School of Podcasting - Podcast Tips to Plan, Launch, Grow Your Podcast

I Have  A Fear of Heights True or False: Starting a Podcast is Hard Start a Podcast May Require Your To Overcome Fear Hiking in Utah is Different than Hiking in Ohio Get a Guide/Mentor To Help You Avoid Mistakes Everything Was Cool Until the Last Hike Getting Control of Your Mind The View From the Top Was Amazing The Confidence-Competence Loop Mentioned In This Episode Utah Podcast Summit Travel Gluten Free Podcast Shirts That Provide UV Protection TETON Sports Oasis 1100 Hydration Pack 3 Month Podcast Quick Start Package Your Podcast Consultant Ask the Podcast Coach Podcast Review Show Podcast Rodeo Show Power of Podcasting Network Spybrary, Tourpreneur, and Radio GDR FULL SHOW NOTES Full Show Notes at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/675Mentioned in this episode:I Want Your OpinionI am doing an audience survey and I want your input to help me make this show exactly what you want. If you have a few minutes, I have a quick survey at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/survey252025 Audience Survey2025 Audience Survey

You picked a name for your podcast (need help with picking a name, check out this episode of Your Podcast Consultant) and you've decided that maybe you went a little too "inside baseball" and you want to change the name of your podcast without losing your subscribers. How To Change Your Podcast Name Step one would be to let your audience know what is happening (you might even get them involved in voting for a new name). By letting them know ahead of time they don't freak out when they go to listen to your show and can't find it under the old name. 4:00 Rebranding your podcast is not that hard. In its most primitive steps you: Change your artwork (making sure to use a different file name for your new artwork) Change your categories (if you want to) Change the email address (if you want to) Change your website address (if you want to) Change the author name (if you want to) Keep in mind may take up to 24 hours for the changes to appear in the apps In Libsyn.com the steps are: Go to Settings > edit show settings and here you can update your show name, website, and artwork (as well as the description for the Libsyn directory). If you are uploading new artwork, make sure the file name is different than the current artwork ( for example, logo.jpg needs to be logo2.jpg ) and click save Then go to destinations > edit > Libsyn classic feed and adjust your categories, summaries, owner/author/email information and click Save With 24 hours any directories using your feed should update. Kentucky Fried Chicken to KFC Your podcast is a recipe - not a statue. So similar to the time when the Kentucky Fried Chicken Restaurants changed their name to KFC (hoping people would forget their name had the word FRIED in the middle of their name). There might be a new coat of paint on the outside. There might be a new sign out front. Inside you have the same food (an in this case they added a new menu item that still fit in with the other items) So when the audience went to the same location, they saw a new sign, a new menu item, but really nothing much changed When a podcast listener fires up their app it goes to the same location (your feed) and sees a few new things, but really nothing much has changed. They don't have to do anything. Because of My Podcast Kenn Blanchard Kenn Blanchard of the Black Man with a Gun show has been asked to share 100 episodes for a new Black Podcast Project for the Society of American Archivists Journal. Check out at www.blackmanwithagun.com Homework: Question of the Month What ideas do you have for a podcaster celebrating a milestone episode (50, 100, 200, etc)? Watch to Watch: My Next Guest Needs No Introduction The new season of David Letterman's My Next Guest Needs No Introduction has two great examples of SHUTTING UP. When he is interviewing Ellen Degenerous he gets to the subject of her stepfather who he describes as a bad man and then SHUTS UP. Ellen is uncomfortable and not sure if she should share, and he DIDN'T SAY A PEEP. In a different episode, he is interviewing Tiffany Hadish who is explaining how good it felt to get her first suitcase so she didn't feel "like a piece of garbage." Here again, Dave SHUTS UP, and lets her share he insights and feelings. He doesn't chime in. He lets his guest share, and at the end, all he said was "Beautiful." Remember when you're interviewing someone the goal is to make your guest comfortable, and free to share anything in a judge free zone. It's about THEM not you. Apple Announcements: What It Means For You Apple announced that they will be transcribing your episodes in the future and using that transcription to boost search. There isn't anything for you to do besides make great content. They will be adding new categories and taking some away. This is good news, but not everyone will be happy (of course).  This will be coming "in the future" but no time frame. Once Apple announces their backend is ready then the podcast media hosts will update their backend to tap into these new categories. The bottom line is this won't be coming out for a little bit. I'm sure all the media hosts will announce when they are ready for those who want to update their category. Keep in mind that 70% of people find podcasts via word of mouth (but this might make it easier). Work With Me Join the School of Podcasting or let me be your podcast mentor Full show notes at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/647Mentioned in this episode:2025 Audience SurveyI Want Your OpinionI am doing an audience survey and I want your input to help me make this show exactly what you want. If you have a few minutes, I have a quick survey at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/survey252025 Audience Survey

