heard. Sound Pads: The Rodecaster has 8 pads for sound effects vs the 4 on the P4. If you're doing things live and want the ability to play sounds with a press of a button. As both the Rodecaster and the P4 have the ability to plug a phone in and you could use an app like Backpack studio which enables you to have a ton of sound pads. Slider Vs Knobs The Rodecaster has sliders vs the knobs on the P4 Storage: The P4 has a SD card, the Rodecaster has a micro SD Card. On their website, the Rodecaster mentions Micro SD up to 256 Gigs. The Podtrack P4 mentions card up to 512 Gigs. Both of those sizes are huge. Bluetooth: The Rodecaster has built-in Blue Tooth, the P4 has an optional BTA-2 Bluetooth option ($49) Recording Sample Rate: The Rodecaster records in 48khz/24-bit, the P4 is 44.1khz/16 bit. While I don't feel this makes that much of a difference (as in the end your podcast is listened to in earbuds, car speakers, and portable speakers). However, if you're doing anything with video, your video editor will be happy you have the ability to record in 48khz. Number of Tracks: The Rodecaster can record up to 8 tracks, the P4 records up to 4 Both units provide a stereo mixdown, and in addition to the mic inputs, they provide tracks for the pads. The Rodecaster has the ability to turn off the multi-track recording. Recording Into Your Computer Both send a stereo mix to the computer (great for live streaming), but the Rodecaster can also send map individual tracks to channels. Interface The Rodecaster has a touch screen. The P4 has a simple to use menu system. Markers The Rodecaster has the ability to add markers (which can be very useful for editing) While other room recorders have this feature the P4 does not ) Outputs The Rodecaster has 4 headphones out in addition to a stereo out. The Zoom P4 has four headphones out. Footprint:The Rodecaster is 14" X 11" the P4  4.1" X6.1.' This might be important for those with smaller desktops. The P4 is  1/4th smaller than the Rodecaster. For my friends across the pond the Rodecaster is 350 mm x 275 mm the Podtrack P4 is 112 mm x 155 mm Warranty: RodecasterPro: Limited 1-Year Warranty with 1 Additional Year upon Registration. (source BNH). Podtrack P4: Limited 1-Year Warranty (source BNH). If you're looking for a great sounding unit, and never need to record more than four sources, this is a great unit. Audio snobs will complain about the lack of ability to record in 48khz/24hz but 44.1/16 will be fine for something that is heard in-car speakers and earbuds. Some will complain about sliders vs knobs. The knobs help cut the footprint which gives you your desk back. If you want to achieve the tone of the rodecaster you will need to invest in some plugins. If you're on a budget and want an easy way to record separate tracks including the phone, this is worth checking out. Just don't drop it. Check out the Zoom Podtrack P4 The Zoom ZDM-1 Dynamic Microphone I must confess that the Electrovoice RE320 has been my mic for many years. It's also close to $300. The ZDM-1 comes with a pop filter, "stand" a cable, and headphones for $120. I didn't think it was fair to compare it to the RE320 so I pulled out the Rode Podmic (another microphone designed for podcasters for around $99). Both microphones are very well built, and when I kid about using them as a weapon, I'm not kidding. You need a sturdy stand to hold these up. The ZDM-1 has a great mount that screws into the bottom and just seems solid. The Rode Podmic also is well built. The Zoom ZMD-1 has 50 Hz to 18 kHz frequency response with tight bass and smooth highs enhance vocal tone for radio, podcasting, and more The Rode Podmic has a frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz. In specs, it should pick up a bit more bass and a bit more high end. While neither one of these microphones sound bad, I thought I heard a little more high end and sibilance on the Zoom ZMD-1. The one thing that Audio Technica, Zoom, and other microphone companies need to quit doing is giving us microphone stands that are 100% completely worthless. While the TPS-4 stand that comes with the ZDM-1 is sturdier than the other worthless microphone stands, They are so short that you have to do a bizarre yoga pose to lean over to use it. Either invent a new mic stand as an accessory, or just include the clip/mount and lower the price. Nobody in their right mind is using the TPS-4 microphone stand. The Zoom ZHP-1 Headphones were amazingly clear. The high end was crystal clear to an almost alarming point. The somewhat