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

Today I look at tools available for podcasters to help them produce a better show. Podcast Interview Wizard and Who is Jim Edwards Jim Edwards is a guy I've known online for years. I loved his "I Gotta Tell you" email list. We are talking back in the day when I was teaching people how to make websites with Microsoft Front page, and making videos with camcorder. I bought one of Jim's products he made with Mike Stewart and I thought they delivered value. I had bought some stuff from other "Internet Marketers" at the time, and thought this was better than some. I've always liked Jim's style as he takes his topic seriously, but always dishes it with a good helping of sarcasm. In a nutshell, Jim has been writing ebooks and making products for over 20+ years.  According to his bio: Jim Edwards, founder of Guaranteed Response Marketing, LLC, is an Internet expert, marketing entrepreneur, newspaper columnist, author, motivational speaker and elite mentor and coach.Having gained personal and financial freedom, he shares his proven strategies with self-motivated, hard-working people to help them attain personal and financial independence. He has written and published dozens of ebooks, several print books and hundreds of articles. Through his company, Jim has produced some 40 informational products on DVD and many more available in the latest electronic formats downloadable from the Internet. Jim produces and hosts webinars on a weekly basis and has been a frequent guest speaker at numerous international Internet marketing seminars. What is the podcast interview wizard? It's a software that works on mac or PC that walks you through planning your interview. It does this by having you figure out what you want to talk about before the interview. It walks you through 16 questions .These questions are then used in  a series of tools used by the software. These include: Email templates to help get the interview Email messages to setup and remind the guest for the interview. Later you can use it to create an email that you can send to the guest post interview as well. Email templates for Referrals Email Templates to say Thank You Quick or Full Show Templates (complete with intro / outro ext and questions) Audience Handouts - A worksheet for people to fill out as they listen to your episode. Show Bullets - Custom Sales Copy for Each Interview There are 12 different types of interview types It will generate show notes for your episode It will generate multiple Titles for your show and let you pick the best one. Build Ads to help promote the show on Facebook, Twitter, etc. Putting it Through It's Paces So I took the interview from last week and added the information about my guest Danny Peña to see if I had used the software last week would the interview had been different. The closest interview style would be the "How the Expert Got Started" style.  Now last week's show was different. I already knew the answers to the questions. I knew Danny's story and I wanted to walk him through the parts that focused on building his audience. Using the PIW I did some interesting questions that I could've asked but didn't: What roadblocks did you face early on and how did you overcome them? Did you have any early mentors or did you have to figure it all out on your own? If you had to start all over again with audience growth in today's world, with today's tools, time constraints and other factors, what would you do:a. Differently?b. More of?c. Less of?d. Faster?e. Not at all? Under the "Myths and Misconceptions" style of interview I saw "Where are the big opportunities in audience growth that many podcasters might be missing?" or "What are the best audience growth tools every podcaster needs to use and know about?" Brainstorming By Yourself Now I realize that the software is meant for you to use ONE style of interview, but if you're looking to come up with good questions, I can see where spitting out multiple versions of the interview might help you spotlight questions that really spur other questions that aren't in the software. Now I realize the "Show notes" and other templates are meant to come from one template not multiple ones. So if you mix and match questions, you are somewhat shooting yourself in the foot, and will have to mix and match to make the additional messages. On the other hand if one style of questions gives you everything you need, you are golden. In watching a webinar for the software they made a great point. In some cases (for the person who hates to write) it's easier to edit than create. Going Down the List Of Tools Podcast show notes - Yes I could see using this in many places (G+, Facebook) Email announce - Yes, this could be cool and it even says to copy and paste your bullet points iTunes Episode Descriptions  - YES this gave me 7 different descriptions and slew of titles Show Title Templates - Yes. Again, a great way to brainstorm with yourself. Ads - Very Similar to Titles and Descriptions - Useful again. Email templates - ALL of the templates are great starting points. I ALWAYS would recommend personalizing these but they are focused and to the point. A good starting point. Beginners Guide Interview Style _ At first this one was "meh" what is the first thing, second thing, but then it had this question, "What is the perfect mindset for a beginner podcaster at this point that would virtually guarantee their success?" and I went, "That's a good question." Book Review Non-Fiction - Kind of a who, what, why, when and where. Nothing earth shattering, but useful for the absolutely newbie. Critical Skills Interview - This is a cool template cause it has built in follow up questions. Yes its what's the first, second, third, but it also has you dig deeper. Thumbs up. Faq - Probably my favorite style. Lots of good questions Getting Started - A good set of questions. It does what it says it would do (there is a focus here) Mistakes Style interview - I do plan on having Gordon Firemark ( a Lawyer) on the show eventually, and this would be a good template for Gordon Myths and Misunderstandings - Here again, at first glance this seems too simple, but it has good follow up questions. New Idea Interview - Here again, it would work for that type of interview, but this one isn't my typical interview so it didn't hit me as hard. New Products - Again kind of the who, what, why, When, and how, but more to it. Great for beginners. Rules of the Road - Probably the worst of all the template it was the same set of questions, but it fits the subject. What is rule 1, rule 2, etc. State of union - I could see using these. I can see this tool helping you to never say "Oh how could I have forgotten to ask.." Ste by Step Roadmap - This is a distant cousin of the Rules of the Road. Not my favorite. Tips and Tricks - Here again pretty basic, and not earth shattering. I do like on some of these that kind of have repeat questions, there are additional questions at the bottom of the list. How Much Does it Cost? Right now as I write this Podcast Interview Wizard is $197 at www.podcastinterviewwizard.com/sop (and yes that is an affiliate link). In addition to the software you get something called the Podcast interview wizard Blueprint which just walks you through using the software. There is some additional training on conducting interviews and I've only watched one of the videos, but was pleasantly surprised at how in depth Jim Edwards gets in this. While anything more than a cup of coffee sound too expensive for software, there are people charging $85 per episode to write your show notes. So the software would pay for iteself with three episodes. Key Tips On How I'm Going to Use This Make sure your podcast is a conversation and an not an interrogation. Just because you have your next question ready, don't forget to listen, listen, listen, because the best question to ask MAY NOT BE ON THE PAGE. Use these questions as a game plan, but be ready to call an audible. I've been interviewed where I'm pretty sure the host