There are so many things that are changing in podcasting that can cause stress as you worry. Some things you have no control over. You may need to take some steps, but after that it is out of your control.  Being Seen in Google Podcasts If you've followed the directions to set up your website, or you are using a media host like Libsyn.com or Blubrry you are good to go. From there, you just have to wait on Google.  Being Found In Apps I have had people contact me about Apple, Spotify, iHeart and sure its only a matter of time until radio.com gets added to the list. Search in these apps is poor at best. Apple searches the name of your show, the name of your episode and the author title. If you have your target words in those areas, that is all you can do.  Having Google Put Play Buttons In Search Results At this point, I've done some research, and it sounded like if your show was in Google Podcasts, our show should appear with play buttons if someone did a search for your show. This (at this point ) only works about 50% of the time for me. As Google is still somewhat new to podcasting and this is a new feature, there isn't much for us to do.  Should I Change My Intro? As people may be clicking play on any episodes that appear in search results I don't tink ANY podcaster will have the answer they are looking for at the very beginning of the show. What you want your show to do is pull people in by letting people know what is coming. If they see where you are going, the audience is more likely to get on board.  Mentioned In This Show Evo Terra of Podcast Pontifications Podcasters Roundtable Giving Up the Ghost Podcast Get Your Podcast Started www.schoolofpodcasting.com/workwithme  Mentioned in this episode:2025 Audience SurveyI Want Your OpinionI am doing an audience survey and I want your input to help me make this show exactly what you want. If you have a few minutes, I have a quick survey at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/survey252025 Audience Survey

Starting a podcast is not hard. Starting a GOOD podcast takes time, dedication, talent, etc and today I asked my audience, "What is the biggest pain in starting and creating a podcast." Here is what they answered: Your Biggest Pain in Podcasting 01:23 Thanks to everyone who contributed Positioning My Podcast - from Timothy of kdoipodcasting.com Running Out of Content - Chris Nesi from the House of Ed Tech Scheduling - Todd from the Trucker Dump The Abundance of Choice - Stephanie from the Virtual Ex-Pats Mouth Noises - Moxie Your Brain On Facts Thumbnails - Bandrew from the Bandrew Says Show Notes - Matt from the Author Inside You  Show Notes - Seth from Geekville Radio Running Out of Content - Dave Logical Weight Loss Question of the Month How do you celebrate a milestone episode? I need your answer by June 22, 2019. Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/contact Because of My Podcast I Was Hired For an Event 33:28 Jas from Giving Up The Ghost podcast was asked to do a live recording of Ghost Stories at an AKIA store for a private sleepover party after only four episodes! Here is the description of their show: Podcasting LIVE from one of the MOST haunted cities located DEAD center in North America - Winnipeg, MB Canada. Join us as we explore the unknown! Welcome to Giving Up The Ghost Each week we will cover, explore and share our research of unexplained paranormal phenomena in Winnipeg and surrounding areas! Join your AudioCurators Jas and Sherrie as they discover the dark side of local history, Urban legends and their haunting origins as well as everything that goes bump in the night. Are you afraid of the dark? well, you should be. For more information on Sherrie’s Art and Gallery please view her talent at https://www.facebook.com/ChicAndTique/ For more information on Jas’s publications and fiction writing, please visit her website www.jnflamand.com and her FB page https://www.facebook.com/jnflamand/ The Memory of Creating a Podcast Will Be With You Forever 35:18 When you start a podcast it will change your life for better or worse, and you won't be able to take it away. I recently drove 12 hours in a car with my brother and sister-in-law to see my cousin's oldest child graduate from High School. Yes, 24 hours (round trip) in a car is not a great time, but it is a memory I have with my family that we will always have. To have that memory I had to say Yes to taking the trip. Let Me Help You Start Your Podcast Join the School of Podcasting or let me be your podcast mentor   Mentioned on This Show Acuity Scheduling  Calendly Scheduling Tool Ivy Envy  Episode 624 Is Anyone Reading Show Notes? Episode 400 of the School of Podcasting Gordon Firemark episode about Podcast Trademarks Terry Gross book "All I Did Was Ask" Howard Stern Comes Again Book  Mentioned in this episode:I Want Your OpinionI am doing an audience survey and I want your input to help me make this show exactly what you want. If you have a few minutes, I have a quick survey at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/survey252025 Audience Survey2025 Audience Survey