self-adjusting headphones fit nice and snug and really cut out the outside world. I used other "included" headphones with other microphones and they were typically uncomfortable and had the fidelity of a record cut out of a cereal box (you have to be over 50 to get that). These had a nice sound, and I love that the cable can be disconnected at the headphones (great for those of us who are always tangled in or headphone cable. For $199 this a good value with a solid mic, nice pop filter, study mount and comfortable headphones to boot. Just pick up a nice boom arm (are strong desk stand as it is heavy). August Question of the Month: What Keeps You Going? This month the question was, "What has kept you going with your podcast when others have stopped?" Kris and Kristine from the Kris and Kristine Show Kris and Kristine are engaged and this is just another great way of spending time together. (everyone together  - awww....). Kristine said, " I'm big on trying to constantly strengthen our relationship. And there's a lot of research that says, for a woman, when she invests in the hobbies and the interests of her partner, then it really helps to build that bond. And so Kris could have loved going to golf or you could have had all these hobbies that take you out of the house and away from me, but instead, you choose to build and grow a hobby with me. What woman wouldn't want that from her significant other that you want to spend dedicated time with me? These are super nice peeps and I wish them the best when they get married in November. Check out their show at www.krisandkristine.com Curtis Longellow from the Rerozest Podcast Curtis Longfellow from the Retrozest podcast needed an outlet. He wanted to talk about all things retro (70's and 80's) and by starting a podcast he attracted other people who are just like him. It turns out it's really paid off. Diane Franklin, the actress who portrayed Monique Juno in the classic 80s dark comedy film Better Off Dead, granted me an interview in celebration of the 30 fifth anniversary of the film. In fact, it just posted yesterday. The other thing that keeps me going is the power of podcasting network shows. In fact, via Episode Number 678 of the School of podcasting, you really prepared me for the aforementioned interview with Diane Franklin. What was supposed to only be a 45-minute interview ballooned into an hour and 15 minutes. This was largely because the tips you shared on Episode Number 678 really prepared me and helped me to frame and ask some very unique questions, which kept the stories from Diane flowing. Additionally, you recently did a short review of my AC DC Back in Black 40th anniversary episode on your Podcast Rodeo Show. You shared several tips which helped me to plan for future episodes. And also you pointed out a glaring typo on my podcast description to which I immediately responded and corrected. Thank you for all you do. Dave. I suspect that your contribution to teaching about podcasting is really keeping a bunch of podcasters going, keep up the good work, and check out the retros s podcasts at retro zest.com forward slash podcast. Civilla Morgan from the Childless, Not By Choice (and Not Just Another Religion and politics Podcast) Here is what Civilla from the Childless, Not by Choice had this to say, "I believe I believe in the power of podcasting, I believe podcasting is a Message carrier. And I can see the results of it because of the response that I get. I may not be at a million downloads. But I'm hearing from people whose lives are literally being changed when they listen to the Childless, not by choice podcast episodes. They're writing into me.  One woman just called me about a week ago from Holland on speakpipe on my website, and she left a message because she was so excited to find thes podcast, she couldn't believe it. And she had to tell me all about what episode she was on and how the podcast has completely absolutely helped her and that she just recently joined the Facebook group. I've got to keep going. I've got to keep getting the word out. Slowly but surely it can be tedious. There can be deep valley moments where you just want to throw everything across the room and just walk away from it all. And then those awesome mountain top moments where you get that awesome interview, like when I got that interview with you, Dave Jackson. And so you have to take the good with the bad when it comes to podcasting and I just love that I can get the message out whether it's the Childless, not by choice podcast, or the