isn't paying attention to what I'm saying because they have their 7 questions, and they are just waiting for me to be quiet so they can ask the next questions. DON'T DO THAT! Don't forget to be you. You can use this tool to help you come up with an angle to help you QUICKLY get to the meat of the interview that is going to connect with your audience. There are going to be things that won't fit into a template, and that's where YOU come into play. This software doesn't know your audience. Last week I asked my audience what they wanted to know from Danny and they asked about how he works with his crew. That would not be in any of these templates. Because of My Podcast - I've Met People From All Over the Globe Becuase of their podcast Gary and Margaret of the Kiwi Mana Podcast (all about bees) have met people from all over the globe. Check them out at http://kiwimana.co.nz/ Congrats to all the New  Hall of Fame Inductees Dawn and Drew  Gary Leland   (hear Gary on a previous episode) Mignon Fogharty (Hear Mignon on this show) Rob Walch  (Hear Walch on a previous episode) Podcast Rewind I appeared on round 63 of the Podcasters Round Table where we were talking Podcasting hacks (great episode) I appeared on Business Mistakes Episode 35  talking about mistakes I've made. Eric K Johnson did a great episode on critiquing your own show, and he mentioned last's week's episode. Don't Be Afraid to Try Something New So last week I was in a bit of a pickle. I knew Danny Peña had a great story. I had known it for a long time, but I never made the effort to have Danny on the show. I always known I would get around to it. Well in my laziness he appeared on the New Media Show, and Podcast Junkies. Now this is not a big deal, but I wanted to really bring Danny's story before anyone had really heard his story (that wasn't in the gaming world that is). So now I was going to have Danny on the show. What could I do to make my interview stand out? Danny's story needs no help. It's awesome, but still I wanted to stand out.  So listened to those interviews and tried to figure out what I wanted to have on this show, as well as anything that could make it stand out. There are no "bad" parts of Danny's story. This made it tough. So again, what could I do to be different. I never want to be like everyone else. So I added sound effects. How did I know these would work? Because I had not heard the sound of a 56 K modem in a very long time and when I did it made me smile. When I heard the sound effect of pacman, the MTV theme, or the others sound effects I used they made me smile. I realized anyone under 30 wouldn't get the subtle joke, but those who did, would hopefully have the same reaction I did. They smiled.  School of Podcasting Closes For This Session 3/31  If you are looking to start a podcat, want personalize attention, then the School of Podcasting is for you. Step by step tutorials Email support. Live webinars Private Facebook Group Check it out at www,schoolofpodcasting.com/start    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

Danny Peña got his first video game console from his Grandmother and his life was forever changed. Little did Danny know (who goes by the name of Godfree on his show) that he would someday be getting paid to fly around the world and play video games on his podcast Gamertag Radio. Did he think he would end up working for CBS and be featured next to podcasts like 60 minutes on play.it? Probably not. Today you will learn how Danny started building his audience before there was podcasting. Danny continued building his audience before there was iTunes. Through everything he does, Danny cares about one thing: the audience. There are sooooooo many lessons to be learned today. Interview starts at 3:38 Free Doesn't Last: Danny got his first check from mp3.com a site that was "Too big to fail" just like MySpace (and who knows some day Facebook?). The party of the year took a year of planning: You don't get these kind of results by "winging it." Check out this video of the party and you can read how the Miami New Times  called it the Best Super Bowl party in South FL. Know more about your audience than their age and sex: Danny brought in musicians who his audience liked. The musicians brought in their audience who probably liked to play games. Be straight with your audience: Any perks Danny and his crew have received has always been communicated to their audience. TRUST is everything: It takes a long time to earn it. It's very powerful, and can be lost with one bad decision. Let your audience be part of your journey: Anywhere Danny goes he invites his audience to come along. Ten years to get on CBS Radio: Patience ins a virtue, and it took Danny 10 years to get to where he is. He took advantage of every opportunity he saw. Time Management Tips: Set a schedule and stick to it. Danny has a full time job, a girlfriend, and his podcast. Having the right people on your team is essential and keep everything transparent so you are all on the same page.  Danny is real. When Danny says, that's a good question, that's because its a good question. Some people on my show do it just to stroke my ego. Danny's Community Created Events That Drew the Attention of Main Stream Media Check out Danny's Commercial on the Discovery Channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5oKqp-sZA0 Watch his acceptance speech as he is inducted into the Podcaster's Hall of Fame ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K64TXMuYNlY Here, Danny made the news by accidentally spilling the beans on the Microsoft release. In this article, Gamertag radio is mentioned in Forbes magazine.   Save $40 Off Podcast Movement If you plan on attending Podcast Movement, you can save $40 off your ticket when you use the coupon code sop40. This is THE podcast event. I will be holding a Q& A session and I am really looking forward to it. Coming Next Week I have a on of people ask me about Podcast Interview Wizard from Jim Edwards. Well I'm going to buy it and play with and let you know what I think. If you want to check it out, go to schoolofpodcasting.com/piw (affiliate link) I will also be talking about the Cool Cast Player which makes really pretty players for your website Ready To Start Your Podcast? The School of Podcasting is OPEN NOW. Get in before 4/1 (doors close ). Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/start Step by Step tutorials (that are not outdated like the one on the Internet) BONUSES Private Facebook group for Networking Email support for all your podcast questions. Live Q & A Webinars - ask whatever you want.  Sign up before we close the doors 4/1 www.schoolofpodcasting.com/start  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

I went to Podfest.us a couple of weeks ago and I saw a person do a presentation that offered to help people launch their podcast for $8999. Just for that weekend there was a sale and they would only charge you $3990. This is America and if you can get people to pay for $4,000 for your advice, then GO CAPITALISM. I feel bad for your customers, because without an intimate knowledge of your product, my gut instinct says they over-paid. A couple of episode ago I said the snake-oil sales people are coming, and now I'm here to tell you they are here. So get your boots on cause the poop is getting deep. Podcast Review Swap - Trying to Cut in Line in the Apple Charts is Bad For Podcasting I was in a private Facebook group when the owner of the group (the same guy selling a $9,000 podcast course) places this post: RATE AND REVIEW SWAP - POST YOUR SHOW BELOW (LET'S GET A LONG THREAD GOING)Is it ok to post your show via iTunes link? and ask for rate and review swaps?I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE TO DO THISsomething like hey everyone, wanna do rate and review swap? Here's my show --show link removed by Dave--Let me know when you've done it and I'll go do the same. Extra points for screenshots or copy paste of review smile emoticonWHAT I DON'T ENCOURAGE'Hey guys check out the most