Thinking Outside the Box Today's talk about Podcast Trademarks was inspired by a Facebook post. As a tech support person for Libsyn I see a large number of podcasts on a weekly basis (get a free month at Libsyn.com using the coupon code sopfree ). I always find it interesting when people are launching a NEW show and when I go to look up their account, I see that there is another show with the same name. One of my favorite examples is the name "Outside the box" If only there was a tool where you could search the Internet to see if anyone is using the name? Podcast Honeymoons Sometimes we skip steps like this because we are so excited, and we just can't hide it, and we move forward without doing something like a quick Google Search or a search in Apple. This can also continue as you enter what I'm calling Podcast Honeymoon. This about when you find someone to date, and HOLY COW they just check every box. You do fun things like celebrating your one-month anniversary. You celebrate the anniversary of anything and everything (your first email, phone call, first date, first kiss). You are what my mother use to call GAGA (way before Lady Gaga). You think about the time Fast forward nine months later and that awesome accent that was so quaint is now like nails on a chalkboard. I recently went to watch my ex-step-son graduate from Perdue University with my ex-wife. My ex-wife is a person who must examine ALL options before making a decision and I was like, "Oh, I remember this as she tried to decide the t-shirt or hoodie, and black vs white." What does this have to do with podcasting? When you first start a podcast you may be thinking about it all the time. You may start to have issues at work. You may be working at your podcast at work (not recommended). You might be thinking about your podcast when you are with your family. I'm reading Howard Stern's new book Howard Stern Comes Again, and he talks about how he was obsessed with ratings and consequently, was not a great husband or father. I did the same thing. While both my ex-wife and I will admit "we probably shouldn't have got married in the first place" podcasting was a source of tension. I know of people who edit their podcast on the clock at their job. I'm here to remind you that is not an option. If it has been a while since you did a job search. Before I worked at Libsyn, the last teaching job I got took a while to get hired even though I had decades of experience and a degree. It is easier said than done, but jumping off a cliff and building the plane on the way down may not be the best choice you've ever been [click_to_tweet tweet="Everything you need to know about your podcast and Trademarks #davejackson" quote="Everything you need to know about your podcast and Trademarks" theme="style3"] Talking Podcast Trademarks with Gordon Firemark Gordon is the producer and host of Entertainment Law Update., a podcast for artists and professionals in the entertainment industries. His practice also covers intellectual property, cyberspace, new media and business/corporate matters for clients in the entertainment industry. He is the author of The Podcast, Blog and New Media Producer's Legal Survival Guide. Copyright vs Trademarks Do I need one for my show? How do they protect me? How much do they cost? Check out all things Gordon Firemark at Firemark.com Check out his Podcast Law Book Check out the Podcast Release Form   Mentioned In This Episode Question of the Month: "What is your biggest pain in creating a podcast?" Deliver your answer via our contact page (don't forget to mention your show and website)  Utah Podcast Summit (use coupon code sop ) Wordpress Kent Podcast Baby Steps ( Brand New To Podcasting> Start here) Work With Me Join the School of Podcasting or let me be your podcast mentorMentioned in this episode:I Want Your OpinionI am doing an audience survey and I want your input to help me make this show exactly what you want. If you have a few minutes, I have a quick survey at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/survey252025 Audience Survey2025 Audience Survey

There is more money coming into Podcasting and Geoff and David Cook are hoping to get some of it by building a podcast app that focuses on helping you find new podcasts, integrate social ingredients (likes, etc), and pay you one podcoin (1-4 cents) for every 10 minutes. I wanted to find out more about this app. Podcoin was created by David Cook who credited the idea to a speech his brother Geoff Cook gave to Princeton University in April 2018. It’s not the first time they’ve been business partners. David and Geoff previously co-founded myYearbook with their sister Catherine in 2005. The trio then sold the company to Quepasa for $100 million in 2011. It's been around since January of 2019 and currently has 15 million users that are consuming 1,500,000+ Listening Minutes PER DAY For more information see https://www.podcoin.com/audience Find the app on Apple and Android Fixing Mistakes In Your Podcast You are listening back to your podcast and there is a mistake you HAVE to fix. Here are your options when using Libsyn Thank you for contacting Libsyn Support It gets tricky with Spotify, and Google Play Music. If you upload a file with the same file name, all the other directories and apps up EXCEPT the two above. There are two options Strategy 1 If you go to content > previously published > edit the episode Then click on the Scheduling Tab and go to the advanced sub-tab You will see the destinations. Uncheck Spotify, Google Play Music and click Publish (which acts as a save button). Then rename your episode file, go to content > add new episode Then click on the Scheduling Tab and go to the advanced sub-tab You will see the destinations. Make sure to UNCHECK ALL of the destinations EXCEPT Spotify, Google Play Music and click Publish (which acts as a save button). 