Not just another religion and politics podcast where I get to say my part as to how the Christian community is behaving (or misbehaving right now), in some instances. It's just a way to get the word out to get your message out. It's truly a message carrier. And that's why I'm still podcasting. Craig Wealand from Ingles Podcast Here are the reason Craig keeps podcasting: I podcast with a co-host, who I've known for many years. He's a very good friend. And it's a lot of fun to get together with him. once every three weeks, batch record some episodes, then have a nice lunch together and just hang out, just be with someone who I really like. We have a laugh, we have fun together. So one big element of the fun I get from podcasting is getting together with my friend and colleague. I think we're helping people with our product when I know we're helping people, we get feedback, voice messages, emails, telling us that because of the podcasts, we've helped people, get promotions, find a job pass an exam in English, so we know that we're doing some good out there and then keeps us going the feedback from our community.  I really like the podcasting community. They're a great bunch of people. And I enjoy hanging out with podcasters. I feel very comfortable when I'm with podcasters. And, and over the years, I've made some really good friends in the podcasting community going to events and conferences, and meeting people online. So I really like being part of the community. And it's much easier to be part of the community if you have a podcast. I think I really like creating something that wasn't in the world before. Hopefully, that's a good thing. It might be a bad thing. But I like the idea that we've put something out there that might be of use to people and it didn't exist before we turned on the microphones.  I like the idea that I've created something. Check out Craig at Ingles Podcast Dave Jackson from the School of Podcasting I've always said that podcasting scratches every itch I have. It is somewhat technical, and I'm somewhat of a geek. You are in 100% control and you can do anything you want. As a creative person, I love that. I get to help people. As someone with a teaching background, that puts a lot of "Gas in my tank." As someone who spent myself into bankruptcy trying to have children (and failed), this is somehow my "Legacy." Check out all of Dave's shows at www.powerofpodcasting.com September Question of the Month Right now, I'm obsessed with the word, Interesting. When you hear the word interesting, what comes to your mind. If someone who spoke another language and asked you to explain what Interesting mean, how would you describe it. Feel free to "riff" on your thoughts of interesting, and explain any examples of content you feel is interesting. I need your answer by September 25th, 2020.  Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/question Ready to Start Your Podcast? I love helping people plan, launch, and grow their podcast. I have multiple plans and scenarios to meet any budget. Let's work together.

HOUSEKEEPING: My book, Profit Grom Your Podcast UPDATE. If you're asked to confirm your sale, please say yes. Podcasts are continuing to get more and more popular with millions of listeners worldwide. In some (few from what I've seen) cases, people with very popular or very niche shows can charge what some people call a "Guest Appearance Fee." While I understand that some of us are trying to at least pay for the cost of production with our podcasts, but there are some things to think about before you go charging people to be on your show. SUPPLY AND DEMAND I know some people were charging to be on your show (in some cases four figures) to be a guest. The law of supply and demand can be summarized as the smaller the supply for something the more your can charge as long as it has value (or perceived value). Why? Because you can't get it anyplace else. If you show has a HUGE audience and people are banging on your door to be on your show, this might indicate a high demand for people to be on your show. If your show is super niche, it may be the only podcast on the topic. If a potential guest wants to do a deep dive on Viking history, there may not be that many podcasts to contact. Remember when sponsors are paying you money it is to get in front of your audience. If a guest thinks you have a large chunk of the audience they may be willing to pay to get in front of them. MANAGING DEMAND WITH YOUR PRICE When you have too much demand on a product as you can't