bomb, amazing spectacular show on the planet - insert link. and subscribe please...NOPE!example #2Hey guys this week we talk about how we are the real deal, and we discuss it in such an amazing way. ARen't we awesome! - link to youtube. **Please don't F'ing do this! I am considering kicking you out if you do this more than 1x. and I won't tell you, so don't do it at all.BEST PRACTICE FOR ASKING FOR RATE AND REVIEWS"Anyone opne for rate and review swap: here's my show""Just left review for TAG PERSON - great show, here's what I wrote - insert message - THEN say - here's my show can you hit me back too" The people lined up DROVES. The post was growing like a weed. This was like a unicorn. I had heard of them, but had never seen one, and it was depressing. After no less than 20 people I had put in their link I chimed in as asked why we were asking people who had never heard your show to give us a give star review. As always, I'm open to other sides of the story so I asked, "Why are you doing this? If you can't get your audience (who has heard your show) to review it, that is a red flag that your content is not resonating with your audience. Please shed some light on this. He repled: The idea here is that people can listen, rate, and review and not be stranger. As artists we need a place to be ale to get feedback to share on our show, and this is a thread for people to be able to do that.  We are not encouraging people to be strangers here and in a podcasting group it only makes sense to have a place where people can openly asks for reviews and feedback.  There is a place for podcasters to get feedback and share it on your show. It's called your audience. It's called comments on your website, facebook, email, voicemail from people who can help shape your content for the better. They are called YOUR AUDIENCE. The answer is a lie. They are trying to game the system, jump up the charts, and boost their downloads. I get that. Who doesn't want a bigger audience? Do you remember William Hung from American Idol. This poor kid couldn't sing or dance, but he was so bad we shot him on the charts. William produced an album, and that's the last I heard of him. He doesn't have the talent to remain on that stage. More and more professional content creators are getting into podcasting (radio people). They have paid their dues, and they have had lots of practice. They have found their voice, and they know what their audience wants. So now when we shoot your inexperienced probably not great  podcast to the top of the charts, you look like William Hung. Your audience doesn't stay, and your career is over. Don't be a Flash in the Pan Never week Danny Peña will be on the show. He is a hall of fame podcaster who started out on caseete tapes. His main focus is on his audience, and he now works for CBS. He gets paid to play video games because he did the work, listened to his audience, and promoted his show endlessly. He didn't cheat, he didn't cut in line, he didn't spam anyone, and the guy is a rock star in the gaming world.  Back in 2005ish Dr. Joe Vitale start podcasting. His first episode was all about him, and how great he was and why you should listen. It did nothing for the listener. he had a huge email list, and he must've sent out an email for people to vote for him on Podcast Alley (this was pre iTunes). They did. Joe went from 0 to the top of the charts. His episode was awful, and the next week he was completely off the charts. Apple is Not Going to be Happy That Your are Negative Effecting Their Product By "gaming" the iTunes charts the results are not entirely accurate. Apple went to a lot of work to build the system, and I'm pretty sure they are not going to be happy that you are playing it for the fool. More "Bad" Advice Coming Out Daily A recent article focusing on how to get to the to of iTunes New and Noteworthy came out and suggested this: The article (which I'm purposely not linking to) states, "Fact: Once your show is approved by iTunes, they (Apple) give you an 8-week window to rise to the top in the "New and Noteworthy" categories. This is your best opportunity to strike podcast launch gold." To this I BEG you SHARE YOUR NUMBERS. I've asked my audience to share their pre, during and post "New and Noteworthy Numbers" and the only people who have had shown that with over 1000 podcasts being added to iTunes each week (www.newmediashow.com) that the impact of New and Noteworthy is not thousands of downloads like it was in the past. If you can show me differently, I would love, love, love to see it. Set a Date for Your Podcast Launch I have seen so many people make really bad mistakes because they don't know what's involved with a podcast and they will pick a date. Even if it is six weeks out there is so much that go wrong with: ArtworkMusicTechnologyThe InternetRecording GearApple That to pick a date that you will launch is a pretty risky move. It is better to pick a day that you plan on having everything you need to pick the actual launch day. To this people freak out and state the 8 week rule. This is BS. You have 8 weeks to be NEW, you can be NOTEWORTHY any time. Use Template to Contact People The article states to use a personal approach and then states that he uses templates (that you can get if you give him your email list) Be Ready For Your New and Noteworthy Screen Shot It then states to be ready to take your screen shot (after bugging everyone you know, and as we have seen above - people you don't know) so you can climb the charts. If you're going to game the system, do it smart. PHOTOSHOP. Now I'm not saying this is a legit strategy, but it takes a lot less time, and nobody can check the history of New and Noteworthy. So if you're going to cheat, cheat smart. The author states, Back when I launched my show in the summer of 2014, I set my alarm clock for middle-of-the-night and early morning hours. I didn't want to run the risk of missing my moment in the number one spot. The more I work with podcasters, the more I see a trend. The people who spend hours OBSESSING over stats, don't have impressive numbers. Why? Because instead of obsessing over their audience, they are obsessing over download numbers. If you obsess over the audience, the stats will come. The article states ,"The more frequently you release your shows, the more likely you are to stack up downloads, increase your visibility, and maintain your number-one spot in the "New and Noteworthy."  The author forgot one important FACT. The Podcasts app STOPS DOWNLOADING your show if you have not listened to the episodes. Most people will not be able to keep up with you firehouse of information and thus the downloads will stop. How often should you publish? Don't ask me, ask your target audience! The Bottom Line the more we align ourselves with Scammers, Gamers, Liars, the more we - podcasters as a whole - risk losing our integrity. If our stats are rendered meaningless by the twitter bombers and the Review Swappers, nobody will sponsor our shows. Really? Ever heard of an endorsement deal getting pulled when the celebrity behaves poorly? Exactly, so knock it off. Why Dave Believes What He Believes Scott Johnson Computer Tutor Florida - People WILL download your back catalog Henry Jasper Turned into a Fan Boy Because of My Podcast Henry Jasper is now starting to make money by helping companies with their social media using skills he learned from the School of Podcasting Podcast Rewind : Starve the Doubts I appeared on the Starve the Doubts Show with Jared Easley and Dan Franks. Check out Jared's new book. Quit Chasing Influencers What were the last 5 that Clive from the Future Past Podcast listened to? Six figure side gig Profitcast Unmistakable creative the Robcast The Ray Edwards Show Ray Edwards New Book How to Write Copy That Sells Mentioned on This Show Glen The Geek from Horse Radio Network Ready to Join the School of Podcasting? Open enrollment is now through March 31. Get in while the School of Podcasting is open. Get step by step tutorials, live webinars, a Private Facebook Group, and priority email support. Join Today  Subscribe in iTunes www.schoolofpodcasting.com/itunes This episode first appeared at http://schoolofpodcasting.com/review-swaps-hurting-podcasting/  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