670 This will create a version of that episode just for those destinations, and the original version never goes offline. Strategy 2 Go to Content > Previously Published > Edit Rename your original file and use the replace option and click Publish (which acts as a save button). The current apps will have a small amount of time when the file will not play (as the apps update they will see the new file name, but there may be people who go to play the file and it won't work (as it's still looking at the old name). This can take up to 24 hours. But the episode will update on all platforms. What If I'm Not Using Libsyn? The bottom line is if you upload the new file with the same name, then it won't update on Spotify or Google Play Music because they make Question of the Month What is your biggest pain in podcasting? Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/contact and upload your file or use the speakpipe button by 5/24/19 Start Your Podcast Today www.schoolofpodcasting.com/startMentioned in this episode:2025 Audience SurveyI Want Your OpinionI am doing an audience survey and I want your input to help me make this show exactly what you want. If you have a few minutes, I have a quick survey at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/survey252025 Audience Survey

I came across Kent Convington's Fast Lane Podcast University Podcast and I liked the content I was hearing. I was lucky enough to have Kent ask me to be on his show. Then he did something only one other person has done. He asked for a pre-interview. He started off by asking about any stories in my life and my career in podcasting. If I wasn't so long winded it would've lasted about 15 minutes, but because I rambled on a bit, it probably lasted 34. Kent was looking to craft a story. Not just have me rattle of stats. He was looking not just for facts and stories, but interesting stories. This also got me thinking about what my "best material" is, and a few days later when we recorded the interview I was prepared. Today I return the favor and ask Ken to "pull back the curtain" and explain what is going through his mind when he does a pre-interview. Behind My Podcast Curtain You will hear what little I do as a "Pre-interview" (something I may change in the future). I typically tell people who they are talking to, why I brought them on the show, and what I plan on asking them about. With Kent, there isn't much information about him online so I had to do some digging into his background to see how he got into podcasting. How Kent Does a Pre-Interview Kent is on the lookout for stories, and things to enable the audience to not only get to know the guest but to find entertaining stories. He is looking for items that will help paint the mental image, the vivid pictures inside the "Theater of the Mind." What are the biggest hurdles? What is the most memorable moment? Tell me about a time when _____ happened. You are looking for the challenge and conflict. Polishing the Stories using  The Ladder of Abstraction S. I. Hayakaw ( explanation ) When to do a Pre-Interview Profile Interviews: Designed to help tell the story of the guest Advice Podcasts: Where an expert is on to share tips and insights. Across the Table Interview: You are looking for the truth. Less of a team approach. So Many People Have a Podcast About _____ If you're worried about starting a podcast because "so and so" is "sooooo popular" and "owns" the niche. That is like telling the Quarterback in High School to quit because they will never be as good as Tom. Well if Tom quit because he would never be as good as Joe Montana, then we wouldn't have Tom Brady today. Don't obsess over what other people are doing and instead focus on your audience. Realize we all have different strengths and different passions. Mentioned in this Episode Fast Lane Podcast University Roy H Williams "Wizard of Ads" The Ladder of Abstraction Chris Curran Podcast Engineering School Natalie at Bizchix Dan O Day Work With Me Join the School of Podcasting or let me be your podcast mentorMentioned in this episode:I Want Your OpinionI am doing an audience survey and I want your input to help me make this show exactly what you want. If you have a few minutes, I have a quick survey at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/survey252025 Audience Survey2025 Audience Survey

Back on episode 655, we talked about how do you know if your show connects with your audience? That focused on making sure your content was great. Your podcast is a presentation of information. As someone who speaks at conferences, and use to teach in the corporate world there are always three presentations. The presentation you planned The presentation you delivered The presentation you wish you had delivered. The way to avoid those regrets is through planning, but also by learning from your past mistakes. I was asked by Ed Ryan who is the Editor of the Podcast Business Journal to write an article address how to "Air Check" yourself (and can you?). Here is the article. Podcast Air Check Tips: My buddy Erik K Johnson of the Podcast Talent Coach podcast says, "Nobody is getting on a bus without knowing where it's going." If you stop your show at the 1-minute mark do you feel like you know enough to get on the bus? Do you know where it's going? We are assuming your headline is in great