keep up, one strategy is to raise the price. When I was a working musician some of the bars I played had a $5 cover charge. Why? Because if you were willing to pay $5 just to get in the door there was a good chance those people had disposable money to buy food and drinks. This way your bar was full of your target audience. If you have a TON of people BEGGING to be on your show, charging for an appearance might slow the demand. It might shorten the line to get into the guest chair, and only those who KNOW that you have their target audience will bust out the cash to sit in that seat. If this sounds like a good idea, lets take a second and look at this a little deeper. Take a Long Look in the Mirror If you were to go to Google is your show one of less than five other podcasts on your subject? Are you the only pigmy pony podcast? Do you have a large audience? Not many people can say they have a super-niche podcast with a large audience. Here are some other things to consider: Enjoying the Extra Money This Would Bring In TV Talk shows (due to the union) pay their guests to appear on the show ($726 per episode by some accounts) but that is for a show with millions of viewers. According to some reports by Marketwatch 30% of adults have no emergency savings at all (if you make 50,000 a year). If you go up to $150,000 a year 25% of people are still living paycheck to paycheck. My point is without some discipline, there were always be more month at the end of the money. What might happen is you have an extra $1000 a month and you get those braces for the kid, or even worse have a second child (and those little boogers are expensive). Now what was extra money to put into your savings, or add some breathing room, is now being spent every week. It is no longer "extra"money. Now You NEED Guests to Pay When your back is up against the wall you do things you may not be proud of. Now you start to accept any guest as long as they pay. I've been there done that. While I had a job when I graduate from college I still took a job as a janitor at my church to help pay the bills. I had student loans to pay, and I needed to save up money to move into an apartment. My Dad (who had a degree in computers) took a job as a convenient store manager working the night shift. You do what have to do not because you want to, but because you have to. This Could Cause a Negative Spiral If your guests don't fit your audience, and they don't deliver value, you might lose your audience (and remember that is what people are paying for - to get in front of your audience). If your audience goes away, so does the demand to get in front of them. For me (again an opinion), you don't really need to sell me your guest and provide tons of street cred when you introduce your guests. I trust you that you're not going to bring on someone who won't deliver value. Potential FTC Issues The FTC Guides, state that at their core, reflect the basic truth-in-advertising principle that endorsements must be honest and not misleading. An endorsement must reflect the honest opinion of the endorser and can’t be used to make a claim that the product’s marketer couldn’t legally make. 255.5 states, "When there exists a connection between the endorser and the seller of the advertised product that might materially affect the weight or credibility of the endorsement (i.e., the connection is not reasonably expected by the audience), such connection must be fully disclosed. " For me, by having them on your show, your audience trusts you to bring people of value. If you don't disclose that they are paying to be there, and someone purchases their product or service, you might have an issue with the FTC (I'm not a lawyer, but it gets sticky). If you're in the UK, you might want to check out the CAP Code 2.4 "Marketers and publishers must make clear that advertorials are marketing communications."  Vote For The Schol of Podcasting We are in the final slate of the Podcast Awards. Go to www.podcastawards.com and vote for the School of Podcasting in the technology category (I also love the Newsworthy show, and the Packers Fan Podcast).  I Want to Help You With Your Podcast What is keeping you going? What has started you from starting? Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/question to answer by August 28th I Want to Help You With Your Podcast I've been helping people plan, launch, and grow their podcast for 15 years. I'd love to help you. Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/workwithme to find the best way I can help you.