You will notice that I am in pursuit of people who have been able to make a living with their podcast. Today we interview Jim Harold who does the Paranormal Podcastt and the Campfire Podcast. Podcasting News In a nutshell, use podcastsconnect.apple.com to submit your podcast to iTunes, but don't mess with anything else in that platform for now (you can really shoot yourself in the foot). Understanding iTunes and Podcasting iTunes is somewhat confusing. You submit an iTunes RSS feed to iTunes and in return, they give you a link to your listing in iTunes. iTunes is like a giant phone book of podcasts. The interesting thing is when someone goes to iTunes and subscribes to your show, iTunes sets the original feed you submitted in their software. This can create confusing. When you publish a new show it will not show up in the iTunes Store immediately because they have to refreshed your listing. However, anyone who is subscribed to your show gets that show because they are looking at your original feed. My advice here is to subscribe to your own show. This way when you think there is a problem because your show is not "showing up" in iTunes, check your show using whatever app you use. If the show appears, then it just means the iTunes store has not refreshed your listing yet. Wait at least 24 hours. Jim Harold's Paranormal Podcast is Paying the Bills (interview starts at 9:51 - recorded with a Zoom H5 recorder and two Audio Technica ATR2005usb microphones ) Here are some bullet points from our conversation with Jim Harold from the Paranormal Podcast Jim wanted to be on the radio, but ended up in radio sales. Jim loved reading about the Paranormal growing up. He sputtered at the beginning of his show, but his fans wanted more. Why? Because nobody was talking about this like Jim was, and he delivered value. After 6 months , Jim was offered a sponsorship from Audible, and that helped him get more serious about his show. Jim has multiple streams of income. He has a plus club (membership site), he has multiple books, and he has advertisers. Jim uses Wishlist member to manage his membership site Jim's first book was "traditionally" published. It was cool to see it in Barns and Noble, but Jim later purchased the rights to that book and sold it on his own. Check out Jim's books at Amazon.com Podcasting has opened door for Jim His podcast grows about 10% every year. His podcast is named well. It's called the "paranormal podcast." He went with the obvious name for his show. When people Google "Paranormal Podcast' his show comes up. There is a difference between radio ads and podcast ads. Jim explains how he feels like he knows me because he listens to my show. Podcasting advertising has great impact because we care about your audience. Jim has rejected ads that didn't fit his audience, or that he couldn't endorse. Jim is currently using a Heil Pr40, a Mackie Mixer, and a Behringer Processor. Check out Jim's shows at Jimharold.com as well as his TV You Grew Up With podcast. Mentioned in this Show Daniel J Lewis from the Audacity to Podcast Steve Stewart from SteveStewart.me Stargate Pioneer from the Gonna Geek Network Danny Pena from Gamer Tag Radio Auphonic Audio Tool Show 503 on Compelling Podcasts School of Podcasting NewsletterMentioned 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

Podfest hapned this weekend in tamp Florida. Wow was it fun. I got to hang out with Hall of Fame podcasters like Danny Pena, and meet some people who are trying to get their podcast off the ground. I love, love, love, the podcast community. It's filled with helpful, loving ,caring people. I got to catch up with Dan and Jared from Podcast Movement, Glenn the Geek, some members of the School of Podcasting. I'd write more names, but I'm still in a coma from the Dramamine. Cool Things About Podfest Being a new event (this was year two) they had one track. This meant that all the attendees sat in the same room and the speakers would rotate in and out. We were strongly encouraged to network on breaks and sit in new locations. It was cool. I ran out of business cards, an luckily had a box of "stand by" business cards. One of the coolest things were did was like Speed Networking. You had a time keeper at the table, and each person had 90 seconds to share their name, their podcast, and their target audience. Then each round you would go to a new table and meet more people. By the end of the session, you had pretty much met everyone in the room. This was one of the coolest things I've ever seen. They had a schedule flowed nicely together. This lead to speakers often referring to something mentioned previously in the conference. Great speakers. Simple. All brought value. Relative sponsors: Audio editing services, marketing, interviewing, trademark, conferences, hosting, all were relevant to the audience. I saw, felt, and participated in Content Marketing. I met Katie Krimitsos the night before. I saw her presentation on Facebook Goups, and she showed me how much more I could be doing. I will be a customer.  When Will The School of Podcasting Open? As God as my witness, ready or not, it will open next weekend 3/5 What am I doing? I'm reshot many of the videos. I've added quite a few videos, and I'm restructuring how I will do business. At this point (subject to change) I want to let a certain amount of people in at one point, and the close the doors so we can all kind of be "on the same page." Then I can help, encourage, and guide you through your process, while still providing value to current members through additional videos and live office hour webinars. Creating Compelling Podcasts Adjective: having a powerful and irresistible effect; requiring acute admiration, attention, or respect How Podcasts are like Potatoes You have instant potatoes out of a box. These are quick, easy, and cheap. The end result? Bland. You can make mashed potatoes from scratch. They take longer, it takes more effort, and they are more expensive to create. The result? They are delicious and your recipients want more. It's Not About the Audio Quality If you record with your laptop microphone, that's bad. I think we all can recognize audio that is distracting (if you make me adjust the volume during your podcast, we have a problem). You can purchase an Audio Technica 2100 for around $60 and have great audio. Be sure to get a pop filter (check out this package with a swing arm). Once you have that, MOVE ON. I would listen to an 8-track tape of the Beatles because the content is good. My friend Paul Colligan from the Podcast Report records in all sorts of fun locations. Some are better than others. One time it sounded like Paul was recording fro ma submarine. I listened to every minute. Why? Because Paul makes me think. On the other hand, Metallica put out and album with Lou Reed. Van Halen Put out an album with Gary Cherone. One of more of the following need to happen: Laugh Cry Think Grown Entertain Educate If none of the above is happening then don't press record. Identify Your Audience If you have a "Secret Santa" at your job and you get someone's name that you don't know you have two choices: Gift Card (quick, easy, fast - bland) Go ask someone who knows the person and get them a gift they want Which one gets the best response? This is why you have to know who your audience is, so you can go to where they are and listen to what they are talking about. Start of listening when you find your audience. Ask them what they might want to hear. Be sure to take notes using tools like Evernote or OneNote The ADDIE Approach Anaylize - Go research your audienceDesign - Decide how you'r going to cover your topicDevelop - Buy the podcasting equipment, figure out what segments you will use.Implement - Let a member of your target audience listen to the show.Evaluate - Did they like it? Get feedback Feedback is just that - feedback. It leads to failure if the feedback causes you to quit. Don't quit. Instead Analyze the feedback, design a new approach, develop a new version of your podcast, and have a target listener evaluate it. This goes on and on, forever. How Many Downloads Should My Podcast Get? Here is the equation: Total Number of Downloads X Effective Production = Total Number of Downloads If you have no value (bit focused, horrendous audio quality) then it doesn't matter how much you promote it. If you have great value, but don't tell anyone about it, that won't work either. This is why you need to record a couple of shows so you know how much time it takes to create an episode. THEN you can choose your publishing schedule. Check out the Slides at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/503 Creating Compelling Podcasts from podcastcoachMentioned 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