shape (if not see my free guide to help you write better episode titles). Speaking of episode titles, does this title accurately reflect what is being covered in this episode? If you stop your show at the three-minute mark are you into some content (or are you still in chit chat mode). You know your crutch words. We all have them. How are they in his episode? Do you have advertising on your show? You might have a "30-second" spot. Take out your phone and time how long your 30-second spot. For me, I often find typos in my show notes when I read the post with a fresh set of eyes. If You Are Doing Interviews I have a cheat sheet that you can use for this. Looking back at your interview answer these questions: What are the strengths of the guest? Why did you bring them on? What did you get out of this interview? What were the takeaways? Then listen to the interview and take out a notepad (or open your favorite note-taking app) and use two columns. In the first column label in questions and in the second column put "Answer." When I listen to Harry Durran of Podcast Junkies, Harry does a great job of asking the questions I would ask if I was interviewing the guest. So as you listen to this episode, did you miss any opportunities for follow up questions? Did you promote the guest’s website/products/services? If so, was it enough, too much, too little? Did you find yourself repeating what the guest said (ME TOO!).  We heard it the first time. Looking at why you brought the guest on, did you achieve what you set out to do? Did you get the expected takeaways? If so, what did you do to get to those answers? If not, what do you feel you could do differently next time. Final Conclusions What do you think you did well in this episode? What was the best take away? ( maybe turn that into a social media post) What lessons can be learned from this episode? How was your call to action? Did you have ONE or twelve? While a self-evaluation is hard to do (and just not as good as getting someone else’s opinion). If you do find yourself face to face with an actual listener, THIS IS HUGE. Ask them what they like (and they will tell you). Then ask you what they dislike (and often they will say nothing). Explain that you have thick skin and can take it, and then shut up. The awkward silence might nudge them to give you a pointer or two. If you really want to give them a “Safe” environment, when they start to give you notes state, “Do you care if I write this down?” and jot it down on paper or in your phone. This shows the person their opinion is important and might lead to more feedback. Lastly, don’t get defensive and start explaining why you do something. JUST LISTEN and thank them for their feedback. Keep in mind, you are 100% in control and what you do with this feedback is entirely up to you. Here Are Some Resources to Get Your Podcast Reviewed: Podcast Review Show The Podcast Whisperer Podcast Rodeo show If you know of others leave them in the comments below. As you might imagine if you Google the words podcast and reviews you get tons of articles about how to get reviews in Apple (which do nothing but provide social proof – they do not advance you up the charts or help you be found). Question of the Month: Do You Pay For Any Part of Your Podcast Production? Are you paying for any part of your podcast production, and if you are how much does it cost? Thanks to Jonathan Bloom from Weekly Awesome Fred from The Podcast Reporter Robert from Happy Diabetic Podcast  Steve Stewart who produces the Military Money Podcast and runs the Podcast Editors Club Pedro from My Stuttering Life John From Professor Slots Moxie from Your Brain on Facts (Moxie on the Podcast Rodeo show ) Brandon  from Florida Focus Podcast May Question of the month: What is your biggest pain point in podcasting? Podcast Rewind I appeared on the Project Egg show where we talked about podcasting, where I grew up, how I grew up, and I must say this was "not your typical" Dave Jackson podcast. Because of My Podcast We lost our job on the radio, and because of our podcast, we got a job back on the radio. Check out the Brendon and Kevin Podcast  Where Will I Be?  June 8th Utah Podcast Summit Sandy, Utah June 15-16 WordCamp Kent Kent, Ohio August 13-16 Podcast Movement  Orlando Florida September 4-7 Fin 2019 Washington, DC September 8-10 Military Influencer Conference Washington DC October 17 – 18 DOYO Live Youngstown Ohio. Mentioned in This Episode Episode 667 on productivity Podcast Review Show Podcast Rodeo Show Work With Me Join the School of Podcasting or let me be your podcast mentor podcoinMentioned in this episode:I Want Your OpinionI am doing an audience survey and I want your input to help me make this show exactly what you want. If you have a few minutes, I have a quick survey at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/survey252025 Audience Survey2025 Audience Survey