Patreon is having what appears to be some serious legal issues created by a loophole in their terms of services. Today I talk about seven different options each with their own strength.  Patreon Subscribestar Supercast Memberful MyLibsyn Podbean Buy Me a Coffee Ko-Fi Full Details, videos, and more at  www.schoolofpodcasting.com/735

There are those that are going to be surprised by today’s content. Why? Because I’m going to admit to making one of the biggest mistakes (if not THE biggest mistake) you can make in podcasting. This deals with your podcast feed. When you learn to shave, you have to learn how to hold the razor properly.  The Radio Analogy Let’s start with some analogies. Radio is broadcasted on a frequency. That frequency is then deciphered by a radio receiver, which turns it into music.  Podcasting is syndicated via your feed and is deciphered via an app. So you had DJ to Frequency to Radio. Now you have podcasters to feed to app. In radio, you had to make sure your radio tower was always operational. If the tower had an issue, you were no longer broadcasting, and your station went dead. With podcasting everything, I mean EVERYTHING is tied to your feed. Guard it with your life.  Change of Address Forms The other analogy I want to bring here is the change of address form. I’m going to be moving later this year, and when I am finished set up,at my apartment, I’m going to fill out a change of address form with the US Post office that says,”Any mail going to Dave Jackson at his apartment should now be delivered to his house.”  Here is the problem you want to avoid.  What if your favorite pizza place was at 123 Main Street, and they moved. They had no website, and when you dialed their phone number it said it was disconnected. You LOVED their food, but you had no idea where to get it.  If a radio station moved from 98.7 to 100.2 and didn’t let their audience know, you would have to scan the dial searching for your favorite station.  When you move from one feed to another without doing a 301 redirect you strand your audience who is still looking at your old (dead) feed.  How Did This Happen? So how did the guy who warns everyone to be careful when dealing with feeds shoot himself in the foot?  I did this late at night (post-midnight right before I was heading to bed). Looking back we always have 20/20 vision, but I’m pretty sure this not when I’m at my sharpest.  You might say I got, "Too comfortable with the knife." What I mean by this is if you do something dangerous over and over, after a while, you get comfortable, confident, and potentially end up cutting yourself. If this had been a client’s account I was working on, I would’ve shut off all distractions, double and tripled checked my steps, and things would’ve been fine. In my case, I knew the procedure, logged in, copied, and pasted and was getting ready to head to bed. I was too comfortable with the knife.  In looking at my stats, it appears I came away with a bruise instead of needing stitches.  I Appeared on the Krisk and Kristine Show You can check out my appearance on episode 48 of the Kris and Kristine show. Link to episode 48. Update on Conferences Podfest is doing and online conference while trying to set a Guinness World Record. I will speak at that event.  Podcast Movement will be in person in 2021 in Nashville, and in 2020 they have moved to an online event.  Ready To Start Your Podcast? Join the School of Podcasting worry-free with our 30-day money-back guarantee. You get access to: A private Facebook mastermind group filled with brilliant podcasters. Step by step tutorials to get you from idea to world domination. Live group coaching several times a month in different times zones.  Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/start  

Today we revisit the topic of Impostor Syndrome (something we talked about in episode 627), as you won't believe who has impostor syndrome (the whole, "Why would anyone listen to me???).  We also share what your favorite episode is and why (some pretty amazing answers thanks to all who participated).  Join the School of Podcasting Worry Free Worry about sounding bad or unprofessional? Worried about buying equipment you don't need? Worried you'll make all those common mistakes that podcasters make? Then quit worrying and join the School of Podcasting. You get step by steps tutorials, live group coaching, a private mastermind group, and priority email support. You also get a 30-day money-back guarantee (so you can join worry-free). see www.schoolofpodcasting.com/join Because of My Podcast - I Got to Interview Tony Danza Willam shares the hoops he had to jump through to get Tony Danza on his podcast. Listen to the episode at  https://unpro.podbean.com/e/ep-23-tony-danza-part-1/ Garth Brooks and Impostor Syndrome In the docuseries Garth Brooks - The Road I'm On there is a great segment where you learn Garth is the top-selling solo artist of all time, and at the same time is hiding in his hotel room afraid nobody will show up to his concert in central park (they did, almost 1 million people did - making it the largest concert in central park). Nothing you start ends up where you thought it would. (think about that and I believe you'll find it is true). We worry about failure. I'm listening to a book on Audible called Exactly Where To Start by Philip M Jones. He makes a great point about failure and mistakes.  