Because of my Podcast: I'm Working For Libsyn - Dave Jackson A couple of weeks ago I let you know that my "Day job" had gone away. A little update on the story, I reached out to the head of HR only to find she no longer works there, and I got an email stating that payroll would be postponed two days.  So there I was, thinking about getting into training and support. So I asked myself. What do I want to do for a living? I love podcasting. So in a nutshell. I want to help people in the podcasting space. Who is the biggest player in the podcast space? Libsyn.com I reached out to a person I knew (remember how it's all about relationships) and just let them know I was available if they needed someone. A little over two weeks later I was given a proposal to join their team. I gladly accepted. I can still do consulting, but you will now hear me give out a disclaimer that I am an employee of Libsyn. You will hear me give out my promo code of sopfree for Libsyn on this show, but not at a trade show where I'm acting as a Libsyn employee. For those who are new to my show, I've been a big fan of Libsyn as well as Blubrry, and Spreaker for years. I think the insights I get from working in support will help me created better content for you on this show, as well as additional documentation for Libsyn. I've always wanted to make a living around podcasting, and now I can. I can do podcasting as my full-time gig, and my night time hobby. Wait, that's Ray's line. Because of My Podcast I Quit My Day Job - Jim Harold Every Saturday at 10:30 AM I do a live call-in show called "Ask the Podcast Coach" at www.askthepdocastcoach.com/live and this week Jim asked a question about the controversy over measuring podcasts (see this episode of the Podcasters Roundtable ) and once he came on I got to talk to him and found out. Jim previously a sales guy for radio Jim now does a podcasting full time at jimharold.com I've already reached out to Jim and we will be doing a deep dive on next week's show. Anchor.fm Vs Voxer Vs Clammr Vs Speakpipe Vs Voicemail Today we are joined by Chris Nesi  (www.chrisnesi.com) from the House of Ed Tech podcast. Chris is well versed in Voxer. As a member of the School of Podcasting Chris has shown me he really enjoys voxer. So when this new tool (Anchor) came on the scene and everyone was going nuts over it, I wanted to get Chris's opinion. In the end, they are different tools for different audiences who are looking for different results. The world is all a flutter over the Anchor app for iOs. This is an app that allows you to sign in via your twitter account and create audio. People can follow you, and you can follow them. You can record a "wave" and people can reply. This is all public. You can them embed your wav on your website, like this. See www.schoolofpodcasting.com/502 Speakpipe.com Originally I wasn't going to include Speakpipe in this discussion, but if we are talking about getting feedback from your audience, I would look like a fool not to include it. Speakpipe is a way for you to put a button on your website for people to click on it, and using their microphone leave a message. When you get the message you can listen to it, download it, or click reply and send a message back to the audience member. It's free, with a premium version for more storage. Check out speakpipe.com Anchor.fm I can see this being used to get feedback from your audience. While this is already easy with tools like speakpipe, when someone leaves a message with speakpipe, you can reply to them as well. This is all public. With Anchor, the conversation is public so everyone can hear the conversation and bring their point of view. The bad news for podcasters is once you get the audio, there is no download option. Now you are stuck with hitting play on your phone and recording it with another device. For me, I shared a link to myself, played the wave on the web, and recorded it using Hindenburg journalist (you can go into settings and tell it to record "other applications." Anchor - True public radio - Anchor FM Inc. Voxer.com Voxer is also a free app (with a paid pro version with additional perks) that turns your phone into a walkie talkie. It is cool, and you can invite people into groups. This again creates a community feeling. You can share audio, video, text, and images. With a group it is only public to the group. You can private message each individual if you'd like. The nice thing about voxer is it works on all platforms. You can even just use their website. I do love the fact that you can listen to messages at up 3X speed. With Voxer, you have a public forum if you want it (with only invited guests) or private message that are easy to listen to and easy to download. Every time I play with Voxer I feel I should create a group for the School of Podcasting. Check out the app at Voxer Walkie Talkie Messenger - Voxer LLC Clammr.com Clammr is a fun tool to help spread the word about your show. You can use the free app (or their website) to create clips up to 24 seconds. When Clammr was first launched, creating a clammr was a bit cumbersome. They have improved this since the launch, and they've added the ability to use their website (for those not using an iOs device). If someone likes a clammr when they hear it, they are emailed a link to the rest of the episode. You can create widgets to show your favorite clammrs. They look like this. see schoolofpodcasting.com/502 I can also share a playlist via a text link So where clammr is for the audience to help spread the podcast to their friends, tools like Anchor are for getting their opinion or feedback from the show. Check out the clammr at here Clammr Radio – Discover Podcasts, Music, & News Headlines - Clammr, Inc. Voicemail I have a number through PodcastVoicemail.com (Kall8) that costs me $2 a month plus .06 a minute. I've never had a bill over $4, and the audio is "meh" but it's simple and it works for those who are not too technically gifted. What Does My New Position Mean For the School of Podcasting? As I'm working for Libsyn.com there are a few that will happen, but very little will change. When I write and talk on my podcast, I am writing as Dave Jackson the Professional Podcast Mentor. I have been delivering objective facts about podcasting, technology, and content for almost 11 years. On this blog I can tell you to use the coupon code sopfree to get a free month at Libsyn.com, or Blubrry.com or Spreaker.com. If i'm at a trade show as an "Official Libsyn Employee" I won't be giving out promo codes (if I want to keep my job), and I won't be giving out promo codes to my competition. You will now hear me use a disclaimer when I talk about hosting companies and explain that I work for Libsyn. But in the end, I've always tried to deliver the facts, and let you make informed decisions. For anyone who has listened to my show from 2005, I've been a big fan of Libsyn before they had an affiliate program, and before I was an employee. So in the end, not much is going to change for the podcast. What I hope to gain is a better understanding