Every podcaster has one thing in common: they all have 24 hours in the day. Today I'm going to share a ton of research and strategies to get your more productive. Last week I talked about five things that you think will grow your audience but don't. This is continuing on with that theme of determining what you want to do, and then getting it done. One of my favorite quotes from Abraham Lincoln is “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” If you have no focus, it doesn't matter what microphone you have if you can't get it together. My Own Personal Struggles Growing up I was what some might call "A weird little boy." I remember driving my Mom nuts as I would be in the kitchen talking on the phone. We had a bunch of 16 oz coke glasses that I would fill up with water and tune and then play as I was talking on the phone. I always described myself as "Creative" but I'm sure if I was in elementary school today that would pump me with enough Ritalin to put a Rhino to sleep. As an adult, I tried going on some medication but the more focus I achieved was washed away by the energy that was sucked out of me. With this in mind when I get my creative juices flowing, I can be hyper-focused and lose all sense of time. To me I define that as "fun," but when you look up at the clock and it's 3 AM, and you have a big presentation the next day that is a problem. For the most part, much like many programs, admitting you have an issue is step one. I have a clear indicator and that is my desk. The more messy it is, the better the chance I need to pump the breaks. Pumping the Breaks Slowing down seems backward, but when you find yourself behind in tasks, etc and everything in your mind and body is saying "Push through" and you want to throw on your Superman or Wonder Woman outfit and start writing checks your body can cash. The result is you become more purposeful, focused, and you get more stuff done. What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up? 6:24 Whatever the goal is, you need to know it. I would recommend writing it down (more tools later). Take some time to think about it. If you don't know where you want to go, how will you know when you get there? If you aim at nothing you will hit it every time. Setting Priorities The book First Things First by Steven Covey he talks about Important VS Urgent Important activities have an outcome that leads to us achieving our goals, whether these are professional or personal. Urgent activities demand immediate attention and are usually associated with achieving someone else's goals. They are often the ones we concentrate on and they demand attention because the consequences of not dealing with them are immediate. Something that is urgent and important is a crisis. It's pressing problems with deadlines. Something that is important but NOT urgent would be things such as exercise, relationship building, personal growth. If you ignore these important things, they later become important AND urgent. Some things that are urgent but NOT important might be interruptions, phone calls (some of them), some email, some meetings Some things that are not important and NOT urgent would be busy work, time wasters, some pleasant activities. How to Know When To Delegate? 9:02 In episode 159 of the Resourceful Designer, Mark had some great questions you can use to make this simple. First, you have to identify all the things you do in your podcast/life. He suggests using post-it notes or an index card, but you're going to need a place for two piles. Then take each task and answer the following questions Go from task to task and ask yourself, Does this bring me joy or Do I like doing this one particular task? Am I good at this particular thing? If you answered yes to BOTH questions, put it in pile number one. If you cannot respond yes to both questions, put it into pile number two. Separate your collection into these two piles. Pile Number 1: Things that I like doing, and I'm good at Look at the items in this pile and ask, If I continue doing this thing will it help my podcast grow? Will it help me achieve my goal? Start two new piles. One will have all the items that will move you forward, and the pile of things you are good at and you like doing are things you are not saying no to, but not now. Pile Number 2: Things that I don't like doing, or I'm not good at Look at the items in this pile and ask, If I continue doing this thing will it help my podcast grow? Will it help me achieve my goal? If the answer is yes, then these are the things you need to delegate. Capturing and Organizing Your Thoughts 12:45 Brilliant ideas come at the most inconvenient times. I get great ideas in the shower. You NEED to capture these and organize them in a way so you can use them later. Here are some tools: Evernote: I use this tool. It's free (there is a paid version at $7.99 a month). I have a folder called SOP Ideas. I have a folder called "Marketing Crap" that is filled with all those ebooks I get that I will read later. The thing I love about Evernote is I can use it on my phone, my tablet or computer and it all syncs together. They have a tool called "Web Clipper" that allows me to take a web page and save it in Evernote with a few clicks. They recently added a feature that makes it super easy to connect your gmail to your Evernote. See https://evernote.com/blog/introducing-evernote-gmail/ OneNote: This is Microsoft's version of Evernote. It's not bad. It is also free. If you are paying for Microsoft Office you have it.. If you are a big Microsoft user (outlook, word, excel) you might play with this tool. Trello: Trello is another free (or paid) version that is much more visual as instead of folders you have cards (think index cards). Trello premium is $12.50 a month Common Features: Evernote, OneNote, and Trello all have the ability to have topics and subtopics. They all have the ability to share information (which is great for collaborating with co-hosts) Whatever tool you want to use is fine. The bottom line is you need a tool. I've got a course on organizing your information that spotlights these tools. Where Is Your Time Going? 16:41 Want to see how you spend your time?  