First, understand the difference between a failure and a mistake. A mistake is incorrectly doing something that you knew specifically how you were supposed to do. A failure is trying something you've not tried before, and it working out differently than you hoped for. Seeing these differences instantly empowers a difference in your acceptance between the two and possibly helps you become more excited about your future failures.  - Philip M Jones Exactly Where to Start Get the Audio Book For Free  Take a second and list all of the hard things (or things you perceived as hard at the time) that you have accomplished. You've done more than you think.  What Is Your Favorite Episode and Why? While this wasn't planned, I love that many of these episodes involved people trying something new, or stepping out of their comfort zone. Thanks to all who participated: Veronica -Fat Loss Success Stories Anthony -Route 66 Podcast Dan  Based on a True Story Arnie  The Football History Dude Dave - Dealing With My Grief Curtis -Retrozest Podcast York - Poetic Earthlings.com Scott Amazing Maine Podcast Bill Monroe - Stroke Cast Matt - The Author Inside You Dave - The School of Podcasting  August Question of the Month With so many people answering this month's question who have been doing this a while, How do you keep going? (or why haven't you quit)? For those who have NOT started a podcast yet, What is holding you back? Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/question to answer before August 28th, 2020. Mentioned In This Episode Overcoming Impostor Syndrome Exactly Where To Start- Book/Audio Book August Question of the Month Work With My - Podcast Consulting Free Audible Book Overcoming Impostor Syndrome   Table of Contents 00:56 Because of My Podcast -  03:20 Join the School of Podcasting Worry Free 04:21 You Won't Believe Who Has impostor Syndrome 10:09 Overcoming Impostor Syndrome 13:05 Mistakes vs Failure 15:39 What is your favorite episode of your podcast 40:26 August Question of the Month 43:00 pod.events 44:09 What is coming 45:13 Bloopers

Glenn "The Geek" Hebert and Jamie Jennings have been doing a ninety-minute daily show Horses in the Morning since 2010. If you listened to the show 24 hours a day it would take you 150 days to listen to all the episodes. That is a HUGE amount of work along with finding sponsors, booking over 6000 guests, facilitating contents and more. Today they share their secrets to longevity while keeping their sanity. Horses in the Morning is part of the Horse Radio Network. Quick Housekeeping 01:07 Answers for the Question of the Month 01:30 Vote For School of Podcasting at Podcastawards.com Surviving and Thriving After 2500 Episodes 06:54 How Did You Find Each Other 08:01 Shaping the Concept 10:54 What have you tried that didn't work? 12:29 6000 Guests Over the Years 16:10 Radio vs Podcasting 18:16 Handing Bad Days 20:43 How do you keep finding new content? 24:25 Because of My Podcast Story 25:58 Interacting With Patons 28:19 How Have You Gone This Long and Stayed Sane? 33:43 Glenn Knows Where the Episode is Going 34:41 Bring Your Passion 35:38 Don't Quit on a Bad Day 37:11 Tips for Wanna Be Podcasters 41:25 Bloopers Main Take-Aways Glenn and Jamie only promote products that they would use. Consequently, 98.5% of their listeners buy those products.  They use the Patreon account to allow their listeners to get closer (and appear) on the show.  They put hours into show prep and know exactly where the show is going.  They keep trying new things to keep the show fresh.  Some of their best segments "just happened." They never talk except on the show so they don't have to recreate conversations in their episodes. Question of the Month What is your favorite episode of your podcast and why? Answer by 7/24/20 at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/question Ready to Start Your Podcast? Join the School of Podcasting worry-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee and get access to step by step tutorials, live group coaching, and a private Facebook group filled with brilliant podcasting minds. You also get direct access to Hall of Fame podcaster, Dave Jackson via priority email support and when needed video conferencing. Join today at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/join Need Some Honest Feedback on Your Show? Get your show reviewed by 30-year radio veteran Erik K Johnson, and 15-year podcasting veteran Dave Jackson in addition to getting exposure on the Podcast Review Show. We go over every inch of your podcast, your website, your goals, and make sure they are in alignment with your content to deliver maximum results. Get reviewed today.