of the podcasting community, the industry, and bring that information to the podcast, and to my tutorials. Some of those tutorials may end up here, or at Libsyn.com or both. When I lost my job on February 5th, I asked myself, "What do you want to do with your life." I've been a teacher for 20+ years. I've worked in customer support, and tech support. My goal was to make a living around podcasting. My first thought was I could do it on my own by doing consulting full time, or I could go work for a company like Libsyn, Blubrry, or Spreaker. While like all of these companies, I've always been the biggest fan of Libsyn. I also love chocolate ice cream and it will win over any other flavor until Oreo Cookie ice cream is available. There is no bad choice there. I reached out to Rob Walch the VP of Podcasting Relations (and someone I've known for 11 years) and just let him know I was available. If something happened I would do Libsyn full time and do consulting in the evenings and weekends. If something didn't happen, I would go full time consulting,  and maybe get a part time job doing something else. When I took the job as the Director of the New Media Expo, what I ended up getting were relationships. I believe this job will get me more in touch with potential guests, insights, and a view I wouldn't have if I didn't accept the position. I said before, I wanted to make a living helping people podcast and now I will. I will bring my knowledge right back to this microphone. No Matter What System you Use.. No matter what tool you use, you will still need to ask for communication. You will need to make it super easy to use. Also keep in mind the more tools you use, the more tools you need to check. The worst thing you can do is ask for interaction and then ignore it. Hot of the Presses: A New Podcast From the School of Podcasting Rob Kerns new Living the Vet Life Podcast is for a podcast dedicated to making sure Veterans are getting all of their benefits. Check it out at http://livingthevetlife.com/ check it out in iTunes Rob's got two episodes out and it displays lots of promise to help veterans get what they deserve.     Podcast Mentorship 1 Yr Subscription Starts March 5th If you are looking to take a serious stab at podcasting, join Dave for a YEAR as he works side by side with you. For more information, go to www.podcastmentorship.com Mentioned in this show Jeff Bradburry Teachercast.net Ray Ortega PodcastersStudio.com Chris Nesi Speakpipe Clammr  PodcastVoicemail.com Voxer LLC Anchor Libsyn.com Blubrry livingthevetlife.com Hindenburg Journalist Podcast MentorShipMentioned 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

With so many people focusing on New and Noteworthy, I wanted to see how many people use New and Noteworthy. So I asked people how they found new podcasts and here is what they said. The number one way was hearing the podcaster being interviewed on another podcast. This data is from 100 respondents from my email list, and from social media. So it order with the number one answer first it was I heard them interviewed on another podcast I searched the app for my topic I heard about it from a friend (word of mouth) Other The Internet (Google, Bing) Search The "other" responses were (and I'm summarizing) more or less "Word of mouth." Meaning the podcast host they were listening to mentioned them, or they heard about it on Twitter, Pinterest, etc. So if one of the top ways to grow your audience is to appear on other podcasts, how do you get booked on other shows? Well, we are going to dig into a smart way of setting yourself up to be booked on other podcasts. How To Get Booked as A Guest On a Podcast? OK, there must be some new course, or guru telling people how to contact people to be potential guests. Here is the format Tell people how much you love the show Tell them your story Tell them what topic you can talk about and how much my audience is going to benefit. Kiss the butt of the host and tell them what an honor it would be on the show. Drop a hint about the book or course you have, and how my audience would benefit. Promise to promote. They are missing one key ingredient GO AND LISTEN TO THE SHOW When you start off the email with “I have heard some fantastic things about your radio show, congratulations on your success!” Again, do some homework, or better yet, go by the book Stop Chasing Influencers: The True Path To Building Your Business and Living Your Dream Strategies For Securing a Guest Spot on Other Podcasts Search for your topic in iTunes, Google, etc. the idea is to see who is in the space. Who is the leader in your space? Search for their name in iTunes and see what podcasts they have appeared.  You could search for New and Noteworthy as these people are probably more New than Noteworthy (and hungry for guests) Realize your interview will be evergreen. So if someone goes back to get the back catalog, you will be included. Find influencers in your niche: Look for books on your topic in Amazon, and in Amazon there is a "Customers also bought these items" area. You should probably see other authors names who are also involved with your topic. Make a list and check it twice When you find a podcast, look and see the date of their last episode. If they have podfaded, you might consider contacting them to see if you could take over the show. In general, people who haven't put out a show in months, are more than likely not coming back. Start a spreadsheet with the following information Website Address Twitter Handle e-mail address The average Twitter followers per user is 208. According to an article on Sumome you can look at Twitter followers using the following scale: H = Huge = 100k+ Followers L = Large = 10K+ Followers M = Medium = 1k+ Followers S = Getting Started = less than 1k followers Add these people to your list and make how you found them (they will want to know). Obviously, put if they have a podcast or not. If they don't, you may still want to develop a relationship with them so they can appear on YOUR podcast. Getting Ready For the Initial Contact So to determine if you are a good fit for their show, you need to listen to it. There is no way around this if you want to do it right.  Does this podcast focus on people who would enjoy your topic? If yes, then we need to get ready to contact them. If not, then we won't focus on them now. Don't Try to Close the Deal Instead of sending an email, and asking to come on the show. Why not follow them on Twitter and retweet one of their tweets? Why not leave a comment on the blog. The beginning of every relationship begins with a conversation. This way when you do contact them, you won't be quite the stranger. Honesty is Refreshing See if you can get an introduction. See who is following this person on twitter or LinkedIn and see if you can get an introduction. Instead of telling me great my show is, why not be honest? Tell me you just discovered the show, and tell me why - specifically - in a way that proves you listened - you would be a good fit for my show. Realize the podcaster is going to have to figure out if you're going to bring value, and if you're a good fit. If you've done your homework, you can answer that question for them (and save them time). You could send an email with something along the lines of "Hey (name), I just got done listening to (episode name) and I have to tell you (specific item that proves you listened) I wanted to let you know as someone who has been involved with (the topic of the podcast) I'm really enjoying the show. " If you want them to take a look at you, write about their episode on your blog and link to it. Then send them a link to the post. Now you're not just a listener, you're a content creator, and I'm pretty sure they are going to click the "ABOUT" button when they visit. Think of this as "Courting" your potential future interview. Why Should I Take This Much Effort For One Interview? You can “Spray and Pray” that someone will respond. Spend time talking to people who (apparently) will have anybody on their