Check out Rescue Time which helps you understand your daily habits so you can focus and be more productive.  Rescue Time is free. The Premium version is $9 a month and allows you to track your time off the computer as well. Another way to do this is to set your alarm on your phone to go off in an hour. When it goes off write down (maybe in Evernote?) what you were doing. I know when I did this the first time many years ago I was surprised how much time I spent watching reruns of TV shows I had already seen. My Favorite To Do List 19:09 While there are a number of Todo apps, my favorite is todoist. Much like Evernote, I can have Todoist on my phone, tablet or computer and they all sync together. Also like Evernote, I can take an email and turn it into a task. You can organize your task into projects. You can assign due dates and be sent reminders. There is even a reward system. You can set how many tasks you want to accomplish a day and earn points. This somewhat makes your to-do list a game. If you've been using tasks in Google, this will sync with that system. It's very powerful. The todist software is free and the premium is $3 a month. Why You're Getting Frustrated Studies show that every time you check email, a social feed, or respond to a notification, your mind requires 23 minutes of re-focus time to get back on task. People that multitask are actually  40% less productive. Finding Focus To Knock Off Your To Do List When it's time to record, here are some things you can do that might make things easier: Have a set time to record so your family knows not to interrupt. Put your phone on do not disturb and have it out of site. Have a distraction sheet. If you're working on something, and a distraction pops in your head, write it down and get back to your task. You Can Stay Focused For 25 Minutes, Right? 25:32 Some times we need a boost. I've heard and tried the Pomodoro technique. Here it is in a nutshell Pick a task you need to accomplish. Set a timer for 25 minutes and start working When the timer rings, take a 5-minute break Repeat steps 1-3 Ever four cycles, take a 25-minute break. Handling Distractions Inform the other (distracting) party that you're working on something right now. Negotiate a time when you can get back to them about the distracting issue in a timely manner. Schedule that follow-up immediately. Call back the other party when your pomodoro is complete and you're ready to tackle their issue. If you find yourself thinking about something that just won't go away, have a sheet/note and write it down and get back to your task. Why This Method is Working For Me For me, it's only 25 minutes. It is not that whatever tangent I want to take is being put off forever, it's being put off for 25 minutes. By taking breaks, you keep yourself fresh. You avoid burnout. Studies show that people who work in distracting environments have more stress, a higher workload (cause you're not accomplishing as much), higher frustration, and it requires more effort. When you start to go down a rabbit hole, you can stop yourself and say, "I can do that in __ minutes." No, I Can't Stay Focused For 25 Minutes 28:17 If you're having a hard time staying focused then I have some additional apps, that are really keeping on track. PomoDone App PomoDone is the easiest way to track your workflow using Pomodoro technique, on top of your current task management service. It ties in with just about every To Do List tool (Trello, Todoist, Evernote, Asana ) so you can track how much time you spent on a task. Once you realize how long something takes, you can better schedule it in the future. For example, I've put in 58 minutes on an article I'm working on for the Podcast Business Journal. At this point, I've got an hour and 20 minutes into this blog post (I haven't even got to press record yet). By seeing how long you are spending on items, you can make much better decisions going forward. Using the PomoDone Chrome extension, you can blacklist certain websites during the timer period. Once Timer is active (ticking), you will not be able to access the blocked websites. You can always turn this function on and off in the Extension's option, as well as configure the blacklist of the websites. If you want to setup up times that differ from the25 standard time, you can do that ( I have times of 5, 25, 40). Also if you're not using any other to do list tool, you can use this as your to-do list. The tool also works on iOs and Android. As I almost exclusively use chrome, I use this app. Keep in mind if I want to jump on Firefox I can go to any site I want ( you can always turn off the blocking feature) Tomato-Timer https://tomato-timer.com/ is a free tool if you want to take this idea for a test spin (or you can just set two timers on your phone. One for 25 minutes and one for 5). Freedom 33:08 Freedom.to is an app and website blocker for Mac, Windows, Android, and iOS. Start sessions on-the-fly or sche­dule your Freedom time in adv­ance. Plan out sess­ions that recur daily or weekly. With Freedom, you'll make produc­tivity a habit. This tool is a little more "hardcore." It blocks websites on both Chrome and Firefox, as well as on your phone. If you want to go "Super Hard Core" there is an option to lock your session (meaning you can cheat).  