show. Waste their audience time, and your time as well. The good news it didn’t take any effort to pull this off. The bad news is it isn’t very effective. You’re busy, but not productive. There is a difference. Don’t confuse the two. The other way of doing this is to find a show with the topics you want to talk about, and listen to them and see if you might be a good fit. If you think there is, then leave a comment on the post you listened to and bring value. See if the host replies (you want a host who is connected with his/her audience). Then later, after you listen to a second episode you might consider sending them another email. Talk about some details to prove you listened and bring some value to the conversation. Maybe you have details that they didn’t share in the episode. Maybe you have a resource that could be of value. Bring something to the table that will benefit the host. When the host benefits, you benefit. Why? Because as a podcast host, we serve our audience. We want our audience to benefit. When you deliver value, the host will want you to do the same thing with their audience. Why don’t people do this? Because contacting people on a personal basis takes TIME. Time is something most of us don’t have. Why don’t we have more time? Because we’re BUSY talking to people that aren’t a good fit. Because we’re drafting the perfect form letter to blast to hundreds of potential podcasters. Stand Out in the Crowd If you want to stand out and have people BEGGING YOU to come on the show, do your homework. Write an email that shows you took the time to listen, and you’ve already done the work for the host. They don’t have to figure out if you’re a good guest for the show; you’ve already done it for them. You will STAND OUT. It’s Not Spray and Pray. It’s all about Relationships. Relationships take time. If you’re too “busy”, stop using Spray and Pray, and start working smarter. Start standing out from the crowd by doing your homework and find podcasts that fit your topic, and success will come your way. Podcast Mentorship Year Long Podcast Course Is this you? You don’t know where to start or what steps are required to turn that idea into a reality. You have a lot of ideas to choose from and you don’t want to choose the wrong one. Your fear of failure outweighs your fear of not getting started. You’re not sure if you’re qualified. You don’t want to let others down. You’ve discovered others who have executed a similar idea. You don’t have the resources you need to get started. You’re just not sure if it’s going to work. Podcast Mentorship will meet twice a week for the first six weeks, and twice a month for the next 10 months. You will communicate via a private slack group, and you will full access to the School of Podcasting so you are never alone. Podcast Mentorship is where I work side by side with you as we (together) identify your target audience, and the problems they need solved, and the information they are starving to hear. When we launch your podcast it will be a like breath of fresh air to your audience. It will be like delivering the perfect gift who has been waiting years for it. For more information go to www.podcastmentorship.com Ready to start now? Order Today Mentioned in this show http://www.jobsearchthatworks.com/ www.askthepodcastcoach.com 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

If you're new to the School of Podcasting, when Dave hits a milestone like 100, 200, 300, 400, he breaks format and tries to do something that is educational, entertaining, and slightly weird. Today being that it is both my 500th episode of the School of Podcasting, and my 51st birthday, (and the fact that last week was Groundhog's Day), I am taking my creativity and love of the movie Groundhog's Day (the story is a guy has to relive the same day over and over, rent it here) and joining it with the story of Jack Davidson and his friend Scooter as they try to launch a podcast. We also here snippets of past shows at the start of the show. Special thanks to Adam Curry of the No Agenda Show for loaning me their birthday jingle. Check out their awesome podcast at www.noagendashow.com Also thanks to Steve Stewart of the No Debt, No Credit, No Problems podcast for kicking off the show, and to Kim Kracji of the onthetablepodcasts.com for being my female voice in the "podcasting commercial". I knew I could count on you both. Look Back Memory Lane 00:38 Episode 500 Begins 2:00 We cover a story about a man named Jack Davidson. It’s his birthday, he’s gone through some life changes, and he’s thinking of starting a business. He is realizing that you only have so much time on the planet, and he wants to make a difference. His biggest fear in life is being insignificant, or leaving no legacy behind. His mind is whirling today about his future. This has been spurred on by the fact that he is turning 51 today Morning Burger hit :4:00 Hey It's Your Birthday Version 1 5:01 Podcasting Commercial 5:34 First Jack tries using a free media host that limits your bandwidth - Bad idea Binky and the Whiz take over the No Agenda Show 8:44 Jack purchases blue snowball microphones only to find out these don't work good in a non-silent environment and its hard to have two usb microphone plugged into one computer. Whet Bread the Big Lie 11:55 Hey It's Your Birthday Version 2 15:15 Jack and Scooter learn that you should setup an agreement to identify who does what, and if there is any money who gets paid, etc Hey It's Your Birthday Version 3 18:50 Jack and Scooter lose their friendship after arguing over the money with their podcast. Jack goes solo, and tries multiple hosts, platforms, and equipment. Jack and Scooter come to an agreement Final Thoughts on Episode 500 23:20 What did we learn today? Blue snowball microphones are not a great choice even though 1000 websites say so. They are not a great fit for podcasters. There are better options Copying a company that you may be talking about on twitter is a strategy you might want to try Be sure to have expectation regarding money and responsibilities in place if you have a co-host. We learned that the only thing more annoying than Binky and the Whiz is hearing the same clip of Binky and the Whiz over and over is quite annoying. We learned that the more tied Dave gets, the less he stays in character And lastly if your your episode last longer than four hours, you should always call your doctor. The Not Ready For FM Players Podcast Sally 34:10 Mentioned in this Episode Sign up for the newsletter Steve Stewart  On the Table Podcast (for toastmasters) No Agenda Show More Podcast Money Book Support This ShowMentioned 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

Last week we talk about being a "hobby podcast" and that you can be a hero to someone. We mentioned that you do NOT have to make money with your podcast. Today we are going the other way and looking at making money with your podcast. So let's start right there. YOU DON'T MAKE MONEY WITH YOUR PODCAST. YOU MAKE MONEY WITH THE RELATIONSHIP YOU BUILD WITH YOUR PODCAST This is why it takes time. In the same way that it takes time to develop a relationship, it takes time to build an audience that will like and trust you. Things that can speed up this process: Create content that is valuable. Come across in a way that build confidence. Deliver it on a regular basis (so people depend on you). Let them know you. Strategies for Making Money with Your Podcast 1. Sell your own product This is by far the most lucrative because people know, like and trust you. This can be a book, a course, consulting, etc. 2. Refer to other products through affiliate links Pick a product that matches the audience. Preferably one that you actually like so you can talk open and honestly about the product. Many people use Amazon. or Audible as well. 3. Donations You can put a paypal button on your site, or websites like Patreon make it easy to build a community by rewarding them for different levels of support. Be careful with the reward and make sure you don't spread yourself too thin. 4. Sponsorship When you get over 5,000 download per episode, you can start thinking about getting a "big" sponsor (squarespace). As 92% of podcasters are nowhere near that number you are not out of luck. You can find smaller businesses that may be looking for more of a branding play. Check out my interview with Glenn The Geek who is making a living with sponsors by making sure his sponsors fit his audience and he gets them involved. Selling Digital Downloads Check out this super powerful shopping cart plugin that allows you to safely sell digital downloads Gumroad is a handy website that make's it easy to sell digital downloads if you're not using Wordpress. Selz.com is another great looking shopping cart. Monetizing With Membership Sites The School of Podcasting was founded in 2005 and I used Digital Access Pass to to make sure the general public could not access my material. I also used it to manage my affiliate program, and e-mail m members. It created coupons for discounts, and generated reports. Is is the cheapest platform? No. But the money you save using different plugins is wasted in the time you spend trying to get them all to work together. Today I interview Ravi Jayagopal from Digital Access Pass and the author of the book Subscribe Me: Making, Marketing & Monetizing Online Digital Content with Membership Sites, Online Courses and Recurring Subscriptions The biggest advantage of a membership site is you can build it once, and then sell it many times. Digital Access Pass even has a "drip" feature (now copied by many, but Ravi was the inventor) that allows you to provide your members content over a period of time (instead of giving it to them all at once ). Today we learn this about membership sites: 1. There is more than just putting up content and protecting it.2. You still have to bring value to your audience.3. You still need to promote it. It's not a "build it and they will come" world.4. You still need to provide new content to get them to stick around. Check out Ravi's podcast at www.subscribeme.fm Where Monetization Stumbles You start out not caring about money, and you turn on the microphone and just wing it. Then later you want to make money with your podcast. You topic doesn't lend itself to sponsors (too hot of a topic). This doesn't mean you can't get a sponsor, it means it may be tougher. A podcaster wants to start monetizing after 4 weeks and they haven't developed that know like and trust, or an audience. Mentioned in this Podcast Shepodcasts.com Podcaster's Studio Snider CommentsMentioned 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

Because of my Podcast Darren Dake Darren Dake from the Coroner talk podcast has told us (about a year ago) where he was asked to do some state wide training in Missouri). Well Darren is back because now - because of his podcast - which is now over 100,000 downloads (think about how niche his topic is). Darren is using his podcast as a calling card, and now Darren has been asked to do some teaching on a NATIONAL level as the LEAD INSTRUCTOR for a course. He has made great contacts all over the world and has been asked to speak at numerous conventions. His next goal is to be asked to speak outside of the US. Check out his show at www.coronertalk.com  One more point: Coroner talk was Darren's second podcast. So you don't always hit it out of the park the first time. Darren started, tweaked, learned along the way and now is seeing success. Podcast Rewind: Podcaster's Roundtable In the recent episode of the Podcaster's Roundtbale we ask, "Is your podcast paying for itself?" Check it out at podcastersroundtable.com/64  We talk about networks, patreon, and wondering if people making money with their podcast is ruining podcasting for the hobby podcast. Unleash Your Inner Hero: Defining Podcast Success A post in a Facebook Group Asked: "What is your idea or definition of a successful podcast, the one that has specific number of downloads, or subscriptions or sponsorship or something else that I might not know??" Does it make you happy? Do you love doing it every day/week? Do you have a positive impact on the lives of others? is it something you'd love to do every day as your career? You're successful. It's not about dollars and cents or downloads - it's about levels of happiness - Lou Mongello wdwradio.com All I can say is Amen. Look, I love what money can do for me. I'm up to my eyeballs in student loans, but if you OBSESS over downloads numbers, and OBSESS over New and Noteworthy you are focusing on the wrong thing. You need to focus on your audience and impacting them in a positive fashion. Example of Podcast Success 12:59 Mark Dowding from the Oh Beep Geocaching Show Not writing this to boast, or brag, just as a heads up to anyone who is getting a little jaded with their podcast. We've struggled the last few shows and have only recorded one episode in January. We've been questioning our value in our niche and what we bring to the table. Then a listener sent this e mail, which told us we've been achieving what we set out to do every episode.: "I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy the show. I listen on my way to work and on my way home from work. My drive is around 1 1/2 hours. I have never laughed so much listening to a podcast. I sometimes have tears in my eyes from laughing so hard. An awesome father and son podcast. So thank you" Thats all we want to do, entertain people. There are plenty of deep dive podcasts in our niche and plenty of interview podcasts. We wanted to do something different and it seems we hit the spot - no one before that listener has told us we've done that. Its worth keeping in mind that someone listening is getting value from your show, so don't give up. People Are Listening Glenn The Geek of Horse Radio Network has appeared twice on this show (cause he's that good) and check this out. He posted something in the School of Podcasting's Private Facebook Club. "I need to brag a bit, with the help of Dave Jackson getting the word out I have had four podcasters contact me this week who heard me speak on sponsorship and they all got their first sponsors this week! Rates ranged from $50 to $1500 an episode, congrats everyone. Learn more about this model in my Keynote at Podfest.us Silencing the Imposter It is amazing how if we are asked for our favorite childhood memory we may have to think about it. If someone asks for our worst memory, it comes to us without hesitation. These are the thoughts that stop us from reaching out to the world. These are the thoughts that whisper in our head that nobody would listen to a podcast from you. We today we provided three examples of people who are being heard, and who are making a difference. Learning From My Mistakes 29:25 I left Jeff Hollbrook from wvpodcast.com out of the My Favorite Podcast Is project - for the second year in a row. I've learned to make a more streamlined submission process. I forgot to press record on a recording - I notice this happens more when the person I'm interviewing is a friend and I'm feeling more comfortable, and more likely to "jump into the conversation." I blew off the setting for my backup recording. You need to treat this as the file you will be using- because that may be the case. I forgot to mention that I also sent the Ask the Podcast Coach show down the feed for the School of Podcasting. Lesson? Slow down when publishing.  Ready To Start Your Podcast? Step by step tutorials Private facebook group Personalized e-mail support "Office hours" live webinars 30 day money back guarentee Mentioned in this Show Ryan K Parker of Foodcraftsmen.com Jim Collison of The Average Guy Network Digital Access Pass Subscribe Me: Making, Marketing & Monetizing Online Digital Content with Membership Sites, Online Courses and Subscriptions The Total Money Makeover: Classic Edition: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness (Dave Ramsey) My Favorite Podcast Is...2015: Understanding Audience LoyaltyMentioned 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