You can test run Freedom for five session then prices start at $6.99/month Get Your Brain In Tune 35:33 I had heard about brain.fm on a few podcasts. This is music that is designed to help you focus. For me (being a musician) I liked it. It was more or less musical noise that was just above really boring. The pricing starts at $6.95 a month I didn't feel like another subscription so I checked out Spotify and they have a number of preset "focus" stations that more or less played the same thing. Make It Easy On Yourself In Adobe Audition you can make a template but I've always used the poor man's template. I would bring in my intro and outro music and save it with something like namofshow_blank. I then open that file and before I press record I rename the show to something like nameofshow_697. This has all my files in it and I don't have to look for them. Listen faster when editing if possible. In Hindenburg Journalist, there is an option to listen faster as well as in Audacity. I spoke about this on Episode 327 One other thing to remember is more planning leads to less editing. Podcast Rewind 42:15 I was on the Podcast Reporter (Live from the NAB show) I was on the Launch Speed Podcast talking podcast Niches Work With Me Join the School of Podcasting or let me be your podcast mentorMentioned in this episode:I Want Your OpinionI am doing an audience survey and I want your input to help me make this show exactly what you want. If you have a few minutes, I have a quick survey at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/survey252025 Audience Survey2025 Audience Survey

We only have so many hours in a day, and today I'm starting a two-part series on being more productive. The first thing you need to identify is activities that take up your time and provide no benefits. Today I have five. Asking For Subscriptions Before You Deliver Value 2:11 The podcast audience may see this as a commitment. In the same way that I have test driven every car I've ever purchased, I think people need more than two minutes of your show before we start begging them to subscribe. Next week I'll be talking about some new software tools to help you be more productive and all of them have a free trial. They want you to see the value before asking you to spend any money. When you start off a show asking people to subscribe before they hear any content of value, you are more than likely wasting your time. Have you ever subscribed to a show because the host asked you to? Not me. I subscribe when I get really good content. Sending People to the Haystack That is Apple Podcasts 6:15 As a support person for Libsyn.com ( get a free month using the coupon code sopfree ) I have people asking why their show doesn't come up in a search. Some of it is the fact that there are over (as I write this in April of 2019) 700,000 shows in Apple Podcasts. Another thing to keep in mind is that Apple appears to display somewhere between 100-300 results and if there already 300 golf podcasts, or real estate, your show may not appear for the term "Golf." In some cases, your show may not appear at all. Example: The podcast "The Feed" by Libsyn doesn't show up when you type in the phrase "The feed" into Apple iTunes. The show does not appear. If you type Libsyn it does. Most directories give you a link to your show on their platform. Instead of sending people to Apple (and now Spotify) send them to YOUR WEBSITE where instead of sifting through 700,000 podcasts they have one to choose from and the only choice is if they should Asking for Reviews to “Help Us Be Found in Apple” 10:39 Reviews are social proof. That's it. They do not boost you in search results. Obsessing Over Chart Position 11:05 One of the things that made me worry about chartable.com when it came out is it would lead to people obsessing over chart position. It did. Instead of taking time to make WOW content, you're trying to figure out why you dropped two positions in the Brazilian charts. Focus on your audience, make great content, and make it easy to share and subscribe. Then do that consistently and you will end up on the charts. Upgrading Your Podcast Equipment 13:41 If it ain't broke don't fix it. If your audio sounds OK, and your audience doesn't have to keep grabbing the volume knob, chances are your audio is OK. While some podcasters obsess over boosting certain frequencies and talking about gear, for upgrading equipment to boost your audience would mean your audio was so bad that people tuned out. Most of us are not in that situation. Here are some examples of what can lead to really bad audio: Using the built-in microphone in your laptop Incorrectly using a blue yeti microphone (not a bad mic, it is overpriced, and without using properly can lead to really bad audio) Using one microphone to record multiple people. Audio that causes people to keep grabbing the volume knob. Check out My Gear Page Podcast Rewind 21:17 I appeared on Podlords with Jim Harold and My Perfect Podcast with Ryan Jackson Because of My Podcast 23:59 Brand from Florida Focus podcast shares how he used a voicemail from his Mother into his podcast that has now been shared with family and friends NAB Reflections I attended NAB last week with the Libsyn.com team and podcasting has radio's attention. While I was there I picked up a Samson MBa38 boom stand. This is about half the price of a Heil PL2T and still less expensive than the Rode PSA1 Work With Me Join the School of Podcasting or let me be your podcast mentorMentioned in this episode:2025 Audience SurveyI Want Your OpinionI am doing an audience survey and I want your input to help me make this show exactly what you want. If you have a few minutes, I have a quick survey at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/survey252025 Audience Survey